The National Science Foundation awarded the University with a $2.5 million grant to support the furthering of education among underrepresented students in the STEM s fields.
The University will launch two different programs with this grant, with one focusing on international research and the other dedicated to expanding master’s and PhD programs.
Director of the Office of Undergraduate research Randy Duran, who serves as the Gordon A. Cain Chair for STEM literacy is spearheading the portion grant to fund international research.
The program plans to achieve its goals by providing benefits to faculty who stay committed to international research and who remain engaged with students who are working abroad. They also plan to initiate and maintain various international partnerships with other programs and Universities for purposes of collaborative research. Technology will play a major role in distributing the information and hosting international conferences.
Some students face difficulties when trying to do international research, but this program attempts break down those barriers. It serves to benefit the individual students, but also the university as a whole by providing the science department with meaningful research.
“We are delighted that the National Science Foundation the will be supporting this effort for the next five years,” Duran said. “This kind of international research is a new opportunity, and fantastic professional development for Louisiana students as well as our faculty.”
Vice President of the Office of Strategic Initiatives Isiah Warner is leading the second facet of the program, which is encouraging minority students in STEM majors to further their education by getting PhD’s and then becoming faculty members.
The program plans to succeed by reaching out to underrepresented students while they are still in high school to offer them summer programs and other opportunities that will hopefully inspire them to continue pursuing education. They will prepare them to take entrance exams and also assist them in preparing a personal statement, which many STEM programs require for admittance.
“A person can have many mentors, but quite often you’ll have ethnic or racial-related problems that you’ll want to talk about with someone who understands it,” Warner said. “If I’m black, I’ll want to have a black professor to talk about racial related problems or issues that are particular to black people. In my opinion it’s just as important to diversify the faculty as it is to diversify the students, because when you diversify the faculty it helps in diversifying the student body.”
Biochemistry senior Jordan Perry was excited about the new initiatives and agreed that having underrepresented professors teach some of his classes had encouraged his continuation.
“It creates a feeling of inclusiveness,” Perry said. “When you can see people of many different backgrounds succeeding, it gives a feeling that anyone can succeed.”
Warner said the University is one of five schools in the nation that has begun one of these types of programs. The program will not only try to get as many minority students interested in STEM fields as possible, but also emphasize the importance of a continued education in an attempt to diversify the faculty of the University and of all schools in Louisiana.
Warner said he was particularly excited about the size and diversity of this year’s freshman class.
“I applaud President Alexander and his counterparts for making such an effort,” Warner said. “I’m working with these students, as are many of my staff, and we are excited about this.”
