PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (December 5, 2023) — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) has awarded Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) $478,814 to help establish a program that fosters student development and success while helping to address the critical challenges impacting the Gulf Region.

In October 2023, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies announced the addition of PVAMU to its Gulf Scholars Program (GSP), a multi-million-dollar initiative that assists colleges and universities in the Gulf Region in preparing undergraduate students to be future leaders equipped to tackle the environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the area.

“PVAMU is honored to join the GSP network and grateful to the National Academies for this significant grant,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research and Innovation (R&I) Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., MBA, P.E. “The National Academies’ generous support signifies a powerful endorsement of PVAMU’s commitment to spearheading impactful solutions and developing society’s future thought leaders.”

“We’re excited to offer a program that takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the critical ecological challenges facing the Gulf Region and recognizes the intricate connections between socio-politico-economic factors, energy systems, and environmental degradation,” said PVAMU’s Assistant Professor of Philosophy Sarah Conrad, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Political Science Kyu Young Lee, Ph.D., in a joint statement. The professors are Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) of the GSP at PVAMU, alongside fellow PVAMU assistant professors and Co-PIs Tamika Baldwin-Clark, Ph.D. LCSW-S, LCDC; Emmanuel Dada, Ph.D.; Noel Estwick, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Jeanelle Hope, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor, Selena Tate, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kazeem Olanrewwaju, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Ayodeji Iyanda, Ph.D.; and PVAMU Lecturer I Gargi Aleaz, Ph.D.

Sarah M. Conrad, Ph.D.

PVAMU’s GSP proposes creating a training capacity framework that provides students with the knowledge and sustainability skill sets needed to face the Gulf Region’s challenges. Given PVAMU’s diverse and talented faculty, the University’s GSP aims to train students through a minor in Texas Gulf Sustainability (TGS).

“The center of our curriculum is a minor in Texas Gulf Sustainability, which is based on a holistic, interdisciplinary, and pragmatic framework called ‘ecological citizenship,’ which empowers young people to envision how they can be agents of change in the Gulf Region,” said Dr. Conrad and Dr. Lee.

They believe that “the GSP is particularly well-suited to PVAMU’s unique history as an 1890 Land Grant University, with a diverse student body, including a high proportion of first-generation students from underrepresented communities. The grant aligns with the institution’s historical roots and its commitment to researching and finding solutions for issues that disproportionately impact communities of color, thus making it an asset for both the University and the broader community,” the Co-PIs said.

By allowing students to explore their community and family histories and traditions, as well as the history and richness of the region, the GSP will expand student knowledge and help them “recognize the interconnectedness of social and environmental issues and advance equitable sustainability,” Dr. Conrad and Dr. Lee explained. “PVAMU’s GSP positions PVAMU as a hub for sustainability, environmental justice, and interdisciplinary collaboration.”

By Leigh Badrigian