Lake Erie College awarded additional Choose Ohio First grant

Chad Felton, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·2 min read

Dec. 19—The Ohio Department of Higher Education recently announced that Lake Erie College has been awarded $839,999 in newly approved grants as part of its efforts to recruit "STEMM students and retain them as employees" in Ohio through its Choose Ohio First Scholars program.

"This latest award will benefit many talented students in the natural sciences, health care, mathematics and veterinary fields," said Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner.

The recent grant is the second received by the college through the Choose Ohio First program.

In April, Lake Erie was awarded $1.5 million to support underrepresented students in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine, and was the maximum grant amount possible to receive (in 2022) under the program.

According to officials, the funding supported scholarships, community engagement activities unique for STEM scholars — including experiential learning, work opportunities, mentorship training and service as peer leaders — and academic support.

"We are grateful to Chancellor Gardner and the entire Choose Ohio First team for the continued support," said Program Director Johnathan Tedesco, who also serves as dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "This additional funding serves as a strong validation for the program.

"While the focus of our grant is Hispanic representation and women in STEM, we remain committed to improving the representation of our diverse region in high-need areas to better align with our local and regional population demographics," he added.

Additionally, the new grant allows Lake Erie to "expand educational pathways to include equine and education majors while continuing to provide unique experiences for traditional STEM, pre-medical, and pre-veterinary students, as well as guaranteed seats in several medical graduate programs."

Choose Ohio First began in 2008 as a way to increase the number of Ohio residents completing STEM majors at Ohio's public and private colleges and universities, "engines for workforce vitality....that advance growth of each region in the state...."

Moreover, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, designated Choose Ohio First programs are "integrated with regional economies, meeting statewide educational needs, facilitating the completion of baccalaureate degrees in cost-effective manners....and enrolling underrepresented STEM student groups, including women and students of color."

For more information, visit www.ohio.gov.