PGE/SEP: Project ADVANCE: Developing A Resilient Cohort of Women in Quantitative Sciences

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HRD-9979478Duke UniversityProject Advance at Duke University will recruit and develop a resilient cohort of talented first-year women students in the quantitative sciences, focusing particularly on mathematics, computer science, and statistics. As a highly selective private research university, Duke attracts women undergraduates with demonstrated excellence in science and mathematics and high self-esteem. We seek to sustain and enhance these characteristics by developing an experimental project that intentionally links pedagogical components of the first-year curriculum, introduces an innovative, interdisciplinary half-credit seminar designed to develop students' self-perceptions and identity as scientists, and establishes a structure for guided mentorships to help this talented cohort navigate successfully through science and mathematics experiences. We have targeted the first college year because of the critical role it plays in the transition from high school to the undergraduate major, in fostering women's identity as scientists and mathematicians, and in providing the skills and experiences requisite for advanced study and successful careers. This multidimensional project builds on the pedagogies of engagement and current research on processes, such as self-identity and negative stereotypes, that have been shown to facilitate or inhibit achievement. It will provide experimental data that can be broadened across the sciences and serve as a model for how research universities, in general, can foster a more welcoming environment for the retention and support of women and, thus, foster careers of distinction.