By: Maria Allard | Warren Weekly | Published October 13, 2025
WARREN — Completing a project several years in the making, the new Steve & Kathy McShane STEM Innovation Center has opened at De La Salle Collegiate High School.
A grand opening was held the evening of Oct. 9 at the all-boys Catholic high school. Those in attendance included donors, parents, staff, alumni and students.
Steve McShane and his wife Kathy pledged a multimillion-dollar gift to De La Salle to construct the world-class science, technology, engineering and math center. McShane attended DLS when the school was located in Detroit. The 1961 graduate spoke at last Thursday’s unveiling. With Kathy by his side, McShane said the STEM center will prepare students for careers that did not exist when he was in high school.
“It’s a place where big ideas will be born, tested and maybe blown up in the lab sometimes,” he said. “Today’s students are launching rockets, flying drones, building robots and will soon be (doing) artificial intelligence. The STEM center is about dedicated teachers and a world-class curriculum where young men thrive.
“It’s designed to open doors to higher education. It’s a place to explore, share ideas, learn, fail and try again,” McShane said. “STEM is just not for engineering careers. It will be about advancing technology. Machines can model data, but they can’t duplicate human wisdom.”
He also thanked his wife for her support.
“Kathy shares my passion and commitment to De La Salle,” he said.
McShane also had a message for the students.
“Be bold, stay curious,” he said. “Don’t fear change.”
The school will turn 100 years old in 2026.
McShane is the CEO of Midtronics, Inc., which he founded in 1984. Midtronics is a global market leader in battery testers and diagnostic chargers for traditional automotive electric systems, as well as the service equipment for electrical vehicle batteries. Midtronics possesses more than 200 patents in battery management technology. It has twice been named Chicago’s most innovative company by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Ben Aloia, chairman of De La Salle’s board of trustees, said the STEM center will be a place where “curiosity meets innovation” as “STEM careers are growing six times faster than other occupations.”
The Steve & Kathy McShane STEM Innovation Center has two floors. The first floor includes a makerspace, and areas for medical and engineering classes, an engineering lab and the Anatomage Table. The second floor has room for flight simulation, and lecture rooms for robotics, aviation and cybersecurity. The classes in the STEM center will include intro to STEM, robotics, intro to aviation, medical interventions, biomedical innovation, among others.
The Anatomage Table is a human 3D anatomy system that allows for students to explore human anatomy. The Anatomage Table features various life-size real human bodies in digital formats that provide an accurate representation and simulation of real 3D anatomy, physiology, and digital pathology.
Anatomage is a medical equipment manufacturer in Santa Clara, California. During the center’s grand opening, Jeffrey Sweet, senior regional sales representative for the Ohio Valley Region at Anatomage, demonstrated how the table works.
“The students can use it in many different ways and learn about the body,” Sweet said. “They can see it at the cellular level. They can see cancer, broken bones, stabbings, breast biopsies, how epidurals work, where to place a stent, pregnancy, birth and do clinical studies.”
During the unveiling, Msgr. Gary Smetanka, Class of 1974 and the pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe Woods, blessed the new center by sprinkling holy water. He also recited several prayers.
The grand opening Oct. 9 marked Chief Operations Officer Dan Rohn’s first 100 days in office.
“It’s been a tremendous start of the school year,” he said. “What an incredible day for De La Salle. Steve and Kathy, your generosity will impact the school and community for years to come. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the De La Salle students.”