Broadening Opportunities for Biologists

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Intellectual Merit: The project provides each of 3 cohorts of 11 academically talented, community college transfer students with two-year scholarships to pursue bachelor's degrees in the life sciences. Academic support includes a transfer orientation class, advising, peer mentoring, and tutoring. Professional development includes a job search strategies class, career awareness seminars, activities with professional biologists, and optional internships, research projects, and trips to scientific meetings. Students are maintaining portfolios to document progress to potential employers or admissions boards and facilitate program evaluation. Program components are being integrated into existing requirements in individual plans of study to prevent overburdening students and to increase student investment in and commitment to these activities. Broader Impacts: The program provides participants, especially first generation and underrepresented minorities, with the financial, academic, and professional development support needed to complete a life sciences degree and enter the workforce or pursue postgraduate education. The program is leveling a barrier facing STEM students from two-year institutions by 1) transforming advising practices and 2) encouraging students at the two-year schools to take foundational STEM courses in synchrony with the 4-year programs, facilitating a seamless transfer and decreasing attrition rate and time to completion of the B.S. degree. It also is increasing links between undergraduate education and industry through career seminars and internship opportunities.