College of Mount Saint Vincent Awarded Nearly $600,000 from National Science Foundation Grant to Support Student Scholars in the Natural Sciences
7/31/2012
Riverdale, N.Y. — The University of Mount Saint Vincent has been awarded a five-year grant of $599,956 from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant program.
The grant will provide 22 scholarships, of up to $9,000 a year, for exemplary students in the natural sciences, and will support the College’s Scholars-on-Track program.
While the University of Mount Saint Vincent has been recognized by a recent NSF study for having the highest graduation rate in the United States for Latinos in the sciences, the primary goal of Scholars on Track is to further improve academic performance, retention, degree completion and post-baccalaureate opportunities for students in the sciences. To realize these goals, this innovative program offers a Freshman Seminar in science during the first semester of study.
Developmentally intense, the course challenges student to refine the analytical skills and critical thinking that are essential to success. The program also provides peer mentorship and tutoring throughout the first two years of baccalaureate study and encourages student participation in enrichment activities such as scientific conferences, career panels, and field excursions to museums and academic centers. During the final two years of baccalaureate study, participating students complete an original research project or an internship in one of the natural sciences—excellent preparation for advanced study on the undergraduate level and critically important preparation for graduate study
“The University of Mount Saint Vincent is proud to have earned the support of the National Science Foundation. These grants are immensely competitive. This one will enable the College to offer its nationally-recognized programs in the natural sciences to even more talented and deserving students,” says Dr. Charles L. Flynn, president. “We have a longstanding history of producing standout graduates in STEM fields, and this grant, applied in conjunction with the Scholars-on-Track program, will enable us to expand on this tradition.”
The activities offered through the Scholars-on-Track program have been shaped by models that have proven to be particularly effective for all students, but particularly so for students from first generation backgrounds. The Scholars-on-Track Program will be directed by Director of the Division of Natural Sciences Dr. Patricia Grove and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Pamela Kerrigan.
“This funding and the Scholars-on-Track Program will have a major impact on students in the Natural Sciences,” says Dr. Grove. “It will enhance the success of our students at the Mount and expand their opportunities after they graduate.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
The University of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, ecumenical liberal arts college. It combines a strong core curriculum with a full array of majors in the liberal arts and selected professional fields of study, including accounting, business administration, education, and nursing. Through its School of Professional and Continuing Studies, the College extends its primary undergraduate mission by offering high quality graduate studies in business, education and nursing and an array of undergraduate and certificate programs serving non-traditional students. Mount Saint Vincent is located on a pastoral campus in New York City, with easy access to all the educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities that the City affords.