The John Jay Forensic Science and Computer Science Scholarship supports academically talented students with demonstrated financial need in attaining baccalaureate degrees in Forensic Science and Computer Science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice within the City University of New York (CUNY). The project features culturally sensitive recruiting within diverse student audiences at CUNY and at New York City public schools, and builds on a prior successful S-STEM award during which retention rates have steadily risen. Cohort-building and academic-support activities for scholars include faculty and peer mentoring, opportunities to participate in undergraduate research, and a variety of social and community activities to increase both academic and social engagement. The intellectual merit of the project lies in its thorough and nuanced approach to support student recruitment and success by supplementing financial support with practices grounded in the literature on retention and engagement, particularly for students from groups underrepresented in STEM. The broader impacts include expanding and diversifying the local and regional workforce in high-needs areas of forensic and computer science, as well as providing a model approach for supporting diverse, academically talented students in these fields.
