ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK AWARDED SHARE OF $3.5M NSF GRANT

June 18, 2024

BROOKLYN and PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – June 18, 2024 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY), in partnership with seven peer institutions, has received a $3.5 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program to improve first-to-second-year science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) retention rates, foster strong STEM identities through counseling, and facilitating successful entry into graduate study and STEM careers.

The NSF LSAMP program aims to diversify the STEM workforce by increasing the representation of historically underrepresented minority populations in STEM fields. Under the direction of Pamela Lovejoy, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, who will serve as SJNY’s lead project coordinator over the next five years, partner institutions will collaborate on initiatives, sharing information and best practices. In addition, students will collaborate as well, with opportunities to meet peers from the other institutions. 

“This funding will allow us to support our students on their journeys to becoming future leaders in STEM through seminars, career support and faculty-led research opportunities,” said Dr. Lovejoy. “We are so grateful to the National Science Foundation and look forward to the wonderful opportunities this will create for students.”

The peer institutions taking part in the LSAMP program along with St. Joseph’s include Molloy University, Manhattan College, Mount Saint Mary College, St. Francis College, St. John’s University and St. Thomas Aquinas College.

“We look forward to partnering with these universities who share our traditions, values and commitment to serving students, especially those who will benefit from additional academic and pre-professional support,” said Heather Barry, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at SJNY. “For more than 100 years, St. Joseph's has fostered a love of learning and discovery that underscores our programs in STEM, and is one reason why students from under-represented backgrounds in science often thrive in our programs.”

For more information, visit sjny.edu. 

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through its Brooklyn, Long Island and online campuses, the University offers degrees in more than 100 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.