Contact: Muriel Banares or
Carmen Ramos Chandler ,
(818) 677-2130
mbanares@exec.csun.edu

CSUN's New Outreach Program will Target
Science, Math and Engineering Students
at Community Colleges

"Raising Interest in Science and Engineering" (RISE) is a collaboration between CSUN's College of Science and Math and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. It aims to help students who have potential in these fields to excel in them.

Students who are accepted will receive financial assistance, summer research experience, research fellowships, industry visits to corporate research and development centers and government labs, support services, graduate record examination (GRE) preparation and mentoring.

RISE, funded by the Office of Naval Research, will accept more than 60 students over a seven-year program.

"Nationally, the country faces a critical shortage of students in the fields of science and engineering. RISE will provide students with excellent research opportunities, which will prepare and encourage them to go onto graduate school. We want to help produce the seeds that will grow the engineers, scientists and professors for our future," Karla Johnson-Majedi, Student Development and Equity Center director and RISE co-director, said.

"Students are chosen depending on the courses they have taken in the community college and their GPA. However, we want students who have interest and potential in these fields. We have found that even those with not-so-high GPAs thrive in the supportive environment this program will provide," said Belinda Acuņa, director of Science and Math Advisement Center/EOP and RISE co-director.

For more information on RISE, call Belinda Acuņa at (818) 677-4558 or Karla Johnson-Majedi at (818) 677-2191.

CSUN has about 27,000 full- and part-time students, offering 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, CSUN is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.