Kent State recipient of $2 million Choose Ohio First grant

Kent State University received a $2 million grant Thursday, December 12, to support and strengthen the Ohio computer science workforce. 

The Choose Ohio First grant was awarded to 35 public and private schools to reinforce careers in “high demand fields” according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Kent State plans to use the grant to award “underrepresented, economically disadvantaged, first-generation, and female students” to programs such as computer science and related fields. 

To encourage students with passions for computer science, the grant will be used to fund educations as they take courses online or at any of Kent State’s regional campuses. 

Students do not need to be majoring in computer science or other related fields, they can apply for a minor and also be eligible for the grants provided scholarships. 

Author of the university’s grant proposal, Javed I. Khan, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of Kent State’s Department of Computer Science. He explains that with technology on the rise, degrees and proficiency in computer science and other similar degrees will be crucial to Ohio’s new workforce. 

“Ohio is a little statistically backward compared to other states in the creation of computer science graduates,” said Khan, “If you look into the way the world is moving today, a significant amount of jobs are in computer science.” 

Khan also explains the struggles many students may face, and how creating inclusive scholarships with the grant will be important for students to continue their educations.

 “A significant amount of the students are first-generation college students, they are not economically well off. In their life a scholarship is very important,” Khan said. 

The scholarships created from the grant will be merit and need-based.One partner with Kent State University will be the Akron Public School System, to find students in the area with the drive to finish a computer science degree. 

 A team of professors will be tasked with finding students with strong interests in computer science, as well as a passion for what they do. 

“Interest is ultimately the main driver for success,” Khan said. 

According to Khan, once a computer science degree is added to one’s resume, employment is doubled.  

“The way the computer science skills are becoming vital in every discipline, it’s like a math or writing skills,” Khan said, “So in the twenty-first century a person must be not only computer science literate, but have a certain level of skill to have success in their career.”

Students can apply for scholarships online. The Choose Ohio First scholarship link is currently under construction. https://www.kent.edu/cs/scholarships-computer-science-majors