Retaining and Graduating Low-Income Biology Students in STEM through Career Development and Discipline-specific Academic Support

该项目将通过支持有经济需要的高成就低收入学生的保留和毕业，促进国家对受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的需求。该项目将为26名在多米尼加学院攻读生物学学位的本科生提供奖学金，多米尼加学院是一所为期四年的西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）。该项目旨在通过将奖学金与支持活动（包括指导，本科生研究和学术支持）联系起来，提高学生在生物学和科学职业道路上的保留率。新的生物课程将向学生介绍新兴的生物学科，以及科学传播和职业规划。 在HSI的背景下，对这一努力的评估有可能产生对支持STEM低收入学生和增加STEM领域多样性的见解。该项目的总体目标是通过三个具体目标来增加低收入，高成就本科生在生物学方面的学位完成率。首先，该项目将招募26名计划主修生物学的低收入家庭一年级学生作为S-STEM学者。第二，该项目旨在使这些学生中至少90%在预科四年内毕业。第三，该项目的目标是，至少90%的学者将在毕业后六个月内在该地区获得STEM就业或研究生院安置。从校园里以前的S-STEM计划吸取的经验教训的指导下，方案设计是基于研究的做法，包括干教师专业发展积极学习和包容性的教学实践，基于课程的研究经验整合在第一年的生物学课程，并从更大的区域机构与当地行业代表和干研究人员的紧密联系。此外，S-STEM学者将体验两个新的生物学专业课程-这两个课程都强调专业和职业技能的发展-在他们的大一一起作为一个队列。学者将进一步得到同行和教师导师的支持，以及在整个本科经历中作为同龄人分享学术和研究经验。该项目将调查特定学科的学术和职业发展支持如何增加低收入学生在STEM中的保留和坚持。项目评估将以逻辑模型，学者调查，活动参与跟踪，STEM课程表现以及有关生物学专业学者持久性的机构数据为指导。该项目的结果可以产生对其他类似机构相关的模型的见解。将通过同行评审的期刊文章、会议介绍以及机构网站和社交媒体进行传播。该项目由NSF的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金计划资助，该计划旨在增加低收入学术人才的数量，这些学生表现出经济需求，并获得STEM领域的学位。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. The project will provide scholarships to 26 undergraduate students pursuing degrees in biology at Dominican College, a four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The project aims to increase student retention in biology and science career pathways by linking scholarships with supporting activities, including mentoring, undergraduate research, and academic support. New biology courses will introduce students to emerging biological disciplines, as well as science communication and career planning. Evaluation of the effort in the context of an HSI has the potential to generate insights into supporting low-income students in STEM and increasing diversity in STEM fields.The overall goal of the project is to increase degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates in biology through three specific goals. First, the project will recruit 26 first-year, low-income students planning to major in biology as S-STEM scholars. Second, the project aims to graduate at least 90% of these students within four years of matriculation. Third, the project has the goal that at least 90% of scholars will secure STEM employment or graduate school placement in the region within six months of graduation. Guided by lessons learned from a previous S-STEM program on the campus, program design is grounded in research-based practices, including STEM faculty professional development in active learning and inclusive teaching practices, course-based research experiences integrated in first-year biology courses, and strong connections to local industry representatives and STEM researchers from larger area institutions. Additionally, S-STEM scholars will experience two new biology major courses – both of which emphasize professional and career skill development – together as a cohort during their freshman year. Scholars will further be supported by peer- and faculty-mentors, as well as shared academic and research experiences as cohorts throughout their undergraduate experiences. The project will investigate how discipline-specific academic and career development supports may increase low-income student retention and persistence in STEM. Project evaluation will be guided by a logic model, scholar surveys, activity participation tracking, STEM course performance, and institutional data about scholar persistence in the biology major. Results of the project could yield insights about the model that would be relevant for other similar institutions. Disseminated will be accomplished through peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and the institutional website and social media. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.