The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo a $622,175 grant to support the Scholarships for STEM Program (S-STEM), which provides scholarships for academically talented, economically disadvantaged high school seniors who major in one of the following STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines–astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, marine science, mathematics and physics. The application deadline is April 15, 2015.
Raina Ivanova, UH Hilo professor of mathematics, principal investigator and director of the program, said, “The S-STEM Program will provide much needed support for our deserving students who have demonstrated academic potential, but due to financial difficulties might not be able to consider a college degree. We are excited to be able to help our talented youth and enable them to pursue meaningful careers in STEM here in Hawaiʻi.”
S-STEM Program details
The S-STEM Program will provide each scholar with a $20,000 scholarship for four years of undergraduate studies (up to $5,000 per year), provided that the student maintains good academic standing and remains a STEM major. The program will also integrate and expand existing educational services for STEM students at UH Hilo.
Students will be selected on the basis of academic potential, motivation and interest in the STEM disciplines, as indicated by their high school GPA, standardized test scores, a letter stating interests and letters of reference.
Academic support services for the program include:
- Faculty mentoring
- Peer-tutoring for introductory STEM courses
- Summer and academic year research support on campus
- Opportunities for research internships
- Advising and support to participate in summer research programs at U.S. mainland universities
- Participation in a newly established freshman STEM course
- Opportunities to present research in campus-wide, state and regional venues
- Participation in a community service program in which students will provide math and science tutoring for K–12 students
To apply go to the S-STEM Program website.
—By Alyson Kakugawa-Leong
