Nova Southeastern University Receives $2.85 Million Grant from U.S. Department of Education

Grant Supports Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans in Computer Science Related Programs

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has been awarded a $2.85 million Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) grant, through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title V program. The grant, led by NSU’s Gregory Simco, Ph.D., and Meline Kevorkian, Ed.D., who serve as co-administrators of the grant, will be used to expand post-baccalaureate educational opportunities and post-baccalaureate academic offerings for Hispanic college students and students from ethnically diverse populations who are attending institutions of higher education.

“The grant award will be utilized to increase the number and/or percentage of Hispanic/Latino and other students pursuing targeted computer science-related graduate degrees,” said NSU Associate Provost Meline Kevorkian, Ed.D. “It will also be used to increase the number of targeted computer science-related graduate degrees awarded at NSU and develop a more seamless pathway to success from baccalaureate to graduate studies to career.”

As our technology-driven society becomes increasingly complex, an advanced degree has become an expectation for many competitive and financially rewarding computer science positions. However, when compared to overall population diversity, the number and proportion of Hispanic/Latinos seeking and earning graduate degrees, especially in fields related to the Computer Sciences, remains sorely lacking.

A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, this grant award will allow Hispanic and Latino students at NSU, as well as students from other underrepresented populations to benefit from sustainable changes to curriculum content and instructional approaches. Students will also benefit from an expanded support model that identifies and effectively addresses student needs upon admission through graduation.

“NSU continues to achieve high-reaching goals in its commitment to invest in resources designed to maximize its impact for all students,” said Gregory Simco, Ph.D., professor at NSU’s Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences. “The goal is to build a flexible, supportive, and effective academic pathway so that students with bachelor’s degrees can more efficiently transition to (and through) computer science-related graduate degrees.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s Title V program provides grants to assist HSIs to expand educational opportunities for and improve the attainment of, Hispanic Students.  These grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability.

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About NSU’s Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences (GSCIS): The GSCIS provides educational programs of distinction to prepare students for leadership roles in the computer and information sciences field. With internationally recognized faculty, innovative curricula, and flexible online and campus-based formats for its five Master of Science, three Ph.D. and three certificate programs – the GSCIS’s graduates are sought after around the world. Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, their information assurance curriculum is recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu/scis.               

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!

Media contact:
Julie Spechler | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 (office) | 954-591-3361(cell)
julies@nova.edu