Auburn and six other East Central Alabama colleges received $3 million from the National Science Foundation to support students with disabilities and are pursuing science, technology, engineering or mathematics degrees.
The Department of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs combined its efforts with Alabama State University, Auburn University Montgomery, Tuskegee University, Central Alabama Community College, Southern Union State Community College and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.
"Our mission is to bring under-represented groups into the (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) programs," said Maria Zacharias, public affairs specialist for the NSF.
The program's concentration within this amount of time is to increase the amount of students graduating with degrees in the STEM areas.
"There are a lot of intelligent, hard working students with disabilities," said Daniela Marghitu, a co-principal investigator for the program. "They can do it, it's just making the best of their aptitude."
Marghitu said the program motivates students with disabilities by offering opportunities to be mentored.
Marghitu said they are also working to eliminate any intimidating factors in STEM fields of study.
Marghitu spoke from experience and is passionate about the program.
From her wheelchair, the professor of computer science and software engineering encourages students with disabilities to keep going.
"They can do it," Marghitu said. "If I can do it, and there have been so many other that have done it too, they can do it too."
The grant helps any student in the STEM majors with a documented disability.
The range of disabilities includes mental and physical handicaps.
"As long as they certify that indeed this (student) qualifies, then it's all right with us," said Overtoun Jenda, Auburn's program director.
The students involved in the program receive a stipend of $2,000 as an undergraduate.
Students demonstrating a commitment to pursuing a doctoral degree within STEM programs move into the competitive Graduate Bridge Program. These participants receive $3,500 to help with their studies.
Jenda said the money is not a scholarship.
Students participating in the program that receive the money have to work.
"We expect something in return, so we're not just giving them money," Jenda said. "What we want them to do once they are in this program is to help us mentor other students with disabilities."
Jenda said this is the main element of the project that got their proposal approved as a program.
Students involved in the program will be active participants in motivating each other and developing the program.
The program encourages active participation from each student.
"We're really focusing on making these students talk to each other and help each other out," Jenda said.
The Bridge to Baccalaureate Peer-Mentoring program is for freshmen and sophomores at all of the participating schools.
The program groups three students, one freshman, one sophomore and one high school student, together forming a mentoring support group.
"We have the juniors and seniors in the Post-baccalaureate Program mentoring the sophomores, and the graduate students mentoring the juniors and seniors building a cascading mentoring system," Jenda said. "We're always encouraging kids to go all the way up to graduate school."
Requirements for the baccalaureate program include maintaining a 3.0 GPA, participation in retention and enrichment activities such as time management and study skills, leadership opportunities and tutoring and counseling services.
Students are required to complete at least two hours of mentoring each week within their groups.
The Bridge to Post-Baccalaureate Peer-Mentoring program is similar to the Baccalaureate, but encourages students moving further with their education.
Participants in the program include juniors and seniors at the four-year colleges in the alliance.
These students mentor younger students at their college or at two-year colleges, and are mentored by graduate students in the program.
The graduate bridge program is for disabled students committed to acquiring a doctoral degree in their field of study.
The project also offers summer internships giving students the opportunity to conduct research in laboratories.
Such labs include Alabama State University's Center for NanoBiotechology Research; Auburn's Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Program, Materials Research and Education Center, and National Center for Asphalt Technology; and Tuskegee University's Center for Advanced Materials and National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care.
With the grant money the alliance gives toward the program, students will have access to computer programs, tools and technology to further their studies.
The program aims to increase the graduation rate of students within STEM programs by motivating them and giving support, Jenda said.
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