Texas A&M University System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TAMUS LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BTD) Cohort XI (2015 - 2017) Program

Louis Stokes少数族裔参与联盟(LSAMP)计划帮助大学和学院通过培养具有高度竞争力的学生来实现科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)劳动力的多元化，这些学生来自历史上在STEM学科中代表性较低的群体：非洲裔美国人、阿拉斯加原住民、美国印第安人、西班牙裔美国人、夏威夷原住民和太平洋原住民。LSAMP通向博士的桥梁(BD)活动的目标是提高STEM研究生的数量和质量，重点是博士入学和完成学业。对于保持全球竞争力的美国来说，至关重要的是挖掘其所有公民的才华，并在支撑知识经济的STEM领域提供出色的教育准备。德克萨斯农工大学是德克萨斯农工大学系统(TAMUS)LSAMP的主要机构，将接待他们的第11批BD研究员。该计划的目标是通过培养他们的准备，鼓励他们渴望完成STEM博士学位，并让他们做好准备，成为跨学科研究和学术界的领导者，在12名首次代表不足的STEM研究生中培养学术成功。通过增加最终进入STEM劳动力队伍的经过充分准备和高素质的博士人数，TAMUS LSAMP BTD计划有可能为国家经济和繁荣的增长做出重大贡献。TAMUS LSAMP BD计划的目标将通过TAMU理学院(COS)、德怀特·洛克工程学院(COE)、农业与生命科学学院(COALS)和TAMU地球科学学院(COG)之间的合作实现。该计划的五个主要组成部分是(1)专业发展，(2)学术支持和社会融合，(3)指导，(4)领导力发展，和(5)学生支持和社区建设。具有不同STEM学科和共同目标的12名BD研究员将作为一个共同的社区接受为期两年的培训，并将相互分享协调的资源和丰富智力的小组活动，并与TAMU更多的STEM研究生共享资源，以造福所有人。该计划的目标包括：(1)在完成为期两年的NSF BD计划后，留住研究员并为其提供资金；(2)培养研究员，以应对完成STEM博士课程和可能在高等教育中从事学术生涯的挑战；以及(3)培养完成博士课程后成功成为年轻STEM专业人员所需的领导技能。在TAMU的前五个队列中支持的60名BD研究员中，有26人已经完成了博士学位。在STEM，12人正在顺利地攻读博士学位。

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce through the development of highly competitive students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. The goal of the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity is to increase the quantity and quality of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations, with emphasis on Ph.D. matriculation and completion. For the U.S. to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. Texas A&M University, lead institution of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) LSAMP, will host their 11th cohort of BD Fellows. The goal of the program is to foster academic success in a cohort of twelve first-time underrepresented STEM graduate students by developing their readiness and encouraging eagerness to complete STEM doctoral degrees and by preparing them to take their place as leaders in interdisciplinary research and in academia. By increasing the number of well-prepared and highly qualified Ph.Ds that ultimately enter the STEM workforce, TAMUS LSAMP BTD program has the potential to contribute significantly to the increase of this nation's economy and prosperity.The objectives of the TAMUS LSAMP BD Program will be achieved through collaborations among the College of Science (COS), the Dwight Look College of Engineering (COE), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS), and the College of Geosciences (COG) at TAMU. The five major components of the program are (1) professional development, (2) academic support and social integration, (3) mentoring, (4) leadership development, and (5) student support and community building. The twelve BD Fellows with differing STEM disciplines and a common purpose will be nurtured for two years as a cohorted community and will share coordinated resources and intellectually enriching group activities with each other, and also with the larger population of STEM graduate students at TAMU, for the benefit of all. The objectives of the program include (1) retention of fellows into doctoral programs with funding after completion of the two-year NSF BD program, (2) preparation of fellows to meet the challenges of completing STEM doctoral programs and for possible academic careers in higher education, and (3) leadership skill development necessary to succeed as young STEM professionals upon completion of doctoral programs of study. Out of the 60 BD fellows supported in the first five cohorts at TAMU, 26 have completed their Ph.Ds. in STEM and 12 are progressing well towards the doctoral degree.