WVU Tech professor leads charge to promote STEM achievement

BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – In a time when science and technology impact all parts of our lives, STEM education is becoming more critical on college campuses. To help drive educational innovation forward, the National Science Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to WVU Tech Associate Professor of Biology and Microbiology Aida Jimenez Esquilin, Ph.D.

The project is supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education (S-STEM) and will bring Jimenez Esquilin together with Fairmont State University’s Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Robert Niichel, Ph.D., Glenville State University’s Professor of Biology, Sara Sawyer, Ph.D. and First2 Network’s Sarah Riley and Sue Heatherly. Together, the team aims to support talented, low-income STEM students in Appalachia who graduate and go on to successful careers or further their education.

“This isn’t about just helping WVU Tech,” Jimenez Esquilin said. “We’re trying to develop a model that can be replicated across the state and the country. We can’t underestimate the importance that STEM education plays in our lives, and it’s only going to become more critical in the future.”

Over the course of the academic year, Jimenez Esquilin will work with project leaders at each of the other institutions to build a support network of faculty, staff and students to incorporate the lived experiences and challenges of low-income students at Appalachian universities. Using these experiences as well as institutional data collected at each partner institution, the team will develop recommendations for improvements to STEM curricula, campus climate and financial aid processes.

“It starts with figuring out what our students need based on their experiences. We take that information and use it to create a framework which can guide other institutions interested in this kind of project,” Jimenez Esquilin said. “This is a big step toward strengthening STEM in Appalachia and making sure more students have a chance to succeed.”

The opportunities for STEM success do not end with this grant project. Jimenez Esquilin said the teams will use the lessons learned to prepare another grant which will be the first of its kind in West Virginia. The NSF S-STEM Track 3 proposal which her team will submit in 2025 could net up to $5 million toward their goal to grow the number of STEM graduates across the region.