HSI STEM — Excellence in STEM Education

St. Mary’s University was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Hispanic Serving Institutions – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HSI-STEM) program. The University will receive more than $5.3 million for its Excellence in STEM Education program over five years between fall 2016 and fall 2021. The grant is intended to support STEM education at St. Mary’s and provide a strong boost to the implementation of the University’s strategic vision for the School of Science, Engineering and Technology.

Goals

The HSI STEM — Excellence in STEM Education program has the following overarching goals:

• Increase the number of Hispanic and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged students enrolling and persisting in STEM fields of study
• Develop new STEM programs and strengthen existing academic courses
• Increase capacity to connect students to STEM educational opportunities
• Improve STEM laboratory facilities
• Promote best practices in student services: advising, coaching, and social and academic support

Areas of Focus

To accomplish the HSI STEM — Excellence in STEM Education initiatives, the grant will assist St. Mary’s University in funding:

• The enhancement of the Forensic Science program
• The creation of a Bioinformatics program
• Streamlined transfer services for STEM students at the Alamo Colleges
• Coaching services for Hispanic and/or low-income STEM majors
• Renovation and equipment for Biology and Chemistry laboratories
• A system for connecting STEM students to industry projects and research

Project Staff

David Turner, Ph.D.
Project Director
210-436-3235

Jennifer Morris
Activity Coordinator
210-431-6750

Carmen Cruz
STEM Coach
210-431-6752

Geetu Rajpal
Data Analyst
210-431-6751