Georgia Southern University was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the top ten schools in the United States for minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The list ranked Georgia Southern 10th among universities that are well-known for quality education and consistently graduate high percentages of minorities in these fields.Bret Danilowicz, dean of the Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology, said the primary reasons Georgia Southern has been so successful at recruiting and retaining minority students in science, technology, engineering and math degree programs relates to the departments’ philosophies on faculty makeup, undergraduate research and outreach.“We have been very successful in hiring minority faculty, who become wonderful role models for students and we have a number of minority-focused student organizations that provide additional recognition and support,” he said. “We also strongly encourage undergraduates to get involved in research as early as their freshman year, which has been proven to improve retention rates for minority students.