Engagement in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Disciplines (E-STEM) provides financial support and fosters the engagement of scholarship recipients in the total university experience. Thirty-six scholarships are being awarded each year for four years to students in the College of Science (Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Information Technology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Clinical Laboratory Science, Physics, Radiologic Technology, Wildlife Management) and in the College of Engineering and Technology (Engineering Technology, Electronics, and Plant Process Technology, and Engineering with concentrations in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical). E-STEM provides scholarships and structures that allow students to engage in academic pursuits, recruits and retains STEM majors, institutionalizes the process, and ensures workforce and graduate/professional school placement.
The program is managed by a team drawn from the faculty of two academic colleges, support personnel responsible for distributing financial assistance, and a STEM student. The intellectual merit of E-STEM is inherent in the Academic Excellence Reward Program, a portfolio-based vehicle used for student assessment, and in the Collaborative Learning Center, the focus of the community of scholars. Efforts are made to ensure a broader impact by targeting students from under-represented groups. The program is subjected to evaluation by an outside consultant, and the outcomes are disseminated to the institution's recruiting area by the university's Public Information and Communication office. The broader scientific and professional communities are kept informed of the progress of E-STEM through meetings and publications of professional science and engineering groups.
