Bridge to the Doctorate 2016-18 at UMCP

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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. BD provides support for post-baccalaureate studies in STEM programs leading to STEM graduate degrees for those students who were active (certified) participants in LSAMP activities as undergraduates. The University System of Maryland (USM) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as the lead institution, has strengthened both the undergraduate and graduate education pipelines and has created an expanded community of scholars within STEM disciplines. USM's BD Activity advances knowledge and understanding of graduate recruitment, retention, and persistence of underrepresented students in STEM fields. As a result, this program has provided and will continue to provide the country with well-trained, highly-skilled STEM professionals who will have core competencies in their disciplines and excellent training in research. The University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) is the host site for the 2016-2018 Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity for the USM-LSAMP. USM's BD supports 12 STEM graduate students selected from LSAMP programs across the nation and Puerto Rico. The BD Activity at UMCP will broaden participation of underrepresented students in STEM doctoral programs and in STEM research, by providing financial, academic, professional and social support to a cohort of 12 graduate students. Through BD community meetings, advising, counseling and follow-up, BD Fellows will experience a smooth transition into graduate education and become engaged in a supportive community comprised of students, faculty and staff. Additionally, BD Fellows will expand their research and professional training through numerous opportunities to participate in scientific meetings and research symposia. USM's BD will expand students' access to professional and personal development resources through a series of activities in collaboration with the UMCP Sloan Scholars Program, the UMCP GEM Fellows Program, and the Maryland Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program.