From Mae C. Jemison to the late Ronald McNair, Black astronauts have made transformative contributions to the space exploration industry. NASA is on a mission to empower the next generation of STEM innovators at historically Black colleges and universities throughout the country.
Research shows 25 percent of Black scholars who earn STEM degrees are HBCU graduates. However, the space exploration field is still grappling with underrepresentation. Of the 350 astronauts who have traversed to space, only 15 were African American.
Aware of the gaps in accessibility to STEM education, the government agency has awarded $11.7 million to eight historically Black institutions through its Data Science Equity, Access, and Priority in Research and Education (DEAP) initiative. The funding will support the creation of curriculums and immersive learning experiences that are centered on artificial intelligence and machine learning. The goal is to elevate and expand STEM programs to create a pipeline of talent for “data-intensive space-based Earth sciences” careers.
Read the source article at newsone.com