1.2 Million Federal Grant Awarded to Marywood University

Marywood University will receive the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Robert Noyce Scholarship. The grant, which totals $1,195,022, will be awarded to assist Marywood students in meeting the significant teacher shortage and addressing the need for those teachers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Through the Marywood Advancing STEM Teaching (MAST) program, the University will recruit and support 20 biology and math secondary education majors as Noyce Scholars. These MAST scholars will earn bachelor’s degrees in biology or math, and they will be eligible for a Pennsylvania secondary teaching certification in each field.

Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University said, “This will help us do one of the things that Marywood does best - develop strong teachers who will empower young women and men to become leaders in our neighboring communities. It's a wonderful opportunity for all involved.”

The NSF is a federal agency created to support research, innovation, and discovery in mathematics, computer sciences, and other fields. It funds nearly a quarter of all federally-supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, in response to the critical need for K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), provides funding to institutions of higher education to provide scholarships, stipends, and programmatic support. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is working with the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to identify and disseminate information about effective practices and strategies for attracting, selecting, and preparing new K-12 STEM teachers and retaining them in the STEM teacher workforce.

Through its long history of educating STEM teachers, Marywood University’s Mathematics/Secondary Education and Biology/Secondary Education programs were established in 1959 and 1967, respectively. With support from NSF Noyce funding, Marywood will provide a framework for educational excellence that enables MAST scholars to develop fully as persons and to master professional leadership skills in STEM teaching.

Marywood will partner with three diverse, high-need school districts: Scranton, Carbondale, and Forest City. Additionally, program print materials will be distributed to high schools (including partner high schools) in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Susquehanna counties, and will be made available for use at admissions fairs. MAST Program team members will be available at Marywood University Open House events to meet with potential STEM students and parents, and Marywood University’s Office of Admissions will hold specific STEM Day events for interested students.

For additional information about Marywood University’s Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Department, please visit https://www.marywood.edu/science-math, or call (570) 348-6265. For additional information about the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship, please visit www.nsfnoyce.org/.