Improving Student Success in Science and Mathematics through Mentoring and Research Engagement

该项目将通过支持加州大学默塞德的高成就、低收入学生的保留和毕业，为国家对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求做出贡献。加州大学默塞德是一个西班牙裔服务（HSI），少数民族服务（MSI），亚裔美国人和美国原住民太平洋岛民服务机构（AANAPISI）总部设在圣华金河谷在加州中部，服务学生的人才，包括74%的第一代，64%佩尔合格，和58%的群体在干学科代表性不足。在6年的时间里，该项目将为30名正在攻读应用数学、生物学、化学、环境科学或物理学学士学位的全日制学生提供奖学金。一年级学生将获得四年的奖学金，专注于教育目标，建立STEM身份，并坚持到毕业。该项目旨在通过将奖学金与学术支持、早期研究机会的资助和指导、同龄人的社区发展以及丰富活动联系起来，提高学生在STEM领域的保留率。作为一个新的研究型大学服务于高度多样化和大多数第一代和佩尔合格的学生，该项目将通过增加他们在STEM专业的坚持，并为研究生院和STEM职业做好准备，在学者的教育轨迹上产生重大影响。经验教训将有助于支持未来的加州大学默塞德STEM专业超越赠款期，扩大现有的知识基础，并告知其他机构希望确定成功的模式，为学生的途径，研究生院和学术卓越。该项目的总体目标是提高低收入，高成就的本科生与证明财政需要的STEM学位完成。通过认真和有意整合现有的学生服务和以证据为基础的实践，以促进学生的成功，该项目将：（i）创建一个为期四年的计划，促进学生对研究的兴趣，将学生与研究机会联系起来，并为研究生工作/STEM职业做好准备;（ii）提供课程和课外活动，以提高学术成就，坚持和保留，并及时在STEM学科毕业;（iii）提供课程和课外活动，以促进STEM身份和自我效能;（iv）通过学习社区和同伴，近同伴和教师导师支持学生取得成功。确定哪些因素最有助于科学身份的形成和STEM职业的最终持久性，特别是对于来自STEM代表性不足的群体的学生，仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。在他们的学位课程学生的态度和持久性的评估将推进科学教育界的理解两个具体的研究问题：在何种程度上做早期的研究经验和相关的程序元素促进干身份，自我效能感，并坚持学生从群体代表性不足的干？一个全面的教师和同伴指导和支持系统的哪些组成部分是最有效的促进干身份，自我效能，并从STEM代表性不足的群体的学生的持久性？所产生的知识将通过在科学教育会议上的介绍和期刊出版物广泛传播。该项目由NSF的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金计划资助，该计划旨在增加低收入学术人才的数量，这些学生表现出经济需求，并获得STEM领域的学位。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low- income students with demonstrated financial need at the University of California, Merced. UC Merced is a Hispanic-Serving (HSI), Minority-Serving (MSI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) based in the San Joaquin Valley in central California, serving a talented population of students including 74% first-generation, 64% Pell eligible, and 58% from groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships for 30 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, or physics. First-year students will receive scholarships for four years to focus on educational goals, build STEM identity, and persist to graduation. The project aims to increase student retention in STEM fields by linking scholarships with academic support, funding and mentoring for early research opportunities, community development in peer cohorts, and enrichment activities. As a newer research university serving a highly diverse and majority first generation and Pell-eligible students, this project will make a significant difference in the educational trajectories of scholars by increasing their persistence in STEM majors and preparing them for graduate school and STEM careers. Lessons learned will help support future UC Merced STEM majors beyond the grant period, broaden the existing knowledge base, and inform other institutions looking to identify successful models for student pathways to graduate school and academic excellence.The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high- achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Through careful and intentional integration of existing student services and evidence-based practices for student success, this project will: (i) create a four-year program that promotes student interest in research, connects students to research opportunities, and increases readiness for graduate work/STEM career; (ii) offer curricular and co-curricular activities to increase academic success, persistence and retention, and timely graduation in STEM disciplines; (iii) offer curricular and co-curricular activities to promote STEM identity and self-efficacy; and (iv) support student success with learning communities and peer, near-peer, and faculty mentors. Establishing which factors best contribute to the formation of a science identity and ultimate persistence in STEM careers, particularly for students from groups underrepresented in STEM, remains an open question. Assessment of student attitudes and persistence during their degree program will advance the science education community’s understanding on two specific research questions: To what extent do early research experiences and related program elements promote STEM identity, self-efficacy, and persistence of students from groups underrepresented in STEM? What components of a comprehensive faculty and peer mentoring and support system are most effective in promoting STEM identity, self-efficacy, and persistence of students from groups underrepresented in STEM? Knowledge generated will be disseminated broadly, through presentations at science education conferences and journal publications. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income 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.