In partnership with The American Chemistry Council (ACC), Chemours, and HBCU Week Foundation, the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) was established in November 2020 with the goal of helping to combat the lack of diversity in the STEM workforce. FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years, helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically underrepresented groups.
The FOSSI initiative welcomed 151 scholars in its inaugural year. In 2022, the program celebrates its new class of 144 FOSSI scholars, who are from 25 states and will be attending 34 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) this fall.
See the video below for an inside look into how FOSSI is changing the lives of these amazing scholars.
Meet more of FOSSI’s 2022 class
Immanuel Fowler: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Delaware State University
Immanuel Fowler is a 2022 graduate of Charter School of Wilmington and will be attending Delaware State University as a computer science major. He is passionate about computer science because he ultimately desires to better communities through technological advancements.
Shaquria Funchess: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Alcorn State University
Shaquria graduated from Germantown High School in Madison, Mississippi, and will be attending Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi. She is grateful to have graduated in the top 50 of her class, and to have the opportunity to further her education at a historically Black college. She is passionate about pursuing a STEM degree because she has a heart to help and a passion for science, and she believes that putting the two together could help the world in many ways.
Brian Ibezim: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Tennessee State University
Brian graduated from Antioch High School in Antioch, Tennessee, and will be attending Tennessee State University as an electrical engineering major. Brian has always been fascinated by advancements in STEM and is thankful for the FOSSI scholarship helping him pursue his dream career in electrical engineering.
Nia Morgan: 2022 FOSSI Scholar Attending Xavier University of Louisiana
Nia recently graduated from Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep in Chicago and will be attending Xavier University of Louisiana. Nia aspires to become a cardiothoracic surgeon with the hopes of contributing to the growing representation of Black women in the medical field.