Kummer Vanguard Scholars

The Missouri S&T Kummer Vanguard Scholars scholarship program offers students the opportunity to be a part of a community of innovative and passionate leaders who are seeking to change the world.

The Kummer Vanguard Scholars program is designed to support success as a student at Missouri S&T and to expand thinking around the five core areas: Entrepreneurship, Research, Design and Build, Social Responsibility, and Leadership.

The program is limited to no more than 400 STEM scholars each year.  Students from around the world will be selected based on academic and non-academic criteria.  Each Kummer Vanguard Scholar will receive between $2,000 a year for up to four years, and the scholarships may be combined with other university scholarships to provide a broader array of financial support for students.

Qualifications

  • First-year students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 on an unweighted 4.0 scale and a 26+ ACT/1240+SAT score*.
  • New transfer students must be transferring in 24 college-level, transferable credits at the start of the entering term and have a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
  • Pursued a rigorous course of study in high school in math and science courses.
  • Show evidence of readiness for and commitment to pursuing STEM majors, including biological/life sciences, business and management systems, chemistry, computer science, economics, education, engineering, information sciences, mathematics, physics, and psychological science.
  • Admission to a STEM program at S&T and securing a spot for advising and registration (A&R) or Transfer Advising Day (TAD) by selecting a date to attend and paying the A&R/TAD deposit.

Continuing Eligibility

To remain active in the program and eligible for the scholarship, scholars must:

  • Maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA
  • Be in good standing in a STEM major of study
  • Attend the Kummer Vanguard Scholars Kick-Off event
  • Participate in 80% or more of the required program initiatives (15 hours).

First-Year First Semester

The required program initiatives will be offered at various times throughout the week.  In your first semester, you are required to attend:

  • Five speaker sessions, during which you'll hear insights from entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders about how the five focus areas shaped their career trajectory
  • Six student well-being certification program activities, which will help you build a strong holistic foundation to support your success
  • Three scholars connection activities, which provide an opportunity to connect with fellow scholars, challenge your thinking and begin building a network.

First-Year Second Semester

During the second semester, to remain active in the program and eligible for the scholarship, scholars must:

  • Submit goal setting and reflections for the various activities of the semester to enhance learning and personal development skills
  • Three scholars connection activities, which provide an opportunity to connect with fellow scholars, challenge your thinking and begin building a network.
  • Be involved with at least one co-curricular activity, such as a student organization, student design team, or employment position
  • Seek out training or certification for an area or concept that will enhance your studies and future career plans.

Years Two, Three, and Four

You will take greater control of your experience moving forward as you self-select into one of the five focus areas you want to explore: entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility, design and build, or research.  Your first step in this process is to select one of three tracks as outlined below.

Participate in one of two programs for one year:

  • Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experiences (OURE)
  • One of S&T's many student design teams.

Participate in one Kummer Colloquium each semester:

Create your own project:

  • The project can be for one semester or for the entire year
  • The project must address one of the five focus areas: entrepreneurship, leadership, social responsibility, design and build, or research.

Reflections on your Experience

In addition to the specific participation required within each track, you will submit your reflection of the experiential, educational and social components of your experience, and to identify ways the program's other focus areas connect with your experience.  These reflections serve to underscore your learning and growth experienced throughout these experiences.

Exclusive Opportunities

Kummer Vanguard Scholars will engage in a breadth of special opportunities and programs, including the following:

  • Free attendance at one of the Miner Immersion one-day events on the S&T campus during the spring prior to the start of their first semester.
  • The Kummer Vanguard Scholars kickoff event as part of Opening Week.
  • Opportunities to serve on the Kummer Vanguard Scholars Student Steering Committee.
  • Mentorship and connections with upperclassmen Kummer Vanguard Scholars, faculty members, Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Doctoral Fellows, alumni, and leaders of innovation.
  • Integration with student success and support programs to improve the holistic student experience.
  • Participation in a rotational program with focus areas in entrepreneurship, undergraduate research, leadership, community services and more.
  • Opportunities, beginning with your sophomore year, to serve as mentors to newly admitted Kummer Vanguard Scholars.

For more information, please contact Kummer Student Programs at ksp@mst.edu or call 573-341-6600.