The Biotechnology in Practice (BIP) S-STEM scholarship program at Hartwick College provides scholarships for academically-talented entering students or transfer students who demonstrate financial need and are interested in careers in biotechnology, an area of growth in jobs in industry and academia. The program offers scholarships of up to four years in duration to two cohorts of six students each, over five academic years. It is focused on biology and biochemistry students, since they form a natural cohort, and because of existing interactions among biochemistry students and faculty in terms of advising and co-advising senior research projects and use of equipment and other facilities. The BIP program builds on these existing cohorts and collaborations to work towards its major goal of creating a sustainable environment of scholarship and achievement in biotechnology. A learning community composed of a supportive and interactive network of student scholars and faculty mentors is being formalized through the BIP S-STEM program. This learning community is helping to create an atmosphere of confidence and achievement for the S-STEM scholars, and to prepare the scholars for graduate work and/or careers in biotechnology. Existing student support services (such as peer tutoring, supplemental instruction services, and academic support workshops) are being enhanced to meet the scholars' specific needs, and new opportunities for mentoring, internships, research, and career exploration are being developed and implemented. Students in the BIP program are strongly encouraged to participate in student/faculty collaboration on research in an emerging field or in internships in academia or industry, and to attend regional and national conferences to give presentations on their research projects. The program is being designed to offer a high quality educational experience in biotechnology to a wide range of students, including first generation college students from low-income rural and urban communities.
