NOAA03-R946-A
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jana Goldman
9/5/03
NOAA News Releases 2003
NOAA Home Page
NOAA Public Affairs

CLARK ATLANTA PART OF $3.4 MILLION
NOAA AWARD PROGRAM TO MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS

Clark Atlanta University will receive $249,980 as part of a $3.4 million NOAA Environmental Entrepreneurship Program (EPP). EPP is part of the agency’s Educational Partnership program (EPP) with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The awards will be distributed to 13 minority-serving institutions to develop and enhance educational programs and hands-on learning experiences for students in atmospheric, environmental, oceanic sciences and remote sensing technologies.

The EPP program, in its third year, also provides funding to cooperative science centers, and undergraduate scholarship and graduate sciences programs to support educational and research opportunities.

“This educational initiative is a special partnership between NOAA, several academic institutions and the public-private sector aimed at preparing the next generation of students to pursue careers, advanced academic studies, and new opportunities in the NOAA sciences,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

  • Clark Atlanta University will enhance its atmospheric and environmental science programs through curriculum enhancement; research experiences; site visits and internship opportunities at NOAA laboratories and facilities.

The other EEP recipients are:

Program Development & Enhancement:

  • Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla. - $250,000 to develop environmental science research, educational and hands-on training opportunities for students in partnership with NOAA programs and other governmental, academic and research partners.
  • Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, Fla. - $249,955 to train students in interdisciplinary educational and research experiences in the area of environmental measurement and modeling to determine ecological impacts of several pollutants on the Apalachicola River ecosystem in collaboration with NOAA.
  • Florida International University, Miami, Fla. - $245,150 to engage undergraduate students in hands-on environmental science research projects, experiences, and internships at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and other partner institutions.
  • Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, N.C. - $249,591 to provide undergraduate students with instruction, hands-on training and research experiences in the study of protected species behavior using remote sensing technologies in collaboration with NOAA programs.
  • Laredo Community College, Laredo, Texas - $249,500 to develop and enhance environmental science coursework; hands-on training; internships with educational, governmental and private partners; and student visits to NOAA facilities.
  • The City College of the City University of New York - $249,972 to enhance students’ knowledge and skills in coastal, oceanic, environmental and remote sensing by enriching curriculum, engaging students in research projects and visits to NOAA laboratories and facilities.
  • The University of Texas in El Paso, Texas - $242,570 to promote, recruit and train graduate and undergraduate students in environmental science through curriculum enhancement, outreach, hands-on research, internship and training in collaboration with the El Paso Area Forecast Office of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Environmental Demonstration:

  • California State University, Fresno, Calif. - $299,646 to train students in deepwater marine habitat mapping and climate research, through internship and research opportunities, in collaboration with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Science Center.
  • Texas A & M University, Kingsville, Texas - $300,000 to provide academic and applied research training for students in an environmental demonstration project that includes assessing the impact of urbanization on coastal bays and estuaries in South Texas in collaboration with NOAA.
  • The University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska - $299,260 to engage students in internships and environmental science training opportunities including conducting a community watershed planning demonstration project in collaboration with NOAA and other partners.
  • The University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii - $281,809 to train students in watershed assessment, coastal water quality management and related environmental issues in collaboration with the NOAA Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Program.
  • The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Md. - $299,363 to train students in the development of a production and planting business for submerged aquatic vegetation as a basis for restoring and mitigating the Chesapeake and Maryland coastal bays.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher: http://www.noaa.gov/lautenbacher.html

NOAA Environmental Entrepreneurship Program: http://epp.noaa.gov/programs/?ID=3

Educational Partnership program (EPP) with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI): http://epp.noaa.gov/