STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—Tarleton State University, in conjunction with Texas A&M University-Central Texas and Temple College, recently received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The grant will be used to fund the Central Texas 2-STEP project, part of a national initiative to encourage U.S. citizens to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields.
“The purpose of the program is to encourage students to get their degrees and go on to get a career in the STEM fields,” said Dr. John Idoux, the project's principal investigator. “The 2-STEP program is very competitive so we feel very fortunate to have been funded.”
The Central Texas project will concentrate on the recruitment of high school students participating in Temple College’s Texas Bioscience Institute (TBI) as well as transitioning military service members.
TBI provides high school students a foundation for upper-level studies in the biosciences, medicine, engineering or mathematics fields. Students participate in advanced, dual-credit courses and are, upon completion, awarded high school diplomas as well as associate degrees.
“The program will hopefully keep them enthusiastic about STEM fields and about staying in school to earn their bachelor’s degrees,” Idoux said.
The program also will assist the high number of military service members in the Central Texas area.
“Most transitioning military have very high technical skills that they acquire in the service, but a small percentage have finished college,” Idoux said. “Hopefully the program will encourage them to start school, stay in school, earn their bachelor’s and so on.”
