By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-991460.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Florida A&M University has received a 15-million dollar grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to research the impact of people on the state's coastal regions. Lynn Hatter reports the money will go to support programs aimed at boosting the number of minorities participating in science.
The NOAA grant goes to FAMU's School of Environmental Science. It will be used to boost student and faculty research in the Gulf of Mexico. FAMU is also partnering with universities in Texas, Delaware and Tennessee to run the research program. University President Dr. James Ammons says the grant is the largest in FAMU's history.
"It is a well-deserved and much needed grant because it will provide the support for under -represented minorities need to become well-trained scientists. Our school of the environment is doing an exceptional job in educating minority scientists, and that is one of the reasons why NOAA looked to Florida A&M University."
The money comes at a time when state lawmakers are turning their attention to science, technology and math degree production in higher education. FAMU is one of the top producers of minorities in the environmental sciences.