Establishing a High Impact Undergraduate STEM Summer Research Experience Early in College that Leads to Improved Student Outcomes

在改善本科 STEM 教育：西班牙裔服务机构 (HSI) 计划的支持下，该项目旨在提高拉丁学生在瑞吉斯大学攻读生命科学学位的保留率和成功率。 具体来说，该项目将为本科生在大学经历的早期阶段创建一个由教师指导的付费夏季研究项目。大学一年级和二年级之间的过渡是学生决定是否继续深造 STEM 的关键时刻。暑期研究经验在多个机构广泛提供，但学生在学习过程的早期可能无法获得，特别是在他们拥有基础实验室和研究经验之前，以及他们很有可能离开科学领域的时候。此外，里吉斯大学的学生越来越多地是第一代拉丁裔学生，他们可能对自己的时间有额外的要求，例如家庭承诺。通过教师指导的暑期研究经历为学生创造有偿参与研究的机会，有可能消除学生探索科学研究的障碍。 需要暑期工作的学生将能够在经济上支持自己，同时培养在常规学期中可能难以实现的重要的职业相关技能。该计划旨在通过以下方式提高本科生在生命科学领域的保留率和成功率：1）减少与教师一起参与真实研究经验的障碍； 2）在本科学习第一年和第二年之间的关键过渡点指导学生进行指导性研究； 3）提供专业发展和队列模型，以更好地为学生在STEM领域的继续教育或职业做好准备，并增强他们对STEM的归属感； 4）建立一个教育环境，让教师导师向学生了解他们的需求以及如何最好地支持他们。该项目将使用之前经过验证的工具来衡量科学技能、自信和幸福感的变化。这些评估将允许评估哪些项目干预措施影响了学生的保留率，并将了解学生受到的影响最大。该项目的组成部分和成果将与 STEM 学科的众多机构和教育工作者在内部和外部共享。 该项目由 HSI 计划资助，旨在加强本科 STEM 教育，扩大 STEM 的参与，并建设 HSI 的能力。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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program this project aims to increase retention and success of Latine students in pursuing life science degrees at Regis University. Specifically, the project will create a paid, faculty-mentored summer research program for undergraduate students early in their collegiate experience. The transition between the first and second year of college is a crucial time for students deciding whether to pursue further study in STEM. Summer research experiences are widely available at multiple institutions but may not be accessible to students early in their course of study, especially before they have foundational laboratory and research experience, and at a time when they have high potential to leave the sciences. Additionally, students at Regis University are increasingly first-generation, Latine, working, and may have additional demands on their time such as family commitments. Creating paid opportunities for students to participate in research through a faculty-mentored summer research experience has the potential to remove barriers for students to explore scientific research. Students who need summer employment will be able to support themselves financially while building important career-relevant skills that may be difficult to achieve during a regular semester.This program aims to increase retention and success of undergraduates in the life sciences by: 1) decreasing barriers to participation in an authentic research experience with faculty; 2) guiding students through mentored research at a critical transition point between the first and second year of undergraduate study; 3) providing professional development and a cohort model to better prepare students for further education or careers in STEM and strengthen their feelings of belonging in STEM; 4) building an educational environment in which faculty mentors learn from students about their needs and how best to support them. The project will use previously validated tools to measure changes in scientific skills, self-confidence, and well-being. These assessments will allow for an assessment of which project interventions impacted student retention and will capture how students were most impacted. The project’s components and outcomes will be shared internally and externally with a breadth of institutions and educators across STEM disciplines. This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs.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.