Katherine Wright, associate professor in Literacy, Language and Culture and Carl Siebert, associate professor in Curriculum, Instruction and Foundational Studies are co-investigators on a just-announced $5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to Boise State’s College of Engineering as part of the NSF Scholarships in STEM program.
The funds are the largest grant awarded to a group of higher education institutions in Idaho, and the six-year award will help with recruitment and retention of students across the state with $3.6 million in scholarships to create pathways into engineering and computer science careers for students who have limited options for access to higher education.
Wright, along with fellow co-investigators, will conduct research into how the pathways improve self-efficacy, career identity, increase access and improve retention for students supported by the scholarship program. Siebert will serve as program evaluator as part of his work at the Program Evaluation and Research Lab at Boise State.
“We’re going to be able to make recommendations to better support students interested in pursuing STEM careers, even those who have never seen themselves as cut out for these challenging paths,” said Wright. “Helping students see themselves as valued members of the STEM community will produce research findings that will go beyond Boise State and even Idaho.”