The National Science Foundation has awarded three grants totaling nearly $800,000 to faculty in the Lyles College of Engineering.

The first grant will support the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate program to improve the pathway and success of underrepresented minority graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty who want to teach or conduct research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Four California State University campuses will participate in the program, including Fresno State, Dominguez Hills, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona. Fresno State received $221,950 of the $1.3 million award.

“Fresno State is excited to partner with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona and CSU Dominguez Hills to support underrepresented minority faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields using a strengths-based approach for faculty success,” said Dr. Bryan Berrett, director of the Center for Faculty Excellence at Fresno State who will serve as the principal investigator.

The co-principal investigators for Fresno State are Dr. Rudy Sanchez, interim associate vice president for Academic and Institutional Effectiveness and Dr. Brissa Quiroz, Lyles College of Engineering civil engineering professor and director of the Valley Industry Partnership for Cooperative Education Program.

“It is imperative to have more STEM faculty that mirror the students we are serving,” Quiroz said. “The goal of the grant is to train newly hired tenure-track CSU faculty to learn what their strengths are and help them utilize these strengths to reach their full potential as advanced educators. My hopes are that through senior faculty mentoring and training opportunities, this will remove obstacles for advancement and level-up the playing field.”

Fresno State is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and an Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.

“Drs. Berrett, Sanchez and Quiroz are experienced faculty and University leaders, and well-equipped to lead the charge with this research,” said Dr. Ram Nunna, dean of the Lyles College. “This is an excellent opportunity to ensure the successful development of our future academic leaders through a proven approach resulting in greater opportunities for our diverse students.”

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