Dr. Calvin Mackie named a 2026 Louisiana Legend for STEM work

By AI, Created 5:12 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Dr. Calvin Mackie was honored by Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting as a 2026 Louisiana Legend at a gala in New Orleans on May 13, 2026. The recognition spotlights his work building STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action, which have brought hands-on science education to hundreds of thousands of students and families in underserved communities.

Why it matters: - Dr. Calvin Mackie’s award highlights how STEM education can be expanded beyond traditional classrooms and into neighborhoods that often lack access to hands-on learning. - The honor also recognizes a Louisiana leader whose work connects education, community rebuilding and workforce preparation in science and engineering. - STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action have reached 250,000 K-12 students, 30,000 families, 5,500 community and professional volunteers and 3,000 college students.

What happened: - Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting named Dr. Calvin Mackie a 2026 Louisiana Legend at a celebratory gala in New Orleans on May 13, 2026. - The award recognizes people who make major contributions to Louisiana’s culture, history and development. - Mackie is the founder of STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action and a former tenured mechanical engineering professor at Tulane University. - Family, friends, colleagues and civic leaders attended the event and honored Mackie’s work.

The details: - Mackie grew up in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans after being born in 1967. - He said his family’s roots in Louisiana run deep, including land purchased by his great-grandfather in 1896 in West Feliciana Parish. - Mackie said his grandfather, Ledell Mackie Sr., became the first Black police juror in St. Francisville in 1967. - Mackie attended Morehouse College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. - He later earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. - After graduation, Mackie turned his teaching ability into a tenured faculty role at Tulane. - He also served on the Louisiana Recovery Authority after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. - STEM NOLA started in 2013 after Mackie brought his sons into the garage for hands-on science experiments. - Mackie and his wife, Tracy Mackie, seeded STEM NOLA with a significant portion of their own savings. - Corporate, philanthropic and government partnerships helped the program grow, with Entergy and Chevron listed as prime sponsors. - STEM NOLA uses churches and community centers as teaching sites. - STEM Global Action launched in 2021 to replicate the model nationwide. - SGA STEM Fests use up to 60 activity stations where children and parents build robots, bridges and towers, launch rockets, fly drones and meet STEM professionals and college students.

Between the lines: - Mackie’s story blends personal achievement with a broader message about who gets access to STEM opportunities. - The award also reflects Louisiana’s preference for leaders whose impact is tied to place, community and public service. - His acceptance speech emphasized family, grit and the idea that students from low-income neighborhoods can become inventors, engineers and technology leaders. - The celebration underscored how his work is seen not just as education outreach, but as community rebuilding after Katrina and Rita. - Friends and family described Mackie as approachable, funny and unusually able to connect with people from different backgrounds.

What’s next: - STEM Global Action is positioned to keep scaling the STEM NOLA model in communities across the country. - Mackie’s organizations are expected to continue partnering with local sponsors to bring hands-on STEM events to schools, churches and community centers. - The broader goal remains the same: move more students from early curiosity to college access and careers in high-growth fields like engineering and healthcare.

The bottom line: - Mackie’s Louisiana Legend honor recognizes more than a career. It marks a statewide endorsement of a grassroots STEM model built on access, family and community reach.