This project creates the Cordia Karl Scholars Program with special opportunities and scholarships for academically talented women with demonstrated financial need, enabling them to complete the B.A. degree in mathematics, computer science, computer information systems, or engineering. The College of Notre Dame is a liberal arts college for women with a high percentage (31%) of students from underrepresented groups, and can play a significant role in diversifying the area's high-tech workforce. The project expands educational opportunities for students majoring in these fields; increases retention of students to degree achievement in these fields; and strengthens partnerships with the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. high-technology industry.
Intellectual Merit: The project is based on research on how institutions can best support women in the sciences, and is based on the college's deep experience in educating women for leadership in CSEMS fields.
Broader Impact: The Cordia Karl Scholars Program is a model program because of its innovative design and because of the unique full-time undergraduate student body served by the college. Scholars serve as role models for other students, and in turn become role models in their workplaces and as alumnae.
