SBU Receives $230,000 Grant from PSEG Foundation to Expand STEM Career Pathways

The Stony Brook University Foundation received a $230,000 grant from the PSEG Foundation in support of STEM programs for pre-college students and Stony Brook students.

The PSEG Foundation’s support for STEM initiatives at the university dates back to 2015 and funds the long-standing and very successful programs Explorations in STEM and Inspiring Engineering Learning. These programs partner with key campus programs and offices, including Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URECA), the Career Center, and the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) Honors program.

The SBU-PSEG STEM partnership provides STEM opportunities to traditionally underrepresented students with a focus on those who are economically challenged. The offered programming allows these students to experience the possibilities of STEM careers while gaining exposure to hands-on activities and research early in their college or pre-college careers.

Funding will support the Explorations in STEM Summer Research Program by providing 10 week-long paid summer experiences to underserved first- and second-year undergraduate students. The grant will also expand STEM opportunities for local pre-college students through the Inspiring Engineering Learning program, which will offer middle and high school students from high-need school districts hands-on, design-and-create field trips to the Stony Brook University campus to increase interest in STEM.

“A key factor in maintaining American technological competitiveness is the ability to educate a multicultural STEM workforce,” said Stony Brook University Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mónica Bugallo. “This is particularly true on Long Island where the technology workforce demands are among the highest in the nation.” Bugallo also serves as the faculty director for the WISE Honors program and is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“The SBU-PSEG STEM Outreach Program will educate STEM talent for the future to address our energy needs. This partnership will engage students at all levels in the passion, challenge and opportunities of STEM through rich and unique research and educational hands-on experiences and will broaden participation in STEM,” Bugallo noted.

“Investing in our young people and expanding their capacity is key to solving some of the greatest challenges of our time,” said Calvin Ledford, president, PSEG Foundation. “PSEG is proud to support these enrichment programs, which are specifically designed for the students who need them the most.”

Previous Stony Brook University outreach programs supported by the PSEG Foundation have benefitted nearly 5,000 students, from middle school through the graduate level.