The Science Scholars Program

为了增加阿尔玛学院生物学、生物化学、生物技术、化学、数学、计算机科学和物理等学科的毕业生数量，该项目将提供财政支持以及奖学金获得者取得学业成功所需的工具和经验。该项目将建立在从NSF-STEP项目(现在得到该机构的充分支持)中吸取的经验教训的基础上，该项目旨在增强第一年的经验。基于证据的做法，如在学习社区中产生的同行支持，通过指导提前接触教员，以及融入该机构丰富的本科生研究文化，将是该项目留住STEM专业20名参与者的核心方法。该项目立足于当地和区域社区的需要，应有助于扩大第一代学生在攻读和获得STEM学位方面的参与。为学业优秀的STEM学生提供奖学金，否则他们可能负担不起上大学的费用，这会影响准备帮助国家、地区和地方公司的STEM毕业生的数量。有才华的STEM毕业生帮助美国行业在全球经济中竞争和创新。在研究表明学生可以通过参与学科研究来培养他们作为科学家的身份的基础上，该项目将包括以下活动：(A)邀请参加通过NSF-STEP项目设计的大学前体验(一系列课程、研讨会和社区建设活动，最终是一个暑期研究项目)，(B)一个特别的一年级研讨会，旨在向学者介绍生物技术和环境监测等跨学科研究主题，(C)与行业专业人士配对的导师，以及(D)有保障的有偿研究机会。预计项目评估的结果将有助于帮助建立关于STEM保持与学生作为科学家和研究人员的自我认同之间的相关性的知识库。形成性和总结性评价将包括对项目组成部分与成功实现这一目标的配合程度的分析。在大学范围内使用的标准化调查工具(全国学生参与度调查[NSSE]和合作院校研究计划-调查[CIRP])将与定制的评估和评估工具一起使用。此外，从事研究、提交论文并进入科学研究生和专业课程的参与者将在毕业时被跟踪。评估结果的传播将通过网络研讨会、午餐，以及全国会议，如启动和维持本科生研究计划的年度CUR研究所和全国转型学生会议。具体的学科介绍场所将包括美国化学学会的年度会议、学院和大学生物学教育工作者协会的年度会议以及美国物理教师协会全国会议。

To increase the number of academically talented and financially disadvantaged Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics graduates at Alma College, this project will provide financial support along with the tools and experiences the scholarship recipients need to achieve academic success. The project will build on lessons learned from an NSF-STEP project (now fully supported by the institution) that was designed to enhance the first-year experience. Evidence-based practices such as peer support generated in Learning Communities, early access to faculty through mentoring, and integration into the institution's rich undergraduate research culture will be central to the project's approach to retaining 20 participants in the STEM majors. The project is grounded in the needs of the local and regional community and should help to broaden the participation of first-generation students in the pursuit and attainment of STEM degrees. Scholarships for academically strong STEM students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, have an impact on the number of STEM graduates prepared to help national, regional, and local companies. Talented STEM graduates help US industries to compete and innovate in a global economy. Building on research that shows that students' identities as scientist can be cultivated by their participation in disciplinary research, the project will incorporate the following activities: (a) an invitation to take part in pre-college experiences designed through the NSF-STEP project (a series of courses, seminars, and community building activities that culminates with a summer research project), (b) a special first-year seminar designed to introduce scholars to interdisciplinary research topics such as biotechnology and environmental monitoring, (c) mentor matching to professionals in industry, and (d) guaranteed, paid research opportunities. It is expected that the findings from the project evaluation will help to contribute to the knowledge base regarding the correlation of STEM retention to student's self-identification as scientists and researchers. Formative and summative evaluation will consist of an analysis of how well the project components align with successful attainment of this goal. Standardized survey instruments that are used college wide (the National Survey of Student Engagement [NSSE] and the Cooperative Institutional Research Program-survey [CIRP]) will be used along with customized assessment and evaluation instruments. In addition, participants who do research, present papers, and enter graduate and professional programs in the sciences will be tracked upon graduation. Dissemination of the results of evaluation will be done through webinars, brown bag lunches, and at national meetings like the Annual CUR Institute on Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs and the National Conference on Students in Transition. Discipline specific presentation venues will include the annual meetings of the American Chemical Society, the Annual Meeting of the Association of College and University Biology Educators, and the American Association of Physics Teachers National Meeting.