Twenty scholarships are being awarded annually to financially needy, academically talented students majoring in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics or a dual degree engineering program. The project is changing how all STEM students, not just scholarship holders, are taught. Some key features of the program are the incorporation of inquiry-based learning techniques, peer-led project teams, round table discussions, special workshops and collaborative faculty-student research teams. An objective of the revised instructional program is to increase the retention of students in STEM fields to graduation by 25 percent. The project is successfully introducing more well-educated scientists from underrepresented groups into the national scientific community.
