HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Building STEM identity to improve persistence, graduation and progression into STEM careers for diverse students

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With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Implementation and Evaluation project aims to build the STEM identity of minority students and positively impact their recruitment, persistence, graduation, and progression into STEM careers and/or graduate programs. Despite significant public and private investment, minority students are underrepresented in STEM fields. Research shows a positive, strong, and resilient STEM identity can translate into greater success for minority students. This project, Building Identity Leading to Diversity (BUILD), will strive to bolster minority students' STEM identity through reframing student mathematics experiences to reduce math anxiety, increasing participation in research by creating equitable opportunities, and creating a welcoming and inclusive community. BUILD plans to demonstrate that its comprehensive approach to building STEM identity will lead to persistence, achievement and attainment in STEM classes and degrees as well as improve the overall culture for underrepresented minority STEM students at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), resulting in a more diverse and prepared STEM workforce. Specific aims of the BUILD project are to build STEM identity translating to readiness for STEM studies in college, graduate programs and STEM careers; increase the number of underrepresented minority students in STEM majors and improve their graduation rate; increase the number of underrepresented minority students in STEM careers; and build wide-ranging community, campus, and industry partnerships to ensure the sustainability of this effort. A primary BUILD research question: Do activities and comprehensive student services developing STEM identity correlate to broader participation and improve educational metrics in underrepresented minority students as they pursue careers and graduate programs in STEM? A mixed methodology evaluation process will be used to study how BUILD activities and resources contribute to underrepresented minority students’ STEM identity. Lessons learned will be applied to existing projects, specifically middle and high school pathway programs offered through MSU Denver and shared with STEM faculty, advisors within MSU Denver as well as other institutions, expanding BUILD’s impact. Project results that contribute to the knowledge base about math anxiety, high impact practices and STEM identity will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations, BUILD website, social media and other digital platforms. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.