Linn-Benton Community College

The National Science Foundation has awarded Linn-Benton Community College $616,800 for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics student scholarships. LBCC’s award-winning project, entitled "Promoting Retention and Completion with STEM Research and Design Cohorts at Linn-Benton Community College," was submitted to the NSF by Greg Mulder and Marci Moling, LBCC physical sciences faculty, David Kidd, civil engineering faculty, Parker Swanson, computer sciences faculty, and Andrew Feldman, dean of LBCC Science, Engineering and Mathematics division. The S-STEM grant will provide approximately 20 students per year with $5,000 scholarships over a period of five years. Scholarships will be awarded to LBCC STEM majors with financial need. Students majoring in chemistry, physics, geology, engineering, math, computer science and biology are eligible. Scholarship applicant selection will be based upon high school or college GPA and unmet financial need as determined by th...

The National Science Foundation awarded Linn-Benton Community College’s Mechatronics Program with the second year of a three-year Advanced Technological Education grant. NSF approved the release of $241,564 of additional funding for the second year of the grant, bringing the total awarded to the college to date to $506,759. The Mechatronics Program received the NSF ATE grant in 2010. According to Denis Green, Mechatronics and Industrial Maintenance faculty and department chair, the overall purpose of the grant is to expand the scope and reach of the program. “We are expanding our teaching of sustainable energy in wind, solar, biofuels, and biomass,” said Green. “In tandem with sustainable energy, we are emphasizing energy efficiency, believing the most cost effective way to save energy is to use less of it.” The reach of the program is being expanded through blended learning offerings, creating pathway certificates and recruiting high school students into Mechatronics training, sai...