12
Assistant Dean Arlene Mollo and Dean Ismael Ramirez-Soto discuss the new school with students.
Scholarship grant to university will help boost number of teachers in four critical areas The National Science Foundation has awarded $749,596 to UMass Dartmouth in support of the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program, which aids undergraduates majoring in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These “STEM” scholarship participants pledge to become teachers in high-need SouthCoast school districts upon graduating. They also receive additional scholarship money as they pursue a master’s degree through the TEACH! programs of the Center for University, School and Community Partnerships (CUSP), which offers a range of teacher licensure and support programs in accelerated form. The Noyce initiative expects to enroll 28 participants. “The Noyce Scholarship program puts UMass Dartmouth in the unique position of being able to offer STEM majors incentives for teaching in schools where they are needed most,” said Karen O’Connor, director of CUSP. “Not only will we be able to offer substantial scholarships to these students, we will also give them explicit instruction in the teaching profession and continue to offer crucial mentoring support after they become teachers. This combination of preparation and on-the-job experiences will ensure the Noyce Scholars’ success as classroom teachers.” Faculty from the university’s new School of Education, Public Policy and Civic Engagement (see accompanying story) will work with local K-12 educators to improve teaching practices and student attainment. Additionally, they will coach the Noyce Scholars and offer
UMass
|
D a r t m o u t h
enrichment seminars as those students begin their teaching careers. Dean Ismael Ramirez-Soto said, “I am excited to welcome the talented STEM majors into the School of Education, Public Policy and Civic Engagement. The new school is in an ideal position to develop and enhance their teaching skills as they work with K-12 students in the SouthCoast.” Professors Stephen J. Hegedus, director of the James J. Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Mathematics Education; Frank Scarano, medical laboratory science professor; and Tesfay Meressi, College of Engineering associate dean, will serve as co-principal investigators with O’Connor. The program’s partner school districts include Fall River, New Bedford, Wareham, Brockton, and Taunton. Also, Bristol Community College will promote the program to their STEM students who plan to continue their education at UMass Dartmouth. Prospective Noyce Scholars will be recruited in their sophomore year and will provide math and science tutoring in high-needs area schools during their junior year. In their senior year, the scholars will receive a $10,000 scholarship while gaining teaching experience in high-needs schools by interning with middle school and high school math and science teachers. Upon graduation, they will receive an additional $10,000 in support of their master’s in teaching studies. Robert Noyce, known as the “Mayor of Silicon Valley,” was one of the first scientists to work in that stretch of California, long before it earned the Silicon name. He ran two significant companies, Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. He also invented the integrated chip, one of the major steppingstones in the development of the microprocessors in today’s computers.