The funding comes from the ARC’s POWER initiative and will help the university enhance its Industrial Chemistry program.
Shawnee State University has received $2 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partners for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative. The funding will allow the university to enhance its Industrial Chemistry program, which will receive new laboratory equipment and a modernized curriculum to ensure graduates are well positioned to enter into the workforce.
According to an article on Shawnee State University's website, university President Eric Andrew Braun was quoted as saying of the funding, "Employers in our region depend on Shawnee State to provide the highly skilled workforce they need to thrive. This investment benefits students, families, our industry partners, and the Appalachian communities we serve.”
The Industrial Chemistry program was introduced in 2018 as one of three Bachelor of Science in chemistry tracks. The program was designed to launch graduates directly into the workforce upon program completion without them needing to go to graduate school. The funding will allow the university to further align the program’s curriculum with the current needs of the workforce to ensure graduates are proficient in the necessary skills to perform industrial chemistry tasks.
The funding will allow the university to purchase and install new laboratory and instructional equipment, modernize the program’s curriculum, and develop new academic and professional training opportunities. It will also allow the university to expand partnerships with regional employers to increase internship and job placement opportunities.
Additionally, it is planned that there will be new certificate offerings and an associate of applied science degree in industrial chemistry in the near future.
For more information about Shawnee State University, visit the school’s website.