Penn State Behrend Secures Competitive $500,000 NSF S-STEM Grant
Funds to support scholarships for women, underrepresented students enrolled in science and engineering programs
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, has been awarded a nearly half-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support scholarship opportunities for female students and students from underrepresented groups enrolled in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields of study.
NSF awarded a $496,788 S-STEM grant to fund the project, entitled “Scholarship opportunities for increasing STEM graduates at Penn State Behrend and in Northwestern Pennsylvania.” S-STEM is NSF’s distinction for Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It is the largest award NSF has granted to Penn State Behrend programs and more than doubles the previous record: a $244,595 grant in 2003 for a key piece of testing equipment for the college’s engineering labs.
“This funding is sought after and subject to a highly competitive approval process,” Jack Burke, chancellor, said. “We see this financial commitment as a vote of confidence from NSF—confidence in the science and engineering degree programs offered at Penn State Behrend, confidence in the caliber of students we attract, and confidence in the fact that the college is equipped to deliver highly qualified, in-demand graduates for Northwestern Pennsylvania.”
According to the National Science Foundation, Erie County colleges and universities have received 47 NSF in-competitive grants totaling $3,123,726 since 1993. Including this S-STEM grant, Penn State Behrend has been awarded 41 of these grants, totaling $2,945,793.
NSF’s funding proposals undergo a rigorous peer-review process, with each proposal reviewed by a number of faculty and administrators from universities nationwide. Of the 372 proposals submitted for this S-STEM grant, 110 were funded.
Burke noted that currently there is a shortage of engineers and scientists in the United States, particularly those of underrepresented groups, and the college is working strategically to address this shortage.
“These scholarships are designed to encourage, support and retain women and students from underrepresented groups in the School of Science and the School of Engineering at Penn State Behrend,” Jane Brady, assistant director of admissions and financial aid, said.
According to the terms of NSF, scholarship recipients must be enrolled full time in one of the specified degree programs, demonstrate academic ability and have financial need, among other criteria. The scholarships will be awarded beginning in fall 2007 to applicable first-year students.
“Our goal is to provide 30 scholarships annually,” Brady said. “This funding has the potential to impact approximately 50 new STEM students during the grant’s four-year period.” Academically qualified students who meet the other criteria will be considered for the scholarship automatically upon enrolling at Penn State Behrend. There is no specific application.
Penn State Behrend plans to take a holistic approach to ensure that these scholarship recipients have the academic and social support network they need to succeed.
Brady, Ralph Ford, director of the School of Engineering, Roger Knacke, director of the School of Science, Ken Miller, director of Student Affairs, and Ruth Pflueger, director of the Learning Resource Center, represent five areas of the college that collaborated to develop and implement a comprehensive program and have committed to providing specialized student services both in and out of the classroom.
Penn State Behrend plans to utilize academic peer mentors as one resource to support students in STEM-related programs of study. According to Pflueger, this will enhance the college’s support structure for student recipients of the scholarships as well.
In addition, student affairs will aid with students’ academic and social integration to Penn State Behrend by focusing on interpersonal skills, leadership development and other forms of student engagement, Miller added.
Lucy Lenhardt is a plastics lab research assistant and faculty adviser for the Society of Women Engineers at the college. She expressed a lack of information as one possible reason for low female enrollment in engineering. “Often students are not interested because they’re not aware that engineering is an option—unless someone is advising them about the field,” she said.
Allison Payne, a freshman studying plastics engineering technology, was introduced to the field by Matthew Weller, a junior in the program. “He showed me the plastics lab at Penn State Behrend and I was instantly interested,” she said. “It’s a newer field and, after some research, I found there’s a need for it.
“Plastics engineering at Penn State is only offered at Penn State Behrend. I liked the campus and didn’t want to be too far from home,” said Payne, a Greenville, Pa., native. “So my degree took priority.”
“If we can get the students here, scholarships like these help and encourage them to continue,” Lenhardt added. “But we have to get them here first.”
Payne also is encouraged by the increased scholarship opportunities. “I hope this will help to attract more girls to engineering,” she said. “It would be nice to have a good ratio of students.”
The School of Science at Penn State Behrend offers seven baccalaureate degree programs, a fifth-year teaching certification and six minors. The school has a pre-professional program option for medical, dental or pharmaceutical studies and has several affiliation agreements in place.
The School of Engineering at Penn State Behrend offers three associate and seven baccalaureate degree programs, as well as one minor. Each program is accredited by either the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) or the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). For more information, visit www.pserie.psu.edu.