The University of Houston System Board of Regents presented the Regents’ Academic Excellence Award to the Scholars Academy at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) at its meeting Nov. 19. The award recognizes University of Houston System institutions’ programs and initiatives that exemplify excellence in teaching, research and public service.
A program in UHD’s College of Sciences and Technology (CST), the Scholars Academy, focuses on scholarship and student success for minority undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors. The program, now in its 15th year, has seen more than 700 graduates since its inception and represents 17 percent of CST STEM majors at the university.
“One of the Scholars Academy’s greatest strengths is the unique relationship between our faculty and our STEM undergraduates through discipline-based, small learning communities,” said Edward Hugetz, interim senior vice president for academic and student affairs and provost of UHD. “This connection was most recently recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its 2014 Accomplishments Report. NOAA recognized the Watershed Wonders: Summer Research Camp for bringing teachers, students and research scientists together.”
Since its inception in 1999, the Scholars Academy has been awarded more than $16 million.
The program encourages students to pursue STEM majors through scholarships, mentoring, exposure to research practices and career opportunities, graduate school preparation, and hands-on experience in research labs. UHD further supports its students by disseminating student research findings at professional conferences, leading to increased co-authorships of published research.
“The Scholars Academy receives this year’s prestigious Academic Excellence Award for its commitment to student success and the enriched bond between students and faculty members,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, University of Houston System. “By supporting scholarship research opportunities both on and off campus, the University of Houston-Downtown has increased the rate of students continuing in STEM fields through graduate and professional programs or by entering the workforce.”