Press release from UNC Asheville:
The Departments of Atmospheric Sciences and Computer Science at UNC Asheville have been jointly awarded $613,609 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide scholarships and academic support to undergraduate students. With scholarships of approximately $6,000 per year, the Atmospheric and Computer Science Exploratory Scholars (ACES) Program will also provide peer tutors and faculty mentors both inside and outside of the classroom and build cohorts for students in both disciplines to monitor student progress.
“The number one question that we get when a prospective student visits is if there are scholarships available,” said Doug Miller, professor and chair of atmospheric sciences and the project investigator for the NSF grant. “We want to encourage students to consider a career in STEM disciplines, particularly sciences that aren’t as well known – computer science and atmospheric sciences both qualify. We want to attract their attention and show them the educational and career possibilities.”
The NSF grant will fund the program for five years, with the first six scholarships expected to be awarded in the fall 2015 semester. Scholarships for atmospheric sciences majors and computer science majors will be based on academic merit as well as financial need.
In addition to scholarships, the program will provide a mentorship and support system. According to Dean Brock, professor and chair of computer science, “The grouping of students into common courses and living areas will also encourage students to work and learn from each other.”
After the first year, the program will fund eight scholarships per year – three first-year students in each major and two transfer students, one in each major. The program also will fund a student employment position to supervise the annual national weather contest, and students will participate in UNC Asheville’s hallmarks, including introductory colloquia and undergraduate research.
“We are excited to receive NSF support in our efforts to provide effective learning experiences for students interested in the atmospheric sciences and computer science,” said Marietta Cameron, associate professor of computer science and a co-project investigator on the grant project. “Our initiative allows students to sharpen their technical and analytic talents and to discover interdisciplinary connections, while establishing strong collaboration skills and community ties.”
The ACES program will partner with and be modeled after UNC Asheville’s NSF-funded chemistry scholarship program, started in 2011 with a $599,850 grant for five years.
Prospective students should indicate their interest in the program through early or regular application to UNC Asheville, by expressing intent to declare an atmospheric sciences or computer science maj
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