Valerosos y Curiosos HSI STEM Grant
Purpose
Concordia University Irvine is a private Christian university in Irvine, CA, with over 2,500 students across various programs. Its six schools offer a range of majors, including STEM fields. However, Hispanic and low-income students in STEM face challenges with retention and graduation rates due to limited exposure to university services. To address this, Concordia University Irvine's Valerosos y Curiosos project aims to support these students through a STEM Scholars Program. This program includes academic support, mentoring, and research opportunities, along with faculty and staff training to foster a sense of belonging. The project's goals include increasing enrollment, transfer rates, retention, and graduation rates for Hispanic and low-income STEM students. Concordia University Irvine seeks $3,000,000 over five years to fund this initiative, which aligns with priority areas for student support and postsecondary education access.
Program Team
Dr. Iris Mowgood
Dr. Iris Mowgood, the director of Concordia’s “Valerosos y Curiosos” (“Courageous and Curious”) HSI STEM Emerging Scientist Program, comes with strong scientific credentials and a personal experience as a first-generation American born to immigrant parents. She is an Egyptian-American who was born and raised in her beloved Orange County by parents who emigrated from Egypt. Mowgood is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Orange, where her two daughters attend school and where she is a baptized member.
Mowgood also serves as assistant professor of physics and is committed to Concordia’s fundamental mission in the sciences: to create a culture where faith and scientific understanding interact and support each other, launching students into the fields of health care, engineering, computer science, and much more.