Frequently Asked Questions
Students pursuing any of the majors within the degree programs for Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics are eligible to be Rodgers Fellows.
The full list of included majors is: Applied Environmental Science, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Applied Physics, Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Conservation Biology, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Environmental Geology, Environmental Sustainability & Policy, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics.
We anticipate announcing the selected cohort in early April.
Prospective students are invited to apply to the cohort in January as part of the UMW admissions process. Finalists will be invited to campus mid-spring for an exclusive open house event and interviews. Students selected for the cohort will be notified in April.
In accordance with Irene Piscopo Rodger’s wishes, student scholarships support their tuition for research coursework including the four 1-credit research preparatory courses taken in the cohort’s first two years, URES 197 courses in which students contribute to a faculty members’ projects, and individual research project credits taken in students’ majors. Students are eligible for additional funding for research supplies, conference travel, and a stipend for participating in the Piscopo Rodgers ‘59 Summer Science Institute.
Yes! However, due to the academic requirements of the programs and required course scheduling, we strongly recommend that students participate in no more than two cohort programs (Honors Program, Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellows Program, IMPACT Program, President’s Emerging Leaders Program).
Students in the cohort will register for a 1-credit interdisciplinary STEM research course during each of their first four semesters. These courses prepare students to engage in original research. Students can engage in mentored research as early as their second semester through the URES 197 course. Rodgers Fellows are guaranteed to participate in the Summer Science Institute either after their sophomore year or after their junior year. Rodgers Fellows can gain additional research experience through their junior and senior years and earn course credit through the 491 research course in their major.
If you are no longer majoring in one of the eligible fields, you will no longer be eligible for Rodgers Fellow scholarship money and will not have a reserved seat in the cohort’s academic courses or SSI.