| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 12, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 18, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1458252 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Paul Tymann
ptymann@nsf.gov (703)292-2832 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $609,811.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $609,811.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
5998 ALCALA PARK FRNT SAN DIEGO CA US 92110-2476 (619)260-6825 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
5998 Alcala Park San Diego CA US 92110-2492 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at the University of San Diego (USD) will support, and retain a diverse group of mathematics, computer science, physics and biophysics majors. The project will recruit broadly for participants including those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, by building on the results of a previous NSF S-STEM project. The data obtained from both projects will lead to successful recruitment, retention, and academic success of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in STEM at other institutions.
The project will fund two nine-student cohorts. Students who exhibit interest and talent in the identified areas during their first year in college will be encouraged to apply to join a cohort and receive financial and other support for three subsequent years. The S-STEM scholars will be extensively mentored throughout their undergraduate experience by project faculty, and will regularly participate in STEM enrichment and community-building activities. Scholars will take a one-unit course, especially designed by project faculty, to develop the communication skills and interdisciplinary-thinking strategies required to be successful while in school and after graduation. The program will establish several high-impact practices leading to student success that will be continued at USD beyond the duration of the project, and shared with other universities through publications and presentations.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The project ?Supporting Students for Success in Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics at the University of San Diego? successfully recruited and supported 29 undergraduate students, 11 more than originally-proposed, with scholarships and mentoring. As of May 2020, 26 of the students graduated with majors in mathematics, computer science, physics and biophysics and transitioned to graduate school and/or employment. The two remaining students will finish their STEM degrees in May 2021. Key program features included team-building, academic, financial and mentoring support, research and internship experiences, conference attendance and presentations, and the creation of a developmental sequence of three interdisciplinary courses to help students succeed in STEM. Faculty and scholars presented findings at conferences and collaborated with faculty on many publications.
The financial support reduced the students' need to get part time work, making it possible for them to complete a STEM education. The financial incentive encouraged the students to persist with pursuing a STEM major, even when it proved to be more difficult than some of their other options. The mentoring experience made resources and support available so that the students could be as successful as possible in their classes, in their work and research experiences, and when they applied for research experiences and internships. The mentoring also helped the students be successful when applying for graduate school, research opportunities and jobs as they graduated from USD. The social events, community engagement events, and opportunities to take on more leadership roles provided cohort cohesion to enhance the students? feeling of belonging and their support networks. The academic events and the one-unit courses provided students with information about STEM fields and opportunities, as well as important communication in science skills. They also gave students more opportunities to enhance their community of scholars.
Some results:
- Many of the students bonded with each other during the classes and events, and we often found them together, providing support and encouragement to each other. They became very close. In fact, some of them became roommates, took other classes together, including classes abroad in Peru or England, and some worked together on community engagement opportunities.
- All the students applied for research experiences or internships, and many of them had great opportunities, including research experiences for undergraduates, internships, and jobs. For example, a student had an internship with the Macaluso Group, where she designed and developed a custom app for patient copay assistance programs and presented the software at a symposium held in NJ that summer.
- Many of the graduating students received academic and service awards, induction into honor societies and other honors, including National Society Physics Students excellence in undergraduate research award presented at APS March Meeting, Awards for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement in Mathematics, Awards for Outstanding Service in Mathematics, Outstanding Physics Major awards, Senior Outstanding Scholarship Awards in Computer Science, the annual Engineering and Computer Science Showcase best computer science presentation award, the Program Leadership and Service Award for the Association for Computing Machinery, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society, induction into Mortar Board and Phi Betta Kappa, etc.
- Students were accepted to graduate programs, including the Bioengineering PhD program at Boston University.
- S^3 S-STEM students competed in the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications Mathematical Contest in Modeling and the Putnam examination.
- Many of the students gave published in journals and presented at conferences and seminars, including the National Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences and the American Physics Society Meeting.
- Several students were peer tutors in the mathematics learning center, in the physics tutoring center or in the computer science tutoring center.
- Several students took the initiative to create special stoles and gifts for the graduating students.
Last Modified: 08/31/2020
Modified by: Perla Myers
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