UC Denver MARC U*STAR Scholars Program Supplement

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

PROJECT SUMMARY As the United States becomes more diverse, it is imperative that institutions of higher education accelerate their efforts to ensure equity in the number of doctoral degrees awarded to students who are members of underrepresented (UR) groups. The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is committed to this goal, and uniquely situated culturally and geographically to meet this need. The CU Denver campus is consolidated with the Anschutz Medical Campus (Anschutz) and, together, is classified as a “Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity”, with more than $400 million in annual sponsored research funding. As such, CU Denver is the only urban public research university in the State of Colorado, and it has the most diverse student body of any University of Colorado campus. In 2016, at least 34% of entering freshmen identified as underrepresented minority (URM) students and at least 57% as students of color. CU Denver was awarded its first MARC U-STAR award on May 22, 2013 (NIGMS T34 GM096958; 2013-2018), and is one of only two in the state. CU Denver was awarded a competing renewal in 2016. The renewal expanded the successful initial development of the CU Denver MARC U-STAR program to support 20 additional rising junior undergraduates (four new scholars per year) majoring in Integrative Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Public Health. The CU Denver MARC program complements and extends other training programs at CU Denver and Anschutz, expanding an institutional culture that supports the success of UR students and their entrance into doctoral programs in the biomedical sciences. One unique aspect of the CU Denver MARC U-STAR program is a partnership with the CU Denver Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) program. Through this partnership, we have retained an advanced CHP doctoral student to serve as a wellness point-person for our scholars. This doctoral level student addresses threats to wellness and resiliency on multiple levels using preventative, in- vivo, and follow-up communication aimed at detecting scholar distress and building adaptive copings skills to mitigate distress for our scholars. This supplement aims to adapt this evidence-based program to be more culturally-responsive through a formative needs assessment (barriers impacting scholars, supports needed, self-advocacy skill development) and integration of new learning with the wellness and resiliency program. Culturally-responsive wellness and resiliency training can provide minoritized scholars with knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate academic adversity and discrimination with self-advocacy and resilience. These efforts, together with outstanding academic and research training and a culture of support for diversity and inclusion, will help the CU Denver MARC U-STAR program continue to meet the overarching MARC program goal that at least 90% of supported students graduate with a STEM degree and at least 60% matriculate into Ph.D. (or combined M.D./Ph.D.) programs in the biomedical sciences with a doctoral completion rate of at least 80%.