Cohen Announced More Than $1.7 Million for LeMoyne-Owen College Project to Help Minority Students Succeed in Advanced Fields
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced today that LeMoyne-Owen College has been awarded $1,736,699 in continuing grant funding for its “Moving Forward – Steps to Graduate School” project. The project will build on a previous successful project aimed at preparing minority undergraduate students for graduate school and for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“This funding is an important investment in our students at LeMoyne-Owen College,” said Congressman Cohen. “This effort to build on the school’s already-proven projects will go a long way towards preparing undergraduates for successful careers in good-paying fields.”
“We are truly grateful for Congressman Cohen’s support in procuring this crucial funding.” LeMoyne-Owen College President Johnnie B. Watson said. “The demand for science and technology professionals is growing each day and our goal is to provide an education that will enable our students to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that await them in the STEM fields.”
In order to achieve the project’s goals, LeMoyne-Owen College will focus on improving recruitment and retention rates, enriching the academic preparation of its students, broadening the undergraduate research program through partnerships and collaboration, and strengthening faculty expertise as mentors and researchers. The project’s outcomes will then serve as a model for other minority-serving private institutions seeking to enhance STEM undergraduate instruction and research programs.
LeMoyne-Owen College celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. The school enrolls mostly African American students, over 60% of whom are women.