Conference: The Dr. George Carruthers Student Technical Research Symposium

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) is designed to enhance the quality of both undergraduate STEM education and research at HBCUs to broaden participation in the nation's STEM workforce. As such, HBCU-UP provides support to principal investigators who are committed to meeting the nation's accelerating demands for STEM talent through a number of priority areas, including, supporting the professional development of HBCU undergraduates majoring in STEM for entry into the STEM graduate programs and/or the STEM workforce.

Morgan State University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) will work with partners committed to broadening participation in STEM to host a Student Technical Symposium at Lincoln University, another HBCU.

The Dr. George Carruthers Student Technical Research Symposium will be held in conjunction with the 93rd annual meeting of the National Technical Association and support the professional development of 60 HBCU students. The students, representing 20 HBCUs, will have the opportunity to present the results of their research, engage with scientific experts, and participate in a geosciences workshop.

The workshop will emphasize the development of students’ communication skills in STEM by providing diverse platforms for students to present their research, including oral and poster delivery, and provide award incentives to students who excel in the diverse forms of delivery. Ultimately, the conference will impact students from populations that are historically underrepresented in STEM fields, which include African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and women.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.