The EVS Scholars program at the University of Texas at Austin recruits academically talented but financially needy entering freshmen to its innovative and interdisciplinary degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Housed in three different colleges at the university, the program is demanding and rigorous, and prepares its graduates for further education or employment in the burgeoning workforce in environmental areas. Scholars are grouped in small cohorts and offered individualized academic support, multifaceted mentoring, and professional preparation. The goal is to attract and retain Scholars, allowing them to develop habits of interdisciplinary critical thinking, research and field skills, and motivation to contribute to solving environmental problems. With the help of current Scholars, applicants are aggressively recruited and those chosen as scholars are carefully nurtured. Since the student population at the University of Texas is 17% Hispanic, EVS Scholars will contribute diversity to a STEM area that currently lacks it.
