The National Science Foundation awarded Morehouse College a new $1.5 million grant to increase student recruitment and retention in STEM fields. According to a Pew research study, black and Latinx professionals are underrepresented in STEM careers. Black professionals make up only nine percent of the total STEM workforce.

The grant will go towards a collaborative program with more than 20 HBCUs around the country, led by Morehouse's HBCU Identity Research Center. The program will fund research into enhancing students' resiliency and identies as future scientists.

Lycurgus Muldrow, executive director of the HBCU Identity Research Center, joined "On Second Thought" to discuss the impact of the grant on students across the nation."On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott speaks with Lycurgus Muldrow from Morehouse College.

Muldrow discussed the importance of representation and formation of a "scientific identity" to empower students in their STEM studies. He said helping students see themselves as scientists by participating in hands-on research, even in middle school, leads to increased success in college.

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