Gates Foundation Grants CMC $20 Million
Ilan Wurman
Last Updated: 12/3/07 Section: News
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This past September, CMC received its largest foundation grant since the college's beginnings in 1946. The $20 million gift, given to the college by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be selectively disbursed as scholarships to future incoming students who will double major in a science and a non-science and who have demonstrated both financial need and academic excellence.
"The Interdisciplinary Science Scholarship (ISS) Program is designed to increase interest in science leadership," the college said in a press release announcing the grant. "Claremont McKenna College's strategic plan, adopted in 2002, recognizes that sweeping global changes are creating an increasingly interdependent world in which science and technology are essential to economic progress, health care advances, national security, environmental management, and many other critical issues."
"I think we are continuing in our mission of preparing leaders of society in business, government and the professions," Dean of Admission Richard Vos told the Claremont Independent about the grant. "And leadership in science and the intersection of science and public policy, science and education, science and politics, science and business, science and economics are very near and dear to CMC. They're part of what we do; they're part of our mission."
Next fall CMC plans to enroll 10 ISS scholars, who will get full-tuition scholarships, and expects to graduate 170 ISS scholars over the life of the gift, according to the release. However, there remain many unanswered questions as to the implementation of the program.
For example, while the press release advertises the potential of having majors in "science and philosophy, to tackle the issue of bioethics," or in science and government, currently the agreement does not stipulate any specific majors in either the science or the non-science category. "My understanding - and this could change - is that [the grant] is for any science and non-science combination, so it could be physics and art, and biology and French," says Vos.
"The Interdisciplinary Science Scholarship (ISS) Program is designed to increase interest in science leadership," the college said in a press release announcing the grant. "Claremont McKenna College's strategic plan, adopted in 2002, recognizes that sweeping global changes are creating an increasingly interdependent world in which science and technology are essential to economic progress, health care advances, national security, environmental management, and many other critical issues."
"I think we are continuing in our mission of preparing leaders of society in business, government and the professions," Dean of Admission Richard Vos told the Claremont Independent about the grant. "And leadership in science and the intersection of science and public policy, science and education, science and politics, science and business, science and economics are very near and dear to CMC. They're part of what we do; they're part of our mission."
Next fall CMC plans to enroll 10 ISS scholars, who will get full-tuition scholarships, and expects to graduate 170 ISS scholars over the life of the gift, according to the release. However, there remain many unanswered questions as to the implementation of the program.
For example, while the press release advertises the potential of having majors in "science and philosophy, to tackle the issue of bioethics," or in science and government, currently the agreement does not stipulate any specific majors in either the science or the non-science category. "My understanding - and this could change - is that [the grant] is for any science and non-science combination, so it could be physics and art, and biology and French," says Vos.
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