New STEM grants will assist Citrus College students

By Mary Ann Lutz, Citrus College Governing Board Member

For more than a century, Citrus College has been committed to providing students with the tools and resources needed to succeed. Thanks to two new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) grants, Citrus College is prepared to help even more students – especially those with financial need – reach their goals.

In 2022, the college received a Student Supports Organized to Achieve Results (SSOAR) grant from the National Science Foundation to help academically talented, low-income students in STEM majors. By helping more students graduate and pursue STEM careers, the grant will also help fill the national need for computer scientists, mathematicians, engineers and physicists.

"This grant requires that 60% of the $750,000 in funding be awarded to students as scholarships," said Victoria Dominguez, dean of mathematics and business at Citrus College. "It has been structured to require students to be involved in campus activities, meet with faculty mentors and utilize wrap-around support services."

Over six years, SSOAR will provide scholarships to 60 full-time and part-time students. All participants will be able to take part in experiential learning opportunities, including field trips, volunteering and student events. They will also have priority registration and access to tutoring.

Katerina Ramirez, a physics major, learned about SSOAR through the college's TRIO STEM program.

"The program has made an impact on my life by giving me a mentor I can rely on for help when I get stuck on a bump in my career path," Ramirez said. "The program has also given me a sense of community with other STEM majors."

In addition to earning a bachelor's degree, one of Ramirez's goals is to one day work with data collected by the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator.

"This program has given me the opportunity to realize my networking strengths, which will aid me immensely in any branch of physical science I choose to pursue," Ramirez said. "After all, everyone understands the importance of making connections."

Another goal of SSOAR is to increase success rates in calculus courses. Through an instructional redesign, the project aims to lessen outcome discrepancies between students of different incomes.

Citrus College is also participating in Project Student Success and Transfer Articulation Through Research and Support (STARS). Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, STARS seeks to increase the number of Hispanic, Pell Grant-eligible and underrepresented students seeking STEM degrees. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, serves as the awardee, while Citrus College and several other community colleges are participating as sub-awardees.

"STARS supports five Citrus College students by providing stipends for summer research experiences at Cal Poly Pomona," Dominguez said. "Students will also be encouraged to attend weekly STEM events held on the Cal Poly Pomona campus."

As the Monrovia area's representative on the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, I am thrilled that Citrus College has received these grants and will be able to help more students reach their academic, professional and personal goals.

For more information on how students can get involved, visit www.citruscollege.edu/stem.