BLUEJAYNews Elmhurst College Will Become Elmhurst University in 2020
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National Science Foundation Awards $2.75 Million in STEM Grants to Elmhurst The National Science Foundation has awarded Elmhurst College $2.75 million in grants to launch two innovative projects that will help students majoring in STEM fields to succeed. The projects are part of a focused effort by the College to meet the need for more—and more diverse—scientists, technology specialists, engineers and mathematicians. Each project is funded over five years, and will provide summer research opportunities, enrichment programming, scholarships and other ways to support STEM students from groups at higher risk of leaving their major, or even leaving college altogether.
Building on nearly 150 years of preparing students for successful careers and lives, Elmhurst College will change its name to Elmhurst University, effective June 30, 2020. “At this pivotal time in our history, less than two years away from our 150th anniversary in 2021, the decision to change our name to Elmhurst University marks the exciting start of the next chapter of our story,” said Elmhurst College President Troy D. VanAken. Although the official name will change, Elmhurst’s identity, core values, and emphasis on liberal arts education and real-world, professional preparation, will remain the same. The university name more accurately reflects Elmhurst’s current educational profile as a comprehensive higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and applied sciences, while anticipating opportunities for new programs and partnerships. The change comes at a time when the College has seen record enrollments and fundraising in the past couple of years. • Media outlets across Chicagoland covered Elmhurst’s announcement about the name change. Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ-91.5 FM) aired a feature story about the decision, “As Colleges Close, Elmhurst College Grows and Rebrands as a University.”
Student Spotlight:
Professors Stacey Raimondi (from left), Elizabeth Majka and Merrilee One project, which Guenther are leading a project for received a $1.75 million transfer students.
grant, establishes an alliance of Chicago-area higher-education institutions that will support STEM majors from populations historically underrepresented in the sciences. Elmhurst is the lead institution on the project.
The other project, awarded a $1 million grant, is aimed at transfer students attending Elmhurst. It establishes a scholarship program for high-achieving, low-income STEM students, complemented by an August class on the scientific method, a “science boot camp” and other activities to help transfer students feel a greater sense of belonging and preparedness.
Dennis Arreaza
As a teenager, Dennis Arreaza ’23 started a youth soccer team in a Guatemalan village to keep the kids away from gangs and drugs. He became the first-place winner of Elmhurst College’s inaugural Niebuhr Service to Society Scholarship Competition, and was awarded a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to attend Elmhurst. • Read Arreaza’s story.