Students interested in becoming high-school STEM-subject teachers now qualify for up to two years of funding at the University of Mary Washington, with the establishment of the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program at UMW. Funded by a $1.4 million five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Noyce Program brings a nationally acclaimed teacher preparation program to one of Virginia’s historic teacher colleges, which now excels in undergraduate education across the liberal arts and sciences.

“This NSF-funded project will create powerful learning experiences for students who want to teach in STEM fields. I am deeply grateful to the team that spearheaded this project. This will help address the serious teacher shortage in these high-demand disciplines,” said UMW College of Education Dean Pete Kelly.

UMW, in partnership with Germanna Community College, will use the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program funds to recruit, train and retain teachers of science, technology, engineering and math in secondary schools considered high-need.

Current and future UMW students and Germanna transfer students – whether majoring in education or not – can be considered for the program, which provides up to $24,000 per student in each of their last two undergraduate years. In return for each year’s scholarship, Noyce Scholars commit to two years of teaching biology, chemistry, computer science, Earth science, math or physics in qualifying schools. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of about 4,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.