When I meet a high-schooler in rural West Virginia who’s learning to code, and their parent tells me their child might someday out-earn them, I’m reminded why I do this work. STEM education isn’t just about equations and experiments. It’s about unlocking futures. And in our state, federal research funding is the key that opens those doors.
However, the proverbial key will likely be thrown away if Congress drastically cuts funding to the scientific agencies we partner with.
As a physicist and educator, I’ve spent more than a decade helping students see a future for themselves in STEM, right here at home. At West Virginia University, I direct a center that supports high school teachers, mentors university students and builds workforce-driven STEM learning experiences. And our reach goes far beyond campus. We partner with 53 of the state’s 57 school districts.
In one district, 81% of students now have access to computer science education. That transformation was made possible through federal support from National Science Foundation grants, partnerships with the West Virginia Department of Education and collaborations with Code.org. These programs don’t just teach skills; they change trajectories. Just one computer science class can add $8,000 per year to a student’s future income. Families are seeing firsthand how STEM can lead to economic mobility.
And it doesn’t stop at high school. At the center where I work, students are contributing to more than 37 active STEM research projects, many in fields like artificial intelligence, medical science and robotics. These federally funded initiatives give students hands-on experience solving real-world problems.
A strong pipeline of science, technology and engineering talent is crucial not only for the growth of our students, but also for West Virginia’s economy. Fields like advanced manufacturing, medical physics and environmental modeling, all growing industries in our state, depend on a skilled workforce. In fact, industries that rely on these skills contribute more than 42% of West Virginia’s GDP. Yet, nationally, we’re facing a projected shortage of 1.4 million technicians, computer scientists and engineers by 2030. That’s why we work directly with employers to align education with workforce needs. With federal support, we’ve launched scholarships for future STEM teachers and built career pathways that keep talent in-state.
But that access -- and this entire pipeline -- are at risk.
Federal funding for scientific research and public health remains under threat. The Trump administration proposed a drastic $5.1 billion (57%) cut to the NSF, and while the Senate Appropriations Committee has since reduced that to a $60 million decrease, the House is still calling for a 21% cut to the NSF’s current funding levels. Agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and NASA face similar uncertainty. As lawmakers debate these proposals in the coming months, the stakes for states like West Virginia couldn’t be higher.
At WVU, for example, the president’s budget includes a devastating $12 million annual cut to scientific funding that supports cancer and vascular research. This federal investment is crucial as WVU pursues our state’s first National Cancer Institute designation. Achieving that status would be a game-changer in a place where cancer survival rates are among the worst in the country.
We can’t lose sight of the fact that federal science funding powers widespread innovation. For instance, our engineering students are working on smart grid technologies and water systems that could reshape rural communities. These projects aren’t theoretical, they’re practical, and they’re happening in West Virginia because of sustained federal investment.
Science funding is the reason a student in Logan County can learn to code, a graduate student in Monongalia County can help develop tomorrow’s AI tools and a hospital in Jefferson County can participate in cutting-edge clinical trials. It’s the thread that connects education, innovation and economic resilience.
I’ve spent my career helping students believe they belong in STEM. Now I need Congress, including Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, to show they believe in them, too. Capito’s vote in favor of the Senate Commerce-Justice-Science bill was a positive step, but there’s still more work ahead to ensure sustained, robust support for federal science programs that power opportunity and innovation in West Virginia.
