WINSTED, CT – September 13, 2021 – Northwestern Connecticut Community College’s STEM department has been awarded a $750,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant to enable low-income, talented students to pursue degrees and careers in STEM fields. Over the next six years, this grant will fund $450,000 in scholarships for low-income, full and part-time students pursuing STEM degrees at NCCC. The grant will also provide funds for support programs for STEM students including mentors and tutors, as well as career and transfer exploration programs.

Linda Slakey, NSF Director of the Division of Undergraduate Education, congratulated Northwestern on succeeding in a highly competitive grant application process, noted that NCCC’s project is now in a select group nationwide and remarked, “We have confidence that your project will enable significant improvements in the education of undergraduate students.”

Sharon Gusky, Professor of Biology, will serve as the principal investigator (PI) on this project and Tara Jo Holmberg, Professor of Environmental Science, Doug Mooney, Professor of Chemistry, and Crystal Wiggins, Professor of Mathematics, as co-principal investigators.

“This S-STEM grant is a wonderful complement to our existing NSF Advanced Technology Education grant-funded project, which builds a technical career pathway from Torrington Middle School to High School and on to the Community College,” explained Gusky. “The STEM programs at Northwestern Connecticut Community College offer students a pathway into high paying STEM careers. This grant will provide the extra support students need to successfully complete their degrees and enter the workforce.”

Northwestern Connecticut Community College offers a number of STEM degree programs including Bioscience, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering Science, Natural Resources, and Technology Studies.

Scholarship Applications for students starting college in January 2022 will be available on the college’s website in November. For more information about Scholarships or STEM degree programs and careers, please email Professor Gusky at (sgusky@nwcc.edu).

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