For the fourth summer in a row, minority undergraduate students have come to the campus of the University of Virginia to participate in the Virginia-North Carolina Summer Research Program. Among this year’s attendees are students from historically Black Johnson C. Smith University, Saint Augustine’s University, and Elizabeth City State University.
The students are paired with faculty members or graduate students who serve as mentors and conduct research in astrochemistry, biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering.
The program has been successful in attracting minority students to graduate programs in STEM disciplines at the University of Virginia.
The Virginia-North Carolina Alliance includes nine partner institutions, including four HBCUs. The program has been funded by the National Science Foundation since 2007. During this period enrollment in STEM majors at the nine partner institutions has increased by 39 percent. The number of students who graduated with degrees in STEM fields is up 67 percent.
Below is a video produced in May 2012 that offers more information on the alliance.
