This project provides undergraduate scholarships for outstanding high school graduates and community college transfer students intending to major in polymer science or chemistry at the University. Eighteen scholarships are awarded annually up to $10,000 each, an amount which can cover all costs for a Mississippi resident. Potential applicants must meet the admissions standards of the USM Honors College and must qualify for financial aid.
Intellectual Merit. This collaborative effort between the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials results in a new generation of highly qualified college graduates who are prepared to undertake technological challenges in chemistry and materials science. The scholarship recipients are incorporating undergraduate research under the direction of a faculty mentor as a capstone experience, and both programs strongly encourage summer internships in industry, national laboratories, or other universities. Graduating students find employment through the Career Planning and Placement Service and through existing relationships between the departments and industry or governmental agencies.
Broader Impacts. Major new economic developments and growth initiatives in southern Mississippi include the formation of the Mississippi Polymer Cluster, the I-59 Technology Corridor, and formation of the High Performance Composite Group. These and similar entities need a technically adept workforce in order to continue to grow and sustain the economic bloom of this region. The project also includes targeting outstanding students from underrepresented groups through the involvement of the Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation, Women in Science and Engineering, and the McNair Scholars Program. The project can impact numerous growing industries in the region.
