Caldwell Univ. Earns $650K Grant From National Science Foundation

CALDWELL, NJ — Caldwell University recently earned a $650,000 federal grant from the National Science Foundation to support “high-achieving, low-income students” majoring in biology, chemistry and mathematics.

The federal grant of $650,000 was provided to develop the university’s project, "Increasing Enrollment, Retention, Graduation, and Job Placement by Supporting the Connections of Commuter STEM Undergraduates to Faculty, Peers and Industry."

It will be put to use providing scholarships, academic student support and enhanced interactions between faculty and students, Caldwell University administrators said.

Darryl Aucoin, an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, called the grant a “wonderful holiday gift.”

The five-year award is under the direction of the project team of Aucoin and department of natural science professors Agnes Berki and Marjorie Squires, associate faculty of the mathematics department Patricia Hayden, and education department adjunct lecturer Marisa Castronova.

According to university administrators, the team will study how well their plans help commuter students develop meaningful relationships with resident students and with faculty. They anticipate that the project will generate new knowledge about the impact of supplemental instruction on commuter students' science identity, retention, degree attainment and career choices.

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