September 8, 2008 - The College of Engineering has received a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of approximately $600,000 to fund a new scholarship and retention initiative for undergraduates and graduate students with financial need who are pursuing degrees in Computer Science and Engineering. The primary emphasis of the project will be the recruitment and retention of transfers from local community colleges and the USF-Bethune Cookman College Dual-Degree program as well as participants of the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) program. The NSF awarded the grant through its S-STEM Program (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), which emphasizes the importance of recruiting students to these disciplines and provides scholarship funds to attract and assist academically talented students with financial need. The NSF's S-STEM grants were made through a competitive, peer-review selection process.
“We are delighted by the National Science Foundation’s award, and pleased that this funding will support our students and help eliminate many of the financial burdens they face such as the need for off-campus employment”, says Dr. Ashok Kumar, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and principal investigator for the grant.
In addition to financial support, the NSF-STEM project will establish a learning community for program participants and other students through a three-tiered mentoring ladder involving faculty mentors, upper-level undergraduates, and graduate students. Planned activities include journal club meetings; weekly group study sessions; undergraduate research opportunities; monthly lunches with visiting scientists and researchers; and professional development workshops designed to foster communication, leadership, and teambuilding skills.
According to Dr. Sylvia W. Thomas, Assistant Dean for diversity and outreach initiatives in the College of Engineering and co-investigator for the grant, “the College of Engineering has undertaken a number of important initiatives [e.g., Research Experiences for Undergraduates, NIH Minority Access to Research Careers, Alfred P. Sloan Minority Ph.D. Program, NSF FGLSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate, NSF STEP] the past few years that have increased both the quality and diversity of our student body. Receiving this support from NSF will enable us to leverage our existing programs to both recruit and retain talented students with financial need and provide them with the skills needed for their eventual success in the technical workforce and graduate programs.”
The new S-STEM project entitled “Engineering and Computer Science Scholars Targeted for Academic Retention and Success (E-STARS) will be directed by Dr. Kumar, Dr. Thomas, and Mr. Bernard Batson, director of higher education programs in the College of Engineering. Additional management support will be provided by four faculty co-investigators: Dr. Rafael Perez, Associate Dean for academics and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering; Dr. Vinay Gupta, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Kingsley Reeves, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, and Dr. Maya Trotz, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
For additional information and application materials regarding the E-STARS program, please contact Dr. Sylvia W. Thomas at 974-4011/sylvia@eng.usf.edu or Mr. Bernard Batson at 813-396-9309/bbatson@eng.usf.edu.
