Utica College Awarded Prestigious National Science Foundation Grant

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Utica College Awarded Prestigious National Science Foundation Grant

Grant to help underrepresented students interested in STEM careers

Utica College has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support increasing the number of students from underrepresented minorities earning bachelors’ degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Utica College is part of the Central New York Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) that includes a handful of schools throughout upstate New York, including Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Tompkins Cortland Community College and Herkimer College. This alliance of small schools has two primary goals: to expand high-impact practices enabling underrepresented minority students to experience the maximum benefits of STEM education in a small school environment, and to strengthen transfer pathways to the STEM baccalaureate for underrepresented minority (URM) students who begin at a community college.

The National Science Foundation’s LSAMP is designed to assist colleges and universities in diversifying the nation’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce by increasing the number of STEM degrees to populations historically underrepresented in these disciplines.

Utica College’s portion of the award is $244,561 over five years.

“This program is incredibly prestigious and highly competitive,” said Laura Casamento, president of Utica College. “We are pleased to be able to provide even greater assistance to under-represented minority students in computer and information sciences, biological sciences, mathematics and physical sciences, as well as those in interdisciplinary programs.”

Amy Lindner, assistant vice president for advancement and chief gifts officer, said this grant application was a team effort. Lindner thanked Anthony Baird, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, student transitions and chief diversity officer; Sara Scanga, professor of biology; Jessica Thomas, associate professor of biology; and Alyssa Thomas, associate professor of chemistry.

In addition, the grant will allow for faculty training and mentoring best practices in supporting students of color in the classroom, lab, departmental and institutional cultures, to make them all more inclusive.