Bank ofAmerica gives $100,000 to VCU Engineering for STEMskills

Bank of America is giving Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Engineering Foundation a grant of $100,000 to promote science, technology, engineering and math education to non-traditional students, first-generation college students and students from communities of color. The money will go toward increasing the pool of data scientists, coders, developers and information security specialists.

“The need for qualified candidates with STEM skills is at an all-time high,” said Cathy Bessant, Bank of America’s chief operations and technology officer. “This partnership will bring faculty, students and the business community together to solve real-world problems, while developing a rich pipeline of computer science, data engineering and business development talent for Richmond.”

Bank of America also will provide mentoring and classroom support from its information technology professionals working in the Richmond area.