North Carolina LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Program at NCA&T (2015-2017)

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The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the 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. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T), a Historically Black University and lead institution for the North Carolina LSAMP (NCLSAMP), will serve as the host institution for the 2015-2017 cohort of BD Fellows. The NCLSAMP BD Program is designed to assist students' academic and social integration into the graduate school culture through a structured advisement and mentoring model. The strategies employed will contribute to the goal of increasing the quantity of well-trained, highly-skilled STEM professionals from underrepresented groups. Ultimately, these efforts would enhance diversity and representation in academia and the STEM workforce, thereby increasing the nation's competitiveness.The overall objectives of the BD Program at NCA&T are to recruit nationally a cohort of 12 former LSAMP students into STEM graduate programs at NCA&T and demystify the graduate degree process through intensive academic enrichment, professional development, involvement in faculty-led research, and mentoring. The activities, which are designed to assist the successful transition and retention of the BD Fellows, include: (i) regularly scheduled meetings with BD staff; (ii) financial support to attend and participate in professional meetings and seminars; (iii) active engagement in research during the academic year and summer; (iv) presentations at national conferences; (v) visitations to graduate research laboratories at other research-intensive institutions; and (vi) intensive preparation for application to selected STEM doctoral degree programs.