Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship Program

This proposal requests funding to further the successful undergraduate scholarship program for low- income, academically talented students in Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSEM) at the University of Kentucky (UK) and the Lexington Community College (LCC). As will be shown in the proposal, the initial CSEM scholarship program enabled many underprivileged students to obtain degrees in the focus areas of computer science, engineering, mathematics, and computer information systems. The data contained in this proposal clearly demonstrates that many of these students could not have attained their degrees without this support. This proposal will also show that the initial CSEM cohort at UK and LCC can be broadly characterized as diverse, non-traditional, and academically prodigious and, when funded, the future CSEM cohort will meet or surpass the current group in such metrics. The primary purpose of this proposal is to continue to help academically talented students with financial need achieve a high level of success in their educational and career goals. A secondary aim is to improve upon the initial program through recipient participation in a variety of educational and research activities that will foster their interest, expertise, and enthusiasm for the CSEM fields. The program will be overseen and coordinated by the Principal Investigator and an interdisciplinary CSEM Program Advisory Committee comprised of the Co-Investigators and the student support staff of the College of Engineering, the Department of Mathematics, and the mathematics and CIS programs at Lexington Community College. The Advisory Committee will meet regularly to evaluate and update program activities as well as to select students into the program. The proposed stipend amount is $3125 to full-time students at UK and $1562 for full-time students at LCC with the equivalent of 32 full-time scholarships to be awarded over the next four years. While this document describes the many excellent student support services in existence at UK and LCC, the opportunity to defray the cost of these services is declined in lieu of more support for deserving future CSEM students. Intellectual Merit: The CSEMS program complements many bold initiatives at the University of Kentucky including the Appalachian Math and Science Partnership (AMSP), the Engineer-in-Residence program, and the Engineering Futures program described in detail in the body of this proposal. It targets students from underrepresented groups and those with non-traditional backgrounds who might otherwise not be able to pursue careers in CSEM fields. Broader Impact: The activities included in the CSEMS program are part of a recent program of educational and research initiatives at UK. As discussed in the proposal, the CSEM scholarship program fits perfectly with new initiatives now underway in the College of Engineering, the Mathematics Department, and the University as a whole. These include a new freshman engineering program that has had enormous initial success; the NSF Appalachian Math and Science Partnership (AMSP) enabling students from rural backgrounds to obtain the math needed to enter an engineering or computer science program; and a new Undergraduate Research Program at the university level. These projects will increase the STEM capability around the Commonwealth and enhance the economy.