ARCS Foundation’s statistics are impressive. In sixty-five years, our women-led nonprofit has awarded $142 million in funding to more than 12,000 college and graduate students working towards degrees in science-related fields. These students represent fifty US research universities. 

Our scholars and university partners have demonstrated that growth and innovation are achieved by asking questions and taking steps toward improvements. ARCS National is doing just that. 

The Organization Growth Committee of ARCS National has created and is launching two major strategies for ARCS – to expand its geographical reach and to target investment in high-impact scientific areas.
The committee is currently finalizing a strategic pilot plan. Sharon Feng, a member of both the Illinois and Pittsburgh chapters, leads the Organization Growth team. 
“What can we do to make ARCS grow?” Feng asks. “What will it take to make this happen?” when no new chapter has formed in the past 16 years. 
Feng says the Organization Growth committee is focused on how to drive growth via the national ARCS organization, not relying only on current chapters across the U.S. to provide financial awards. This is aimed at engaging the national organization more deeply in the ARCS mission. 
Key parts of the committee’s pilot program include:
●    Identifying and cultivating new university partners in the geographic areas (42 states) not covered by the current 15 chapters. 
●    ARCS National will work to find funding for these new Scholar awards and serve as the liaison with new universities. 
●    There are over a dozen universities identified as possible partners in the pilot program. The committee’s current goal is to create partnerships with three of those to start. 
●    Part of the criteria for new university partners is focused on cutting-edge areas of STEM, identified by the Council on Competitiveness, of which ARCS is a member. 
“The frontiers are almost always cross-disciplinary. They're not happening at pure physics or pure chemistry or pure biology anymore,” Feng explains. 
“With her background in science, Sharon Feng is the perfect person to lead the initiative focused on cutting-edge research,” says Beth Wainwright, immediate past president of ARCS and a Pittsburgh colleague of Feng. “With her background in corporate leadership, she brings skills to the initiative and is not afraid to try something new. Sharon is a leader, a visionary, a motivator, an activator.” Feng, now retired, is a seasoned independent director with 14 years of experience in corporate governance, is a coatings industry expert, and a sustainability leader. 

Other members of the Organizational Growth Committee contributing their professional skills and organizational knowledge are Jill Bray, Nancy Chambers, Sara Jean Burke, Amy Moseley, Barb Goergen, Beth Wainwright, Elli Nesbitt, Holly Heaton, Julie Hohl, and Sherry Lundeen.  
Wainwright says, “In June 2024, when I gave my report to the NB as National President, I challenged the board to embrace change and leverage our assets. Great organizations are guided by the need to change. They know how to take advantage of what they do well to elevate the visibility and credibility of their mission.”