REU Site: Chemical Science Leadership Initiative (CSLI)

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the EPSCoR Office at the National Science Foundation supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site led by professors Karl S. Booksh and Sharon Rozovsky at the University of Delaware. The research projects supported at this Site entitled "Chemical Sciences Leadership Initiative" (CSLI), is dedicated to preparing students with disabilities to become tomorrow's leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The activities of CSLI address psychological and sociological studies on "solo status" and "stereotype threat" that identify the negative consequences of being a minority group member within a large organization and how the negative consequences manifest as decreased performance and persistence in post-secondary education. The goal of the REU is to provide the students with a positive learning experience that delivers the knowledge and skills required to succeed in graduate school despite added pressures derived from external factors. CSLI combines a research experience for undergraduates in a state-of-the-art laboratory with classroom material designed to prepare students for success in graduate school. Available research opportunities span all five sub-disciplines of Chemistry. Additionally, a seminar series and field trips will provide participants with a broader context from which to plan careers and make decisions on graduate school selection options. Following the 10-week summer session, students will present their research at the following spring American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition and will be invited to participate in the meeting and activities with the ACS Committee on Chemists with Disabilities.People with disabilities are a significantly underrepresented minority in STEM. Graduate school has become a critical juncture where STEM students with disabilities disproportionately abandon educational advancement. Although 10% of STEM undergraduate majors and 6% of STEM graduate students have disabilities, only 1% of STEM doctorates are earned by students with disabilities. The REU Site also focuses on mentoring assistant professors in working with coordinated outreach programs in general and mentoring students with disabilities in specific. Of the nine core mentors, seven are assistant professors and two are full professors who will serve dual roles as mentors-to-students and mentors-to-mentors. Assessment will be performed through the Delaware Education Research and Development Center.