Creating a Path to STEM Careers in Psychology for Under-Represented Minorities

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This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing the participation of Under-Represented Minority (URM) students in STEM based neuroscience psychology programs and careers. The project will develop a STEM minor curriculum in psychology informed by instructional pedagogy that promotes science-based education within the context of academic supplemental instruction, cohort models, and student support. The project will investigate how the inclusion of a STEM minor in a Psychology degree program can increase retention, persistence to graduation, and successful transfer of URM students to 4-year college neuroscience degree programs and careers. Further, the project will assess and evaluate how a seamless articulation between CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and City College of New York (CCNY) can cultivate psychology students that i) are well prepared for STEM based classes, ii) have the confidence to persist in a 4-year neuroscience focused degree, and iii) have a positive outlook for neuroscience-focused careers.The BMCC STEM minor in psychology will require students to fulfill the general education science and math requirements with revised courses in neurobiology and mathematics foundations essential for the career fields of neuroscience, data science, and digital/AI. The minor will include upper-level courses in Behavioral Statistics, Cognitive Psychology, and Research in Psychology. These courses will align with senior college transfer requirements. Additional credits will be included in the minor as upper-level science courses to build a stronger biological and mathematical foundation for students entering senior college neuroscience programs. The STEM minor will require that students participate in the psychology laboratories where they will learn about neuroscience assessment as well as have opportunities to participate with faculty in research projects. In addition to these academic revisions, the project plans to develop the following interventions: i) Cognitive: Cohort building in conjunction with supplemental instruction, contextualized tutoring, and research collaborations with faculty; ii) Non-Cognitive: Academic mindset, perseverance, learning strategies, social skills, and academic behaviors that affect success in STEM courses. The findings can be modeled by other community colleges in the STEM education community and have the potential to have a positive impact on the well-being of diverse student populations. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.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.