The National Science Foundation recently awarded Millersville University a $584,980 grant to provide scholarships to minority and economically disadvantaged students majoring in math or science.

The grant will fund a project called "Building the Future: Improving Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented and Financially Disadvantaged Science and Math Students" led by LaVern Whisenton-Davidson, a professor of biology at Millersville.

Whisenton-Davidson said she believes the grant will help draw students into the fields of math and science.

"The country is not getting enough people interested in science and math," Whisenton-Davidson said. "This is an era where you must have knowledge of science, math and technology in order to be competitive, and we're slipping."

The initiative will provide scholarships to underrepresented and financially disadvantaged students in areas of biology, chemistry, earth science, computer science, physics and math.

Twenty-eight $5,000 scholarships will be awarded annually over five years to eligible students.

The first round of scholarships will be awarded to up to seven sophomores this winter. Whisenton-Davidson said that after the first round of scholarships are distributed incoming freshman will typically receive the scholarships.

To qualify for a scholarship, students must maintain at least a 2.3 grade-point average.

Data published by the National Center for Educational Statistics show that Asians and whites have higher scores on standardized mathematics, reading and writing exams as early as kindergarten in comparison to some minority groups. The gap widens from elementary school through middle school and high school.

Among high school graduates in 2000, 31 percent of underrepresented minorities in mathematics had completed an advanced mathematics course, compared with 47 percent of whites and 69 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Whisenton-Davidson said the project also will provide students with academic support such as peer mentoring and a workshop series to help students develop academic skills, explore career options and prepare students for placement after graduation.

The initiative also will foster living learning communities where students with the same science or math major can live on the same floors and take classes together.

By offering a support system to students, Whisenton-Davidson said more students will stay in school.

"Retention is a major component in this grant," Whisenton-Davidson said. "We've got to make sure they are successful and make it through their programs."

Rene Munoz, Millersville's director of foundation and government support, said the university is awarded between $4.2 million and $4.5 million in grant money annually.

Munoz said this is one of the larger grants in the area of hard sciences that has passed through his office.

"In the scheme of things it (the grant) is a big deal," Munoz said. "It's a lot of money."

Whisenton-Davidson said she will be visiting local high schools to tell students about the scholarships at Millersville.

"I want to tell students that achieving in math and science can be done," Whisenton-Davidson said. "It takes a little work, but it's possible. I couldn't be more excited."

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com