Testing a Model for Attracting Students into STEM: Behavioral Neuroscience at Andrews University

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Biological Sciences (61) The interdisciplinary Behavioral Neuroscience program at Andrews University is modeled after the very successful student development program of their Biology Department. The primary objective of the Biology program is to attract undergraduate students with promise and interest in biology into science-based careers, including research. Students graduating from this program are unusually successful, scoring above the 90th percentile on nationally normed exit exams and demonstrating greater than 90% acceptance rate into graduate programs and an 85% acceptance rate into medical schools. The program also has demonstrated success rates with students from underrepresented minorities.Factors resulting in the unusual success experienced by the Biology graduates have not been clearly demonstrated. The PIs are taking an experimental approach to answering these questions. This involves the development and implementation of the interdisciplinary program in Behavioral Neuroscience based on the features of the Biology program and recruitment into the program that targets non-STEM majors. Careful assessment of the new program is being used to define the factors that are responsible for the success of the students.