国产传媒

Mount Saint Mary's University has been awarded a prestigious $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Title V program, Promoting Postgraduate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA). This five-year, highly-competitive grant will provide essential support for expanding the University’s health sciences graduate programs and fostering success for Hispanic students pursuing advanced degrees. The project aligns with the Mount’s mission as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and its ongoing commitment to advancing educational equity and healthcare access for diverse communities.

“This grant will enable us to create new graduate pathways for careers in high-demand health science fields,” said Daniel Prosterman, PhD, interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Mount Saint Mary’s. “The University’s goal is to address critical shortages of Hispanic healthcare workers in the Los Angeles region and help students overcome barriers to accessing and completing graduate programs. Mount Saint Mary’s is uniquely positioned to offer these programs and make a tangible difference in the community.”

The funding will be used to develop new graduate-level programs in health sciences, including a Physician Assistant (PA) program and a nurse educator track in the Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing (AMSN) program. The nurse educator track, expected to launch in the coming year, will offer an online pathway designed for working professionals.

The launch of PA program will be a vital addition to address the growing healthcare needs in Los Angeles and beyond. With a focus on preparing culturally responsive healthcare providers, the PA program will equip students with the skills to serve medically underserved populations, particularly in Hispanic communities that face significant healthcare access barriers. The program will emphasize training in both clinical excellence and health equity, ensuring graduates are prepared to tackle the disparities in healthcare that exist within the region. The new program will provide students with clinical placements in local hospitals and healthcare settings, focusing on communities with high Hispanic populations. This hands-on experience is critical for students to gain practical skills while contributing to the well-being of underserved areas.

Through the grant’s funding, Mount Saint Mary’s will also strengthen academic, financial and student life support services for graduate students, including scholarships, stipends, mentorship and career preparation services. In addition, the University will hire additional bilingual support staff, create a new Graduate Care Coordinator position, establish a Graduate Peer Mentoring Program, and offer more mental health and wellness services specifically designed for graduate students. These efforts are crucial as the Los Angeles region faces healthcare workforce shortages and rising demands for culturally competent care.

“By preparing our students to excel in healthcare, we are ensuring that they can lead efforts to improve health outcomes, particularly in underserved communities,” said Janet Rosas, project director of Title V PPOHA grant project at Mount Saint Mary’s. “This grant will allow us to deepen our commitment to both our students and the broader Los Angeles community by expanding our health sciences offerings and providing greater access to specialized, high-wage fields for all our students."

The grant will also drive institutional transformation by enhancing the cultural responsiveness of faculty through professional development and improving graduate students' sense of belonging. The Mount plans to use data-driven strategies to increase retention and academic success, focusing on creating an inclusive environment for Hispanic and other underrepresented students.

Title V is a federally funded grant program created in 1998 to assist colleges and universities in improving higher education of Hispanic students in the US. The PPOHA Program provides grants to higher education institutions that work to expand graduate level educational opportunities and academic offerings for Hispanic students.

This new grant continues the Mount’s success in previous Title V work at the post-graduate level. Among the many institutions that applied, Mount Saint Mary’s was one of only 16 universities to be awarded this highly competitive funding.