Gaining STEM
Ohio Wesleyan Recognized as a STEM Leader Among Liberal Arts Colleges with $500,000 Grant
DELAWARE, Ohio – Reinforcing its position as a leader in STEM education, Ohio Wesleyan University has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation to provide scholarships for students pursuing science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees.
Ohio Wesleyan will receive $100,000 from the Cincinnati, Ohio-based foundation during each of the next five years, all to be awarded to qualified STEM students from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, or Michigan.
"Ohio Wesleyan is defining what it means to be a liberal arts university in the STEM era," said OWU President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D. "This investment from the Knowlton Foundation strengthens our ability to develop not only STEM talent, but STEM leaders – graduates prepared to innovate with purpose, think across disciplines, and tackle the world's biggest challenges with both technical expertise and human understanding. We are deeply grateful to the Knowlton Foundation for their vision and their investment in future generations of STEM leadership."
This funding builds on a long-standing relationship between Ohio Wesleyan and the Knowlton Foundation. In addition to the new Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship, Ohio Wesleyan has received funding from the nonprofit organization since 2012 to support the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation Endowed Scholarship, which continues to benefit students pursuing degrees in mathematics or related fields.
Since 2020, Ohio Wesleyan has been awarded nearly $4.2 million in Choose Ohio First funding, as well as a $395,968 National Science Foundation grant in September 2023, and a Glenn W. Bailey Foundation grant earlier this month – all to support STEM students.
The university has been recognized for the academic impact of its STEM program, ranking No. 68 among all U.S. colleges (public and private) for the percentage of its STEM graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees in STEM fields. In addition, OWU ranked No. 46 in the United States for women who go on to earn doctorates and No. 21 for women who earn doctorates in the life sciences or biological sciences. The rankings come from the Council of Independent Colleges' 2019 report, "Strengthening the STEM Pipeline Part II: The Contributions of Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges," the latest such report available.
Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan's STEM-related majors, enrolling at the university, and scholarship opportunities at owu.edu/majors and owu.edu/admission/.
About the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation Inc.
The Knowlton Foundation was established in 1981 by Austin E. "Dutch" Knowlton, owner and chairman of the Knowlton Construction Company. An architect, Knowlton helped to design and erect more than 600 buildings, including hospitals, libraries, and educational facilities on every major university and college campus in Ohio. His legacy on the OWU campus includes Chappelear Drama Center and the Smith Hall and Hayes Hall student residences. Knowlton died in 2003 at age 93. Learn more at www.aekfoundation.org.
About Ohio Wesleyan University
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.