|
 DANVILLE, KY—Centre College has joined a regional partnership with 10 Kentucky and West Virginia universities to share information and programmatic strategies in recruiting, training and steering outstanding minority students into studies and careers in math, science, engineering and technology.
The universities have formed the Kentucky-West Virginia Alliance for Minority Participation to develop effective strategies that will result in the doubling of the number of engineering, science and mathematics baccalaureate degrees awarded to minority students in both states over five years. The target number of baccalaureate degrees after five years is 270, a 111 percent increase.
The program is funded by a $2.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation under the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.
"It gives me the greatest pleasure to be participating in the launch of this alliance," says Centre College President John A. Roush. "We at Centre look forward to this collaboration with colleges and universities both in West Virginia and the Commonwealth, and we are honored to be partnering with the National Science Foundation and the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation.
"This alliance addresses an important shortcoming in higher education. We at Centre find it an extremely worthy goal to strive to increase the number of science, technology, engineering and math degrees awarded to underrepresented students, and we think Centre's portion of the grant—which allows for two pre-freshman students and two current students to participate in collaborative research–will be a step in the right direction.
"This initiative comes at a time when Centre is also embarking on a new partnership with the Posse Foundation, an organization that prepares promising small groups of public high school students for enrollment at top-tier colleges nationwide. The partnership will bring student leaders from a major metropolitan area to Centre, and will help develop a more balanced student body at the College."
The other institutions participating are the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Kentucky State University, Western Kentucky University and the Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Kentucky; and West Virginia University, Marshall University, West Virginia State University and the West Virginia State Community and Technical College.
- end -
Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/
For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.
Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422
Public Information Coordinator: Telephone 859-238-5714
|
