Mathematics
Engineering
Science
Achievement
STATEWIDE OFFICE
University of California • 300 Lakeside Drive, 7th Floor • Oakland, CA 94612-3550 • PHONE: 510.987.9337 • FAX: 510.763.4704 • WEB: mesa.ucop.edu
April, 2011
Dr. Charles G. Wade Manager,
Scientific Services IBM Almaden
Research Center, El 650 Harry Road
San Jose, CA 95120
Subject: Promotion of Dr. Andrew Kellock to Senior Technical Staff Member
Dear Dr. Wade,
It is my pleasure to write today in support of a promotion for Andy Kellock. He has been one of
our most enthusiastic, hard working and innovative volunteers for nearly 20 years. The
dedication and leadership he has shown is truly extraordinary and reflects well on IBM's
concern for the larger community.
You're probably aware of the myriad efforts with which he's been involved through the MESA
Schools Program center at San Jose State University. He's done everything from running
annual region-wide science contests (to which I know he's recruited you), to writing funding
grants, to running workshops, to getting our center office equipment, to interacting with
teachers, to hosting meetings at IBM. He has served on the San Jose State MESA Industry
Advisory Board and chaired it as well. His is a strong voice on that board. Because of his
years of commitment to the program, his prominent role as a practicing scientist, and his
demonstrated leadership, Andy was just elected to our statewide MESA board. That office
gives him a much broader platform in which to give us support and help us understand the
needs of industry. As a practicing scientist Andy serves as a role model for MESA students
embodying the “S” in MESA. With a Board whose industry membership is overwhelmingly
engineers, we benefit from his perspective. Using the science lens adds another important
dimension to our Board discussions and strategy. Also in these difficult financial times, Andy
has been helpful to the Board and the program administration as we try to identify potential
support opportunities, and he has been very good at reminding us to identify our core strengths
and build on the evidence of our successes to make the most compelling case for MESA.
He was a significant factor in the improvement in the educational achievement of his local
center. In recent years, 80 percent of the high school students in the MESA program Andy's
been involved with go on to four-year colleges. This compares very favorably to the less than
50 percent statewide average. Statewide nearly 50 percent of MESA’s African American and
Latino students have been eligible for UC admission while that figure is just over six percent.
MESA's mission is to help students become prepared for a rigorous undergraduate program in
STEM fields and nearly 60 percent of the MESA students have chosen a math- or science-
based major in college.
March 29, 2010
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On a personal level, Andy is marvelous also. He's always courteous, thoughtful, and someone
who treats all of our staff and the MESA students and teachers with respect. He is willing to
share his experience with those students who may never have believed they could become a
scientist. There was no one in their lives to say they could be a success until Andy helped show
them that their dream could be real. I know from our interaction with him that he always gives
more than is asked, so I assume that he functions in the workplace in the same conscientious
way he works with MESA. I suspect a promotion for Andy would be something he has earned
through his work and his commitment.
Also, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank IBM for maintaining a corporate culture which
values volunteer work and outreach to schools and organizations. Andy is a superb example of
what can be achieved with such a policy. MESA as an organization, and our students, teachers,
and parents, are the richer for having his involvement.
Oscar F. Porter, Ph.D.
Executive Director