Adelphi’s eighth consecutive winner of an Inspiring Programs in STEM Award provides scholarships, mentoring, internships and career preparation for high-achieving, low-income students from local schools majoring in STEM fields.
This story was originally published on June 4, 2025 and has been updated to reflect new information.
Adelphi University’s innovative program, Ensuring STEM Student Success Through an Integrative Support Program, has received Insight Into Academia magazine’s 2025 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. Insight Into Academia featured Adelphi alongside 53 other distinguished recipients in its June 2025 issue.
“Ensuring STEM Student Success Through an Integrative Support Program continues Adelphi’s strong commitment to excellence in the STEM fields,” said Andrea Ward, PhD, Adelphi’s vice provost for research and libraries, who led efforts to secure funding and now leads the initiative. “We are proud to receive this recognition and look forward to the impact this program will have on the future of STEM.”
Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Professionals
In response to the growing demand for STEM professionals, the program offers scholarships to high-achieving, Pell-eligible high school students, preparing them for careers in advanced fields. Funded by a $2.49 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant—the largest Adelphi has ever received from the independent federal agency—the program aims to identify high-achieving high school students and usher them into career-track STEM programs while removing financial roadblocks to bringing a broader diversity of students into the field.
Adelphi enrolls students a wide range of STEM majors, including artificial intelligence, biochemistry, biology, environmental science, information systems, mathematics, neuroscience and physics.
A Commitment to Student Success
At the core of the initiative is a commitment to student success. Each participant receives personalized guidance from a trio of faculty, alumni and peer mentors. Students engage in a tech-focused first-year seminar and participate in biweekly meetings with support from Adelphi’s Center for Career and Professional Development and Center for Academic Support and Enrichment.
Adelphi works with local employers, including the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Thorlabs and Photonix, to provide career-development sessions for students in the program. Students also get valuable career experience from two summers of paid, full-time research with Adelphi faculty as well as opportunities to attend scientific conferences.
The program welcomed its first group of 12 students in Fall 2023, followed by 13 in 2024, with plans to expand to 25 students in Fall 2025. Participants come from Long Island schools in Freeport and Westbury; one student even moved from Texas to enroll in the program.
Students receive strong financial support, up to $15,000 per year in addition to their Pell Grants and Adelphi financial aid packages. For those living at home and commuting to Adelphi, the combined scholarships cover all their college expenses.
“It has been exciting to watch our students embark on their college journey and see the possibilities that their future at Adelphi holds,” Dr. Ward said. “Our students are creative, smart and highly motivated and are going to have an impact on STEM fields.”