Kean, UCC receive multimillion-dollar grant to boost STEM programs

Kean University and Union County College have received a five-year, $3.25 million federal grant to boost STEM programs, Kean announced Thursday.Kean University President Dr. Dawood Farahi said in a release on Thursday that the money will go to serve the diverse student body at both colleges.

“With Kean University’s selection as one of the top five most diverse colleges in the country, and Union County College’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, Kean and UCC are natural partners for this Title V grant,” Farahi said in a statement. “Both colleges have a long history of serving our region’s diverse student population and providing our students with access and opportunity.”

A lack of diversity has been a continual problem.According the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics represented 6.5 percent of the STEM workforce, while Caucasians comprised 70.8 percent.

RELATED: Rutgers-Newark granted $3.5M to expand STEM program

The new, multifaceted program address this issue by creating a joint-admissions agreement that establishes a pathway from an associate degree at UCC to completing a four-year program at Kean for STEM subjects.

The grant was provided under Title V, known as The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. It aims to “expand educational opportunities for, and improve the attainment of, Hispanic students,” as stated on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

ALSO ON NJBIZ:

Turnpike Authority: Expansion will be complete by Thanksgiving

Which convenience store makes the best cup of coffee? The people have spoken…

Numbers game: The state didn’t pay a penny of incentive money, but plenty of others lost big on the failed Revel casino