2020 has unfortunately been a year that’s been filled with notable celebrity deaths, and one that hit the hardest was that of Mythbusters star Grant Imahara. The fan-favorite engineer and TV personality unfortunately passed away at the age of 49 earlier this summer after suffering from a brain aneurysm. In the immediate aftermath of his death, many of his colleagues took the time to honor him in very sentimental ways. The Discovery and Science Channels also did this by airing a programming black highlighting him. Now, four months after his death, Imahara is once again being honored in a very fitting way.
The Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation has been established in honor of the late star. As explained by The Hollywood Reporter, the foundation is meant to provide students of different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds with scholarships, mentorships and grants in the fields of science, technology, mathematics, engineering and art.
In a statement, Grant Imahara’s mother, Carolyn, expressed her pride in her son’s career and his extensive work with students and expressed her gratitude over the foundation being established:
There are many students, like my son Grant, who need the balance of the technical and the creative, and this is what STEAM is all about. I’m so proud of my son’s career, but I’m equally proud of the work he did mentoring students. He would be thrilled that we plan to continue this, plus much more, through The Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation.
Imahara’s friend and fellow USC alum Wade Bick is also working to have a study lounge named in his honor. The Grant Imahara Memorial Study Lounge is accepting gifts that will all benefit the university’s Viterbi K-12 stem center. This program provides educational projects to teachers, students and families across Southern California.
Anyone who watched Grant Imahara on Mythbusters or Netflix’s White Rabbit Project knows he was extremely passionate about his work and did some extraordinary things in his time. He was also a very cerebral star who ultimately respected the science before going for thrills. Dedicating both a STEAM foundation and study lounge in his honor is definitely a great way to pay tribute to him and his work.
Imahara was also known for using his knowledge to bring joy to others. This was especially evident through one of his last creations, a life-size Baby Yoda replica. His plan was to ultimately take the adorable doll to children’s hospitals for young patients to enjoy.
Grant Imahara is certainly missed by his friends, family and loved ones as well as his many fans, and his loss still hurts. However, it’s still great to see that his legacy will live on and inspire a new generation of science and technology enthusiasts.
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