Morehouse College's project - Morehouse Wide Initiative for Sustainable Energy (M-WISE) - is based on institutional vision and student interest. The STEM based M-WISE program will utilize the strengths and resources of the entire institution to create a far reaching, transformative, interdisciplinary curriculum and research infrastructure for students to become leaders in the global arena of sustainable energy. The goals of M-WISE are to develop and institutionalize: 1) an energy curriculum that is interdisciplinary, transformative, STEM based and institution wide; and 2) an Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) that is linked to the energy curriculum. The energy curriculum will be comprehensive and promote international studies and leadership skills. A goal of ISE is to initiate new interdisciplinary energy research projects, as well as foster student development through research, seminars, energy club and pre-freshman programs; and faculty development through research collaborations and workshops. This project will improve the quality of education, develop leadership skills and create global competency for African-American male students while exposing them to concepts in energy utilization, sustainability and materials development. M-WISE will transform the approach of STEM education at Morehouse by creating a unique interdisciplinary research and community outreach infrastructure that is linked to a curriculum that will bring STEM and non-STEM students together to take STEM courses leading to a minor in energy. The process for creating an energy related interdisciplinary learning culture among African-American male STEM students will be assessed, evaluated and published. The efforts of this project will result in a model for energy education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and liberal arts colleges that will track students into STEM and energy-related careers.
