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The Online Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University was awarded a five-year grant totaling $641,751 from the National Science Foundation as part of the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. Only five S-STEM grants have been awarded to universities in Michigan with start dates in 2018. Siena Heights was the only Michigan private university to be awarded this prestigious grant.
The project is entitled Siena Heights: Applying Psychological Constructs and Student Supports to Improve the Education of Students in STEM (SHAPE STEM). This project will award tuition scholarships totaling $400,000 over 5 years to 20 academically talented students from low-income households who wish to major in biology, chemistry or environmental science at Siena Heights.
While thinking about what topic to discuss in this column, I took a quick survey of the last eight months and have to say, the overriding theme of my short time in Alumni Relations is Siena Blessings. These blessings come in the form of SHU alums who want to get involved, give back and stay connected.
Frequently, I also have the honor of visits and calls from current and former employees who want to assist with projects, share their insight and reflect back while moving Siena forward. How is your connection to Siena? If you are looking to strengthen your ties, there are several means of doing so:
One way to connect with SHU is our SaintsConnect online mentoring platform. My office collaborated with Siena Career Services to create an online platform connecting our current students with our alumni base. Students can seek out alumni who work in the field they aspire to join and ask questions, arrange for a career chat, or seek resume advice from alums who have volunteered to share this kind of support. As of today, 498 alumni have created a profile on our site to assist our students. If you would like to join, please do so here: https://sienaheights.wisr.io/signup.
Siena Heights University will celebrate its 100th anniversary during the 2019-20 academic year.
When you have an event this important, you need an entire year to celebrate. And we plan on doing it up right!
Even though we are still more than a year away, things are already in motion. Some of the planned activities include a statewide Olympic-style torch relay event in August 2019 to begin the anniversary year, as well as a “Kickoff Week” and special Homecoming Weekend celebration.
A unique “100 Events for the 100th” concept is also in works, as well as historical displays both on campus and at the Lenawee Historical Museum. And there’s so much, much more to come!
