Kathleen Hohl, Communications and Events Director
414-297-6208 (office); 414-235-7105 (cell); hohlk@matc.edu

MATC Receives $526,937
National Science Foundation Grant
Five-Year Grant Total Could Reach $945,142

MILWAUKEE (July 20, 2010) – Milwaukee Area Technical College has received a $526,937 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of students transitioning to baccalaureate degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields through its Biochemical Excellence in Science and Technology (BEST) program. MATC could receive an additional $418,205 ($210,244 in 2013 and $207,961 in 2014), pending satisfactory results in the first three years of the project. The five-year grant total would be $945,142.

“Receiving an NSF grant is an exceptional accomplishment for MATC,” said President Michael L. Burke. “Science and technology are two areas that are growing extremely rapidly and we are eager to help prepare students for additional education and, ultimately, careers in these areas.”

The primary goals of the BEST program are to strengthen MATC’s associate in science degree program and offer students different tracks within the program, most notably in biochemical sciences, biotechnology and chemical technology. An array of recruitment, academic support and enrichment activities to ensure academic success and stimulate student interest are also essential components of the program. Minorities, women and other under-represented populations are target groups for recruitment.

Dr. Aparna Sen, a natural sciences instructor, is the principal investigator of the project. Dr. Kim Farley, associate dean in the Liberal Arts & Sciences division, and Dr. Zack Shana, a natural sciences instructor, are co-principal investigators.

The NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of about $6.9 billion (FY 2010), NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing.