WSU Students ASK: A Success & Scholarship Program for Students Applying Scientific Knowledge

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With funding from the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, the "WSU Students ASK: A Success and Scholarship Program for Students Applying Scientific Knowledge" will support high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. The program focuses on supporting the success of mathematics and science majors at Wright State University. This S-STEM Track 2 project is expected to last five years and will provide scholarships to 42 financially at-risk students majoring in science and mathematics. The scholarships will begin in the students' second year of college. The project includes a comprehensive mentoring and experiential learning pathway to support students' academic and career development.All scholarship students will participate in at least one year of undergraduate research. During their second year in college (first year in the program), scholarship recipients will enroll in a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, then join a faculty research team for one semester. The program will support students who want to continue their research through the summer. In their third year, students can continue to pursue research, or participate in external internships and related opportunities. The fourth year focuses on assisting students with career placement and/or application to graduate or professional programs. The project team will conduct research that can contribute new knowledge about the impact of experiential learning coupled with financial aid on scientific skill set development, STEM community membership, and academic success. Program assessment will include a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative methods, network analysis, and statistical modeling. Since Wright State has an academically heterogeneous student body compared to many other undergraduate research institutions, the project team will focus on a study of factors that help to scale the many positive effects of this program to a more diverse population of students. The project has the potential to generate new knowledge about four dimensions (experiential STEM learning, membership in the STEM community, skill development, and academic success) relevant to the success of low-income, academically talented students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.