Initiative for Minority Students:Bridges to the doctora*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): This Bridges to the Doctoral Degree Program is a partnership between the MS programs in Chemistry and Biological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CSPUP) and the Ph.D. programs in Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC). A working relationship has been established based on the shared objectives of increasing the number of underrepresented minority MS graduates who matriculate in a Ph.D. program from CSPUP, and increasing the number of minority students in UMTC Ph.D. programs. Qualified students from the MBRS (Minority Biomedical Research Support) program at CSPUP will be identified and guided through the application process for admission to the Ph.D. program at UMTC. The most highly qualified students will be provisionally admitted to the Ph.D. program and to the Doctoral Bridges program. During the summer, Bridges students will participate in a 10-week research-intensive educational and training experience at UMTC. The heart of this experience is an independent research project performed in the laboratory of one of the UMTC faculty members. Students will also participate in activities sponsored by UMTC's well-established Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP). Bridge graduate students will serve as peer mentors and role models for LSSURP students, many of who are minority students. These interactions will provide a ready support network for the Bridge graduate students. Bridge participants will present their research in a poster format, as part of the LSSURP concluding ceremony. During the academic year, an ongoing relationship will be maintained. The Bridge student's UMTC research mentor will extend the mentoring relationship, serving on the student's MS thesis committee. Bridge students will participate in monthly video teleconferences with Bridges program administrators, UMTC research mentors, and the student's MS advisor. Seminars in the participating departments will be videotaped and exchanged between the two institutions. Bridges students will continue their thesis research, and participate in MBRS program activities and workshops, including preparation of their research for publication, an oral research presentation, and a poster presentation at a scientific conference. Collectively, these efforts will enhance the probability that Bridges students will successfully matriculate from the MS program at CSPUP into a UMTC Ph.D. program.