Congressman Ruben Hinojosa Announces $469,959 Grant to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley from the National Science Foundation
Press Release
Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) announced that the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) received a $469,959 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the "GP-Extra: Stimulating Hispanic Participation in the Geosciences (SHIP-GEO)' project.
"I am very pleased that UTRGV, the second largest Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the nation, has been awarded $464,959 by the National Science Foundation for the "GP-Extra: Stimulating Hispanic Participation in the Geosciences' project," said Congressman Hinojosa. "Given the shortage of Latinas and Latinos in the geoscience workforce, this project is vitally important to help boost studies in UTRGV's environmental and earth sciences program, as well as to create greater access to career paths in the STEM fields, particularly in the geosciences."
According to NSF, the SHIP-GEO project has four primary objectives: (1) grow the existing environment and earth sciences (EES) program at UTRGV with the specific aim to recruit and retain students in geoscience; (2) increase community awareness of Earth systems; (3) guide community college and high school students into geoscience careers; and (4) expose undergraduate students to research as a path to graduate school. These objectives are being achieved through: pairing undergraduate majors with alumni who are working in the field of interest of the student; encouraging the transfer of community college students into the EES program at UTRGV through field trips, guest speakers, and an annual alumni career day; and expanding undergraduate research opportunities by engaging students in ongoing projects. The project also is awarding fifty scholarships to five cohorts of students over three years. For more information, please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1600585 (link is external).
Congressman Hinojosa continued, "I commend NSF and UTRGV for taking the lead in increasing diversity in the geoscience pipeline."
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