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Preparing West Virginia's rural, first generation students for careers of the future

Research has identified persistent challenges that hinder access to quality STEM education and opportunities to pursue STEM careers among rural, first-generation college students. Three new initiatives at West Virginia University aim to change that trajectory: The First2 STEM Alliance, a $1 million NSF grant for WVU computational physics students and the EMPOWERS initiative.

“Empowering West Virginia students to pursue and stay in STEM fields is a critical component to moving West Virginia forward,” said director of the WVU Center for Excellence in STEM Education Gay Stewart. “By encouraging just 25 percent more of our students to complete their STEM degrees, we can contribute to 75 percent of the state’s additional workforce needed over the next decade. That is a real and powerful impact we cannot afford to pass by.”



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