DC receives $1,176,000 STEM grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education

April 4, 2022

A male student stands in front of a window holding a vile of liquid as the sun shines behind him.

Defiance College will receive a total of $1,176,000 over the next five years through a grant awarded from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). This grant is part of the Choose Ohio First (COF) initiative and one of the larger institutional grants in COF history. With the grant, Defiance College will recruit and support students in the STEM fields - science (including health professions), technology, engineering, and mathematics.

"Due to the strength of its proposal and the DeWine-Husted administration's commitment to increasing STEM graduates in Ohio, I am happy to award this grant to Defiance College," declares Randy Gardner, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. "COF is meant to help grow the next generation of Ohio STEM scholars and industry leaders. This award allows schools like Defiance to offer scholarships to students from Ohio, which in turn helps strengthen our state's economy."

Last year, Defiance College received a similar COF grant of $749,840. In just three years, Defiance College has secured over $2 million in ODHE grants as part of the COF initiative for STEM. The main purpose behind these grants is to help improve Ohio's workforce development capacity and to help Ohio grow within the STEM industry.

"It is a great honor to, again, receive another substantial grant from the ODHE," states Dr. Richanne C. Mankey, president of Defiance College. "This COF award is another acknowledgment of Defiance's commitment to providing state-of-the-art STEM education and experiences to our students."

Over the last two years, Defiance College's dedicated faculty and staff have helped secure more than $4.5 million to benefit the STEM programming on campus. This summer, the first cohort of students and faculty conducted research on area rivers in the Upper Maumee Valley Watershed. Additionally, a new research hub, comprehensive tutoring center, and cyber range were recently installed on campus. Another benefit to DC students includes paid internships for STEM majors, which supports the College's focus on career readiness.

Chartered in 1850, Defiance College is an independent, liberal arts-based institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The College is guided by the four pillars of its mission: To Know, To Understand, To Lead, and To Serve. The College website is www.defiance.edu.