{"id":5405,"date":"2016-10-03T16:39:06","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T20:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/?p=5405"},"modified":"2016-10-07T13:33:33","modified_gmt":"2016-10-07T17:33:33","slug":"saint-peters-university-awarded-largest-grant-in-university-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2016\/10\/03\/saint-peters-university-awarded-largest-grant-in-university-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s University Awarded Largest Grant in University History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jersey City, N.J. \u2013 October 3, 2016 \u2013<\/strong> Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s University today announced that it has been awarded a historic grant of more than $3.8 million by the U.S. Department of Education through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Program. The five-year grant was awarded for a project titled, SURGE<\/em> (STEM Undergraduate Retention Graduation and Empowerment) and will provide a total of $3,874,222 with the first year beginning October 1, 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply gratified to be the recipients of this record-breaking grant and I am personally grateful for the faculty and staff who worked tirelessly on the grant application,\u201d said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s University. \u201cIncreasing the number of STEM graduates has become critical to the future workforce and economy of the United States, particularly in the state of New Jersey where the demand for STEM employment ranks in the top quarter nationally. Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s has established itself as a leader in STEM education as strong STEM programs already exist and the STEM fields make-up the largest percentage of majors at the University. With the receipt of this grant, we look forward to enhancing our resources in the STEM curriculum to inspire and support these students on the path to successful careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HSI STEM Program supports postsecondary education institutions in providing opportunities meant to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. While nationally the number of Hispanic students graduating with a postsecondary degree has been increasing, these students are continuously underrepresented in the number of students earning STEM degrees. Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s currently serves a high percentage of Hispanic students with a higher interest in STEM compared to the national average. The SURGE<\/em> initiative is designed to further increase enrollment, retention, academic performance and graduation of students in STEM at Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s.<\/p>\n

With this transformational grant, the University will, during the next five years:<\/p>\n