RALEIGH, N.C. (March 20, 2025) – Wake Tech is pleased to announce a $50,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to enhance its unique undergraduate research program.

Specifically, the funding will help pay student interns and faculty mentors in the STEM Academic Research & Training (START) program as well as provide supplies needed for their research projects.

"We are so grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for this grant award," said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. "This funding will allow Wake Tech to expand resources in key educational program areas, such as undergraduate research and other high-impact practices resulting in increased student success."

START students are paid $1,000 for a 60-hour commitment on their research project. That commitment includes 15 hours of training, five hours of community-building and 40 hours of research. All students are assigned a faculty mentor. Much of the research is completed in the state-of-the-art STEM Lab on Scott Northern Wake Campus and in labs on Southern Wake Campus. Many of the research projects involve collaboration with industry partners and state universities, such as Appalachian State University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Wake Tech is one of 19 North Carolina community colleges that received grant awards from the Duke Energy Foundation, which invested a total of $600,000 in various community college programs to help build the workforce for the next generation. These grants are part of Duke Energy's ongoing commitment to workforce development, which totals more than $6.6 million over the last five years.

"As our state and industry continue to grow, North Carolina's community colleges are helping us meet the moment," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president. "As technologies change and we modernize our energy fleet, we want talent here in the state to help us support our communities and build a smarter energy future for customers."

March 2025

Latest News from Wake Tech