321: Admiral Rickover and the Need for Excellence in Education (feat. Joann DiGennaro)

Do you know who is the father of the nuclear navy and civilian nuclear power? And did you know he had an unrelenting pursuit of perfection?

Our world is in need of people who spark a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) — exactly what Admiral H. G. Rickover devoted his life to. Best known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” he believed America’s strength depended on cultivating young scientific minds.

Joann DiGennaro co‑founded the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) with Rickover in 1983. Students who have been part of CEE attend top universities and have become trailblazers in programming, engineering, data science, and medical research. You can find them working at places like Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Open AI, and SpaceX, among other top companies. Three former Presidents, Nixon, Ford, and Carter, served as Honorary Trustees of CEE’s Board of Trustees, the only Board on which the three served together.

Joann has written a new biography, Rickover: Underway, My Way, which reveals how Admiral Rickover’s leadership principles and educational vision still shape STEM talent today.

Thanks for listening, and be sure to get Joann’s book and learn more about the opportunities for teachers and students through the CEE by clicking the links below: