Issue link: http://baypath.uberflip.com/i/1471456
7 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) When the Bay Path Institute opened its doors in 1897, we educated men and women from Springfield and the surrounding region. In the 125 years since, our school has undergone a remarkable transformation—in what we teach, where we teach, how we teach and who we teach, moving from Springfield to Longmeadow to everywhere and anywhere, thanks to online learning. Throughout this history, we've not only kept pace, but set the pace, in recognizing what new skills and occupations will shape a dynamic, growing, changing workforce, while building programs, connecting to grants and scholarships, and investing in technology that enables more students to access the education that underlies those skills and the prosperous jobs to which they lead. Over 42 percent of students at Bay Path are students of color and 52 percent are first-generation students. Today, so-called "traditional" college students are 18-23 years old and represent 60 percent of the national undergraduate population. At Bay Path, 44 percent of our undergraduates are 24 years old or older, and we created a specific program to serve them more than 20 years ago, first in our One Day Saturday program and, today, through The American Women's College. From training medical secretaries in the '50s and '60s to building the STEM-centric workforce of tomorrow, Bay Path's science programs have evolved with advances in knowledge, technology and, of course, opportunity. Today, an increasing number of our students are majoring in health science degrees. In science programs that include neurobiology, forensic science and biochemistry, they conduct research and take part in hands-on lessons in Carr Hall, with access to tools and facilities that enable them to analyze DNA, track the behavior of viruses and study irregular properties in tissue samples. Worth noting: Students at women's colleges are one and a half times more likely to pursue STEM careers than those attending coed institutions. Bay Path Students