$4.8 Million Grant Bridges Gap For PCC-To-U Of A STEM Students

TUCSON, AZ – A recent $4.8 million National Science Foundation grant aims to help bridge the economic and access gaps for some Pima Community College transfer students intending to pursue a STEM bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona. The grant provides scholarships over five years to 94 students working on Pima CC Associate’s degrees who will transfer to the U of A to earn a bachelor's degree in specified fields: physical sciences, biological sciences, computer and information sciences, mathematical sciences and engineering or geosciences, the U of A reported.

Regina Deil-Amen, a U of A College of Education professor and the grant’s principal investigator, said that a “disproportionate underrepresentation of people from the communities in which these STEM disciplines are supposed to be applied” exists. “It’s important that the people who are doing the research, deciding what’s important to invest in and applying their skills are connected to the communities and the populations that they’re serving,” Deil-Amen wrote. Pima CC has more than 2,600 students pursuing science-related associate’s degrees, she added.

“The demand for STEM workers will only grow over the coming years …” said Robert C. Robbins, U of A president. “Creating pathways to the U of A is a key element of our focus on student success, and increasing access and opportunity for transfer students is central to our strategy.”

Besides providing scholarships for low-income, high-achieving students in financial need, the NSF grant also provides for peer mentor and faculty training at both schools. The training takes place next summer, and the first group of students to benefit from the grant will be starting at the U of A in August 2020.

“The focus is on trying to reorient faculty and other administrative staff involved with these students to create a culture of belonging before they even come to the university,” Deil-Amen concluded.