Programs to Broaden Participation
in scientific disciplines
our mission
College of Science partners with university wide efforts and initiatives to support our science students and faculty. Through partnership, we work to coordinate a comprehensive program that advances the College of Science’s efforts to recruit, retain, and invest in students and faculty.
To support Virginia Tech’s Beyond Boundaries strategic plan and the Virginia Tech Advantage;
To recruit and prepare undergraduate students for graduate degree programs and for scientific careers;
To increase the awareness of the scientific disciplines, and possible career paths, to students in the state of Virginia and beyond;
To provide academic support and community building activities.
Undergraduate Students
Our undergraduate initiatives focus on providing students academic support, community building, and career readiness. Join our Broadening Participation in Science newsletter for most up to date information.
Our team hosts workshops to support students’ classroom learning. We partner with offices on campus to help you find undergraduate research, craft the perfect resume, and get hired over the summer!
It can be difficult to make connections during class, so the College of Science hosts Community Nights for students across campus. We partner with the Cultural & Community Centers, the Women’s Center, First Generation Student Support and more to provide a range of spaces for students to connect.
We know the transition into college can be challenging and we want to provide students with the support they need. First year students who opt into our peer mentoring program will meet with their peer mentor, an upperclassman with a similar academic background, once a week for the first 13 weeks of the semester. Incoming freshmen should check their Virginia Tech email for more information the summer before they arrive on campus.
We host an Undergraduate Research Mixer once a semester. At this mixer, faculty and graduate students present their research to undergraduates to recruit students for their labs. Finding undergraduate research can be daunting, so our mixer breaks down barriers between faculty and students and facilitates the research process.
Virginia Tech was selected in 2023 to join cohort four of the First Scholars Network in the third phase of a four-phase model. The network is the nation’s leading higher education community of practice for sharing data, modeling innovations, and scaling impact to first-generation student support. The College of Science is an active participant in Virginia Tech's First Scholars Leadership Team, working to make science accessible to everyone, no matter their family's background.
Graduate Students
Aligned with the National Science Foundation’s strategic priority of broadening participation in science, these awards are offered during the recruitment process as an extra incentive for graduate students from populations that have historically been underrepresented in our department or scientific disciplines. Awards are to be used during a student’s first two (2) years of graduate study to support student research. Funds may be used to cover expenses such as conference travel, summer stipend, equipment, computer, books, etc. Students can also decide to use this money to increase their annual stipend and may choose to receive it as a lump sum payment.
Faculty Engagement
In Fall 2020 the College of Science launched a fellowship program for faculty or staff in the College of Science who are interested in planning, implementing, coordinating, and/or assessing the College's efforts to broaden participation for college stakeholders: students, faculty, and staff.
Requests for proposals typically go out in mid-September, with applications due mid-October. These fellowships are awarded for calendar years and come with a $4,000 award.
Recent awardees
2024
- Ivan Hernandez (Psychology) - Developed a candidate ranking tool to be used during candidate searches to ensure that searches are equitable and fair to all candidates.
- Edna Fanny Jasso-Hernandez, Veronica Montes, Jessica Schmale (Mathematics and El Centro) - Create the Math Studio Experience at El Centro to foster a community of transfer students working together to enhance their mathematical knowledge.
2023
- Vanessa Diaz (Psychology) - Expanded her in “Girls Launch” program, in which women graduate students communicate with children in regional Kindergartens, elementary and middle schools about science.
- Ignacio Moore (Biological Sciences) - Started a ‘freshman/transfer seminars’ to help provide incoming/transfer students the opportunity to interact with faculty members in a low-stake environment.
2022
- Kendra Sewall (Biological Sciences) - Developed a workshop on the “Hidden Curriculum” for graduate students.
- Alison Sibol (Mathematics) - Created electives courses for Safe Zone training.
Each year the college makes an award to a faculty or staff member who has made significant and sustained contributions that help to broaden participation in the College, at Virginia Tech, and in the broader scientific community.
Calls for nomination packets are typically made in early February, with a submission deadline in early March. These packets include a nomination letter and a self-statement from the person being nominated.
Recent Awardees:
- 2024 Alma Robinson Physics
- 2023 Lara Anderson, Physics
- 2022 Edna Fanny Jasso-Hernandez, Mathematics
- 2021 Giti Khodaparast, Physics
- 2020 Neil Hauenstein, Psychology
- 2019 Jane Robertson Evia, Statistics
These awards are for faculty interested in visiting, speaking and recruiting potential graduate students at HBCU and MSI institutions. The amount varies and is intended to cover travel expenses for faculty to these institutions.
Lonnie Gonsalves. Photo courtesy Lonnie Gonsalves. Scientist Lonnie Gonsalves squats on a beach, its sand wet, while holding wires and other pieces of hardware.
College of Science Departmental Committees
Funding Opportunities for Current Students and Faculty
The College of Science, as administered by the College’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee and Assistant Dean for Inclusion and Diversity, supports a wide range of events and programs. These funds are geared towards supporting under-represented and underserved scholars and diversity, equity, and inclusion focused efforts and research.
Such funding opportunities may include:
- Hosting a Speaker Events and Programs
- Undergraduate and Graduate Student Research Projects
- Outreach Initiatives
- Travel Support for Conferences
We ask that, for any funding from the COS IDEA Committee, you also seek matching funds. This could come from your home department or any of the funding opportunities found across the university, including:
- Virginia Tech Moss Arts Center's Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series
- Graduate Student Assembly's Travel Fund Program
- ICTAS Diversity and Inclusion Research Grants
- Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Grant
The College of Science Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee accepts funding requests on a rolling basis throughout the year. To submit a funding request, please fill out the Google form.