Suffolk Reporter

Mónica Bugallo and her team have secured a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support disadvantaged students in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The project will provide scholarships to at least 30 low-income ECE students over five years, enabling them to concentrate on their studies by covering over 20 hours of work weekly.

"This is not just a one-time symbolic scholarship," said Bugallo, vice provost for faculty affairs and diversity, equity, and inclusion. "It is a meaningful award that supports students throughout their four-year journey to complete their bachelors. We strongly believe that the success of the program will resonate with a lot of donors of the university, and we will be able to continue the program."

The initiative also includes financial literacy education, career-readiness mentoring and networking, and community-building efforts. Students will engage with peers, faculty, and industry professionals.

"As part of the programmatic initiatives, we will match these students with industry mentors," said Marianna Savoca, co-PI of the grant and associate vice president for career readiness and experiential education. "As students become more aware of what the career opportunities are, we want to introduce them to professionals in the field so that they can have mentor networks."

This project involves collaboration among various units at Stony Brook University such as Student Affairs represented by the Career Center, Educational and Institutional Effectiveness, and Enrollment Management. Faculty from the Department of Psychology are included to assess program success through social science research.

"Understanding how and why each programmatic element works to promote student success will allow us to grow the program in ways that work to address student needs, and build on their strengths and goals," said Bonita London, co-PI and social science research lead.

The long-term objective is not only individual educational advancement but also breaking educational barriers for families.

"These students will graduate with the skills, knowledge, experiences, and confidence to compete and achieve their career goals and dreams after Stony Brook and beyond," said Bugallo. "Stony Brook is an engine of social mobility that not only provides outstanding education but also supports future success and positively impacts students and their families."