Nassau Community College Gets $314,000 Grant

GARDEN CITY, NY — Nassau Community College was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for more than $314,000 to expand computer science education at the school.

The NSF awarded the $314,155 grant for the school's project, “Collaborative Research: Broadening Participation in Computing through Authentic, Collaborative Engagement with Computing for the Greater Good.” The project focuses on the benefits of computing for society to increase participation in the computer science program.

“At Nassau Community College we are committed to providing our students with relevant and high-quality academic experiences necessary to ensure they leave NCC with a credential of economic value and the qualities necessary to be an engaged member of the community,” said Dr. Jermaine Williams, president of the school. “We are honored the NSF has awarded the college this grant and are very grateful to our talented and dedicated faculty members who were instrumental in obtaining the funds. This grant will allow the college to broaden participation in our computer science programs, an important step in increasing the number of computer science graduates which directly correlates to the critical economic need to grow the computing workforce.”

The project is a collaboration between five schools: Nassau Community College, Drexel University, Western New England University, Worcester State University and Dickinson College. It will enable students to learn contemporary software engineering and develop professional skills, while gaining first-hand experience with the positive impact that computing can have on society.

“With nearly every aspect of our society becoming increasingly connected to the internet, it is imperative that we do more to strengthen and expand computer science education,” said Rep. Kathleen Rice. “We need more qualified computer scientists to fill the jobs of the 21st Century economy, and that starts by getting more students into these programs. I am thrilled the NSF has awarded these federal funds to Nassau Community College to expand its computer science offerings, which will widen their appeal and attract new students.”