The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $2.5 million grant to Fayetteville State University’s Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science to establish the Student-Centered Strategies, Scholarships, and Support Services for Student Success in Sciences Program or S8 Program. In partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College, the grant provides funds over six years to foster undergraduate student success and respond to career opportunities in chemistry and materials science in the region.

The S8 Program will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists by emphasizing recruiting, retaining and graduating domestic, low-income students, with academic ability, talent or potential, demonstrated unmet financial needs and enrolled in chemistry and materials science at FSU or FTCC.

“Students will have designated faculty mentors to guide them in academic advising and in personal development,” said Cevdet Akbay, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and S8 Program director, in a press release. “The program will introduce other opportunities including technical skill building workshops, student-centered active learning in lectures and research-based experiments in labs, undergraduate research experience, summer internship, tutoring sessions, visit to graduate schools and chemical industries and professional and personal enrichment seminars, scientific conferences and student clubs as examples.”

The S8 Program is recruiting the first cohort of 10 students during the 2025 spring semester to begin in the fall. Over its six-year duration, the S8 Program will provide financial assistance to 40 full-time students pursuing associate and/or baccalaureate degrees in chemistry and materials science at FSU and FTCC. Students receive scholarships of up to $15,000 per year. In addition to scholarships, the S8 Program will leverage existing student services and opportunities to expand and enhance this comprehensive academic and co-curricular ecosystem.

Joing Akbay serves as the grant’s principal investigator. Co-principal investigators are FSU faculty Daniel Autrey, Ph.D., chair of the department of chemistry, physics, and materials Science, Darren Pearson, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, Bhoj R Gautam, Ph.D., associate professor of physics, and Joseph Kabbes, planetarium manager and astronomy instructor. Dean of Math and Sciences at FTCC, Cameron Harmon, Ph.D., serves as Senior Personnel.