EM MSIPP Grant Helps South Carolina HBCUs Develop Workforce of Tomorrow

Claflin University awarded 171 scholarships to students across several STEM majors.

"Every single one of the natural science programs have been touched by this grant," said Verlie Tisdale, acting dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics.

The impact of EM MSIPP funds extends to students at the beginning of their Claflin careers through the Pre-Matriculation Summer Bridge Program. Not only did the students who ultimately enrolled in Claflin receive full scholarships for their summer courses, several students reported that the program was instrumental in helping them to declare a major.

This past summer, South Carolina State University held the Radiation Science Summer Experience to increase interest in this declining field. Ten students received scholarships, housing and a stipend while taking courses in radiochemistry and health physics.

The EM MSIPP program at Benedict College revolves around research as a vehicle for experiential learning.

Over the summer, Adrian Gale, assistant professor for environmental engineering and co-principal investigator on the EM MSIPP grant, mentored his student, Daniel Dean, in a project developing resins for ion-exchange to treat hard water as a model for ion-exchange remediation of the more dangerous chemical, mercury, which is found at several EM sites. Gale trained Dean on the use of a 3D printer to develop the resins.