The National Science Foundation has awarded UTEP with a $1.2 million grant to educate physics teachers of the future.

Over five years, the university will use the money to provide $10,000 scholarships for 42 juniors and seniors majoring in science and mathematics who plan to pursue a minor in secondary education and become a certificated high school teacher in those feilds.

“The need for more high school teachers in physics is especially dire in Texas because students now have to take four years of science, but there aren’t enough physics teachers,” said Dr. Eric Hagedorn, Associate Professor of Physics at UTEP.

The Ysleta Independent School District will match funds for half of the students selected for the scholarships.