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TRCC
Part of $1.53 Million Norwich – A University of Connecticut professor’s trip to a national conference three years ago has turned into a $1.53 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), with the promise of another $500,000 waiting in the wings. Hedley Freake, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at UConn, left the conference of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) with twin goals of working to diversify the student body at the university and to further the university’s relationship with the state’s community colleges. He parlayed his ideas into a partnership that will identify minority or first-generation college students interested in careers in the life sciences and put them on a path to achieve those dreams, starting at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, and Manchester Community College in Manchester, and finishing with a degree from the UConn. “We want to create a seamless pathway to UConn,” said Freake. “The students will refine their cognitive skills – in math, chemistry, and English – and take some classes to help fulfill UConn’s general education requirements. Then they will come to the University as juniors, ready to launch directly into their major.” Once identified and enrolled in the program, the STRONG-CT students will receive a battery of support services to guide them through their education, including efforts to direct them to organizations and agencies that could provide financial support, mentoring, a First Year Experience or First Year Experience for Technology and Science program (TRCC), and group activities that will enhance their comfort level at the institutions. Students will also be awarded book stipends of $600 a year to offset the cost of books. Once the STRONG-CT students arrive a UConn, support services will continue. Freake says the goal is to build the program so there will be at least 10 students in each class at each location, which would provide a pipeline of STRONG-CT students at the community colleges. Diba Khan-Bureau, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Environmental and Civil Engineering Technology programs at TRCC, says the STRONG-CT program will encourage more students to choose technology and science as a career. “It is a wonderful opportunity for our students,” she said. “It will permit our students to enter into a four year university with an abundance of academic support from both Three Rivers Community College and UConn, and will offer research opportunities, advising and mentoring to the STRONG-CT scholars. It will also provide a cooperative and team spirit environment for those choosing to study to become technologists and scientists,” she explained. “All of this support will help our students thrive and succeed.” Freake says the life sciences were chosen to build on the strengths of the partnering institutions and to meet the regional workforce needs of industry and government. He says local employment opportunities help make the program attractive to potential students. The three community colleges were chosen due to their proximity to UConn’s Storrs campus, and because articulation agreements with the three have been forged in recent years. Before transferring to UConn, students must earn an associate’s degree and must carry a grade point average of at least 3.0. For more information, please contact Diba Khan-Bureau, STRONG-CT director for TRCC at 885-2383 or dkhan-bureau@trcc.commnet.edu. To download a copy of the application in MS Word format to be filled out electronically & emailed to Professor Khan-Bureau, please click here. If you do not have MS Word and need to download the application in PDF format to be printed out, filled out, & mailed back; please click here. This article was adapted from one originally appearing in the UConn “Advance.” |
