PHILADELPHIA (September 18, 2024) – The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) was honored today with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 2024 Chairman’s Award, part of the Excellence in Innovation and Collaboration Acknowledgement Awards, presented during the 2024 National HBCU Week Conference.
The Chairman’s Award recipient was chosen by Dr. Tony Allen, Chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges & Universities and President of Delaware State University. The award was presented to FOSSI based on the program’s leadership and meaningful actions to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to successfully compete for private and public sector investment.
Established in 2020 to reduce financial barriers to higher education and enhance diversity in the chemical industry workforce, FOSSI provides $40,000 scholarships to students studying preferred STEM degrees at HBCUs.
Mark Vergnano, Founding Chair of FOSSI, and Ashley Christopher, President of the HBCU Week Foundation, received the award on behalf of FOSSI.
“FOSSI represents a pivotal investment in HCBUs and our students. From the very beginning, I have watched proudly as Mark and Ashley open door after door of opportunity for talented students and strengthen our historically black educational institutions across the nation,” shared Dr. Allen.
To date, FOSSI has raised nearly $40 million to provide over 800 scholarships through 2028. FOSSI is helping students across nearly 40 HBCUs find success in their education and in future career pathways. Notably, FOSSI has a nearly 95% student retention rate in its first three classes.
Vergnano expressed his gratitude for the recognition, noting, “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of all the FOSSI Founding Partners and the 80+ organizations that have dedicated their time and resources to this impactful program. FOSSI not only strengthens the academic pipeline but also fuels innovation and builds a diverse and dynamic future chemical industry workforce.
Christopher noted the value of FOSSI in driving HBCU enrollment, sharing, “HBCU Week Foundation is immensely proud of the partnerships we’ve developed in FOSSI, and its impact in exposing high-school aged students to the value and legacy of HBCUs, enabling hundreds of students to follow their dream of attending these historic institutions.”
To learn more, visit www.FutureOfSTEMScholars.org. Applications for the 2025 scholarship open on September 27.
