Rogers Williams University has received a $586,500, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to enroll underrepresented students in STEM studies. The funds will support the university’s STEM Intercultural Leadership Scholars (STILAS) program which awards four-year scholarships to underrepresented students studying engineering, biology and marine biology.
The STILAS program was developed to bring a diverse population of academically talented students into programs centered in the STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – fields and to build on the university’s Intercultural Leadership Ambassador initiative, which offers students peer mentors, academic tutors, and other activities that promote graduate school and STEM employment opportunities.
“When our classrooms are home to students who offer a diversity of experiences, that adds value to the education we provide,” said Lonnie Guralnick, interim dean of the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences and STILAS steering committee member, said in a statement. “Students take on questions from different perspectives – that makes us more effective scientists who are culturally aware.”
Learn more about the STILAS program