The National Science Foundation has awarded Simpson College a $338,000 STEM grant that will be used over a three-year period to redesign Simpson’s data analytics minor. Simpson’s math department, led by faculty Marilyn Vazquez and Heidi Berger, collaborated with Colin Payton, former director of the college’s Writing Center, to develop the proposal. The grant will lead to more partnerships between the Writing Center and the math department, a news release said. “Working together, we want to ensure that students of varying backgrounds have increased access to this in-demand field of study,” Berger said in a prepared statement. “And this is really just the beginning. We hope this project will pave the way to future grants for growing our impact in STEM-related education.”