The University of Maryland Baltimore County has established a new scholars program deigned to increase the number of women in STEM programs where they have traditionally been underrepresented. The program was made possible by a gift to the university from Barbra Hill and Ancelmo Lopes. Hill is the operating partner of NexPhase Capital, a private equity firm, where she focuses on healthcare-related investments. Lopes is chair of Surgical Solutions, a private equity owned company that provides hospitals, doctors, and staff with state-of-the-art products and equipment and the skilled personnel to facilitate workflow and inventory management in the operating rooms.
The Hill-Lopes Scholars Program provides financial assistance and connects participating scholars with faculty mentors and campus services that can propel them toward their degrees. It was inspired by the highly successful Meyerhoff Scholars program at the university that aims to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines.
The first class of six Hill-Lopes Scholars – two seniors, one junior, and three sophomores – have a broad range of intellectual interests, but all have their eye on advanced degrees and careers in highly competitive STEM fields.