Texas Woman’s STEM project awarded $1 million grant

July 30, 2019—DENTON—The National Science Foundation has awarded Texas Woman’s University a five-year, $999,794 grant to support scholarships and projects aimed at increasing the number of students and graduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

Specifically, the NSF grant will support the Scholarships, Teams and Research (TWU STAR) project, which seeks to increase undergraduate engagement, retention and graduation in the STEM fields.

The TWU STAR project proposes a three-pronged approach to increasing participation in the university’s biology, biochemistry, chemistry, informatics, mathematics and computer science programs. By providing scholarships to 15 students annually, supporting students through mentorship and co-curricular activities, and examining the factors leading to increased engagement, the project aims to not only increase participation within the university community, but also the broader higher education community.

The project is under the direction of TWU faculty members Diana Elrod, Ph.D., director of the Center for Student Research and biology lecturer; Karen Dunlap, Ed.D., professor of teacher education; Robby A. Petros, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry; and David M. Gardner, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics and computer science.

“Our findings will be disseminated externally through publications, presentations and datasets, significantly impacting the existing knowledge base on STEM engagement,” said Elrod. “However, the true transformative promise of the program will come from the scholars themselves, who will represent TWU, their communities, and their academic disciplines as they enter the workforce or pursue graduate study.”

Page last updated 4:20 PM, July 30, 2019