Affording Opportunities for Sustained Success of STEM Students

俄亥俄州阿克伦大学的国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目将为有经济需求和学术天赋的科学、数学、工程或技术(STEM)学生提供奖学金。这些学者将攻读生物医学工程、化学和生物分子工程、土木工程、电气和计算机工程、生物、数学、化学或地质学等领域的学士学位。来自俄亥俄州经济最贫困地区阿巴拉契亚的学生将被积极招募。通过该计划，奖学金获得者将发展个人和专业技能，以确保他们在工作场所取得成功。该项目允许阿克伦大学提供奖学金，直接解决全国关注的一个领域：保持美国在高科技行业的竞争力。为学业优秀的学生提供奖学金，否则他们可能负担不起上大学的费用，这将增加准备支持国家、地区和地方公司的毕业生数量。该计划的成功将培养出一支训练有素的劳动力队伍，为俄亥俄州和国家的经济增长做出贡献。该计划将提供一系列学生支持活动，包括STEM特定的学习社区、特定的实验室、团队建设教育活动、特定的学术建议和指导；以及为奖学金获得者提供研究特定的课程机会。这些集体支持和方案活动将提高学生的留校率和毕业率。每个学生都将有一名学术顾问和STEM教师顾问。在头两年，学习社区将被用来促进学生在学年和为期一周的实验室和团队建设活动中的互动。在大三期间，学生们将在一个学分的课程中会面，规划一个跨学科的设计项目，并接受职业规划和建议。这些学者的项目将在大四期间以一学分的课程完成。项目将涉及生物技术或环境应用。评估和评估将深入了解学生奖学金、职业发展活动以及教师指导和建议的留任好处。从项目评估数据中吸取的经验教训和有效的做法将广泛传播给STEM教育界，并有助于增加对成功的学生奖学金和支持计划的属性和做法的广泛了解。

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio will provide scholarships to science, mathematics, engineering, or technology (STEM) students with demonstrated financial need and academic talent. These scholars will pursue bachelor's degrees in the fields of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry or Geology. Students from Appalachia, the most economically disadvantaged area in Ohio, will be actively recruited. Through the program, scholarship recipients will develop personal and professional skills to ensure that they will be successful in the workplace. The program allows the University of Akron to offer scholarships to directly address an area of national concern: maintaining US competitiveness in high technology industries. Scholarships for academically strong students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, will increase the number of graduates prepared to support national, regional, and local companies. The success of the program will produce a well-trained workforce that will contribute to the economic growth of Ohio and the nation.The program will provide a range of student support activities including a STEM-specific learning community, cohort specific laboratories, a team building educational event, cohort specific academic advising and mentoring; and research specific course opportunities for scholarship recipients. These collective support and programmatic activities will increase the retention and graduation rates of students. Each student will have both an academic advisor and STEM faculty advisor. In the first two years, a learning community will be used to facilitate interaction between students during both the academic year and a weeklong laboratory and team building activity. During their junior year, students will meet in a one-credit course to plan an interdisciplinary design project, as well as receive career planning and advising. The scholars' projects will be completed in a one-credit course during the senior year. Projects will address a biotechnology or environmental application. Assessment and evaluation will provide insight into the retention benefits of student scholarships, career development activities, and faculty mentoring and advising. Lessons learned and effective practices that emerge from the program evaluation data will be disseminated widely to the STEM education community and help increase widespread understanding of the attributes and practices of successful student scholarship and support programs.