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Nine HBCUs to Share $9 Million in Stimulus Money

Sep. 4—Nine historically black colleges and universities in South Carolina and Georgia will share $9 million in federal stimulus money that will be used to train students for work in the nuclear industry.

“There is a lot of work here,” said Jeffrey Allison, manager of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Operations Office. “We’re going to need chemists. We’re going to need engineers. We’re going to need history majors. We’re going to need the whole gamut.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Columbia Democrat who serves as majority whip in the House of Representatives, pushed for the HBCUs to get the funding.

“I think this is a foundation, a down payment,” Clyburn said Thursday at Allen University. “We’re going to have to demonstrate that we can get to the next levels.”

SRS is expanding its cleanup and technology-transfer work, and that is expected to create new opportunities.

The $9 million has not yet been divided among the schools. Clyburn noted that the money averages out to $1 million for each school, but that does not mean each school will receive that amount.

“It all depends on the scope of what you develop,” he told the college presidents seated before him.

Those presidents had come from across the state. Their schools, some of which have struggled financially in recent years, have competed for students in a difficult economic environment. But the presidents were all smiles Thursday.

“This is a very, very important meeting this morning,” said Allen’s president, Charles Young. “We welcome this partnership.”

“We’re very excited about this,” said Henry Tisdale, president of Claflin University.

As majority whip, Clyburn’s job is to marshal votes for Democratic initiatives. That position gives him a say in legislation, and he said he uses that perch to make sure HBCUs get funding.

“I’ve got a tremendous investment in these institutions,” said Clyburn, who graduated from S.C. State University in 1962. “I think they are jewels.”

Allen, Claflin, Benedict College, Clinton Junior College, S.C. State, Voorhees College, Morris College, Denmark Technical College and Paine College in Georgia signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The goal is to build on the mathematics, science and technology, engineering and research programs at the HBCUs.

“The main objective of the program is to provide interested students with a unique opportunity to integrate course work, DOE field work, laboratories and applied research work at the respective HBCU campuses into a well-structured academic program that leads to entry into DOE’s Career Internship Program as well as employment opportunities,” the memorandum states.

Reach senior writer Wayne Washington at (803) 771-8385.

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