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、计算机科学和物理学专业的学术人才和经济困难毕业生的数量，该项目将为奖学金获得者提供财务支持，以及获得学术成功所需的工具和经验。该项目将以NSF-STEP项目（现在由该机构完全支持）的经验教训为基础，该项目旨在提高第一年的经验。基于证据的实践，如在学习社区中产生的同伴支持，通过指导早期接触教师，以及融入该机构丰富的本科生研究文化，将是该项目留住20名STEM专业参与者的核心方法。该项目以本地和区域社区的需要为基础，应有助于扩大第一代学生在追求和获得STEM学位方面的参与。为那些可能无法负担大学费用的学术优秀的STEM学生提供奖学金，会影响准备帮助国家、地区和当地公司的STEM毕业生的数量。有才华的STEM毕业生帮助美国工业在全球经济中竞争和创新。研究显示，参与学科研究可以培养学生的科学家身份，该项目将包括以下活动：(a)邀请学生参加通过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，最终以夏季研究项目结束），(b)专门的第一年研讨会，旨在向学者介绍跨学科研究主题，如生物技术和环境监测，(c)导师与行业专业人士的匹配，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建立有关STEM保留与学生作为科学家和研究人员自我认同的相关性的知识库。形成性和总结性评估将包括对项目组成部分与成功实现这一目标的一致程度的分析。在大学范围内使用的标准化调查工具（全国学生参与调查[NSSE]和合作机构研究计划调查[CIRP]）将与定制的评估和评估工具一起使用。此外，在科学领域从事研究、发表论文、进入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、便当午餐和全国会议进行，如美国大学研究生院启动和维持本科研究项目年度研究所和全国过渡学生会议。特定学科的演讲场地将包括美国化学会年会、学院和大学生物教育者协会年会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.