Women and minorities who want to study science, technology, engineering and math – commonly known as STEM fields – at Georgia State’s Perimeter College Dunwoody Campus – are about to get a boost to their career aspirations.
A National Science Foundation $1 million grant will offer these students scholarships and enrichment programs to help them stay in school and graduate.
The grant funds the program, “I Am STEM: Mindset and Belongingness in Underrepresented STEM Populations,” and will be led by Dr. Brooke Skelton on the Perimeter Dunwoody Campus.
Eighteen $4,000 scholarships will be awarded annually to students with demonstrated financial need. Interested Dunwoody Campus students must be enrolled in a STEM course of study leading to an associate degree in a STEM discipline, Skelton said.
Keeping students on track and excited about pursuing a STEM field is the goal of the grant, she said.
“There is a great disparity among the number of STEM students – particularly female and underrepresented minority students attending two-year institutions – that remain in STEM disciplines and graduate or transfer,” Skelton said.
Statistics show that they don’t have a lot of role models even when they do graduate: According to a May 2014 U.S. Department of Labor report, women comprise just 26.1 percent of computer science and math professionals and only 14.1 percent of all engineering professionals; while black professionals represent just 5.6 percent of life, physical and social scientists, and just 8.3 percent of the computer and mathmetical science professional workforce.
There also is a need for more STEM professionals – the U.S. Department of Labor also notes that employment in STEM occupations is expected to expand by 17 percent by the year 2020; vesus 14 percent in non-STEM occupations.
Getting students to stay focused on STEM fields is often a mindset, said Skelton. “Research shows that a college student who can picture herself being a scientist is more likely to succeed than those who think of scientists as ‘other’ That’s where that ‘belongingness’ piece comes in.”
Scholars will benefit in their studies from talks by scientists and engineers, and mentoring programs, as well as programs to enhance critical thinking skills.
“We hope these experiences result in deeper knowledge, increased preparation and greater connections in STEM for these students,” Skelton said.
The grant also assists in the university-wide goal of increasing scholarship support to attract and retain students.
Skelton, a Perimeter physics and astronomy professor will be assisted by Dr. Marjorie Lewkowicz, a mathematics professor, in administering the grant. The program also will draw expertise from STEM faculty on the Dunwoody Campus.
“I’m so excited about the opportunities this will provide for students,” Skelton said. “I was the only woman in my undergraduate physics program – it would have been so helpful to have had a cohort of peers like me. There were times it was hard to see myself as a scientist because I was different than everyone else. That’s why we are calling this program ‘I Am STEM’ – to emphasize that persons of any gender or color can and should be a part of the STEM world.”