MCCC Receives $600,000 Grant From National Science Foundation for Student Scholarships

MCCC Receives $600,000 Grant From National Science Foundation for Student Scholarships

7/30/15

WEST WINDSOR -- Mercer County Community College (MCCC) has been named as the recipient of a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), to be used for scholarships for students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

The S-STEM grant (Scholarships in STEM) will provide 116 full tuition scholarships for students majoring in STEM disciplines over the next five years. This is Mercer’s first grant from the NSF.

“We live in a technology-driven economy, and we continue to see tremendous job growth in science and high-tech fields,” said Dr. Eun-Woo Chang, MCCC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are pleased that the NSF has selected us for this important project, as it speaks well of our talented faculty members and their ability to provide a quality STEM education.”

Quadcopter Construction

Students in the Mercer County Community College Electronics Engineering Technology program at work on the construction of a quadcopter at MCCC. Pictured, clockwise from lower left, Aaron Brown, Seminon Ribansky, Engineering instructors Dominick DeFino and Harry Bittner, Javier Garzon, and Ashley Burt. Mercer has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The S-STEM program is designed to support scholarships for academically talented students demonstrating financial need, enabling them to enter the STEM workforce or STEM graduate school following completion of an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate-level degree in STEM disciplines. MCCC is responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting scholar demographic information, and managing the S-STEM project.

“Mercer has produced numerous graduates who have gone on to very successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” said Jim Maccariella, Professor of Engineering at MCCC. “We are grateful for this opportunity, which gives us the ability to open our program to the next generation of technology innovators.”

The project will be led by Chang and Maccariella, who will serve as principle investigator for the project. Other project leaders include Laura Blinderman, Professor of Biology, Helen Tanzini, Professor of Chemistry, and Richard Porter, Professor of Mathematics. Students interested in the scholarship opportunity should contact Maccariella at maccarij@mccc.edu or (609) 570-3462.

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