Spelman College to get $5.7M to expand science, math faculty
The New York-based Simons Foundation announced a gift of $5.7 million to Atlanta’s Spelman College on Wednesday. The funds are intended to promote science and math research at the historically Black private women’s college. (Allison Guillory/WABE)
A foundation that promotes science and math research is giving Atlanta’s Spelman College $5.7 million.
The New York-based Simons Foundation announced the gift Wednesday to the historically Black private women’s college.
Spelman said the money will pay half the salaries of 10 new science, technology, engineering and math faculty through August 2028, letting the professors spend half their time conducting research and providing research opportunities to students.
The National Science Foundation ranks Spelman as the top producer of Black women who go on to earn doctorates in STEM fields, and the college said it’s trying to double the number of graduates who eventually earn doctorates.
Simons Foundation President David Spergel said Spelman faculty today spend more time teaching and less time conducting research than at many other colleges, holding back faculty career development and undergraduate research exposure.
The foundation will provide up to three years of salary support to 10 faculty members to be hired over the next six years. Priority will be given to researchers in math, physics and mathematical approaches to life sciences.
The foundation will also help pay for supplies, subscriptions to research journals, and travel expenses to conferences, including with other researchers supported by the Simons Foundation.
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