Attracting and Retaining Scholars in the Mathematical Sciences

该项目通过每年为25名学生提供支持，增加了数学专业中代表性不足的学生的数量。学者的选择是基于数学方面的学术成就、个人陈述、信件和面试。从现有的数学学生、寻求研究生学位的学生、转学学生和刚毕业的高中学生中招收学生。为了更好地教育和留住学生，该项目正在利用以前项目中学到的经验教训，允许学生参与精心挑选的、有指导的研究活动，包括参加会议和发表演讲。这些学生加入了一个成功的学习社区，这个社区是在之前的S-STEM项目中发展起来的，支持结构包括垂直指导、同行指导和教师指导。该项目利用一个三级计划，为处于典型困难阶段的S-STEM学者提供咨询、指导和研究支持：1)微积分序列水平，2)证明课程水平，3)研究生水平数学研究导论。该计划建立在现有的指导活动的基础上，这些活动更好地服务于所有系学生，而不仅仅是S-STEM学生。参与该学科的严格要求正在提高留校率和毕业生加入劳动力大军的准备。智力价值：该项目正在增加准备在高科技职业生涯中取得成功的数学毕业生的数量。毕业生还准备继续攻读硕士或博士学位，以便从事科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域的基础研究。该项目支持参与跨学科工作，因为这种努力提供了处理困难问题的新方法。更广泛的影响：社会上的许多问题，包括医学、经济、环境、法律等领域的问题，都是通过数学和相关STEM学科的工作来解决的，但目前主修STEM领域的人数不足。这个项目对社会产生了广泛的影响，因为它增加了STEM领域的学生人数，而且它吸引了以前低参与率的人群，在这种情况下，是非洲裔美国人和女性学生。增加来自代表性不足群体的数学家的数量有助于具有不同背景的人处理各种科学和技术问题，从而为当前问题找到新的解决方案提供可能性。

The project is increasing the number of underrepresented students in mathematics by providing support for a cohort of 25 students annually. Selection of scholars is based on academic achievement in mathematics, personal statements, letters, and an interview. Students are being recruited from current mathematics students, students seeking a graduate degree, transfer students, and recent high school graduates. To better educate and retain students, this project is using lessons learned in prior projects to allow students to participate in a carefully selected, guided research activity that includes attending conferences and making presentations. These students are joining a successful learning community, developed during a prior S-STEM project, with a support structure that includes vertical, peer, and faculty mentoring. The project is utilizing a three-tier program of advising, mentoring, and research support for S-STEM scholars at typically difficult stages for students: 1) the calculus sequence level, 2) the introduction to proof courses level, and 3) the introduction to graduate level mathematical research. The program builds on existing mentoring activities that better serve all departmental students, not just the S-STEM cohort. The rigorous requirement of involvement in the discipline is improving retention rates and the readiness of graduates to participate in the workforce. Intellectual Merit: The project is increasing the number of graduates in mathematics who are prepared to succeed in high-tech careers. Graduates are also being prepared to continue their education at the masters or doctoral levels in order to do basic research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The project is supporting engagement in cross-disciplinary work because such efforts provide new ways of approaching difficult problems. Broader Impacts: Many problems in society including those in medicine, economics, the environment, law, and other areas yield to solutions developed through work done in mathematics and related STEM disciplines, but insufficient numbers of people are currently majoring in the STEM fields. This project is having a broad impact on society because it is increasing the number of students in STEM fields and because it is drawing upon groups of people who previously participated at low rates, in this case African American and female students. Increasing the number of mathematicians from underrepresented groups supports people with different backgrounds who may approach various scientific and technical problems in ways that offer the possibility of finding new solutions to current problems.