Mathematical Sciences: Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE): A Transition Program for Women in the Mathematical Sciences

Bryn Mawr和Spelman学院已经建立了一个项目，其明确的目的是增加成功完成数学科学研究生课程的女性和少数族裔学生的数量。这项名为“增强研究生教育多样性(EDGE)”的计划旨在加强目标学生群体的能力，使他们能够成功地完成从本科到研究生的数学教育过渡，并在这些研究生课程中取得成功。该项目主要面向即将毕业的本科数学专业毕业生，他们将在明年秋季参加数学科学专业的研究生课程。在过去的四年里，首席调查人员共同指导了由NSF赞助的Spelman-Bryn Mawr暑期数学项目，旨在发现和鼓励有才华的年轻女性在数学科学领域追求职业生涯。现在，作为这一努力的继续，这两个机构正在解决一个持续存在的问题，这个问题继续阻碍着早期干预计划的努力，即数学研究生项目中有才华的女性和少数族裔学生的流失。这些群体的流失率高得不成比例，而且在一个项目中不成功的学生往往会完全失去机会。为了实现其目标，该计划帮助学生在分析和代数的基本领域培养更强大的背景。此外，该计划建立机制，为未来的女性研究生提供(1)清楚地了解研究生院对她们的期望，(2)增强她们在研究生院的信心和竞争能力所需的基本工具，(3)旨在让她们在开始研究生工作后继续从事数学科学的支持网络，(4)对数学及其与其他学科的联系的广阔视角，以及(5)了解她们在压力、小组学习和竞争环境下的优势和劣势。该计划的结构包括两个基本组成部分：(1)密集的暑期计划，以及(2)后续指导计划。暑期课程包括两门为期六周的核心课程；四门为期一周的数学研究领域的迷你课程；以及旨在为研究生资格考试做准备的问题课。指导计划让研究生机构参与确定适当的导师，这些导师将从学员开始研究生学习开始就为他们辩护。持续支持网络由首席调查人员、学生参与者和研究生导师提供。此外，该项目还包括与一位社会学家合作进行的一项综合研究，这位社会学家在调查高等教育和专业层面涉及性别和科学的问题方面经验丰富，目的是确定该计划在帮助学生就研究生教育的各个阶段进行协商方面的有效性。在四年的时间里，将直接支持40至50名妇女努力攻读数学科学博士学位，其中至少一半来自代表人数较少的少数群体。因此，预计妇女和少数族裔在数学科学研究生课程中的成功率将会提高，首先是参与机构的成功率。评估过程还将向数学界提供有关少数群体和妇女在数学科学研究生课程中的经验的大量数据。

Bryn Mawr and Spelman Colleges have established a program whose explicit purpose is to increase the number of women and minority students who successfully complete graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. This program, entitled "Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE)," is designed to strengthen the ability of the targeted student population to successfully negotiate the transition from undergraduate to graduate education in mathematics, and to succeed in those graduate programs. The program focuses primarily on recent graduates of undergraduate mathematics programs who will attend graduate programs in the mathematical sciences the following fall. For the past four years, the Principal Investigators have co-directed the NSF-sponsored Spelman-Bryn Mawr Summer Mathematics Program, aimed at identifying and encouraging talented young women to pursue careers in the mathematical sciences. Now, as a continuation of this effort, the two institutions are addressing a persistent problem that continues to thwart the efforts of earlier intervention programs, namely the attrition of talented women and minority students from graduate programs in mathematics. Attrition for these groups is disproportionately high, and students who are not successful in one program are often lost from the pipeline altogether. In order to realize its goals, the program helps students develop a stronger background in the basic areas of analysis and algebra. In addition, the program establishes mechanisms to provide prospective female graduate students with (1) a clear understanding of what will be expected of them in graduate school, (2) the basic tools needed to increase both their confidence and their ability to compete in graduate school, (3) a support network aimed at keeping them in the mathematical sciences once they have begun their graduate work, (4) a broad perspective about mathematics and its connections to other disciplines, and (5) an understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses under stress, in group study, and in a competitive environment. The structure of the program involves two basic components: (1) an intensive summer program, and (2) a follow-up mentoring program. The summer program includes two six-week core courses; four one-week minicourses on exciting areas of mathematical research; and problem sessions aimed at preparing participants for graduate qualifying exams. The mentoring program involves graduate institutions in the identification of appropriate mentors who will serve as advocates for the participants from the beginning of their graduate study. A continuing support network is provided by the Principal Investigators, student participants, and graduate student mentors. In addition, the project includes a comprehensive study, done in conjunction with a sociologist experienced in investigating issues involving gender and science in higher education and at the professional level, whose aim is to determine the effectiveness of the program in helping students to negotiate the various stages of their graduate education. Over a period of four years, between forty and fifty women, at least half of whom are from underrepresented minority groups, will be directly supported in their efforts to persist to the Ph.D. degree in the mathematical sciences. As a result, it is expected that the success rate of women and minorities in graduate programs in the mathematical sciences will increase, beginning with the rates at participating institutions. The evaluation process will also provide the mathematics community with intensive data about the experiences of minorities and women in graduate programs in the mathematical sciences.