The Henry Luce Foundation awarded Iona College a $120,000 grant through the Clare Boothe Luce Program to support women conducting undergraduate research and majoring in the fields of physical sciences, mathematics and computer science.

Iona College provided an additional $30,000 to the fund, bringing the grant to a total of $150,000. The grant will fund 30 female students over a three-year period. These students will be engaging in 10-week summer research projects under the advisement of Iona faculty.

The Clare Boothe Luce Program began in 1989 with the intent “to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach in science, mathematics and engineering,” according to the Henry Luce Foundation website.

Dr. Sunghee Lee, board of trustees endowed professor and chemistry department chair, is director of the Clare Boothe Luce Program at Iona.

“This is about supporting women in fields where women are underrepresented,” Lee said. “It is a very competitive grant, we had to demonstrate a strong track record of woman students in the fields of chemistry, physics, math and computer science who will excel if they get additional benefits.”

The grant’s main goal is to support women on track to get doctorates in male-dominated fields.

“This grant is specifically designed for students to become a dominant leader in the field where these women are not represented with a Ph.D.,” Lee said. “[This grant] is to support women who are going into that field of graduate school and Ph.D. programs.”

The Clare Boothe Luce Program provides grants for undergraduate scholarships and research awards, graduate fellowships and professorships. More than 2,300 women have been supported by the program since it was established, according to a press release from the college.

“This grant will provide a truly transformative experience for our women in science at Iona,” Lee said in the press release. “Science is all about action. Being able to get involved in research early in their undergraduate career in the physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science, will help enhance their confidence and further catalyze their pursuit of excellence both professionally and personally.”