The University along with The University of Toledo and the Ohio Board of Regents (OBOR) announced yesterday that Northwest Ohio would be home to one of three centers of excellence in science and mathematics.

The Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education: Opportunities for Success (COSMOS) is being funded by a four-year, $1 million grant from the OBOR.

ìThe legislature, in this era of tight budgets is looking to fund success,î said Ohio Senator Randy Gardner of the money being budgeted for the program.

Although funding for education is tight these days, the legislature has already allotted the funds for the first year ($250,000). It will however be up to subsequent legislators to give the additional $750,000 to the program.

According to Barbara Moses, the director of COSMOS at the University, the overall goal of COSMOS is ìto excel in mathematics and science teacher education through coordinated and collaborative standards-based best practices.î

The group hopes to unify the world of education in science in order to make education in the science and math areas more complete. COSMOS aim is to help better educate those who will become teachers so that they can better educate tomorrowís students.

Members of COSMOS said the program is important because there are people in the workforce do not have adequate math skills. Improving these skills will improve the quality of industry.

However, Moses was unsure how education students at the University would be directly affected but she anticipates that in the future there will be courses to come out of COSMOS. She added that the courses would be cooperative with other university members of COSMOS, including UT and Owens Community College.

ìBecause we all win if we have better graduates in science and mathematics. And we all loose if we donít,î Sidney Ribeau, president of the University, said of the importance of this program. There are other COSMOS programs throughout Ohio, including Northeast and West Central Ohio.