Fall 2015 STEP Awards Announced

For the Fall 2015 cycle, twenty-one (21) awards totaling $542,843.32 were funded by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Technology Enhancement Program (STEP). Of the those proposals funded, seven (7) will have an annual sustainability fund impact of $44,139.64 (average $6,305.66/project). Interestingly, this cycle, four (4) of the seven (7) "sustainable" projects were SMART Classrooms/TEC rooms and the remaining were network/wireless infrastructure projects.  SMART Classrooms and TEC rooms continue to be very popular with our students and are aligned with the new University Strategic Plan.

The highest rated (by the STEP Council in rank order H-L) proposals for the cycle included: Outdoor Wireless Expansion; Projectors for Enhanced Instruction in the Department of Mathematics; Honors Program Presentation Room; Purchase of pH meters for Chemistry Laboratory Courses; Enhancement of Technology; Expansion of Digital Signage; and the Rewire of Lee Hall STEP Lab.  Funded grant scores ranged from (H-L) 85.58 to 71.15 with an average score of 76.07. Other interesting awards included: College of Engineering Lab Software; Revitalization of the Advanced Computer Laboratory in the Physics Department; FGM 201 Interactive Classroom Enhancement; Geosciences Student Computer Lab Upgrade and Expansion; Enhancing Manufacturing Technology Laboratory Using 3D Printing; Reading Lab Podium Computer Replacement; and Acquisition of an Infrared (IR) Spectrometer.  The following table and graph illustrate this cycle's awards by College/Division and budget by category:

Awards by College/Division: