Undergraduate Scholarships for Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM)

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The Undergraduate Scholarships for Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM) project will provide scholarships to the academically talented and low-income Water Resources Management (WRM) and Environmental Engineering (ENE) undergraduate students at Central State University (CSU). The USE4WRM project will utilize targeted enrollment of academically prepared students to improve retention and graduation rates. The project aims to address the wide gap in enrollment of high school graduates into college in the STEM fields between low-income and underrepresented communities and the general population. Traditionally CSU has attracted large numbers of underrepresented minorities and the program will lead to the matriculation of a more diversified set of graduates in environmental sciences.The USE4WRM program will recruit 14 high school students into the ENE and WRM programs in two cohorts. Scholars will receive scholarships, mentoring, advising, tutoring and personal development services for four years. Under the guidance of faculty, each cohort will form a learning community in which curricular and experimental learning experiences through internships are shared. Academic performance indicators of the cohorts and the scholar surveys will be used in program assessment. An external evaluator team will evaluate the success of the program and will utilize data mining techniques to analyze academic performance indicators of the cohorts and responses from the surveys by students and faculty mentors. The research team will use this data to answer the research questions, "Are the support systems planned, fully effective for the average profile of the student in the program?" and "Are there differences in the use of support systems based on the gender of the student?" Results from this research will generate evidence regarding the efficacy of existing recruitment and retention techniques. Knowledge gained within the ENE and WRM programs will be extended and applicable to other STEM fields.