The Mathematics and Science Scholars (MASS) program is awarding 30 annual scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students in the STEM disciplines: Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computer Science, Geological Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics.
Intellectual Merit: The MASS program objective is to recruit and graduate a talented pool of science and mathematics leaders. The university has identified several factors that impact college-going and student graduation rates: financial need, preparation, study skills, college familiarity, and research awareness. MASS is designed to address these issues and foster change.
Broader Impacts: The scholarship program is designed to recruit from a largely Hispanic population; select recipients based on academic achievement and demonstrated interest in the sciences; provide support through faculty mentoring and cohort activities; and assist graduates in pursuing STEM careers and graduate studies. MASS impacts the lives of underrepresented and financially needy science students by giving them the tools to succeed, including opportunities for undergraduate research, industry internships, and graduate studies. Scholars can serve as role models for other students at the university and the high schools they came from. The local economy and businesses benefit from well prepared, diverse job applicants. The project is creating a community of scholars that can be a successful model of encouraging scientific exploration via scholarship incentives.
