WT Professors Win Grant to Improve STEM Education for Underrepresented Students

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A team of West Texas A&M University researchers have won a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant to improve success rates in science classes for underrepresented students.

Professors in WT’s Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences won the grant from the NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education and its Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program for Hispanic Serving Institutions.

WT, a Regional Research University, qualified for HSI status in 2016. To qualify, an institution’s Hispanic full-time equivalency must be at least 25 percent of the overall undergraduate population. As of spring 2024, WT’s student body is 31 percent Hispanic.

“We are looking for ways to increase success rates for this student population in redesigned geology and chemistry courses and evaluating the effectiveness of online bridge courses, which help students move from non-majors sciences courses to upper-level courses,” said Dr. Nick Flynn, professor of biochemistry and principal investigator for the project.

The team also will establish a faculty development workshop and student support modules designed to enhance undergraduate research experiences in both departments.

“We expect that this project ultimately will bring more students into the sciences and allow us to recruit and retain more STEM students from underrepresented backgrounds,” Flynn said.

April is Research and Innovation Month across The Texas A&M University System.

WT professors in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences who also are part of the team include Dr. Erik Crosman, assistant professor of environmental science and assistant department head; Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics; Dr. Maha Shrestha, assistant professor of chemistry; and Dr. Rebecca VanderLeest, assistant professor of geology.

Serving the Panhandle by meeting regional needs and building undergraduate academic excellence are key maxims of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University faculty members recently earned a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant to improve success rates in science classes for underrepresented students. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Maha Shrestha, assistant professor of chemistry; Dr. Nick Flynn, professor of biochemistry and principal investigator for the project; Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics; and Dr. Erik Crosman, assistant professor of environmental science and assistant department head. Not pictured is Dr. Rebecca VanderLeest, assistant professor of geology. 

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