With support from the Penn State Millennium Scholars Program, Ana De La Fuente Duran is on the path toward an advanced degree in science.
Image: David Kubarek
The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) will be raising money to support the on Giving Tuesday, slated to begin at 6:55 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, and lasting through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The college aims to raise $10,000, which will help fund one Millennium Scholar in the 2020-21 academic year.
Ana De La Fuente Duran, a senior majoring in materials science and engineering, said the Millennium Scholars Program gave her early research opportunities and a solid foundation for a successful career in research.
“I know for a fact that I have some of the most important qualities that someone is looking for in a Ph.D. program,” said Ana De La Fuente Duran, a senior majoring in materials science and engineering. “And that was by far a result of the Millennium Scholars Program.”
The program that aims to improve diversity and opportunity in STEM fields began in 2013 at Penn State, and EMS joined in 2016. For more on the program, visit our .
“As the first of our more than two dozen millennium scholars finalizes her search for a top-tier university to receive a Ph.D., we’re already seeing that our investment in this program aimed at improving diversity in STEM fields is paying off,” said Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. “Ana is transitioning from being a great student in our college into becoming a young role model for peers in her field. What’s notable is that she’s the first in a long line of EMS students following the same path.”
Here’s a look at our Millennium Scholars, who are looking to begin careers in STEM fields with an eye on improving diversity.
Designed to set students up for success on their path to a doctorate, the program provides scholarship monies as well as support to students selected as Millennium Scholars. It relies on a cohort-based approach that encourages each student to assist one another in pursuit of their academic and career goals. Millennium Scholars are selected for the program after a rigorous application and interview process through which applicants highlight their commitment to diversity in STEM fields.
