Training Scientists and Engineers for a New Economy Transition

Southwest Virginia Community College, Cedar Bluff VA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will provide 26 scholarships annually for four years to low-income undergraduates in science, computer technology, engineering, engineering technology, and environmental science majors. The primary goal of the program is to increase the number of talented but financially disadvantaged residents of the region to achieve higher education degrees in STEM programs. This project will focus on the recruitment and retention of these students to degree achievement. It builds upon a comprehensive infrastructure for mentoring students and providing intensive, continuous intervention strategies. The active participation of business and industry partners will enhance internship/research opportunities, as well as facilitate placements in the high technology industry. The project aims to provide academic support services to ensure 80% achieve an average GPA of 3.0 each semester; to graduate 80% of S-STEM students in the top 30% of their graduating class; and to achieve an 80% success rate in the number of transfer program participants who obtain admittance to a senior institution or obtain job placement within 12 months of graduation. The project will benefit the Southwest Virginia region which faces substantial economic challenges and is forced to change its economic base. It seeks to meet the demand for graduates in fields such as engineering and informatics which will be critical to developing a New Economy for the region.