ASHLAND – Ashland University has been awarded $325,577 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) through the state’s Choose Ohio First scholarship program to support students in high-demand fields.
Choose Ohio First is an initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s workforce in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to increase the number of STEM educators.
The ODHE provides funding to select colleges and universities to support students in innovative academic programs. All scholarship decisions are made by the participating colleges and universities.
“The DeWine-Tressel administration’s support for STEM education through Choose Ohio First gives Ashland University students a boost in pursuing STEM occupations in Ohio,” stated Mike Duffey, chancellor of the ODHE.
At Ashland, the funding will provide scholarships for students in the College of Arts and Sciences over the next five years. Academic programs impacted will include those in the natural sciences, computer science, cybersecurity, actuarial science and mathematics.
“These Choose Ohio scholarships help remove financial barriers for many students while preparing graduates to make meaningful contributions to Ohio’s economy and communities,” said Dr. Jon Parrish Peede, president of Ashland University.
“We are grateful to Governor Mike DeWine’s administration and the Ohio Department of Higher Education for their continued investment and support of our students.”
AU’s Choose Ohio First program is co-directed by Mason Posner, Ph.D., Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of Biology, and Selvanayaki Kolandapalayam Shanmugam, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science.
Ashland University students have now received more than $3.3 million through the Choose Ohio First program.
Previous funding has benefitted students within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dauch College of Business and Economics and the Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences.