This fall, Missouri University of Science and Technology will receive $174,208 to support graduate education in materials science and engineering, the U.S. Department of Education announced this week. The funding is part of the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program. It will allow six GAANN Fellows to pursue Ph.D. degrees through the program.

“We are thrilled about this announcement,” says Dr. Wayne Huebner, chair of materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T. “Competition for the GAANN Fellowship program is fierce.”

Fellows chosen for the program at Missouri S&T will be expected to complete their Ph.D.s within five years, with a guarantee that they will be supported for the duration of their studies past the three-year commitment of the GAANN program. Emphasis will be placed on students who express a commitment to teaching or research careers.

This is the fourth GAANN program in the past 15 years in the Missouri S&T materials science and engineering department. Huebner believes the past success of the university’s GAANN Fellows was one of the deciding factors in determining this year’s funding.

“More than 20 Ph.D. GAANN Fellows have walked across the stage at Missouri S&T, with most now leading major research programs in academia, industry and at the national labs,” Huebner says. “I applaud the Department of Education for supporting a program such as GAANN. I think history will show it was the key government program that attracted many talented undergraduates to pursue graduate degrees during a time when starting salaries for B.S. degrees rose dramatically.”

“This substantial grant is a testament to the innovative work being done in graduate programs at Missouri University of Science and Technology,” says U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. “We have a tremendous need to train more and better experts in engineering, technology and the sciences, and Missouri S&T is meeting the challenges of today’s academic climate. The university continues to be a national example of excellence and I am glad to congratulate it on earning this competitive award.”