Currently: 31°F
In fall 2021, Millersville University received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in STEM program.
According to the program’s website, “the main goal of the S-STEM program is to enable academically talented students to pursue successful careers in promising STEM fields.”
Now in its fourth year, Millersville’s S-STEM program, Supporting Student Success, provides funds for 30 students across three yearly cohorts.
“The program supports unmet need up to $10,000 per academic year (renewable for four years) for each scholar, as well as support services – peer mentoring, a paid workforce development program and community-outreach activities – to prepare them for the STEM workforce,” shares Dr. Janet White, professor of mathematics and program administrator.
This October, six science students – Mackenzie Cox, Elyssia Good, Jennifer Juarez, Annie Sahd, Frank Schaeffer and Zacaria Tawfick – attended the organization’s 2025 S-STEM Scholars Meeting in San Diego, Calif. The conference provided over 1,000 scholars from across the country with an opportunity to attend relevant academic and career-oriented sessions and to connect with other S-STEM students. In addition, there were plenary sessions, panel discussions, a career and education fair with industry and graduate school representatives. Good and Schaeffer also presented their research at the conference.
Schaeffer is a fourth-year biology student with concentrations in plant sciences and molecular biology/biotechnology. On campus, he is involved in academic research and the Entomology Club.
“The NSF S-STEM program enriches my experience at Millersville. It gives me the opportunity to talk to scholars in other majors, attend professional seminars and learn more about possible career paths,” he shares.
At the conference, Schaeffer presented his research on how the microbiomes of male and female spinach plants adapt to changing environments as they progress in their life cycle.
Sahd is a second-year student studying molecular biology. She is involved in the John Newman Association, Climbing Club and the Honors College Student Association.
“The NSF S-STEM program has provided me with opportunities in college I would not have otherwise had access to,” Sahd said. “I have found it to be a fantastic resource for networking, building my professional and communicative skills, and allowing me to explore my education with like-minded people who are also excited to be a part of the scientific world,” she adds.
Juarez is a fourth-year biology student studying animal behaivor. On campus, she is involved in the Biology Mentorship Program and serves as a Biology Academic Support Mentor.
“It was interesting to hear how [other students’] programs were slightly different from ours at MU, yet our goals as STEM students aligned well,” Juarez shares.“I felt that I was a part of a larger community of scientists and felt a greater sense of belonging.”
Find more information about Millersville’s NSF S-STEM Supporting Student Success program here.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2130176. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
