The National Science Foundation has awarded Adelphi University $599,000 in grant funding over the next five years for The Opportunity Program, which will provide financial support, scholarship opportunities, and career guidance to 18 economically disadvantaged undergraduate students majoring in biology, chemistry, or physics. The program’s goal is to increase the number of highly skilled U.S. graduates in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering fields. Professor Deborah Cooperstein from Adelphi’s Department of Biology, who will serve as the principal investigator, worked collaboratively with Math and Science Coordinator Gary Schechter, to design the program.
As the principal investigator, Dr. Cooperstein is responsible for recruiting and advising students in the program. Students will be selected based on GPA level, SAT scores, recommendations, and interviews. Along with other Adelphi faculty members, she will provide extensive orientation and mentoring programs on a continual basis, as well as coordinate individual and group activities for the students.
Students who are selected for the program will receive a $7,500 scholarship for each of the four years they are enrolled. Additional scholarships and financial aid will be awarded by the University based on financial need. The funds and one-on-one mentoring will help students succeed in their chosen programs of study and achieve their career goals.
Dr. Cooperstein teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and nutrition. She earned her Ph.D. at the City University of New York Mount Sinai School of Medicine and B.S. from Cornell University.
To learn more about the program or to apply, please contact Professor Deborah Cooperstein at cooperst@adelphi.edu or Math and Science Coordinator Gary Schechter at Schechter@adelphi.edu.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director
p – 516.237.8634
e – twilson@adelphi.edu