Significant Grants Awarded to Loyola Hold Power and Promise

Loyola University Maryland received several impressive grants during the 2022-23 academic year, including three in the spring that have the potential to offer significant changes at the University.

These grants will not only support the University, but also help change the landscape of student success in the Baltimore area.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Loyola a five-year, $1.2 million grant to establish the Culturally Responsive Equitable STEM Teaching (CREST) program. The CREST program will help teacher candidates develop necessary knowledge and skills to implement equitable practices as STEM teachers in high-need schools. The grant primarily funds student cost of attendance and retention of new teachers.

“The activities of the program are designed to generate a pipeline of teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to implement practices that foster equity in STEM classrooms and encourage students from diverse backgrounds to consider pursuing STEM professions,” said Timothy Clark, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics and statistics, who spearheaded the CREST grant application process.

—Cheryl Moore-Thomas, Ph.D., NCC, provost and vice president for academic affairs

Collaborating with Clark on the grant request were Afra Hersi, Ph.D., dean of Loyola’s School of Education, Qi Shi, Ph.D., LCPC, director of the Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice in Education (CELSJE), and Stacy Williams, clinical professor and teacher education department chair.

The NSF also awarded a second grant that specifically targets funding for a postdoctoral fellow in CELSJE. It’s a three-year, $500,000 grant to help prepare the next generation of STEM professionals. It aims to further research and open new doors for counselors, educators, and programs to address the unique needs of Latinx and Hispanic students.

The third grant was received from the U.S. Department of Education. The five-year, $3.3 million School-Based Mental Health Services Grant will fund the Culturally Responsive and Inclusive School-Counselor Preparation (CRISP) project.

As a collaborative grant, CRISP will have a transformational impact on the School Counseling program, Loyola community, and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). The award will increase high-quality mental health access for BCPS children by increasing diversity and improving the preparation of school counselors who enter the workforce.

Jennifer Scaturo Watkinson, Ph.D., LCPC, associate professor of school counseling and the program director of Loyola’s School Counseling Program, led the grant submission. Shi will also have a hand in this grant by leading the evaluation efforts.

“These awards speak volumes about the scholarship of our faculty, the success of our students, and the fact that Loyola is seen as a leader in liberal arts education,” says Cheryl Moore-Thomas, Ph.D., NCC, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The $5 million secured between these three grants will help create outcomes that align with Loyola’s mission of inspiring students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world.”

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