An Interdisciplinary Scholarship Program for Undergraduates in Renewable Energy

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AbstractAn S-STEM Renewable Energy Scholarship program is initiated for talented students with demonstrated financial need to complete four year bachelor degrees in STEM disciplines at the University of Kansas (KU). An interdisciplinary STEM faculty team is assembled to provide training in renewable energy and mentorship for professional development. The students are recruited from KU, Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell), and Johnson County Community College (JCCC). The proposal objectives are three-fold. First, an aggressive plan is in place for recruitment of a group of 16-20 students each year (with at least half from Haskell and JCCC) in relevant STEM disciplines with a special emphasis on recruitment, training, and mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. Second, interactive teaching/mentoring is building strong personal interactions between the faculty mentors and their students who experience a diverse set of activities. These activities include cohort courses, video seminars, focused lectures (at all three campuses), field trips to local renewable energy facilities, and interdisciplinary research projects and energy related internships crafted specifically for STEM students. Third, a diverse spectrum of outreach activities utilizes and assists the recruited scholars, including visits to local high schools and colleges, participating in K-12 Nanotech workshops (through KU's Natural History Museum), and public dialogs organized through existing REU (undergraduate research) programs.