Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Welcomes Fall 2022 Scholars

Katelyn Burks

The U of A Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Scholars for the Fall 2022 semester.

The U of A chapter of the Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation recently held its 2022 Summer Institute at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Enrollment in the program is reserved for a select and highly committed group of students with a declared major in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, also known as STEM, and pre-health professions.

As a scholar in the program, students have access to funding that can be used to enhance their educational experiences through international study, professional development and undergraduate research opportunities.

This year 12 students were selected as LSAMP Scholars: Adedayo Arigbede, West Memphis; Ximena Castro, Rogers; Alex Gentry, Springdale; Blake Hunter, Dallas, Texas; Kenny Jabo, Bryant; Tyler Mitchell, Little Rock; Tania Favela-Romo, Bauxite; Emazjay Smith, West Helena; Collin Tims, Fayetteville; Angela Velazquez, Richardson, Texas; Gabrielle Vite, Lowell; and Jayden Williams, Cypress, Texas.

The program consists of a Pre-First Year Summer Institute, mentoring, research opportunities internships, as well as preparation and guidance towards graduate school. The Summer Institute is a month-long program that offers skills and knowledge to pre-college high school graduates to help make a seamless transition to college. 

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Leadership and Academic Enhancement Program, named in honor of former congressman Louis Stokes, is a National Science Foundation funded program intended to support historically underrepresented students in the STEM fields. It was authorized by Congress and established in 1991 to help diversify the STEM workforce.  

The Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program is a statewide collaborative alliance for eight Arkansas institutions, including two historically Black colleges and universities and three two-year institutions. The participating institutions are: Arkansas State University; Philander Smith College; Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas; Southeast Arkansas College; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the lead institution; and University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, which has a goal of increasing the pool of baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degree graduates in STEM disciplines in Arkansas' workforce.

The U of A LSAMP Scholars program is housed in the College of Engineering under the leadership of Thomas Carter, assistant dean of student success and scholarships, and Patrice Storey, assistant director of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.