Smooth Transition for Advancement to Graduate Education (STAGE) for Underrepresented Minorities in Mathematical Sciences: A Pilot Project

美国一般人口和劳动力的性别和种族构成远比其科学和工程劳动力多样化。根据最新数据，在1998年至2008年的十年间，未被充分代表的少数民族（urm）平均获得了6.6%的数学科学博士学位，尽管urm占总人口的25%[来源：美国数学学会]。“数学科学少数族裔顺利过渡至研究生教育（STAGE）：试点项目”旨在让更多的大学数学硕士更好地准备攻读数学科学和其他STEM领域的研究生课程。STAGE项目设想了一个严格的大三和大四学生暑期培训项目，主要与传统黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）合作，其中包括与路易斯安那州五所HBCUs的合作。在三年的时间里，每年夏天，合格的学生将被带到路易斯安那大学拉斐特分校（UL Lafayette）校园，在一个由四名教师组成的项目团队（PT）的密切监督下工作。学生将参加相关主题的密集速成课程，然后进行指导研究项目。他们还将接受其他专业活动的培训，包括论文写作、研讨会演讲和课堂教学。STAGE的目标包括：(i)帮助学生拓宽数学科学在其他领域应用的视野；（ii）提高学生解决实际问题的求知欲；（三）创造一个培养环境，让学生沉浸在真实的研究生院体验中，这将提高他们从本科到研究生学习顺利过渡的能力。STAGE的更广泛影响将包括：(i)使数学科学界多样化；（ii）为更好的经济环境创造合格劳动力的临界质量；（iii）帮助弥合多数和URM社区在高等数学培训方面的成就差距；（iv）为全国其他地区树立榜样，使hbcu能够以合作的方式与其他大学合作，以增加URM对数学科学研究生学习的参与。在这个试点项目成功完成后，STAGE将扩大到包括更多的URM学生、来自hbcu的研究教员和来自其他大学的URM教员。

The gender and ethnic composition of the general US population and workforce is far more diverse than its science and engineering workforce. According to the latest data, during the decade 1998 -2008, underrepresented minorities (URMs) received an average 6.6% of the doctoral degrees awarded to US citizens in the mathematical sciences even though URMs constitute about 25% of the general population [Source: The American Mathematical Society]. The "Smooth Transition for Advancement to Graduate Education (STAGE) for Underrepresented Minorities in Mathematical Sciences: A Pilot Project" is designed to better prepare more URMs to pursue graduate studies in the mathematical sciences and other STEM areas. The STAGE project envisages a rigorous summer training program for juniors and seniors in cooperation primarily with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which includes a partnership with five Louisiana HBCUs. Over a period of three years, qualified students will be brought to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) campus during each summer to work under the close supervision of a project team (PT) of four faculty members. The students will attend intense crash courses on relevant topics followed by guided research projects. They will also be trained in other professional activities including paper writing, seminar presentations, and class-room teaching. The goals of STAGE include: (i) helping students broaden their vision about applications of mathematical sciences in other fields; (ii) enhancing students' inquisitiveness in solving applied problems; and (iii) creating a nurturing environment where the students will be immersed in a realistic graduate school experience which will enhance their ability to make a smooth transition from undergraduate to graduate studies. The broader impacts of STAGE will include - (i) diversifying the mathematical sciences community; (ii) creating a critical mass of a more qualified workforce for a better economic atmosphere; (iii) helping bridge the achievement gap between majority and URM communities in advanced mathematical training; and (iv) setting a model for the rest of the country where HBCUs can partner with other universities in a cooperative manner to increase URM participation in mathematical sciences graduate studies. Upon successful completion of this pilot project, STAGE will be expanded to include more URM students, research faculty members from HBCUs, and URM faculty members from other universities.