Seton Hill lands grant to recruit, assist underrepresented students in science fields
Dec. 17—Seton Hill University plans to recruit more than a dozen science majors while providing them with financial and academic support.
The university in Greensburg will provide scholarships to 15 high-achieving students from the Pittsburgh region who are economically disadvantaged and are part of groups — including women and minorities — that are historically underrepresented in science degree programs.
The six-year program will provide renewable scholarships for full-time students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or forensic science. Close to 100 students are enrolled among those majors at Seton Hill. Total undergraduate enrollment is about 1,500 at the campus with about 500 more graduate and non-traditional students.
University officials are planning to hold student recruitment events in the spring to help kick off the program. It ultimately is meant to help diversify, expand and enrich the scientific community.
"Far too many academically talented high school students do not pursue higher education in the sciences because they do not have the financial means or the mentors to show them a path forward," said Ashley Bartelson, an associate professor of chemistry at Seton Hill and the principal investigator for the grant.
Lack of awareness about the range of related career options also can keep students from seeking a science degree, Bartelson said.
"Mostly people think of the medical field," she said, "but there are many other career possibilities in the sciences they might pursue that they might not know about."
That includes work as a research scientist.
Students who participate in the scholarship program also will benefit from faculty and peer mentoring, a social media connection and a career exploration seminar.
"Hopefully, this program will create an environment that supports them in what they're doing, to give them more confidence," while encouraging them "to talk about the struggles they're having or their aspirations, working through any issues with the help of their mentors," Bartelson said.
A mentor from among the university's upperclassmen will help each of the scholarship recipients tackle organic chemistry — a course that most science majors find particularly challenging.
"They'll be meeting once a week to do process problems with the students or answer questions for them," Bartelson said.
The scholarship program "will both break down barriers to higher education and provide important opportunities to students," Seton Hill President Mary C. Finger said. "The national need for well-educated professionals working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields is of paramount importance."
A grant of about $750,000 from the National Science Foundation will help fund the effort.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
