Morris College Receives $410,000 Grant from National Nuclear Security Administration

November 23, 2021

Enter to Learn; Depart to Serve

Morris College                                                                                                                                                                                                                    For Immediate Release
Institutional Advancement
100 West College Street Sumter, South Carolina 29150
communications@morris.edu| https://www.morris.edu/

Sumter, S.C. (September, 2021) – Morris College received $410,000 from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to commence preparing students for a Plutonium Modernization Program (PuMP) at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C. This funding opportunity will help Morris College enhance the technological infrastructure of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ STEM Program. Funds will be utilized to acquire new scientific equipment and technology and for upgrading existing equipment used to provide hands-on training and understanding the Plutonium Modernization process. Ten (10) students who participate in this experience will receive scholarships totaling $15,000 per year. Morris College will provide student training and continuity that will help Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) reach its Plutonium Modernization goals.

This program will enable Morris students to obtain the skills and credentials most needed by regional and national nuclear programs, thus, providing NNSA with an opportunity to attract skilled employees needed for the Plutonium Modernization Program. The program will provide future employment opportunities for HBCU students and will serve to forge a new pipeline leading to qualified workers that support the established nuclear workforce demand.

Essentially, this project will serve to recruit, train, and develop students to work in roles that support the area of the PuMP. President Leroy Staggers said, “this funding will greatly assist students in enhancing this college.”

Dr. Radman Ali, Professor and Chairman of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, will direct the PuMP Project, Drs. John Day (a physicist) and David Magnin (a chemist) will teach the course they designed specifically for the Project.

About Morris College

Morris College is a historically black, coeducational, liberal arts college, founded by the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina in 1908. The college is committed to promoting the intellectual and personal development of each one of its students. Today, under the continued ownership of its founding body, the College opens its doors to a culturally and geographically diverse student body, typically from the Southeast and Northeast regions. Morris College is an accredited, four-year, coeducational, residential, liberal arts and career-focused institution awarding baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences as well as certificates and associate degrees in career-based professional fields.

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