A National Science Foundation Grant for $750,000 was recently awarded to professors Anne Hinderliter and Arshia Khan from UMD and Sherri Turner from UMTC for "Networking and Computing: Scholarships and Support for Computing Students." The funds support students from groups that are under-represented in STEM fields. Khan is the director of graduate studies in the Department of Computer Science, Hinderliter is from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Turner is from the Department of Educational Psychology.
Hinderliter, Khan, and Turner are particularly interested in students who are underrepresented in the STEM workforce. “There is a gap in what students want to achieve in terms of obtaining STEM degrees and their ability to obtain them, especially in today’s unstable economy and higher tuition rates,” Turner says. “We wanted to find a way to support the career aspirations and dreams of students who we know are academically talented and have great academic and career potential.”
By pulling in professionals from all of UMD and from the community of professionals, the group found a way to support students who are seeking their degrees in computer science. That direction is an initial step to support students. In later years they will expand this support to other STEM fields.
Impact and Campus Involvement
This program has the potential to impact a significant proportion of students. It is focused on academically talented, low-income students in computer science who are underrepresented in STEM fields. At UMD, all the computer science faculty are involved in the program and in addition many faculty and staff from across the campus have joined the effort.
Part of the initiative includes evaluating what it takes to support student success in STEM fields. It will ultimately make an impact on the fields of education, educational psychology, and STEM education, and will support STEM workforce development.
This project addresses the priorities of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering (SCSE) to increase students’ opportunities to persist to graduation and transition successfully into the workforce. This is a priority that has been established by SCSE Dean Wendy Reed, and is aligned with wider university goals that address graduation and retention for all UMD students.
Khan welcomes the opportunity to launch the initiative. “Ultimately, we want to help students understand better how to develop their paths toward engaging in meaningful careers,” she says.
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