HU RECEIVES $242,451 FOR MAST PROGRAM

Hampton, Va. - Hampton University's Minorities At Sea Together (MAST) program recently received a $242,451 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The funding is to support a three-year development and enhancement effort aimed at teaching students about marine science, policy and the rich heritage of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

College students from across the country will come to Hampton University in the summer to spend three weeks under sail, living aboard a 53-foot sailboat, conducting scientific studies of the environment and operating the vessel.
The new program will also feature expanded emphasis on the contributions made by Native Americans to fishing and navigation of the Chesapeake, and will examine current Native American issues, such as the protection of their fishery from reservoir construction.

"I am delighted to be able to continue and grow the MAST program," said Dr. Benjamin Cuker, professor of marine and environmental science at Hampton University and director of the MAST program. "The program is unique because it focuses on the many contributions of African Americans and Native Americans to maritime history of the Chesapeake Bay."

In addition, students will make several visits to NOAA facilities around the Bay; learn from some of the top experts in the marine and environmental fields, and visit scientific laboratories, museums, commercial fisheries, cultural institutions and government agencies. Students may earn academic credit for participating in the program.

"It is important to today's students to understand that their ancestors played a major role in the maritime world," said Cuker. "The idea behind (MAST) is to make students comfortable with working in the profession."

Cuker was selected as one of the 11 Pew Marine Conservation Fellows of 1999 for his work recognizing the important and necessary perspectives individuals from different backgrounds bring to solving the serious challenges the marine environment faces. Cuker won a $150,000 award to create and fund the MAST program which launched in 2000.

The NOAA of the Department of Commerce has made a commitment to expand and strengthen its partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). This Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) initiative is aimed primarily at increasing programs and opportunities for individuals in NOAA-related professions to pursue applied research and education in atmospheric, oceanic and environmental sciences and remote sensing programs, principally among MSIs.

For more information visit http://www.hamptonu.edu/science/marine/mast