With the death of Micron Technology, Inc.’s CEO Steve Appleton, the University of Idaho and state as a whole have lost a champion for education, said UI Vice President of Advancement Chris Murray.
Murray said Appleton was an innovative industry leader and forward-thinking individual.
“Under his leadership, Micron became an economic leader for the state,” Murray said. “He really believed in private industry partnerships like the one we’ve enjoyed with Micron for many years, where universities have benefited from the investment from companies relative to shared values like education.”
Although he wasn’t a UI graduate, Murray said Appleton was a beacon of what the university stands for.
“We really hold as our flame — our torch — all the things he represented,” Murray said. “… We want to produce graduates who are skilled and innovative and visionary and go off and change their communities and their world. (Appleton) shared so many of the same values we do as far as business success, giving back to the community and making a difference.”
Bill Goesling, of the State Board of Education, said Appleton directly and indirectly influenced statewide education by choosing Idaho as the headquarters for his company.
“He put his heart and soul into improving the lot of all of us,” Goesling said. “He’s directly supported K-20 — you know, we talk about K-12 being important — but he’s also gone beyond that because he has a need for employees, so he looks toward undergraduate and graduate schools for quality employees.”
Through the Micron Foundation and Micron directly, Appleton contributed money and support to several of Idaho’s educational organizations.
Murray said UI has been a recipient of several different types of support through the foundation, including support for the Albertson’s building and disciplines like engineering and physics.
“They also put money into the business school in something called the Business Process Center because they’re always looking at how to make their own business processes efficient and how to look at issues on that front,” Murray said. “And just recently they gave $1.2 million to the STEM research project.”
The disciplines that make up STEM include science, technology, engineering and math. Murray said the project funded by Micron consists of a study to figure out why more students don’t go into STEM disciplines. He said the results would be used to devise a plan that would create changes across the state to encourage more students pursue STEM degrees.
“(Micron) understands that folks coming through K-12 and then going on to the STEM disciplines are very important, not just for industries like theirs, but for American competitiveness,” Murray said.
At 51, Appleton died in a small plane accident Feb. 3 in Boise, according to Micron’s website.
A memorial service will be held in his honor at 10 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise.
Goesling said the state board tries to bring all the institutions of Idaho together to create a seamless process, or system, across campus activity, programs and research. He said the building blocks of that system include not only school systems, but students, parents, teachers, community and industry
“Unfortunately we have lost one part of that system, or it’s been made less available to us,” he said. “…It’s going to take a while to develop and it’s going to be successful, but unfortunately he won’t be able to be part of that success. But his legacy will be.” For more information:
For more information about Micron Technology, Inc. or to read Appleton’s biography, visit the Micron Innovations Blog at www.micronblogs.com.