Creating Scientific Leaders among Students Underrepresented in STEM Disciplines via a Holistic Model at a Research-Active, Liberal Arts College

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Furman University is directing a science-based scholarship program through the NSF S-STEM funding mechanism providing 15-21 financial aid awards of up to $40,000/student over a period of five years. The need for such a science-focused initiative targeting South Carolina students from underrepresented minority (URM) groups is acute, as enrollment of African-American students in public K-12 schools approaches 40%, but the annual number of Ph.D. awards in STEM fields within this group is historically less than 5%. In this context, Furman has an outstanding record of matriculating undergraduates from all backgrounds into STEM-based graduate programs, and the SOAR (Science Opportunities, Activities and Resources) Scholars initiative provides critical support for students for whom the cost of attendance would be a hardship. A primary goal of this award is thus establishing Furman as a financially accessible option to a larger fraction of talented students, particularly those from regional underserved and/or URM populations. Furman's S-STEM SOAR Scholars are students expressing intent to major in Chemistry or Biology, recruited and selected based on financial need, demonstrated academic merit, and outcomes from on-campus interviews. SOAR Scholars are benefitting from a host of program activities including a mandatory pre-college bridge experience offered immediately prior to the freshman year, weekly interdisciplinary seminars, opportunities for science-based community outreach through established programs directed at disadvantaged populations, and guaranteed placement into (optional) on-campus paid summer research experiences. Additional supporting mechanisms aimed at sustaining high rates of retention and graduation among SOAR Scholars include peer mentoring programs, regular meetings with permanently assigned secondary advisors, free on-campus tutoring and the active participation of Furman's Office of Multicultural Affairs.