March 26, 2021
PSEG Foundation Grants $1 Million to Three HBCU’s to Pursue STEM
Three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are about to be energized with an infusion of cash to help students pursue their STEM education.
The PSEG Foundation has announced that it is contributing $1 million in grant funding to three historically Black colleges and universities: Hampton University, Howard University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. This funding will enable students to be given an opportunity to attend prestigious universities and pursue their studies in STEM education.
“HBCUs have a long history of offering an exceptional educational experience while enriching the lives of Black students and families and providing the resources that empower students to succeed in various STEM careers,” said Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation in a written statement. “At PSEG, we have dozens of employees and their families that have attended HBCUs, including many alumni of Hampton University and Howard University. This support is exemplary of our vision to build equitable and prosperous communities, amplifying the direction we have been heading by providing support to organizations including the United Negro College Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund, just to name a few.”
Hampton University plans on using the funds for their PSEG STEM Scholars Program. The program is designed to support promising high school seniors and undergraduate freshmen from underserved and minority populations in New Jersey who are studying STEM fields.
“We are very thankful that the PSEG Foundation has invested in Hampton and this project which will enable the growth and development of new diverse STEM scholars,” said Dr. William R. Harvey, Hampton University President. “We are grateful for PSEG’s consideration of Hampton and its stellar School of Engineering and Technology to launch this program. I look forward to sharing many reports of positive progress as a result of the PSEG Foundation’s gift to us.”
Howard University will use the grant to offer scholarships to undergraduate Environmental Studies majors. The PSEG Scholars Program will provide scholarships for as many as six Howard University undergraduates who demonstrate financial need.
“Support from the PSEG Foundation will transform the lives of select environmental studies students by providing assistance to receive rigorous interdisciplinary training in environmental issues that directly impact their communities,” said Rubin Patterson, Ph.D., dean of the Howard University College of Arts and Sciences. “We anticipate recipients of this award becoming leaders in environmental science and justice.”
North Carolina A&T is using its grant for the Powered by PSEG Scholarship Program. The priority given to residents of New Jersey enrolled in the College of Engineering, College of Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences or the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics.
“As the nation’s premier land grant HBCU, we are proud of and grateful for the partnership and support of the PSEG Foundation,” said Kenneth E. Sigmon, Jr., vice chancellor for University Advancement and president of The Foundation for North Carolina A&T State University Inc. “Finding partners with shared values is a high priority for the university and those we serve. The PSEG Foundation, like North Carolina A&T, is committed to education, serving their communities, diversity and inclusion, and corporate citizenship. With all those things in common, we look forward to the great things that will come from their support and engagement with the university.”