Whitworth Receives STEM Grant to Support Faculty-Student Collaboration

Whitworth University is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant of nearly $200,000 as part of the Supporting Structures: Innovative Collaborations to Enhance STEM Research at CCCU Member Institutions grant program. The program is designed to support STEM research among faculty and students at member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).

CCCU and Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford (SCIO), the CCCU’s U.K. subsidiary, announced that Whitworth is among nine institutions that will receive this funding. Twenty-nine applied.

The grant will be used to support projects that will incorporate training, support and events for faculty members, students, senior administrators and the communities that feed into and support the university.

Through the Supporting Structures grant program, the institutions will expand research opportunities among existing, pre-tenure faculty members in STEM and offer training via webinars and in-person summer seminars to deepen their understanding of and engagement with issues pertaining to science, religion and society. Additionally, the project has a specific fund dedicated to helping campuses enhance diversity among their STEM faculty.

“Whitworth is honored to receive the support and recognition of CCCU and SCIO through this unique grants program,” says Gregor Thuswaldner, Whitworth provost & executive vice president. “Our faculty members will conduct scientific research and mentor Whitworth students while collaborating with research-intensive institutions. We value this opportunity to further connect STEM to faith and learning across campus through guest speakers, faculty development, student club activities, and more. By exploring ethical considerations of research as well as diversity and inclusion in STEM, we will lead among Christian institutions affirming science.”

The project will also provide funding for student club activities and support undergraduate student researchers in STEM fields, as well as provide opportunities for administrators and other campus-connected communities to engage in issues related to science, religion and society.

The institutions selected to receive this funding along with Whitworth are:

• Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Texas)

• Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.)

• Calvin University (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

• Dordt University (Sioux Center, Iowa)

• Gordon College (Wenham, Mass.)

• Seattle Pacific University

• Trinity Western University (Langley, British Columbia)

• Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.)

Supporting Structures is made possible through funding provided by the John Templeton Foundation and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. For more information about the project, visit www.scio-uk.org/research/supporting-stem.

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu