Undergraduate
Saint Michael's lands $578,500 National Science Foundation grant to provide 20 scholarships in math and computer science
The grant is part of the NSF scholarship program for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Contact Information:
Buff Lindau, Public Relations
802.654.2536
blindau@smcvt.edu
[High resolution photos of the grant directors are available on request to blindau@smcvt.edu]
A track record of success teaching math and computer science in a liberal arts college has earned Saint Michael's College a major grant. Saint Michael's President Jack Neuhauser was informed May 8 that the National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of $578,500 to the college for support of the project titled "Enhancing Mathematics and Computer Science Opportunities in a Supportive Liberal Arts Environment" under the direction of Greta Pangborn, assistant professor of computer science; Joanna A. Ellis-Monahan, associate professor of mathematics, and Michael Battig, associate professor of computer science.
"This grant from the National Science Foundation is a wonderful affirmation of the ability and willingness of Saint Michael's faculty to engage in scientific work that directly involves and affects the future lives of our undergraduate students," President Neuhauser said.
The grant is part of an NSF program called S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It will provide support allowing Saint Michael's to recruit and offer financial aid to 20 highly promising computer science and mathematics students who have financial need.
Authors of the grant, Drs. Pangborn, Ellis-Monahan and Battig, said the grant recognizes the strengths of the college's computer science and mathematics programs. "We offer students a strong technical education in a supportive environment within a liberal arts curriculum," they said. Our graduates enter the work force with technical proficiency and with writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, and the intellectual flexibility to succeed in a fast-changing workplace, the authors said.
An earlier NSF grant of $199,964, from the CSEMS (Computer Science Engineering Mathematics Scholarship) program awarded to Professor Battig in 2001, enabled the college to recruit computer science students. Success with these students played an important role in the college's being awarded the current, major grant from the National Science Foundation.
The current grant proposal explained that "Saint Michael's students benefit from institutionally supported models of teaching-scholarship and joint faculty-student research and have many opportunities to participate in independent study and research projects culminating in conference presentations, published papers and software packages." Students also benefit from engaging in industry internships, and the college's graduates have demonstrated the ability to perform well in industry, government and graduate research programs.
In the end, the authors state that this grant will enable them to nurture future members of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) industries "who will also be responsible global citizens."
Saint Michael's College, founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 366 Colleges. A liberal arts, residential, Catholic college, Saint Michael's is located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns and less than two hours from Montreal. As one of only 270 institutions nationwide with a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus, Saint Michael's has 2,000 full-time undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 200 international students. In recent years Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Science Foundation and other grants, and Saint Michael's professors have been named Vermont Professor of the Year in four of the last seven years. The college is currently listed as one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Buff Lindau, Public Relations
802.654.2536
blindau@smcvt.edu
[High resolution photos of the grant directors are available on request to blindau@smcvt.edu]
A track record of success teaching math and computer science in a liberal arts college has earned Saint Michael's College a major grant. Saint Michael's President Jack Neuhauser was informed May 8 that the National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of $578,500 to the college for support of the project titled "Enhancing Mathematics and Computer Science Opportunities in a Supportive Liberal Arts Environment" under the direction of Greta Pangborn, assistant professor of computer science; Joanna A. Ellis-Monahan, associate professor of mathematics, and Michael Battig, associate professor of computer science.
"This grant from the National Science Foundation is a wonderful affirmation of the ability and willingness of Saint Michael's faculty to engage in scientific work that directly involves and affects the future lives of our undergraduate students," President Neuhauser said.
The grant is part of an NSF program called S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It will provide support allowing Saint Michael's to recruit and offer financial aid to 20 highly promising computer science and mathematics students who have financial need.
Authors of the grant, Drs. Pangborn, Ellis-Monahan and Battig, said the grant recognizes the strengths of the college's computer science and mathematics programs. "We offer students a strong technical education in a supportive environment within a liberal arts curriculum," they said. Our graduates enter the work force with technical proficiency and with writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, and the intellectual flexibility to succeed in a fast-changing workplace, the authors said.
An earlier NSF grant of $199,964, from the CSEMS (Computer Science Engineering Mathematics Scholarship) program awarded to Professor Battig in 2001, enabled the college to recruit computer science students. Success with these students played an important role in the college's being awarded the current, major grant from the National Science Foundation.
The current grant proposal explained that "Saint Michael's students benefit from institutionally supported models of teaching-scholarship and joint faculty-student research and have many opportunities to participate in independent study and research projects culminating in conference presentations, published papers and software packages." Students also benefit from engaging in industry internships, and the college's graduates have demonstrated the ability to perform well in industry, government and graduate research programs.
In the end, the authors state that this grant will enable them to nurture future members of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) industries "who will also be responsible global citizens."
Saint Michael's College, founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 366 Colleges. A liberal arts, residential, Catholic college, Saint Michael's is located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns and less than two hours from Montreal. As one of only 270 institutions nationwide with a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus, Saint Michael's has 2,000 full-time undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 200 international students. In recent years Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Science Foundation and other grants, and Saint Michael's professors have been named Vermont Professor of the Year in four of the last seven years. The college is currently listed as one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
