Liberty Science Center Gains Senior Technology Leader through Bank of America's Leader on Loan Program

BofA will loan talent to help organization create a culture of data-driven decision making

JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to provide expertise and additional resources to nonprofits across the country, Bank of America is providing Jersey City-based Liberty Science Center (LSC) a senior technology leader for the next 12 months as part of Bank of America's (BofA) Leader on Loan program. BofA TechStart Pathways Program Manager, Pragna Mehta, will fulfill a full-time role at LSC as their interim Data and Analytics Strategist.

Liberty Science Center's rapid growth spurt over the past decade—expanding its footprint and reaching nearly 1 million visitors annually—has led to exciting strategic and operational challenges. Mehta will take on a strategy role at the interactive Science Center, working with an internal team to implement workflows designed to consolidate data management tools. She will help the nonprofit's business tactics by providing suggestions on how to prioritize projects, creating useful dashboards and metric-driven trackers, and building budget-based solutions that cover LSC's full portfolio and scope of work.

"My background in technology, data analysis, and project management gives me the opportunity to use my entire toolbox of knowledge and skills to help Liberty Science Center create meaningful long-term solutions and achieve organizational goals," said Mehta. "I am thrilled to be part of the LSC team for the next 12 months and looking forward to gaining tremendous insights into this inspiring nonprofit and the communities it serves."

The Leader on Loan program is an innovative way for BofA to bring additional resources to local communities and committing to the bank's values of driving responsible growth. Leaders are typically loaned to their nonprofit organization for an average of 12 months, with the bank covering the employee's salary and benefits. Created in 2017 with four organizations, the program has expanded across the country with a variety of organizations to help advance economic opportunity and other philanthropic priorities in the communities where they live and work.

"Liberty Science Center is grateful for the many ways Bank of America has embraced our mission. From preparing high school students for modern STEM careers through our High Schools of the Future initiative to our work together on LSC's SciTech Scity expansion designed to turn leading-edge business ideas into a reality that makes the world a better place, our collaboration has been both long and impactful," said Paul Hoffman, the President and CEO of Liberty Science Center. "We're thrilled to welcome Pragna to our team through BofA's Leader on Loan program and know her focus on business tactic analysis and reporting will propel us forward in our next phase of growth."

"By partnering with Liberty Science Center, Bank of America is committing to the growth, development and success of LSC programs that will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators," said BofA Market President Alberto Garofalo. "As one of New Jersey's most popular learning centers, the bank understands the importance of STEM and we are confident that Pragna's expertise will make a positive impact within the organization for years to come."

Mehta, a West Windsor native, has more than 20 years of business technology and project management experience in a broad range of public and private sector industries. She is a certified project management professional with extensive experience in leading programs and projects, implementing best practices, and creating process improvement. A critical, strategic thinker, Mehta has skills at analyzing data and processes through reporting, metrics, and dashboards to identify areas for continuous improvement, and recommend opportunities for standardization and optimization. When not performing her role as Bank of America's TechStart Pathways Program Manager, she can be found volunteering her time with local nonprofits such as Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and Womanspace, Inc. in Mercer County.

Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. Before COVID-19, more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center's off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 68 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters May Contact: 

AnnMarie McDonald, Bank of America
Phone: 1.332.234.8635
annmarie.mcdonald@bofa.com

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SOURCE Bank of America Corporation