Donors help provide a margin of excellence

Local and state bond dollars earmarked for STEM modernization projects in community colleges paid for the ($32M) cost of construction of the building and $2.5M was raised from the generous support of alumni, employees, emeriti, and corporate and community partners to purchase technology and equipment for students to gain hands-on experience using the same cutting-edge tools they will encounter at high-tech employers. This experiential learning will ensure that Sacramento’s students have access to the highest quality, affordable and most up-to-date STEM education available.

The new Diane Bryant STEM Innovation Center is named in honor of American River College alumnus Diane Bryant whose generation donation of $500,000 is one of the most significant donations in college history and served as the leadership gift for the Campaign. Bryant is a former Group President of Intel’s Data Center Group and former Chief Operating Officer of Google’s Cloud Platform and current Chairman & Chief Operating Officer of NovaSignal. She received her associate’s degree from American River College and her bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. Bryant received the Distinguished Alumni Award from California Community Colleges in 2016 and the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year from UC Davis in 2017. Bryant was named one of the 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune magazine in 2015 & 2016 and was ranked No. 32 in the Silicon Valley 100 by Business Insider. She holds four U.S. patents for chip design.