UC Leads the State in Awards to Fuel Careers in the High-Demand STEMM Professions

The University of Cincinnati is awarded nearly $3.5 million and is the most highly funded institution in the latest round of state funding to recruit and retain Ohio students into the high-demand science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) and STEMM education fields. The Ohio Board of Regents announced the funding for the final year of the state’s two-year, $100 million Choose Ohio First Scholarship awards to be distributed over the next five years. UC was awarded more than 26 percent of the $13.3 million in total first-round 2009 funding from across the state.

“This latest news further positions the University of Cincinnati as a state leader in STEMM education,” says Anthony J. Perzigian, UC senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost.

“The funding builds on UC’s partnerships to extend STEMM excellence across colleges and disciplines, as well as graduate and undergraduate education,” adds Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president and associate provost for enrollment management.

Three UC-Led Proposals Awarded Funding Totaling Nearly $3.5 Million

1. In the latest round of funding, UC was awarded $2.397 million in a partnership with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Sinclair Community College, Greater Cincinnati Tech Prep Consortium, the Health Alliance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Drake Hospital. The proposal, “Enhancing the Success of Future Health Care Professionals through Synergistic Cross-Collegiate Programming,” will support over a five-year period an estimated 200 students that plan to pursue health-related careers. Support systems beginning with the students’ freshman year aim to help them find the field of study that best fits their individual interests, strengths and talents by providing broad exposure and learning experiences in the healthcare professions. UC representation in the partnership includes the College of Allied Health Sciences, McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, College of Nursing, Clermont College and Raymond Walters College. The project was developed in consultation with the UC College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. The partnership committed an equal amount in matching funds, in financial aid as well as academic resources. This program opens to qualifying UC students entering UC in fall 2010.

2. A UC-led proposal titled, “Master Degrees as Conduits to Recruiting, Retaining and Upgrading the Ohio STEMM Work Force” was awarded $828,000 in Choose Ohio First funding. UC aims to recruit and graduate approximately 100 students in graduate-level STEMM fields over a five-year period and will strive to build a highly skilled Ohio workforce in the health professions, engineering, environmental jobs and business. Participating UC degree programs represent colleges across the university. They include the College of Medicine MS programs in physiology and radiology (the latter medical physics program is the only accredited program of its kind in the state); the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences MS programs in environmental studies (in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and statistical/financial mathematics; and the College of Engineering’s one-year master of engineering program and its five-year ACCelerated Engineering Degree (ACCEND) programs. ACCEND provides students with the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering over a five-year period. The partnership also includes the College of Business’ ACCEND MBA program to attract future entrepreneurs into health-related fields. As part of the partnership with the Choose Ohio First system, the participating academic units will commit $828,000 in matching funds towards their ongoing support of these MS programs. Qualifying students currently applying to UC’s graduate school will be invited into the program.

3. A UC-led partnership was  awarded $267,000 to recruit and graduate 45 future educators in the STEMM fields over a six-year period. The “Cincinnati STEMM Hub Partnership: A New Model for Preparing the Next Generation of Dynamic and Innovative Secondary STEMM Educators” will further develop Cincinnati’s  pre-kindergarten-through-college pipeline of education in the STEMM fields, particularly in supporting the transformation of Cincinnati Public’s Hughes Center into an innovative high school to promote excellence in STEMM. The program strives to

• Increase the number of highly-qualified teachers in the STEMM fields
• Enhance STEMM instruction and learning environments at the Hughes STEM High School
• Reduce the numbers of new teachers leaving the profession by providing mentoring and support for new teachers at the Hughes STEM high school

Carla C. Johnson, principal investigator and director of the Furthering Urban STEMM Innovation, Outreach and New Research (FUSION) Center in the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH), along with co- principal investigators Shelly Harkness, assistant professor of math education (CECH), and Jonathon Breiner, associate professor of chemistry (A&S) and associate professor of science education (CECH), will lead the development and implementation of the program, which will recruit three groups of students from the Hughes STEM High School partners beginning their junior year.

The students will pursue fields in secondary science education and/or mathematics teacher education at the high school before completing their baccalaureate degree at UC. UC will provide matching scholarships to support all three cohorts as they pursue their college education at UC. The first cohort will begin in fall 2011.

Partners include the Ohio STEM Learning Network, the Battelle research and development corporation, Cincinnati State, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Duke Energy Corporation, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Strive partnership; Cincinnati Museum Center, Procter & Gamble (P&G), General Electric, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA), the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Great Oaks Career Campuses, and the INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati non-profit corporation. The partnership aims to contribute $267,000 in matching funds.

All qualifying students must be Ohio residents to be considered for the programs. In year one of Choose Ohio First funding announced last March, UC was awarded more than $3 million for a proposal to attract and graduate 215 new STEMM students over a four-year period. In the second round of 2008 funding announced last June, UC was awarded more than $5 million for two additional Choose Ohio First proposals.

Overall, the State of Ohio has invested $250 million through partnerships in higher education, particularly in the STEMM fields, to strengthen and reconstruct Ohio’s economy.

View the State Roundup of Awards

UC Office of Admissions

UC STEMM Web Site

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