Congressman Chris Collins Helps Secure $639,136 for SUNY College at Geneseo
Congressman Chris Collins today announced $639,136 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation for SUNY College at Geneseo. The grant will help fund the school’s program that addresses the national need for more and better trained geoscientists by increasing recruitment, graduation, and preparation for and placement in careers or geosciences graduate programs.
“Supporting projects aimed at increasing enrollment and retention rates of college students in STEM related fields is crucial to improving the education for those in Western New York,” said Congressman Collins. “Providing SUNY College at Geneseo with this funding will equip them with the necessary tools that they need to attract new enrollees and keep those exceling in the classroom on the path to graduation.”
“This is such a great confirmation of the good work of Geneseo's Department of Geological Sciences and our superb grants team,” said Carol S. Long, Interim SUNY Geneseo President. “This National Science Foundation grant provides an important boost to our funding for financial aid at a time when such funding is crucial to the college and to the academically talented students in our geological sciences, geochemistry and geophysics degree programs. This kind of federal support for research and education is a crucial investment in the future that will benefit our citizens for generations.”
“The faculty of Geological Sciences are excited to launch the GeoS program,” said Benjamin Laabs, associate professor and chair of the Department of Geological Sciences and the program's principal investigator. “The program is timely and important given the growing interest in the geosciences at SUNY Geneseo and the national need for more and better trained geoscientists. By augmenting existing learning opportunities and creating new ones, the GeoS program will help to maximize the educational experiences for geoscience majors and to make them accessible to a greater number of students.”
The Congressman’s office remains available to assist any local entities pursuing a federal grant.