 |
| The grant creates scholarships for 127 science students over five years. |
Promising science students with financial need will receive much-needed help through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $584,197 to Cal Poly Pomona.
The grant will fund a program to provide 127 scholarships over five years. Students interested in the program can pick up informational brochures starting in January.
Scholarships will cover fees at Cal Poly Pomona for an academic year and include an allowance for textbooks. It also provides for a professional development opportunity, allotting money to travel to an industry conference with a faculty mentor. Other services include workshops, tutoring and computer facilities.
“We want this money to do more than just help students get through school. We're hoping with the financial support these students are relieved of the pressure to have outside jobs. With the professional development piece, it helps the students take a close look at their future careers, meet people in the field, discover their interests, and ultimately develop their professional identity,” said the grant's principal investigator Barbara Burke, a chemistry professor and director of Science Educational Enhancement Services (SEES).
The grant program, housed in SEES, will target juniors and seniors. With research showing that students switch out of science majors after their sophomore year, organizers hope the program will help students complete their bachelor's degrees and transition into the STEM workforce.
A number of faculty and volunteer alumni will be serving as mentors for the students in the program. They include: Stephen Alas in Biological Sciences, Francis Flores in Chemistry, Jeff Marshall in Geological Sciences, Daisy Sang in Computer Science, Laurie Riggs in Mathematics & Statistics, Hector Mireles in Physics, Tom Cossio (a 1985 aerospace engineering alumnus) with Boeing and Sylvia Hall (an alumna who holds one bachelor's and two master's degrees from the university) with Ameron International.
For more information, contact SEES at (909) 869-3664 or e-mail Burke at baburke@cpp.edu.