Opening Pathways, Engaging, and Networking in Chemistry in Northern New Jersey (OPEN-NJ)

新泽西州蒙特克莱尔州立大学的国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目将为有经济需求的有才华的学生提供奖学金，他们正在攻读化学和生物化学的理学硕士学位。该项目被称为新泽西州北部的开放途径、参与和网络化学(OPEN-NJ)。该计划将为支持生物学学士毕业生过渡到化学和生物化学硕士学位课程提供途径。预计项目毕业生将为位于新泽西州北部的化学、制药和生物技术行业的持续成功做出贡献。为学业优秀的学生提供奖学金，否则他们可能负担不起上大学的费用，这将增加准备支持国家、地区和地方公司的毕业生数量。该项目的成功将培养出一支训练有素的劳动力队伍，为新泽西州和国家的经济增长做出贡献。OPEN-NJ将向被化学、化学和药物生物化学专业的硕士项目录取的学生颁发大约51个年度奖学金。该计划将成为生物学学士毕业生过渡到化学和生物化学硕士学位课程的典范。许多生物学士毕业生希望在密歇根州立大学攻读化学或生物化学的硕士学位。然而，从其他STEM领域过渡到化学和生物化学是困难的，因为这些领域的主题建立在先前知识的基础上，坚实的基础对成功至关重要。OPEN-NJ项目通过为生物学毕业生(和其他相关专业)进入化学和生物化学硕士项目创建了一个实用且易于采用的轨道，从而为这个问题创造了一个解决方案。Open-NJ将为学生提供支持服务，包括暑期辅导期间的普通化学复习、专门的辅导服务、专门的教师导师和学习社区。OPEN-NJ计划将使学生能够在不同的学科之间移动，并在此过程中以新的视角接触化学，了解应用程序并建立联系，并应用他们所学的东西。学生将通过每周与导师的交流来了解职业并探索自己的兴趣。学生将参加一系列关于简历准备、面试和专业技能发展不同方面的工作坊。通过方案评估确定的经验教训将为科学、技术和经济管理部门内的其他实地到实地过渡提供有用的数据。从项目评估数据中产生的有效实践将广泛传播给STEM教育界，并有助于增加对成功的学生奖学金和支持项目的属性和实践的广泛了解。

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at Montclair State University in New Jersey will provide scholarships for talented students with demonstrated financial need pursuing Master of Science degrees in Chemistry, and Biochemistry. The program is called Opening Pathways, Engaging, and Networking in Chemistry in Northern New Jersey (OPEN-NJ). The program will provide pathways for supporting Biology B.S. graduates to transition into M.S. degree programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Program graduates are expected to contribute to the continued success of the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries located in Northern New Jersey. Scholarships for academically strong students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, will increase the number of graduates prepared to support national, regional, and local companies. The success of the program will produce a well-trained workforce that will contribute to the economic growth of New Jersey and the nation.OPEN-NJ will award approximately 51 yearly scholarships to students admitted to the M.S. programs in Chemistry, Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry, and Pharmaceutical Biochemistry. The program will serve as a model for enabling Biology B.S. graduates to transition into M.S. degree programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Many recent biology B.S. graduates would like to pursue M.S. degrees in Chemistry or Biochemistry at MSU. However transitioning to Chemistry and Biochemistry from other STEM fields is difficult because these are fields where topics build on prior knowledge and a solid foundation is critical for success. The OPEN-NJ program creates a solution to this problem by creating a practical and easy-to-adopt track for biology graduates (and other related majors) to enter Chemistry and Biochemistry M.S. programs. OPEN-NJ will offer students support services including review of general chemistry during summer orientation, dedicated tutoring services, dedicated faculty mentors, and a learning community. OPEN-NJ program will enable students to move between disciplines and in the process come to chemistry with a new perspective, understand applications and make connections, and apply what they learn. Students will learn about careers and explore their interests via weekly exchanges with a mentor. Students will take part in a set of workshops on resume preparation, interviews, and on different aspects of professional skills development. The lessons learned, as determined through the program evaluation, will provide useful data for other field-to-field transitions within STEM. Effective practices that emerge from the program evaluation data will be disseminated widely to the STEM education community and help increase widespread understanding of the attributes and practices of successful student scholarship and support programs.