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Three professors from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University have been awarded the 2023-24 Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Medtronic Research & Development Program Award.
The program supports innovation in STEM, medical technology, and business research at select historically Black colleges and universities.
Medtronic is the sole funder of these grants, the latest result of a strategic partnership with TMCF to advance diversity in STEM education and career development.
The program provides five grants of $40,000 in two installments of $20,000 each to faculty members at TMCF member schools with a focus on Medtronic-aligned fields.
Medtronic's director of external partnerships and community, Cynthia Reese, said, "Supporting HBCUs through the R&D Engagement Program expands access to opportunities and skill-building to students from diverse backgrounds. Medtronic is proud to partner with TMCF on this impactful program as part of its commitment to achieving zero barriers to equity."
Laquanda Johnson, associate professor of supply chain management; Stephen Knisley, professor of chemical, biological, and bioengineering; and Ali Salman, associate professor in the School of Nursing, each received a grant through the program.
Johnson will use her grant to fund the Collegiate Underrepresented Business and Engineering Drone Training Intensive Program, an eight-week virtual drone camp for undergraduate students that will culminate in an FAA remote pilot certification exam.
This program is geared towards students studying supply chain management, business analytics, industrial engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering.
Knisley will use his grant to fund the National Institutes of Health Houston Shadowing Program, a bio-engineering initiative for junior-level students to help prepare them for their senior design course.
A select number of juniors in the bio-engineering bachelor's program will travel to visit a hospital in Houston in the summer of 2024 and spend several weeks there shadowing doctors.
The grant will cover travel expenses, the cost of living, and stipends for students while in the program.
Salman will use the grant to fund the Smart and Connected Health Teaching and Research Lab, available to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty students with a goal to improve healthcare efficiency and quality in underrepresented communities.
The grant will also contribute to further advancement of the Smart and Connected Health Teaching and Research Lab.