South Piedmont Community College has received a multi-year National Science Foundation grant, becoming one of just four North Carolina community colleges selected to join the SPARC6 STEM Consortium.
“We are deeply honored and excited to be selected join such a prestigious program, and we look forward to the uniquely challenging opportunities this grant will afford our students,” said South Piedmont President Dr. Stacy Waters-Bailey.
In addition to South Piedmont, the SPARC6 consortium includes Cleveland Community College, Gaston College, and Rowan Cabarrus Community College. The consortium aims to increase the number of biology, computer science, and data science graduates in the greater Charlotte region by building student cohorts, offering centralized academic support and advising, removing roadblocks in the transfer process, and providing funding to meet any remaining financial need. The NSF award amounts to $5 million in total funding over five years for the consortium, with $750,000 being allocated toward supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students and faculty.
At South Piedmont, the SPARC6 scholar program is being led by Dr. Daniel Roush, with support from faculty members in STEM fields, including Chasity Moore-Biology, Marrisa Cominotti-Chemistry, Dr. Michael Martin-Computer Science, Dr. Solomon Gugsa-Physics, and a soon-to-be-named Mathematics faculty member. Faculty will support SPARC6 scholars through building learning communities with cohort courses and direct faculty mentoring. Additionally, SPARC6 scholars will have the ability to be involved in undergraduate research, internships, service-learning, professional presentations to scientific communities, and participation in STEM-specific field trips to increase exposure to the many career opportunities for STEM graduates. After completion of their Associate in Science degrees at South Piedmont, SPARC6 scholars will be able to transfer to UNC Charlotte where the scholarship funding will follow them through the completion of their baccalaureate studies.
South Piedmont plans to support a minimum of five new SPARC6 scholars a year with up to $15,000 in last-dollar funding. The consortium is recruiting academically talented, low‑income students who will begin their first year in the Associate in Science program in fall 2026. Previous SPARC6 cohorts have demonstrated increased retention, higher Associate in Science graduation rates, and stronger transfer success to UNC Charlotte.
“Our goal is to provide upward mobility for our SPARC6 scholars, while also solidifying South Piedmont as a leader in biotechnology education for the greater Charlotte region,” Roush said.
For information on becoming a SPARC6 scholar, email droush@spcc.edu.