2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A Discussion of Year 4 Activities and Outcomes of the NSF S-STEM Scholarship Program at Shepherd University

This paper provides a fourth-year update on Shepherd University’s NSF S-STEM grant, Advancing Academic Success and Career Development for Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering majors, awarded in October 2021. Shepherd University is a small, public liberal arts institution serving the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, and is the only public four-year college or university in its rural Appalachian region. Notably, over half of West Virginia’s public schools are classified by the National Center for Education Statistics as town or rural, and students from these areas are statistically less likely to attend college.

The S-STEM program at Shepherd University is designed to increase enrollment, retention, and four-year graduation rates among Computer Science, Mathematics and Data Science, and Engineering majors, while also improving post-graduation outcomes through career placement or graduate school enrollment. To support these goals, the program provides comprehensive resources at key transition points, including financial aid, mentoring, tutoring, undergraduate research, professional networking, seminars, field trips, and peer-led workshops.

These support structures have led to measurable successes, including increased numbers of applicants and majors, improved retention and graduation rates, and higher GPAs among S-STEM Scholars compared to their peers at both the college and university levels. Of the 44 scholars supported to date—with a total of $512,575 in scholarships—12 have graduated, and 9 (75%) have either entered graduate programs or secured employment in STEM fields. This paper discusses program outcomes, activities, and survey results since its inception. The program is supported by NSF S-STEM Grant No. DUE-2130267.