Texas State doctoral student awarded 'Grow Your Own' scholarship

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
August 1, 2013

The Texas State University System Foundation has named Amber Douglas recipient of the Alan Dreeben Grow Your Own Scholarship award.

Douglas, a doctoral student in the Materials Science, Engineering and Commercialization Program at Texas State University, will be reimbursed up to $50,000 for required coursework tuition, mandatory fees, course materials and certain living expenses.

"It is a great honor to be selected as a recipient of the Grow Your Own Scholarship," Douglas said. "Although I have worked with great fervor to get to this stage in my life and career, it is truly the support and commitment that I receive from the university and from the MSEC program to which I owe a debt of gratitude.

"The faculty at this university has made it a priority to afford students with any opportunity that becomes available," she said. "This award will allow me to complete my research and educational goals; as well provide the opportunity to mentor and encourage further inclusion of women and underprivileged individuals in STEM."

The TSUS Foundation established the Alan Dreeben Grow Your Own Scholarship Program in 2005 to increase faculty diversity and provide mentoring models for students in the eight universities and colleges that make up the system. Through this program, individuals from groups underrepresented on the faculty receive financial assistance to complete their doctoral degrees. Once the individual completes their doctorate, the successful applicant is given priority for employment in a tenure-track position at the sponsoring institution or another TSUS institution in an appropriate discipline and department, based upon needs of the department and institution at that time.

This scholarship also provides the opportunity for these individuals to mentor college students from underrepresented populations and assist in retaining these students.

"The most recent National Science Foundation report indicates that women only occupy 30 percent of the Ph.D.s granted in the physical sciences, and about 20 percent in the engineering fields," said Thomas Myers, director of the Materials Science, Engineering and Commercialization Program at Texas State. "Ms. Douglas is one of the outstanding students we believe will help change this demographic in the future. She will be one of the leaders in the near future who successfully helps increase faculty diversity and provides mentoring models for students, minority or otherwise, who struggle to overcome adversity and other barriers to become successful professionals."

About the Texas State University System Foundation

The Texas State University System Foundation, Inc., was established in 1977 by the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System to assist TSUS with gaining private financial support and help the component institutions pursue additional education-related activities and outreach. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation that exists solely for the benefit of the Texas State University System. The Foundation has an independent board of directors that governs the Foundation's activities and manages Foundation funds.