Grant to Fund STEM Pathways Academy

Ed and Martha Showalter Miller taught at Manchester for a combined 53 years.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a five-year, nearly $650,000 grant to Manchester University to provide scholarships for students pursuing science majors. The university says it will use the grant to launch the STEM Pathways Academy, for which the first cohort will begin this fall.

Manchester says the academy will provide students "a clear, guided path to graduation and success in employment or graduate school." As part of the academy, the first cohort of 13 students will take classes together, work with professional, alumni, and student mentors, and take yearly seminars focused on career preparation.

Students will also make visits to science-related employers and graduate schools, take part in internships and research experiences, and take classes that are specialized for hands-on learning. 

"Through this program, we will design classes and programming that support student success in STEM fields," said Kristen Short, assistant professor of biology at Manchester. "The goal is to take what works best and expand those practices to other students studying the sciences and across all disciplines at the University."

The university says about 10 students will be recruited for the second academy cohort, which will begin in fall 2018.