WVSU Receives STEM Grant
9/2/2011
ROCKEFELLER ANNOUNCES FEDERAL FUNDING FOR WVSU MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON, D.C – Senator Jay Rockefeller announced that West Virginia State University (WVSU) has received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for $67,551 to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. The award funds a systematic project aimed at improving existing undergraduate STEM programs at the institution by identifying strengths, weaknesses, challenges and barriers to student retention and success. In addition, WVSU will compare its programs against successful STEM programs at similar institutions nationwide.
“I applaud everything West Virginia State University is doing to improve math and science learning for its students,” said Rockefeller. “The facts are clear – knowledge of math and science is required now for many of our best paying jobs – and will be required well into the future. A world-class workforce that is equipped for the challenges of the 21st century will pay incredible dividends for this generation and future ones also.”
Background:
WVSU is working on an 18-month project to identify critical areas for improvement within the institution's undergraduate STEM programs and develop an institutional plan for addressing those needs. The planning project represents the most comprehensive review of WVSU's STEM programs in recent years and presents an opportunity to develop a plan to transform the institution's offerings to better prepare students for work and further study in STEM fields.