Biology Scholars: Literature, Laboratory, and Leadership Program

该计划的总体目标是通过向经济能力有限的有学业天赋的生物学生提供奖学金和支持，提高选定农村社区的生物毕业率。该项目总共支持18名学生，三个组中每组六名学生，每个学生的资金最长可达四年。2003-2007年，来自选定农村社区的生物专业新生毕业率(39.1%)低于各县生物专业新生毕业率(45.5%)。这些有学术天赋的学生将被留住，并通过两个目标成为圣文森特生物项目的毕业生：1)增加(或保持)他们对生物领域的热情；2)加强他们的生物学基础。该计划集中于三项一般活动：通过期刊俱乐部参与生物文学；通过二年级实验室轮换进行研究；以及领导经验，包括指导低年级学生、在会议上发表演讲，以及参与学术、社会和社区服务活动。该方案根据学者的个人愿望和能力，为学者提供必要的技能和资源，以适当地获得就业或研究生录取。初步报告和最终报告正在生物学和STEM会议上提交，并正在撰写以供出版。还在进行一次招聘介绍。S-STEM学者网站包括该计划的概述、申请材料、学者的最新情况以及初步数据，以增加该计划和结果的传播。智力价值：在过去的几年里，出现了一场运动，旨在增加学生的参与度，并在课堂上更加以学生为中心，以增加学生在生物学和其他STEM领域的留存(Seymour和Hewitt，2000；Vision and Change，2009；A New Biology，2009)。圣文森特S-STEM学者参与的活动增加了批判性思维、推理技能、沟通和合作，并使学生接触到外部研究和生物学职业，以及领导机会。更广泛的影响：这一成功的项目允许来自农村社区的有学术天赋的学生继续参与。此外，来自这些地区的学生的总体毕业率一直很低，因此该项目的成功鼓励学生向其他专业扩张，以提高毕业率。有许多来自美国各地类似农村县的大学生将受益于圣文森特项目正在展示的额外参与，这些参与有助于学生在生物方面取得成功。

The overall goal of the program is to increase biology graduation rates in selected rural communities by providing scholarships and support to academically talented biology students with limited financial means. The project supports 18 total students, six students in each of three cohorts with funding for up to four years per student. From 2003-2007, freshmen biology majors from the selected rural communities graduated in lower rates in biology (39.1%) compared to freshman biology majors from all counties (45.5% graduation rate). These academically talented students are being retained and becoming graduates of the Saint Vincent biology program through two objectives: 1) increasing (or maintaining) their enthusiasm for the field of biology and 2) strengthening their biology foundation. The program is focussing on three general activities: engagement in the biological literature through Journal Clubs; research through Sophomore Laboratory Rotations; and leadership experiences including mentoring underclassmen, presenting at conferences, and participation in academic, social, and community service activities. The program is providing the skills and resources necessary for Scholars to properly attain employment or graduate school acceptance depending on the individual desires and abilities of the Scholar. Preliminary and final reports are being presented at Biology and STEM conferences and are being written for publication. A recruitment presentation is also being made. An S-STEM Scholars website includes an overview of the program, application materials, updates on the Scholars, and preliminary data to increase dissemination of the program and results. Intellectual Merit: Within the last several years, there has been a movement to increase student engagement and become more student-centered in the classroom to increase student retention in Biology and other STEM fields (Seymour and Hewitt, 2000; Vision and Change, 2009; A New Biology, 2009). The activities the Saint Vincent S-STEM Scholars participate in are increasing critical thinking, reasoning skills, communication and collaboration, and are exposing the students to external research and biological careers, and leadership opportunities. Broader Impacts: This successful program allows continual engagement of academically talented students from rural communities. In addition, the overall graduation rate with students from these areas has been low so the success of this program is encouraging expansion to other majors to increase graduation rates. There are many college students from similar rural counties throughout the United States that will benefit from the extra engagement the Saint Vincent program is demonstrating leads to student success in biology.