For six straight years, the State of Ohio has awarded Baldwin Wallace with "Choose Ohio First" (COF) grant funding in recognition of the University's ongoing accomplishments in educating the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) leaders.
In late November, BW was awarded approximately $780,000 of COF funding for fiscal year 2025 to bolster success for transfer students enrolled in BW STEM programs through the School of Science and Engineering.
The funding, administered through the Ohio Department of Higher Education, aims to strengthen Ohio's competitiveness in meeting the talent and workforce needs of regional and state-wide businesses and industries through scholarships, programming and work-based learning.
According to Chancellor Mike Duffey, "Choose Ohio First is a vital part of ensuring a strong STEM workforce in our state. This latest award exemplifies Baldwin Wallace's commitment to high-quality STEM programs and, more importantly, its talented STEM students in such fields as computer science, cybersecurity and data science, to name a few."
At BW, COF is part of the University's robust STEM Scholars program. BW students who apply for and are awarded a Choose Ohio First scholarship are automatically granted membership in the BW Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program.
STEM Scholars is a signature program at BW, providing academic and experiential learning enrichment. It features exclusive programming, networking and STEM success coaching for students in the STEM Scholars program. Katie Adkins is the BW COF STEM Scholars director. She believes this year's COF funding offers outstanding opportunities for incoming students.
"In addition to this year's funding, admitted incoming first-year, transfer, post-baccalaureate and graduate students to BW can apply for scholarships up to $6,500 for undergraduate students and up to $8,000 for post-baccalaureate and graduate programs through previous COF grants for 2025," explained Adkins.
Among universities, BW has been lauded for its ability to prepare students for STEM careers. Rigorous coursework combined with hands-on learning and top internship and research opportunities provide BW students with real-world immersion into building valuable skills in critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.
"We are grateful to the Ohio Department of Higher Education for its ongoing affirmation of BW as a leader in STEM education through the awarding of a Choose Ohio First funding for each of the previous six grant cycles," said Dr. Jim McCargar, who is the dean of the School of Science and Engineering and principal investigator on BW's COF grants.
"Their confidence that BW is offering the types of majors and program quality needed to address the talent and workforce needs of Ohio businesses and industries aligns with the University's commitment to be a leader in STEM," he added.
(l-r) COF STEM Scholars Mary Hiros '25 (cybersecurity analyst & national security double major) and Hannah Ogden '24 (computer science major) show their poster presentation at the Ohio State House to Lt. Gov. John Husted (who was instrumental in starting Ohio's COF program).
"The success of our students can be seen across all areas — from the BW cybersecurity team placing sixth in a national competition to our STEM Scholars participating in prestigious research programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins and MetroHealth to Sherwin-Williams launching a career accelerator and learning community at BW. These are just a few of the many ways BW competes and excels at the national level," he went on to say.
The 2025 COF funding has a special focus on STEM transfer pathways to baccalaureate completion. BW has enjoyed remarkable success in this area.
BW will utilize the COF grant to leverage existing BW strengths in community college transfer, among them the A2BW program (Associate to Bachelor's Program) and a STEM consortia to which BW belongs with partner two-year institutions, including Cuyahoga Community College and Lorain County Community College.
BW's A2BW program streamlines credit transfer for students enrolling at BW with an associate degree while providing associate completers with additional financial support. This encourages students to complete their two-year education prior to transferring.
BW has received substantial awards in each of the previous rounds of funding, which together total over $5.5 million in state funding for student scholarships. More than 433 undergraduate students have been selected for BW's Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program since its inception.
"We currently serve 160 students," stated Adkins. "Each year, we get a competitive pool of applicants who are academically talented and eager to join the BW COF STEM Scholars community. "We're looking forward to our cohort size increasing in 2025 with an additional cohort of transfer students. Students who transfer to BW are exceptional and driven."
Adkins explained that BW COF STEM Scholars is an outstanding opportunity for transfer students. It can make the transition to a new school even smoother and help them establish meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, staff, alumni and employers within their first year.
She also believes the smaller cohort of STEM students builds a community where friendships, mentoring and support are easily accessible. Together, with financial support, students can readily and successfully complete their degrees and launch into their STEM careers.
For more information about BW's Choose Ohio First grants, qualifying majors and contact information, visit Baldwin Wallace University Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars Program.
