Grady Helps Pave the Way for Future Professors

Dennis Grady, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, is part of a group planning and strategizing the most effective methods of recruiting, retaining, graduating and securing jobs for minority students who want to be professors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The group, the Virginia Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, recently received a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help its efforts.

Grady will represent Radford University in the alliance and will serve as a principal investigator on the grant, along with colleagues from Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, George Mason University, James Madison University and the College of William and Mary. Partnering institutions include Norfolk State University and Virginia State University.   

“Because of this partnership among our commonwealth universities, we in Virginia can be more thoughtful and deliberate in identifying, mentoring and guiding underrepresented STEM students through the academic career roadmap,” Grady said. “This is vitally important if our nation is to maintain its international leadership in STEM disciplines. The National Science Foundation is looking for models that other states can adopt, and we are fortunate that it recognizes the opportunity we have here in Virginia to establish such a model.”

Grady and the collaborative team will use assessment data to evaluate the impact of the alliance participation in STEM education research and mentoring initiatives of undergraduate and graduate students.