Ohio State received a $3.5 million grant on Nov. 3 from the National Science Foundation.
The grant will help Ohio universities increase the number of minority students earning bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
The grant is part of the Lewis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation. The program is funded through the federal legislation, said Jean Girves, program director.
“The idea of the grant is to improve retention of minority students in science and engineering fields,” Girves said.
Andrew Heckler, associate dean of the college of mathematics and physical sciences said he sees two effects of this program: It will get more students involved in undergraduate research and will get faculty involved in helping with retention and recruitment of minorities.
A steering committee with representatives from all 15 institutions will meet in December to talk about corporations in the state of Ohio that would be interested in supporting students in these fields. Girves said they are looking for corporations that need students who will work in science and technology.
As one of the premier research and development military bases in the country, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is one of the first partners for the program. They will provide opportunities for students to have research internships in the summer as well as mentoring and giving lectures to students.
Caroline Breitenberger, associate dean in the college of biological sciences said the grant also will help increase the number of minority graduate students in the biological sciences.
The problem with graduate programs is that there are few students born in the United States, Breitenberger said. By increasing the number of quality minority undergraduate students, she said she hopes the number of graduate students born in the United States will grow as well.
“Diversity improves the scholarship and quality of the graduate program,” Breitenberger said.
Breitenberger said the program will immediately effect the School of Biological Sciences. It will provide research internships and have supplemental instruction on courses, which are generally designed to weed out students in a particular field.
