Dr. Dennis Brylow, chair and professor of computer science in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to promote high-quality teaching and research in computer science. The award, worth about $538,000, comes from the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program.
This funding will allow Brylow to support four GAANN Fellows for three years in Marquette’s doctoral program in computer science. The computer science field is a designated area of national need as it faces a shortage of teachers and researchers.
“We are finding that domestic computer science graduates are not encouraged to pursue graduate studies due to the high educational cost and already fair salary an undergraduate degree commands,” Brylow said. “For those who may wish to consider graduate school, a lack of visible role models among the graduate students and faculty is another significant deterrent. This GAANN funding will allow us to break down the financial barrier to continuing education and research, while also increasing and diversifying the pipeline of doctoral scholars.”
With this award, Marquette will provide financial and organizational support for four doctoral scholars to pursue research and teaching in computer science. The goal is to not only increase the number of Ph.Ds. prepared for impactful careers in an area of identified national need, but also to inspire and motivate the next generation of scholars.
“Having GAANN Fellows interact with and instruct undergraduates increases visibility and provides a potential source for natural mentorship for those who may be looking to follow the same path,” Brylow added.
“This funding and the continued support of Dr. Brylow’s research supporting computer science education is a testament to his commitment and success in this area,” said Dr. Heather Hathaway, acting dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. “His work is an extension of Marquette’s Catholic, Jesuit mission of expanding educational access. The GAANN award is another mechanism for him to break down barriers to education, while also expanding opportunities, all in a national area of need.”
Brylow was supported by a GAANN Fellowship as a doctoral student at Purdue University.
“This award is very meaningful for me, personally,” he said. “I was supported by a GAANN Fellowship when I was a doctoral student decades ago. It made a big difference in helping to solidify my career path as a teacher and a scholar.”
The Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program provides fellowships, through academic departments and programs of institutes of higher education, to assist graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course study at the institution in a field designated as an area of national need.
