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George Washington Carver
Research Program

A photo colage of George Washington Carver in his laboratory.

The George Washington Carver Research Program is a recruitment initiative to identify superior graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions for selected undergraduate internship positions.

Program Description

All Carver interns will work directly with a faculty mentor and be exposed to various aspects of graduate study including standardized test preparation, research and presentation skills, and the graduate application and funding process.

Our Founder


Willyerd Collier, Founder

Purpose

The George Washington Carver Research Program is an initiative of the University of Arkansas designed to increase the racial diversity of the graduate and professional student body. The program, which was originally designed and implemented by Willyerd Collier in the Office of Affirmative Action, seeks to identify, interest and recruit graduates of Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions as graduate students through the establishment of institutional linkages between the University of Arkansas Graduate School and participating Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions.

History

The GWCRP was created in 1997.  That summer two Southern University undergraduate students completed paid six-week internships in agriculture under the supervision of University of Arkansas faculty members in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

In 1998, a total of nine undergraduate students from Southern University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff completed summer internships in Agriculture. In 1999, six undergraduate students from Southern University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff completed internships in Agriculture. That same year, the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the College of Education and Health Professions agreed to support Carver interns from Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, and Jackson State University.

In 2001, internships in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Poultry Science, and Micro Electronics Photonics were added and Dillard University, Xavier University, and Prairie View A&M University joined the program as partner institutions. Since its creation, the Carver program has continued to gain momentum. In 2005, four new partnerships were established: Mississippi Valley State University (MS), Langston University (OK), Lincoln University (PA), and New Mexico Highlands University (NM) the first Hispanic Serving Institution. The program was also extended to 8 weeks and the intern stipend increased.  To date, there are 27 HBCUs and HSIs participating in the program.