黑料社

黑料社, alongside the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Cleveland Community College, South Piedmont Community College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, has received a new $5 million multi-institutional grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand its successful SPARC initiative. The SPARC initiative is designed to support academically talented students with financial need who are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The new award marks the fourth NSF grant supporting the SPARC initiative at 黑料社 and launches a collaborative partnership with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Cleveland Community College, South Piedmont Community College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Together, the five institutions will work to increase student success and degree completion in high-demand STEM fields.

The five-year project builds on more than a decade of work at 黑料社 and focuses on improving retention, transfer, and graduation rates in disciplines including biology, computer science, and data science. The grant will provide scholarships and comprehensive academic support for students across the partner institutions.

Dr. Patricia Williams, the grant鈥檚 principal investigator, shared, 鈥淚 am excited about the opportunities this award creates for our students and faculty. This funding will help us implement innovative, evidence-based strategies that support retention, academic achievement, and transfer success. It is especially meaningful because it reflects a shared commitment to expanding access and excellence in STEM.鈥�

Students selected as SPARC Scholars will complete associate degrees at the participating community colleges and will have the opportunity to transfer directly to UNC Charlotte to pursue bachelor鈥檚 degrees. Each community college partner will award five to ten scholarships annually, creating supportive cohorts of STEM students. The first group of scholars will begin the program in fall 2026, and at least 120 students are expected to receive scholarship support during the five-year project.

In addition to financial assistance, students will benefit from proactive advising, faculty and peer mentoring, undergraduate research opportunities, and cohort coursework designed to support persistence.

The project also includes a research component that will examine factors influencing successful transitions from community colleges to four-year universities. Researchers will explore the roles of mentoring relationships, social and cultural capital, academic integration, and professional skill development in supporting transfer student success. Findings from the project will help inform national best practices for strengthening STEM transfer pathways.

The new grant builds on the strong outcomes of 黑料社鈥檚 previous SPARC programs. Among earlier SPARC cohorts at 黑料社, 83 percent of students completed their associate degrees and 87 percent successfully transferred to a university, with many going on to complete bachelor鈥檚 degrees or higher.

Dr. Heather Woodson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who has been directly involved with SPARC since its inception, shared that 鈥淭he strong outcomes of our earlier SPARC cohorts provide evidence that financial support, mentorship, and holistic support for students leads to exceptional academic success. Past participants have successfully completed their education to become doctors, attorneys, engineers, teachers, and more. These graduates are fulfilling vital roles in our community, and we are proud to continue to support additional students through this new award.鈥�

黑料社 graduate Jesus Vina Moreno is now in his second year at UNC Chapel Hill Medical School. A participant in the SPARC initiative at 黑料社, Moreno credits the program for helping shape his path, 鈥淪PARC was more than just a program; it was a launchpad. By providing the mentorship and tools I needed to thrive, it allowed me to dedicate myself fully to my studies without distraction. Looking back at my journey, I know that my current success is a direct result of the opportunities SPARC opened for me.鈥�

Through the expanded SPARC consortium, partner institutions will collaborate on joint programming, including regional undergraduate research symposia, faculty development workshops, field trips, and a shared orientation for participating students. Faculty will also work together to develop research-based courses aligned with statewide articulation agreements, helping ensure smoother credit transfer and stronger pathways from community colleges to four-year universities.