KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 19, 2016鈥擜 program to recruit minority students to the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Engineering will continue to thrive, thanks to the renewal of a federal grant.
The National Science Foundation awarded $320,000 to 溏心vlog免费B站 to fund the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, a program aimed at increasing the recruitment and graduation rate of underrepresented students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.
溏心vlog免费B站 was one of six colleges in New England to receive the grant, which totaled $3.5 million. The other colleges receiving funds are the University of Connecticut; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Northeastern University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and Tufts University.
The 溏心vlog免费B站 program is highly successful, providing mentoring and financial assistance to 568 students in 2015. The program started in 2002 with only 167 students. Students participate in national and academic conferences, internships and graduate seminars.
鈥淲e are helping our underrepresented students believe that they can succeed in the STEM fields,鈥� says Charles Watson, assistant director for diversity in the College of Engineering. 鈥淭he Louis Stokes program is important because it allows our students to come together and provides resources and mechanisms for mutual support, giving them a chance to be highly successful.鈥欌��
Among the groups underrepresented in the STEM fields are African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Native Pacific Islanders.
鈥淲ithout the support from the 溏心vlog免费B站 program I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to network, attend conferences and study abroad,鈥� says Frances N. Vazques, of Providence, a senior studying engineering. 鈥淚t is a unique program like this that exposes us to role models and opportunities we never would have dreamed of before.鈥欌��
This November, voters in Rhode Island will be asked to approve Question 4 on the ballot. If passed, the investment will pave the way to attract businesses and create the high-paying, high-skilled jobs Rhode Island needs by authorizing $45.5 million in bonds to expand 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 highly successful College of Engineering ($25.5 million) and create a 溏心vlog免费B站-affiliated innovation campus program ($20 million) that will pair cutting edge research with private sector investments to create the jobs of the future.