Columbia College has been awarded a $595,510 grant by The National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the “Development of Women Scholar-Leaders in Chemistry, Mathematics and Computing.” The bulk of the funding will be dedicated to scholarships for students who meet the eligibility criteria. The grant period begins February 15, 2010, and expires January 31, 2015. The goal of the scholarship program is to increase the number of women and minorities graduating with baccalaureate degrees in chemistry, mathematics, and computing.

A joint venture of the College’s chemistry, mathematics and computing programs, this project builds upon a 2003 NSF grant and supports 18 four-year scholarships for women. Dr. Julia P. Baker, associate professor of chemistry; Dr. Adrienne Oxley, assistant professor of chemistry; Dr. Madeleine Schep, associate professor of mathematics and computer and information science; and Dr. Nieves A. McNulty, professor of mathematics and computer and information science, will administer the program. Admissions, financial aid and career services personnel at Columbia College and industry representatives will also be involved. Diverse programs will help build a community among scholarship recipients and facilitate their success as scholar-leaders.

Columbia College will recruit nine students for Fall 2010 and another nine for Fall 2011. The scholarships are for $7,500 per year per student. “Our goal is to recruit three chemistry majors, three math majors and three computer and information science majors each year,” says Dr. Julia Baker. “This is an opportunity to broaden the participation of women and minorities in chemistry, mathematics and computing, which will lead to more of these underrepresented groups in South Carolina entering related careers in the twenty-first century workforce,” she adds.

Applicants for the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) must meet the following criteria:

1. be citizens of the United States, Nationals of the United States (as defined in Section 101 (a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), aliens admitted as refugees under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;

2. plan to enroll full-time at Columbia College with a major in chemistry, mathematics, or computer and information science;

3. meet two of the following three criteria:
· must rank in the top 30 percent of their class;
· score 1100 or higher in the combined reading and math SAT, or a composite score of 24 on the ACT;
· hold a GPA of 3.0 on the South Carolina uniform grading scale and;

4. demonstrate financial need, defined for undergraduate students by the US Department of Education rules for need-based Federal financial aid.

Women interested in applying for these scholarships should contact Dr. Julia Baker at nsfwomen@columbiasc.edu.