Morehouse College Receives $350,000 National Science Foundation Grant to Evaluate Computer Science Education at HBCUs, Establish National Standards

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Morehouse College with a grant of nearly $350,000 to launch a groundbreaking initiative to boost student success and retention in computer science and develop national standards of excellence for STEM at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

The multi-institutional study “Identifying Factors that Impact Success and Persistence in Computer Science Education” will explore academic strategies—from curriculum and enrichment opportunities to performance outcomes and career placement— that best support undergraduate computer science majors at some of the country’s top HBCUs.

The NSF grant is being funded through the HBCU-UP program. The project is being led by Kinnis Gosha, Ph.D., the Hortenius I. Chenault Endowed Professor of Computer Science who serves as the Computer Science Department Chair at Morehouse. The co-principal investigator of the study is Horace Justin Ballenger, Ph.D., assistant professor of STEM education in Morehouse’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies. 

"This $350,000 grant from the NSF is a powerful validation of our work. It will not only fund a vital research project on STEM education, but it will also launch a mission to build a best practices guide and provide evidenced-based recommendations that will strengthen computer science programs at HBCUs across the country,” said Gosha, Executive Director of the Morehouse Center for Broadening Participation in Computing(CBPC). “This funding will allow us to fundamentally redefine success in STEM. It will empower students to succeed academically and become leaders and innovators in the tech ecosystem."

 The multi-institutional study will also be supported by the efforts of the Center for Broadening Participation in Computing, a revolutionary academic initiative and industry partnership that serves as a national resource for best practices that strengthen the pipeline for recruiting and training underrepresented students to compete for lucrative careers in tech. Advised by an Innovation Advisory Board of tech experts, the CBPC strives to help make the tech ecosystem a more just, innovative, and equitable space for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.