UNA Spearheads Tri-State Alliance with a Record $2.5 Million NSF Grant for STEM Education
Sep. 28, 2023
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama has been awarded $2,497,206 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to spearhead a tri-state alliance to expand and diversify the number of STEM baccalaureate graduates to meet growing workforce demands in the region.
In addition to UNA, the Tri-State Alliance includes the University of Tennessee-Martin, Mississippi University for Women, and Northwest-Shoals Community College. This is UNA’s inaugural NSF LSAMP grant and the most substantial award it has received to date.
In 2021, upon securing an initial planning grant from NSF, the UNA team worked with its partner institutions to craft a competitive grant proposal.
“Typical planning phases involve significant face-to-face interactions among alliance members,” said Dr. Amber Paulk, UNA’s Deputy Provost and Sociology Professor. “The pandemic posed unexpected challenges; however, our alliance’s determination and adaptability were rewarded. We secured the grant on our first attempt, which underscores our collective commitment and unified vision.”
Dr. Paulk is among the key personnel on the team at UNA; she is joined by Dr. Candice Quinn, Assistant Professor of Mathematics; and Dr. Molly Mathis, Director of the Office of Institutional Research. Additional collaboration and consultation was provided by Dr. Carmen Burkhalter, Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering at UNA.
The grant’s primary goal is to bolster graduation rates for Underrepresented Minority Students (URMs) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics baccalaureate programs by supporting students who may be underprepared for foundational math and science courses at the collegiate level.
“Students facing challenges in these in these pivotal subjects have a tougher path to success,” said Dr. Quinn. “The Tri-State Alliance will offer robust support mechanisms for these students,
including a Summer Bridge Program, peer tutoring, and faculty mentorship in order to promote student success and persistence to graduation.”
The regional nature of the alliance also has far-reaching implications for the number of students who would have an opportunity to be affected with these programs and, in turn, could support STEM jobs in the future.
“We recognize the significance of cultivating STEM professionals from the tri-state region and addressing our area’s workforce demands while promoting greater representation and inclusivity in STEM,” said Dr. Katie Kinney, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This initiative stands as yet another testament to UNA’s unwavering commitment to workforce development and regional advancement.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.