The grant will enable the college to increase support services — especially in math and chemistry — and research opportunities for all science, technology, engineering and math majors, with a particular eye to helping younger students avoid academic disqualification, switches to non-STEM majors and other departures from science and math disciplines.

Shirley Peng ’12, right, a chemistry major and journalism minor, talks with Fehmi Damkaci, assistant professor of chemistry and associate dean of graduate studies about the possibility of mentoring freshmen and sophomore STEM majors whose difficulties with required math and chemistry courses can lead to academic disqualification, changes in major or transfer.

“This will be one piece in the puzzle to streamline success for our students from high school to graduation,” said Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Fehmi Damkaci, assistant professor of chemistry and principal investigator for the grant.

The grant outlines a five-step program to shore up support for freshman and sophomore STEM majors: expanding a summer math camp for incoming STEM majors to include chemistry content and more students; integrating “math in context” components for introductory chemistry and physics classes; expanding and improving the tutoring services available to STEM students; instituting peer mentoring by upperclassmen for freshmen and sophomores; and expanding summer research opportunities for freshmen and sophomores in STEM.

The college plans to expand its Summer Scholars program to offer more opportunities for freshmen and sophomores to work with faculty on research projects.

Jack Narayan, distinguished teaching professor of mathematics, leads students through yoga during this summer’s math camp. In addition to project-based and team-based lessons, the incoming freshmen received tips on diet, exercise and study habits.

Faculty Fellow Shashi Kanbur coordinated a $600,000 National Science Foundation grant that launched the math camp while providing $4,000 scholarships to 14 new and 14 returning students pursuing a degree in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.

The immersive three-week summer program was geared more toward interaction and problem-solving than traditional lecturing, Associate Provost Rameen Mohammadi said.

For one problem — “Would all living humans fit in Lake Ontario?” — students had to calculate volume of the lake, number of people on earth, and other factors while using mathematics concepts like probability and estimation.

“These students were taught in a project-based, group-based, problem-based environment,” Mohammadi said. “There is no doubt that active learning works well in the learning process.”

Mohammadi said administrators would like to find ways to expand the program.

“If these students persist, year after year, both in their disciplines and at the college, that will show the ultimate success of the program,” Mohammadi said. “The goal is to keep students in the sciences. Obviously, the result so far is very promising.”

Numerous programs already in place, such as one at the 400-acre Rice Creek Field Station shown here, will support “Full STEM” — the plan for a two-year, $300,000 grant intended to recruit and retain science, technology, engineering and math teachers.

The proposed program, “Full STEM: Creating Dedicated Science and Math Teachers for a Sustainable Future,” recently obtained the grant through the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which encourages promising students and professionals to become K-12 math and science teachers, particularly in high-need school districts.

“The whole goal is to try to attract more people into STEM teaching (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) — not just bodies, but more of our best and brightest. There’s a lot of competition,” said Martha Bruch, associate professor of chemistry and principal investigator for the grant.

The program aims to recruit teacher candidates in a number of ways and from a number of sources: partnering with local school districts to build awareness of the science and math teacher education program at SUNY Oswego, helping as many freshman science and math majors as possible discover the rewards of teaching, approaching upper-class STEM majors about teaching as they reach a career decision point, and to find and attract candidates from business and industry during career changes and after retirement.

Bruch pointed out numerous programs already in place to support Full STEM: Rice Creek Biological Field Station, a 400-acre living laboratory rich in field research and teaching opportunities; Project SMART, a cross-school-district, interdisciplinary learning community of teachers, administrators and community leaders across the state; summer research opportunities for undergraduates, as well as a collaboration with the Syracuse Academy of Science; Team Sheldon, a partnership of Oswego County public schools, Oswego County BOCES and the School of Education; and experienced faculty in education and in STEM disciplines.

“This is a really exciting opportunity,” Bruch said. “What gives me optimism that this can be successful is that we have such a network of support.”