Austin College's Career Empowering STEM Scholars

为了保持活力，美国经济必须在全球竞争，吸引投资，发展STEM劳动力。 这个NSF科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）项目将为16名学生提供奖学金，并为所有具有STEM职业目标的学生（约600名）提供增强的支持结构，从而增加他们在学术和就业方面取得成功的机会。 此外，奖学金获得者将通过与当地STEM雇主的联系，正式的职业准备机会和就业安置服务，接触生物学，生物化学，化学，计算机科学，数学和物理学的职业探索机会。 该项目的一个重要特点是，学者们将参与一个STEM领导力项目，该项目促进人际沟通、解决问题、协作工作、远见和规划以及道德意识技能的发展。研究表明，高等教育环境中的规范通常强调独立，可能会疏远来自强调相互依赖的群体的学生。 该项目将调查在STEM背景下发展相互依存的技能在促进学术成功方面的作用，特别是在学术天赋，低收入学生中的STEM成功。 相互依存的技能将通过参与STEM领导计划来培养，并通过队列会议和个人辅导来加强。 PI团队假设，使这些相互依赖的技能成为STEM专业发展的核心部分，可以促进所有学生的坚持和成功;特别是那些有资格获得S-STEM奖学金的学生。 形成性和总结性评估将包括收集与保留率和毕业率有关的数据，以及对研究生院和职业准备活动的有效性进行调查。 该项目的成果将通过教育期刊，如《高等教育杂志》、《大学科学教学杂志》和《科学教学研究杂志》，以及针对每个STEM专业的会议，如美国物理教师协会会议、化学教育工作者两年一度的会议等进行传播。

In order to remain vital, the American economy must compete globally, attract investment, and develop the STEM workforce. This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project will provide scholarships for 16 students and provide enhanced support structures to all students (approximately 600) with STEM career goals, thus increasing their chances of academic and employment success. Additionally, the scholarship recipients will be exposed to career exploration opportunities in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics through connections to local STEM employers, formalized career preparation opportunities, and job placement services. A key feature of the project will be the scholars' participation in a STEM leadership program that promotes the development of interpersonal communication, problem solving, collaborative work, foresight and planning, and moral consciousness skills.Research suggests that norms in higher educational settings typically emphasize independence and may be alienating to students who come from groups that emphasize interdependence. This project will investigate the role that the development of interdependent skills in the context of STEM has in promoting academic success generally, and success in STEM specifically among academically talented, low-income students. Interdependent skills will be nurtured through participation in the STEM leadership program and be reinforced through cohort meetings and individual mentoring. The PI team hypothesizes that making these interdependent skills a central part of professional development in STEM may foster the persistence and success of all students; particularly those eligible for S-STEM scholarships. Formative and summative evaluation will include collecting data related retention and graduation rates and surveys on the effectiveness of the graduate school and career preparation activities. Results from the project will be disseminated via education journals such as the Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Science Teaching, and Journal of Research in Science Teaching and at conferences specific to each STEM major like the American Association of Physics Teachers meetings, Biennial Conference of Chemical Educators, among others.