The National Science Foundation recently awarded Indiana Wesleyan University a $623,337 S-Stem (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) grant. The grant aims to provide four-year scholarships to 18 academically talented but financially needy students to pursue and complete undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry and physics.
The scholarship will support two student cohorts consisting of nine STEM majors each over a period of four years. For each cohort, the program will provide four students with $9,000 annually and five students with $6,000 annually. The first cohort will begin studies in 2016, followed by the second cohort in 2017. Throughout their time at IWU, student cohorts will have the opportunity to collaborate on research, participate in student organizations, and attend educational conferences, creating a powerful peer support structure.
In addition to earning an annual scholarship, recipients will be exploring the scientific world within a premier program. Some advantages that scholars will experience include a specialized STEM student orientation, extensive faculty mentoring and peer tutoring, quality research experiences, networking lunches with local STEM industry employers, state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities, and “Boot Camp” after their first year to introduce them to key components of a successful science career path.
“We want to make significant efforts to reach underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines including minorities, females, and first-generation college students,” said Dr. Matthew Kreitzer, chair of the division of natural sciences. “We believe that a powerful existing mentorship environment coupled with new cohort experiences will help [these students] thrive.”
There will be a Science Spotlight Day at IWU on Friday, Nov. 20. The day will provide prospective students a detailed overview of the department, including a special information session geared toward potential candidates for the S-STEM scholarship. To register, click here.
