Retaining and Graduating Low-Income Biology Students in STEM through Career Development and Discipline-specific Academic Support

该项目将通过支持表现出经济需要的成绩优异的低收入家庭学生的保留和毕业，满足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。该项目将为在多米尼加学院攻读生物学学位的26名本科生提供奖学金。多米尼加学院是一所四年制的西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）。该项目旨在通过将奖学金与支持活动（包括指导、本科生研究和学术支持）联系起来，提高学生在生物和科学职业道路上的保留率。新的生物学课程将向学生介绍新兴的生物学科，以及科学传播和职业规划。在HSI背景下对努力的评估有可能产生支持STEM低收入学生和增加STEM领域多样性的见解。该项目的总体目标是通过三个具体目标来提高低收入、成绩优异的生物学本科生的学位完成率。首先，该项目将招募26名计划主修生物学的一年级低收入家庭学生作为S-STEM学者。其次，该项目的目标是至少90%的学生在入学后的四年内毕业。第三，该项目的目标是，至少90%的学者将在毕业后六个月内在该地区获得STEM就业或研究生院的安置。以之前校园S-STEM项目的经验为指导，项目设计以研究实践为基础，包括STEM教师在主动学习和包容性教学实践中的专业发展，在一年级生物学课程中整合的课程研究经验，以及与当地行业代表和来自更大地区机构的STEM研究人员的紧密联系。此外，S-STEM学生将在大一期间一起体验两门新的生物学专业课程，这两门课程都强调专业和职业技能的发展。学者们将进一步得到同伴和教师导师的支持，并在整个本科阶段分享学术和研究经验。该项目将调查特定学科的学术和职业发展支持如何提高低收入学生对STEM的保留和坚持。项目评估将以逻辑模型、学者调查、活动参与跟踪、STEM课程表现和学者在生物学专业坚持的机构数据为指导。该项目的结果可能会产生与其他类似机构相关的模型的见解。传播将通过同行评议的期刊文章、会议演讲、机构网站和社交媒体完成。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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. The project will provide scholarships to 26 undergraduate students pursuing degrees in biology at Dominican College, a four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The project aims to increase student retention in biology and science career pathways by linking scholarships with supporting activities, including mentoring, undergraduate research, and academic support. New biology courses will introduce students to emerging biological disciplines, as well as science communication and career planning. Evaluation of the effort in the context of an HSI has the potential to generate insights into supporting low-income students in STEM and increasing diversity in STEM fields.The overall goal of the project is to increase degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates in biology through three specific goals. First, the project will recruit 26 first-year, low-income students planning to major in biology as S-STEM scholars. Second, the project aims to graduate at least 90% of these students within four years of matriculation. Third, the project has the goal that at least 90% of scholars will secure STEM employment or graduate school placement in the region within six months of graduation. Guided by lessons learned from a previous S-STEM program on the campus, program design is grounded in research-based practices, including STEM faculty professional development in active learning and inclusive teaching practices, course-based research experiences integrated in first-year biology courses, and strong connections to local industry representatives and STEM researchers from larger area institutions. Additionally, S-STEM scholars will experience two new biology major courses – both of which emphasize professional and career skill development – together as a cohort during their freshman year. Scholars will further be supported by peer- and faculty-mentors, as well as shared academic and research experiences as cohorts throughout their undergraduate experiences. The project will investigate how discipline-specific academic and career development supports may increase low-income student retention and persistence in STEM. Project evaluation will be guided by a logic model, scholar surveys, activity participation tracking, STEM course performance, and institutional data about scholar persistence in the biology major. Results of the project could yield insights about the model that would be relevant for other similar institutions. Disseminated will be accomplished through peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and the institutional website and social media. 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.