Creating the Path to STEM Careers

From Herkimer College's 2022 Connections publication

Herkimer College has joined into an alliance with other area colleges and universities to create new pathways for students to more easily continue their education and succeed in the STEM field.

The partnership will see a new student cohort developed on campus, called the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholars program. Developed and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the goal is to bolster the number of underrepresented minorities working in the STEM field.

Other schools in the coalition, known as the as the Central New York LSAMP Alliance (CNYLA), are Ithaca College, Utica College, SUNY Cortland, SUNY ESF, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.

Herkimer College and TC3 will work to build scholars from the community college level up, acting as feeder schools for the four-year schools in the alliance, said Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Jennifer Adjodha-Evans, the College’s campus facilitator for the program. This gives LSAMP scholars a pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree, and more advanced degrees in STEM if they choose to continue their education.

“Because the alliance includes both high-tier public and private colleges and universities, we’re creating another opportunity for success that these students may not have had access to otherwise,” Adjodha-Evans said.

LSAMP scholars will be supported with STEM career awareness and readiness programs, tutoring, scholarly seminars, and networking activities. Additionally, a select number of LSAMP scholars from Herkimer College will have the opportunity to participate in a paid summer research internship program. Such programming will help prepare students for 21st century STEM careers through strong experiential learning and professional development activities.

To be eligible for LSAMP, students must:

• Be an underrepresented minority as described by the LSAMP program description (African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Native Pacific Islander)
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident of the U.S.
• Be enrolled at a participating institution in an undergraduate major in a STEM discipline and/or an area within the LSAMP CIP Code. Eligible STEM majors at Herkimer College include: Computer Science A.S., Electrical Technology A.A.S., Engineering Science A.S., and Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science A.S.

LSAMP applications are now being accepted for Fall 2022. For more information, visit the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program on our website.

Read our full 2022 edition of Connections here, herkimer.edu/alumni/connections-magazine/.