November 8, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

NASA’s Minority University Project Selects SMC For Grant:

NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) has selected Santa Monica College (SMC) as one of four community colleges nationwide to receive a MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement (MC3I) grant. The grant will provide SMC up to $250,000 per year for a maximum of three years to provide training for professors teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) courses and expand STEM course offerings at the college.

“We are a perfect fit for this grant,” said Jeffery Shimizu, SMC Interim President. “Santa Monica College is dedicated to advancing achievement for our underrepresented minority students – and this includes bringing more of them into STEM-related majors. We are excited to see how this will not only enhance our students’ preparation for careers NASA will benefit from, but also close the achievement gap.”

A historically minority-serving institution, SMC has a successful and growing STEM program in a partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), funded by a five-year $5.8 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education in 2011. The program – known as the Science and Research Initiative (SRI) – provides specialized courses, free tutoring and academic support, and research opportunities at UCLA in collaboration with its Center for Community College Partnerships and the Undergraduate Research Center.

This year, 176 students – 50 percent identifying as Latino or Hispanic, 9 percentAfrican-American, 48 percent female, and 52 percent low-income – enrolled in SMC’s STEM-SRI. 18 SMC students were selected by UCLA to work as paid research interns for 10 weeks, and 50 of them attended a week-long research residency, also at UCLA. Approximately 82 percent of STEM students admitted in the 2013 and 2014 academic years have succeeded in STEM Courses at SMC.

“Santa Monica College presented a meritorious proposal,” said Joeletta Patrick, MUREP Manager at NASA. “NASA MUREP recognizes the particular importance of minority-serving community colleges for the participation of students traditionally underserved and underrepresented in higher education… they constitute the largest and most dynamic segment of post-secondary education in the U.S.”

SMC will use its NASA MUREP MC3I grant to provide opportunities for students and faculty to get hands-on experience in the development and operation of an instrument that will collect data in space, said SMC Geology professor Dr. Cara Thompson, who will serve as principal investigator for the grant.

“We hope to contextualize student learning of important STEM skills as well as expand our course offerings and other activities to provide SMC students with tools required to pursue a NASA-related career,” said Dr. Thompson. “We will achieve this through partnerships with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, UCLA, and the University of Southern California, among others.”

The awards were made through the 2014 Education Opportunities in NASA Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (EONS STEM) research program, which aims to expand the nation’s base for aerospace research and development, increase participation by minority serving institutions, and increase the number of degrees in NASA-related fields awarded to students from these institutions.

The other three community colleges that also received a MUREP MC31 grant were Baltimore City Community College, Napa Valley College, and Queensborough Community College.

For information on activities related to SMC’s MUREP MC31 grant, contact Dr. Cara Thompson at 310-434-4877 or Thompson_Cara@smc.edu. For more information on SMC’s STEM-SRI program, visit www.smc.edu/STEM.

in News
<>Related Posts

Megacity Review: Genaro Trejo’s Global Platform for Urban Arts and Literature Launches in Los Angeles’ Westside

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

Santa Monica, CA – A new voice has arrived on the Los Angeles literary scene with the launch of Megacity...

Film Review: Here

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

FILM REVIEWHERERated PG-13104 MinutesReleased November 1st  Here was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. This...

Thanksgiving 2024: The Best Places to Order Your Holiday Pies in Los Angeles

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

Get Ready for Your Thanksgiving Dinner With the Best Desserts November is the official start of the holiday season and...

The Whaler Celebrates 80 Years as Venice Landmark

November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024

Throughout November, the Whaler Will Feature Drink and Food Specials, Live Music, and Weekend Events The Whaler, a Venice Beach...

Starbucks Kicks Off the Holidays with Festive Cups, New Drinks, and a Special Surprise

November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

Returning Classics, Cran-Merry Refreshers, and Expanded Pastry Selections on Thursday Starbucks is ringing in the holiday season with the return...

November 6 Updates: Malibu Holds Fire at 50 Acres as Schools Close, PCH Reopens

November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

Crews Contain Brush Fire, Closures In Effect, Power Outages in Malibu The city of Malibu’s website has issued an update...

Architectural Review Board Considers Eight-Story Mixed-Use Project on Wilshire

November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

The Development Will Include Studio, One-, and Two-Bedroom Units, 13 of Which Will Be Reserved as Affordable Housing A proposed...

Police Seek Suspect in Vandalism of Jewish-Owned Businesses in L.A.’s Pico-Robertson Neighborhood

November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

Authorities Investigate Series of Early Morning Attacks as Hate Crime Police are actively searching for a suspect accused of vandalizing...

Latest Santa Monica Election Results as Votes Are Counted in National, State, and Local Races

November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

Preliminary Results From Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, and National Elections Here are the latest election results, as votes are...

Topanga Canyon Blvd Closed to Non-Residents Due to High Fire Danger

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Closures Run From Mulholland Drive to Pacific Coast Highway Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be closed to non-residents from Mulholland Drive...

Big Blue Bus Gets $53M for Electrification, Service Improvement

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Grant to fund zero-emission fleet conversion, expanded transit service, and workforce training initiatives The California State Transportation Agency announced Wednesday...

High Alert: L.A. County Braces for Extreme Fire Weather and Powerful Winds

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Residents Urged To Prepare as Red Flag Warning Goes into Effect  The Los Angeles County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, and...

The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

DuPont Clinic Issues a Statement After City of Beverly Hills is Held Accountable By CA Attorney General Bonta

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

AG Rob Bonta Intervenes in Unprecedented Case, Defending Abortion Access Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an investigation after reports that...