The Ohio Dept. of Higher Education awarded Wilmington College a $728,000 Choose Ohio First grant to support students entering STEM fields at WC.
The grant will support five cohorts of students, each receiving $52,000 annually for four years. It will provide scholarships to students pursuing degrees in targeted STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines at the College, including the fields of agriculture/animal science concentration, chemistry major and minor, biology/life science and environmental science concentrations, biology minor, and environmental biology/environmental science concentration.
President Corey Cockerill noted that this grant will enable the College to recruit and retain underrepresented populations — including women, minority students and first-generation college students from rural and Appalachian regions — into these academic programs, addressing critical workforce needs while enhancing diversity in these fields.
“This initiative will directly support economic and job growth in key STEM areas, particularly throughout southwest Ohio,” she said. “By equipping students with the skills needed in critical industries like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, environmental science and veterinary medicine, we are helping to fill regional labor shortages with well-prepared, highly skilled graduates.”
Adam Lohrey, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, said this grant dovetails well with the College’s hallmark for affordability in making higher education accessible to often underrepresented populations.
“Wilmington College has worked hard to provide top-notch facilities and faculty expertise necessary to prepare students for in-demand STEM career fields,” Lohrey said. “With these additional scholarship funds, the College is poised for growth, making it more affordable than ever for students to meet the needs of our local economy.”
Cockerill expressed her appreciation for the grant and offered a “heartfelt shout-out” for the work of several College staff members involved with the grant application. They include Lohrey; Wynn Alexander, vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Russell Kincaid, professor of mathematics and area coordinator for the natural sciences; Daniel McCamish, director of institutional effectiveness; and Eric McLaughlin, director of career resources and workforce development. The president added that the College will pursue future grants in other STEM fields offered at WC.
Kincaid noted that the grant will significantly impact WC’s Natural Sciences area. “It will expand our opportunities to recruit students with higher levels of financial need who may not have been able to attend Wilmington in the past,” he said, noting the scholarships will be available for students in the next five incoming classes and will be renewable each year they remain at Wilmington. “We see this as an important step of expanding our student enrollment within the natural sciences.”
Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey announced that $32,477,779 in Ohio First Scholarships will be awarded over the next five years to strengthen the state’s STEM workforce.
“As Ohio continues to attract new businesses and advance innovation, it's more critical than ever that we invest in keeping our talented students right here in the Buckeye State,” Husted said. “The Choose Ohio First program strengthens our commitment to preparing students for in-demand careers while ensuring that Ohio’s workforce remains competitive, dynamic, and ready to meet the needs of our growing economy.”