Chancellor Harold Martin announced Monday that A&T will receive a $1.76 million grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to fund the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center for Active Learning. Martin said the STEM Center will help expand enrollment and enhance student success in STEM courses.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Goldie Byrd, says, “The center will serve as the universities hub for student learning and engagement to share a hands on experience that prepares an increasingly large number of students for careers in the STEM disciplines.” A&T will implement two student center learning models for more than 5,000 students annually. The emporium model and the scale up model for group learning. Byrd says the center will be built to recruit and build a strategic pipeline for high achieving STEM students. It will be housed in the college of arts and sciences and located in a newly renovated space in Marteena Hall. A&T will implement these models beginning in the fall of 2013.

According to Byrd, the center will host national symposiums, have summer camps for high schools students, bridge pre-matriculating programs for incoming A&T students, and will retain these students throughout their 4 year matriculation. A&T’s academic unit will prepare a large number of students- -in STEM disciplines in STEM disciplines by providing them with strong foundations for pursuing careers in the STEM studies.

The new STEM center will add on to the university’s existing STEM infrastructures across the campus including A&T’s new STEM early college.

Professors from the science department, mathematics educators, graduate teaching assistants and community scholars will help staff the STEM program.

Nettie Rowland, Media relations director in the Office of University Relations says, this grant will support two strategic programs for high school students and pre-freshman level students that will provide them with a foundation for matriculating in STEM disciplines.

Summer enrichment programs will immerse high school juniors in critical applications of science and mathematics as well as prepare them for SAT’s and college.

The bridge program will give incoming freshman the chance to take chemistry and calculus pre-courses.

They will also take workshops geared at strengthening oral and written communication, critical thinking, time management, leadership and business etiquette, and financial management.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation that will enable us to take our science education to the next level. Our new STEM center will position N.C. A&T to become one of the nation’s top producers of high achieving graduates who pursue STEM careers.” said Byrd.

The new STEM center for active learning will allow a change in structure of instruction.

Instead of lectures every time a student goes to class, students will be able to do more work at home, more work in groups and a new community of practice for student learning.

North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is located in Research Triangle Park. They support programs that promote  the sciences, health and education.

Robert Ingram, Chair of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, stated that the foundation has helped build and sustain a STEM class workforce.

He believes liberal arts and STEM work hand and glove. Since 1986, they have granted nearly $60 million to support North Carolina projects, and just recently, gave a $4.1 million grant in support of students with learning difficulties.

The $1.76 million is just a portion of the money needed to complete this 5-year project.

Martin said A&T will make additional investments into the STEM Center for Active Learning by reprioritizing money used for operating, project renovations other similar endeavors. A&T will also raise money from other corporations, organizations and alumni.

“Research shows that there are approximately 3 million or billion STEM jobs, many right here in the Triad and throughout North Carolina.” said Martin.

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• Kim Fields, Register Reporter