VU Scientist

Holley-Bockelmann (left), assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University, has, according to a VU release yesterday, received nearly $1.1 million over five years from the National Science Foundation to use computer simulations to study how “supermassive” black holes grow. VU also said that due to an infusion of ARRA Stimulus funds, the grant is the largest-to-date awarded in the field of astronomy via the NSF Faculty Early Career Development program, which honors extraordinary junior faculty. VU said Holley-Bockelmann has elected to direct a portion of the grant funds toward the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program – an effort to encourage minorities and women to pursue science careers. In the past five years, the Bridge program has attracted 31 underrepresented minority students with a retention rate of 97 percent, and may soon become the nation’s top source of PhD's in physics and astronomy awarded to underrepresented minorities. Last summer, VU announced the Bridge program had in the span of a few months received $3.7 million from several federal programs to support and expand its efforts.