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Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
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E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
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            The emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in rural Ohio is getting a special boost from a scholarship program aimed at encouraging new teachers to pursue math and science education in Appalachia.
            Robert Krauss, a Shawnee State University student and graduate of Lexington High School in Lexington, Ohio, near Mansfield has been named a Robert Noyce Scholar, which entitles him to two years of scholarship support of $10,000 each year.
            Dr. Robert Noyce was one of the very first scientists to work in the Silicon Valley, inventing the integrated circuit computer chip in 1959, one of the stepping stones along the way to the microprocessors in today's computers.
            A math education major, Krauss was one of seven regional students chosen for this prestigious national honor. For each year of accepted funds, recipients will agree to teach mathematics or science in a high-need, Appalachian school for two years.
            A friend’s mother in Chillicothe told Krauss about the Noyce Scholarship. She saw it in a local newspaper.
            “It was a long process,” Krauss said. “I had to get three letters of recommendation and write an essay on why I would make a good math teacher and do a lot of other paperwork.”
            He also had to go through an interview for the scholarship. In addition to the Noyce Scholarship, he received the TEACH Grant.
            Krauss was working 20 to 30 hours a week to help pay for his schooling. Now, he can work less hours and spend more time on his studies.
            The scholarship is supported by funds received from the National Science Foundation and is administered by the Southeast Ohio Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (SEOCEMS). This is the first year the scholarship is being offered to area students, and SEOCEMS plans to award more than 30 more Noyce scholarships over the next three years.
            “I had really good high school math teachers, and I want to be one of those teachers,” Krauss said. “Not just a teacher, but a great motivator. I’ve wanted to be a teacher all my life.”
            One teacher in particular in Springfield, Ohio, inspired him – his fifth-grade science teacher. Moving to different schools, he found it easier to make friends with his teachers and his fifth-grade science teacher left a lasting impression on him. Krauss sees this scholarship as a great tool for rural education.
            “This will keep a lot of good math teachers where good math teachers are needed,” he said. “It will help generations of students.”