Award Abstract # 1742694
The Sci-Tech Scholars Enrichment Project

NSF Org: DUE
Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient: NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: March 30, 2018
Latest Amendment Date: March 30, 2018
Award Number: 1742694
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Thomas Kim
tkim@nsf.gov
 (703)292-4458
DUE
 Division Of Undergraduate Education
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: April 15, 2018
End Date: March 31, 2023 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $999,995.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $999,995.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2018 = $999,995.00
History of Investigator:
  • Abdellah Ahmidouch (Principal Investigator)
    abdellah@ncat.edu
  • Abebe Kebede (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Nicholas Luke (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Evelyn Sowells-Boone (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
1601 E MARKET ST
GREENSBORO
NC  US  27411
(336)334-7995
Sponsor Congressional District: 06
Primary Place of Performance: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
1601 East Market Street
Greensboro
NC  US  27411-0001
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
06
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): SKH5GMBR9GL3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math
Primary Program Source: 1300XXXXDB H-1B FUND, EDU, NSF
Program Reference Code(s): 9178, SMET
Program Element Code(s): 153600
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

With funding from the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, the SciTech Scholars Enrichment Project will support high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a Historically Black College & University (HBCU). This S-STEM Track 2 project will focus on understanding the factors that nurture minority participation in the STEM workforce. SciTech will award 100 scholarships over five years to undergraduate students majoring in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and electronics technology, all of which are areas of national need. This project will address a persistent challenge in STEM education: understanding which activities and interventions will produce the most efficient pipeline-building strategies. This project has the potential to increase and diversify the STEM workforce, deepen knowledge about the challenges faced by underprivileged STEM students at an HBCU, and develop the teaching skills of future underrepresented minority faculty.

SciTech Scholars aims to increase the number and graduation rate of students majoring in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and electronics technology. It also aims to prepare the students to successfully embark on graduate studies or enter the STEM workforce. SciTech Scholars will employ student-centered active learning classroom activities, increased hands-on curricula, and a focus on positive encouragement rather than on perceived student deficiencies. The institutional goal of the project has two parts: 1) develop and test a model for student success that can be used across the University to mentor underrepresented minority students in STEM; and 2) identify methods that support the development of students, both minority and non-minority groups, for STEM-related graduate programs or the STEM workforce. The project will recruit twenty academically talented low-income students enrolled in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and electronics technology each year for five years. It will employ a program model that exposes students to research early in the curriculum, incorporates study groups, and involves department chairs and faculty in all aspects of the program, including recruitment, teaching, mentoring research as well as special events and activities. The model will be coupled with a living learning community and support for student-centered active learning. By studying the experiences, challenges, and successes of SciTech participants, the project aims to advance the knowledge needed to design and develop solutions to critical gaps from matriculation to graduation.

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.

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 SciTEch Scholars Enrichment Project targets four areas of national need: physics, mathematics, chemistry, and electronics technology. Its overarching goal is to increase the number of majors in these disciplines that graduate in a timely manner and are prepared for and succeed in graduate studies and/or gain immediate placement into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. We recruited two cohorts of students: cohort 1 and 2 are 90% African American and 85% and 64% first generation, respectively. We developed and offered our SciTech scholars supporting services and organized activities and events that promote their holistic success. These include 1) A 3-week Summer Bridge program to promote a smoother transition from high school to NCA&T while simultaneously building a sense of community and belonging amongst the S-STEM scholars. The summer bridge will include several workshops to increase students' self-efficacy and motivation to learn physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry. 2) A Residential Learning Community (RLC) provides scholars with an environment where they can explore and think critically about scientific, mathematics, and technological concepts. The RLC begins with the summer bridge program, as the scholars are strategically paired with one another based on their majors. Under RLC, the scholars live in the same dorm and are enrolled in the same sections of their general education courses and major courses, creating a strong learning community. 3) A Tiered Mentoring Program where the scholars are paired with a faculty mentor and an upper-class student within their department. Each scholar meets with their faculty mentor/advisor at least 3-4 times each semester to discuss progress through the curriculum and their peer mentor at least twice monthly to discuss the transition into the University/Department. A professional advisor within the College's Office of Student Success will monitor any early alerts for the scholars and make recommendations to campus resources as needed.4) A Study Hall with a Tutoring Support program where each scholar must attend two hours of mandatory structured study hall each week. Scholars attend study hall in groups based on their major. The participation in peer study groups was found to yield greater knowledge mastery and course performance for STEM minority students. In addition to these activities, the SciTech scholars participated in the College student enrichment programs such as the Innovation Challenges, the Professional and Personal Development Workshops, the Monthly Success Workshops, and the Community Engaged (Service) Learning program. This SciTech Scholar Enrichment Project has been a great success. We have achieved above 85% retention of the scholars. Of the 21 scholars of the Fall-2019 cohort, 17 scholars were enrolled in Fall 2022. Of this group, twelve graduated in May 2023, and three should graduate in December 2024. Additionally, one graduated early in December 2022 and is currently pursuing graduate studies. Of the eleven students who graduated in May 2023, seven have accepted full-time offers from top Tech and Science-focused companies, one will become a full-time mathematics teacher in Fall 2023, and two have been accepted to graduate school. The average cumulative GPA for the 17 scholars who were enrolled Fall 2022 is 3.22. In addition, eleven scholars participated in an internship or research experience in Summer 2022. Their experiences were with companies like KPMG, SAS, Nike, Voya Financial, and Eli Lilly. Several engaged in research experiences at Wake Forest and UNC Chapel Hill. One of the scholars made history by winning both the Goldwater Scholar and the Astronaut Scholar awards and is now heading to Johns Hopkins University for graduate studies.For the Fall 2020 Cohort, of the 22 scholars who originally started in this cohort, 17 were enrolled in Fall 2022. The average cumulative GPA for this cohort as of the end of Fall 2022 is 3.1. At least 15 of the 17 students are on track to graduate in 2024. Nine scholars participated in an internship or research experience in Summer 2022. Their experiences were with companies like SAS and Skanska, whereas several conducted research at institutions like Cornell, NC A&T, Georgia Tech, and Carnegie Mellon. The SciTech scholars have emerged as agents of change in the College of Science and Technology and in their own departments. They have supported other students and were instrumental in initiating several new student associations. In addition, the success of the SciTech scholar enrichment program has been critical to improving Student Success within the College by institutionalizing some of the interventions and supporting services to improve student success.


Last Modified: 07/25/2023
Modified by: Abdellah Ahmidouch

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