Through the sciences, man has made extraordinary achievements. These people all had a yearning to understand the world around them and make the impossible possible. Everyone has the potential to become one of these men or women, and RVCC has formed a program that helps its students’ dreams come true.

A year and a half ago, a scholarship program called the Galileo Scholars was formed at RVCC. Under the guidance of Patti Hulsen and Audrey Loera, the program is running strong with about two dozen members. The Galileo Scholars is a scholarship program that is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Raritan Valley Foundation.

Students that qualify for the scholarship under the NSF guidelines receive a $2,500 that is spread over the academic year, and students that fall under the Raritan Valley Foundation guidelines receive $1,000. To qualify for these scholarships, a student must be enrolled full time, have qualified for federal financial aid, have a 2.75 GPA, and must be a mathematics, computer science or engineering major.

Much more than just a scholarship, the Galileo Scholars program works with the students by helping them with their studies, providing them with career information, and working with companies to offer internships for the students. Each student in the program is assigned a faculty member to act as mentor. These mentors help the students with their academics and help them get a feel for the work they will be doing in the corporate world.

Nemanja Nikitovic, a Galileo scholar, stated that the professor is the students’ biggest asset, and the strength of the program lies in “the close connection between the students and faculty.” With a student-to- faculty ratio of 24 to 12, it is easy to see why these strong bonds between the students and their mentors form. The mentors also help their students with transferring to other colleges.

•Computer Science
•Computer Networking
•Computer Programming
•Construction Technology
•Electronics Technology
•Engineering Science
•Facilities Engineering Science
•Fiber Optics
•Mathematics
•Mechanical Design Technology

RVCC Foundation / Corporate Funding

•Biology
•Chemistry
•Computer Science
•Engineering Science
•Environmental Science
•General Science
•Health Science
•Mathematics
•Opthalmic Science
•Pre-Chiropractic
•Pre-Dentisry
•Pre-Medicine
•Pre-Occupational Therapy
•Pre-Pharmacy
•Pre-Physical Therapy
•Pre-Physician’s Assistant
•Pre-Veterinary Medicine

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