The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $2.4 million grant to the University of St. Thomas and partner institution, Houston Community College, as part of the Department of Education's College Cost Reduction Access Act/Hispanic-Serving Institutions program (CCRAA-HSI).

The program’s two main priorities are to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and to develop articulation agreements between two-year Hispanic Serving Institutions and four-year institutions in such fields.

Faculty members Drs. Tom Malloy and Michelle Steiger of UST and Dr. Carolyn Judd and Dr. Yiyan Bai of HCC were the catalyst behind the grant.

"The University of St Thomas looks forward to collaborating with HCC to educate Houston's Hispanic and underserved students so they can achieve their goals to become leaders in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields," said UST President Dr. Robert Ivany.

“We welcome this partnership with the University of St. Thomas, located just blocks from our Central campus, where we have a new science building ready for installation of equipment purchased by the grant. The most significant benefit of these funds will be enriched scientific experiences for our students,” added HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler.

About the Grant

1. The award funds mainly two years of multi-faceted program activity.

2. Provides support and mentoring to first-year minority students academically at-risk and first-generation college attendees.

3. Collaborative training and research program between UST and Houston Community College designed.

4. Enhancements to the physical learning environments at UST and HCC including the purchase of laboratory instrumentation for both institutions.

5. Resources to increase and retain the number of Hispanic and other low-income students attaining UST degrees in mathematics and the natural sciences.