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| L-R: Desmond
Stephens, Ph.D., Maurice Edington, Ph.D., and Lewis Johnson, Ph.D. |
The grant, which was effective June 1, supports FAMU’s
HBCU-UP project titled “Science Community of Active Learners to Enhance
Achievement and Retention.” The program is designed to significantly increase
student success rates in FAMU’s science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) degree programs.
- Improving the academic preparedness of freshman STEM students, so they are better equipped for the rigor of upper-division STEM major courses, graduate school and the global marketplace
- Increasing the retention, persistence and graduation rates of STEM students
- Increasing the number of students at the University pursuing STEM degrees
- Providing professional development opportunities for STEM faculty to study best teaching practices
Maurice Edington, Ph.D., vice president for Strategic
Planning, Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness, serves as the principal
investigator for the project. FAMU professors Lewis Johnson, Ph.D., Desmond
Stephens, Ph.D., and Paulette Reneau, Ph.D., join him as co-investigators.
“I am tremendously excited about this program, which will
support FAMU’s ongoing efforts to increase retention and graduation rates and
enhance degree production in high-demand areas,” Edington said. “The grant also
aligns with several of the priorities outlined in the new University strategic
plan, which focuses heavily on providing exceptional student experiences and
supporting faculty excellence.”
The grant marks the second NSF HBCU-UP award for Edington and
his team. They are completing a four-year, $1.6 million award that was received
in 2013 for a project entitled “Student Centered Active-Learning and Assessment
Reform.”