American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation has donated $300,000 to West Virginia State University (WVSU) to help establish a new program designed to increase interest among young people in energy, science and math.
The donation will establish the WVSU AEP Foundation Full STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Agriculture and Mathematics) Ahead Program.
The new program will have three key objectives:
- Increase awareness of and desire to participate in the STEAM fields through outreach to K-12 youth in West Virginia;
- Establish early college research participation opportunities for undergraduate students through the creation of new internships for freshmen and sophomores;
- Establish a faculty research position to support increased focus on bioenergy and bioremediation, increasing undergraduate research opportunities, and providing academic programming through integrated research and educational activities.
The AEP Foundation Full STEAM Ahead Program aligns closely with the company’s goals of improving lives by supporting access to higher education, protecting the environment, and aiding in the provision of health and public safety services to the community, said Appalachian Power President and COO Charles Patton.
“We are extremely appreciative of this generous gift from the AEP Foundation,” said WVSU President Brian O. Hemphill. “West Virginia State University has a long history of serving as an economic engine in the Kanawha Valley. This substantial donation from the AEP Foundation will assist the University in continuing to respond to the educational and workforce development needs of the 21st century in West Virginia.”
Officials from AEP presented the $300,000 donation to WVSU officials at the conclusion of the University’s regularly scheduled Board of Governors meeting.
