Loyola has joined with NASA in a national effort to ensure that minority students stay in their fields of science.

The initiative aims to provide the opportunity to pursue promising careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

The effort has been a collaboration between Loyola, Tulane University, Dillard University, Xavier University and University of New Orleans.

Loyola physics professor and the Loyola coordinator for the effort Patrick Garrity said NASA is trying to raise the graduation rate of students in the sciences. Garrity said students tend to drop out of these fields within the first two years of college.

The effort will offer minority student scholarships, experience with contacts in their industry and opportunities to share their research in efforts to raise the graduation rate in the challenging fields.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in mentoring, professional development and graduate school preparation activities.

Four Loyola students will be selected by the university to participate in the program during their freshman and sophomore years.

The students will each be awarded $1,500 scholarships for each semester, $4,000 summer research stipends, and a trip to the Louisiana Space Conference.