Interdisciplinary Collaboration through College of Sciences and CREOL Faculty Grows Opportunities for STEM Students 

A new program, funded by a National Science Foundation grant, will holistically support academically high achieving students with financial barriers on their journey to commencement. 

Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: October 24, 2025 

The educational path to a STEM degree can be challenging both in and out of the classroom. To encourage aspiring scientists, UCF has launched a new grant for academically strong students with financial need earning degrees in chemistry, forensic science, physics, and photonics.

The new grant program, funded by the National Science Foundation, is an interdisciplinary initiative led by Principal Investigator Tamra Legron-Rodriguez, Associate Department Chair and Forensic Science Undergraduate Coordinator and Associate Lecturer of Chemistry, with co-investigators Julie Donnelly, associate lecturer of chemistry; Patrick LiKamWa, professor and associate dean for academic programs in the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL);Tong Wan and Constance Doty, both lecturers in the department of physics; and Mike McKee, associate director of academic support services in CREOL.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Creating Holistic Advising and Mentoring to Advance Student Success in Physical Sciences (CHAMPS), will provide mentorship and financial support to 40 UCF STEM students over the next six years for up to $1,999,862.

“The CHAMPS program provides a mix of financial, academic, and professional support designed to help students not just stay in STEM but really thrive in it. Students will receive scholarships to help reduce financial stress so they can focus more on learning and less on working extra jobs or worrying about tuition,” Legron-Rodriguez says.

Donnelly says the grant is the first of its kind at UCF, focusing just on physical sciences majors and giving them specialized support.

“UCF has had several successful S-STEM programs in various disciplines, but never one dedicated to students in the physical sciences. As physical scientists, we wanted to leverage the lessons learned from previous UCF S-STEM programs to support our students,” she says.

First year students awarded the scholarship will earn up to five years of support, and transfer students will receive up to three years. Doty says, along with the financial assistance, CHAMPS students will have additional access to advising, tutoring, research opportunities, and cohort-based mentoring activities that strengthen their education.

“Mentorship is a vital resource for students to succeed in STEM,” Doty says. “Through CHAMPS, we’re making sure our students have access to advising, tutoring, and funding for research so they can graduate ready to launch their careers.”

Taking on a holistic approach, Legron-Rodriguez says CHAMPS models an approach that student success doesn’t solely rely on academics.

“When we say CHAMPS takes a holistic approach, we mean that we’re supporting students as whole people, not just as scholars,” she says. “Academic success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by things such as financial stability, access to mentorship, and opportunities to grow professionally. It’s about making sure students feel supported academically, socially, and emotionally to ensure that they’re not just surviving college but thriving in it.”

Doty says there are barriers in some students’ lives that prevent them from learning with their full potential, and CHAMPS helps break that wall down and open more time for academic opportunities.

“High achieving students with financial barriers often face having to work 30-40 hours a week along with going to college. They don’t have enough resources available, lack of sense of belonging, and don’t have an appropriate study plan and effective advising, which can sometimes cause the student to take more than 4 years to complete their degree,” Doty says.

By supporting academically high achieving U.S. citizens, Donnelly says CHAMPS will prepare their students with the skills necessary to fill high demand scientific positions in the federal workforce.

“Based on an analysis for the original proposal for this grant, we anticipate that CHAMPS graduates will have excellent job prospects, including right here in Central Florida,” Donnelly says. “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth in these areas that at least doubles the national average. The units involved in the project have strong existing industry partnerships in Central Florida, and past students have secured positions at esteemed employers, such as NASA, Lockheed Martin, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This provides a very promising outlook for CHAMPS graduates.” 

Ultimately, CHAMPS helps by providing its scholars with more than a financial avenue to get them to graduation, it gives them the opportunity to grow as both a person and working professional. Through this support, CHAMPS and its investigators are defining UCF’s commitment to student success.

“This program could be a major catalyst for advancing STEM learning at UCF,” LiKamWa says.

For students who are interested in learning more about CHAMPS please visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/champs/.