Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
About SWGA-SPA and LSAMP
Valdosta State University is a member of the Southwest Georgia STEM Pathways Alliance (SWGA-SPA) program. The SWGA-SPA is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, created to provide support to underrepresented minority (URM) students (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders). The goal of this program is to transform the STEM learning environment by significantly increasing the number of URM majors graduating with baccalaureate degrees and applying to graduate programs in the STEM disciplines.
The Southwestern Georgia STEM Pathways Alliance is an alliance of five institutions in southwestern Georgia, including Valdosta State University. The SWGA-SPA program will support admitted students by providing financial support in addition to academic and research support through faculty mentoring, research internships, group meetings, annual conferences, and graduate school preparation.
Program Benefits:In addition to the financial stipends, participants will receive the benefits of the following program components:
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Who Can Apply?
To be eligible for the program, the following requirements must be met:
- Be a URM student enrolled at one of the partner institutions listed in the table below
- Pursue an associate or undergraduate degree in an LSAMP approved STEM discipline
- Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident with a documented qualifying condition (see application for types of conditions)
- Have a GPA of at least a 2.5 in high school (for entering Freshman) or college as calculated by the HOPE scholarship program or a 145 GED score
Partner Institutions in LSAMP SWGA-SPA
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Georgia Southwestern State University |
Columbus State University | Valdosta State University |
Columbus Technical College |
To maintain eligibility requirements, participants must:
- Be a full-time URM student in an LSAMP approved STEM discipline, with a cumulative institutional GPA above the applicant eligibility requirement
- Participate in required activities
- Demonstrate a commitment to excellence both inside and outside of the classroom within their chosen STEM discipline
To Apply - Application Period Open!
For more information, you can view the program flier here: SWGA-SPA LSAMP Recruitment Packet (rev 2024)
VSU LSAMP Contact Information
Interested in applying but unsure if you meet the requirements? Want to learn more about LSAMP and SWGA-SPA? Do you have questions regarding the application process, research opportunities, and how LSAMP can benefit you? Please reach out to any of the following faculty members and they will be happy to answer any questions.
Dr. Linda de la Garza, Co-PI, VSU Campus Coordinator: ldelagarza@valdosta.edu
Dr. Erin Grabarczyk, Co-Coordinator and Academic Support Faculty: egrabarczyk@valdosta.edu
Dr. Jason Allard, VSU Mentor Coordinator: jmallard@valdosta.edu
VSU LSAMP Activities
There are many opportunities to get involved with VSU LSAMP including monthly meetings, activities, research opportunities, and conferences. View the list below and discover how you can get plugged in.
2023-2024 SWGA-SPA LSAMP Meetings
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2023-2024 Events2023 Events:
2024 Events:
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Research Opportunities
Check back for research opportunities in 2024!
News Items
- VSU LSAMP Scholar Jasmine Freeman has been selected to participate in the 2023 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA. There, along with a research mentor, Jasmine will analyze data to identify planets outside the solar system. Jasmine also won first place at the 2023 Southwest Georgia Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Summit Juried Poster Competition in Columbus. Read more about Jasmine Freeman's research award here.
- VSU LSAMP Scholar Airionna Fordham will become a SCI Scholar with an internship at Trinseo, a sustainable materials industry in Dalton, GA. The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Scholar Internship Program provides industrial internships for chemistry and chemical engineering undergraduates. Airionna was also awarded the Best Poster Overall in STEM Award at the 2023 VSU Symposium of Undergraduate Research Poster session. Ms. Fordham along with eight LSAMP Scholars presented their research as posters or in oral presentations this April 10-14, 2023. To read more about the 2023 URC's Undergraduate Research Symposium including the program, abstracts, and list of awards, click here.
- VSU LSAMP Scholar Jazmin Borges won the People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Southwest Georgia Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Summit Juried Poster Competition in Columbus for her work with the endangered gopher tortoise. Click here to read more.
- Clarice Phelps, nuclear chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, visted with VSU Biology and Chemistry Students.
- Dr. Patricia Bath, inventor of laserphaco and the first Black woman physician to receive a medical patent, will be posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). Read more about Dr. Bath and her accomplishments . To view the entire list of 2022 NIHF inductees, .
- There are numerous Hispanic scientists that have made groundbreaking contributions to a wide variety of STEM fields. They may not yet be household names but they deserve recognition for the impact they've made within their respective disciplines.
- The faculty of VSU's Chemistry Department recorded a message for National Chemistry Week, celebrated the week of October 17th - 23rd, 2021.
LSMRCE Newsletters
Additional Resources
Helpful Links:
VSU Undergraduate Research Council
Internships:
Organizations and Institutions:
VSU Support:
For help reviewing your resume or interview tips, contact Contact Career Services.
For help with posters and presentations, contact the Library's Media Center Department.
For bibliographic research and library questions, contact the Library.
For the Office of Institutional Research, click here.
For Grants and Contracts, visit the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Administration.
For information about research compliance, contact the Institutional Review Board.
For travel procedures, visit Financial Services.
For the Office of Strategic Communications, click here.
For the Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching, visit CELT.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number (1817519).
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
College of Science & Mathematics
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Mailing Address
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698 - Phone: 229.333.5699