Enhancing Diversity in the STEM & Psychology Discipline Pipeline: Retention of High School, Community College, and University Students Jaye Van Kirk, M.A., Rudy Contreras, M.A., & Michelle Lopez, M.A. San Diego Mesa College and San Diego State University FactorsUpward BoundBridges to the Baccalaureate MBRS IMSD Program Mentoring/social supportPersonalized Faculty mentoring Peer mentoring and social support Personalized Faculty mentoring Peer mentoring & social support Personalized Faculty mentoring Peer mentoring & social support Incorporating Psychology along with STEM Funded Research experience16 hours hands on active research experience per week for 6 weeks University lab research in STEM and Psychology hours hands on active research experience University lab research in STEM and Psychology hours/week active hands-on research experience academic semesters; 40 hours/week summer breaks University lab research in STEM and Psychology Encouraged to conduct extramural research Oral/written communication experiences Oral presentations Presenting Laboratory experiences in the students Bio-Chemistry class Conference presentations Poster presentations Oral presentations Journal publications Local and National Conference presentations Campus presentations Journal club participation Manuscript development Senior honors thesis Technical/Scientific writing component Academic & professional development Weekly workshops related to academic success Summer class in Bio-Chemistry Assistance with college applications, financial aid, and scholarships Follow up with academic progress and college preparation. Daily(Summer) and Monthly(Fall and Spring) workshops (I.e. CV, health disparity & cancer research seminars, research/ethics) Follow up with students regarding academic progress Transfer and Graduate school Workshops Monthly meetings Research symposia Peer research presentations Pre-doctoral fellowship workshops Biomedical Ethics Faculty/staff/peer mentoring GRE preparation Familial factors and supportIntroduce family to student’s research Awareness of sacrifices required Weekly “fun” activities were family members are invited (I.e. family luau) Introduce family to student’s research Awareness of sacrifices required Introduce family to student’s research and campus/program activities Awareness of sacrifices required Cultural factorsCultural themed activity every week (Summer) Activities related to cultural expression and racial/ethnic identification Exposure to successful ethnic minority role models Multicultural sensitivity to challenges Exposure to successful ethnic minority role models via Ph.D. panels, alumni research presentations, ABRCMS/SACNAS Multicultural sensitivity to challenges Abstract Conclusion Introduction Results Although traditionally underrepresented minority (URM) students have made significant strides in many academic domains of higher education, they continue to remain underrepresented in the STEM and Behavioral science disciplines (NSF, 2007). There are many factors that may contribute to such disparities for URM students in the STEM fields, including lack of exposure to the diversity of fields in science, lack of role models to pursue careers in the sciences, and lack of exposure to research experiences. In addition to these factors, URM students must also face issues related to cultural & gender barriers in attaining their educational goals. Previous studies suggest that undergraduate research experience plays a pivotal role, especially for URM students, in attracting and retaining students in the sciences, by allowing students to engage in hands-on research training, student-faculty interaction and mentorship experiences, and increasing students awareness of what a career in science entails (Kinkead, 2003). The purpose of this presentation is to highlight three faculty-student research mentorship programs and identify factors that the authors believe these programs address in the recruitment and retention of URM students in the STEM and Psychology disciplines. The Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)/Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD), targets undergraduates students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the STEM and behavioral science disciplines. The program is an intensive year-round mentoring research and support program which places students in faculty-mentored research laboratories, facilitates pre-doctoral professional and scientific development activities, and increases the overall competitiveness of individual student applications for direct entry into Ph.D. programs upon graduation. Data for this poster was collected for 2005 – Participant Recruitment: The UBMS program recruits 50 predominately low-income, first generation high school students that express an interest in pursuing a career in the STEM and Behavioral science fields. The Bridges to the Baccalaureate recruits first generation, full-time students from San Diego Mesa College, who are majoring in the sciences, and those who are planning on transferring to a 4-year institution and majoring in science. The MBRS/IMSD program recruits individuals from the Colleges of Health and Human Services, Engineering, and Sciences, who are interested in biomedical/behavioral related research. Students are encouraged to apply if they are: 1) underrepresented in the biomedical/behavioral disciplines, 2) from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; 3) individuals with disabilities; or 4) individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. References There are numerous issues and challenges underrepresented students face throughout their educational experiences. Diversity is crucial to adequately reflect the composition of society and to enable the next generation of scientists to address core issues of their communities. This poster presentation focuses on programs and resources that have been successful in recruiting and retaining underrepresented students in the educational pipeline that enable students to attain their academic goals at the high school (e.g. Upward Bound), community college (e.g. Bridges to the Baccalaureate) and at the university (e.g. Minority Biomedical Research Support) levels. Students are encouraged to pursue majors and careers in the sciences early in their educational development. Students are encouraged to pursue majors and careers in the sciences early in their educational development. Issues include: recruitment and retention, obstacles to success, misconceptions about the opportunities in Psychology and STEM fields, positive support system including faculty-student mentorship, peer support, early exposure and active involvement in research and tracking of students through their educational pathway. Cultural and gender barriers students face in attaining a college education are addressed. This information may help programs seeking to recruit and retain underrepresented students throughout the educational pipeline and recognizes the significance of psychological factors in producing successful outcomes in working with underrepresented student populations. Duckworth,A., C. Peterson, M. Matthews & D. Kelly (2007). Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2007, Vol. 92, No. 6, 1087–1101 Hurtado, S., Cabrera, N. L., Lin, M. H., Arrellano, L., Espinosa, L. L. (2008) The Science of Diversifying Science: Underrepresented Minority Experiences in Structured Research Programs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Institutional Research, Seattle, WA. Kinkead, J. (2003) Learning through inquiry: an overview of undergraduate research. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 93: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics (2007). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, Washington, DC. NSF It is important for programs that focus on increasing the number of URM students in the sciences to understand the population that they are trying to influence. It is not enough to address only the academic, financial, and science related areas that many identify as barriers for URM students, but also to understand the cultural barriers that many URM students in the sciences encounter. Future programs should examine personality variables linked to “grit” (perseverance and passion for long term goals) (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews & Kelly, (2007). Successful recruitment and retention of URM students involves making efforts to fully understand and embrace the challenges that each individual faces on their educational pathways. Factors to Enhance Retention & Success: Recruitment: All programs utilize traditional methods in their recruitment efforts including, a program website, distribution of informational brochures and posters, collaboration with other STEM or behavioral science feeder programs, as well as utilizing enrollment services to promote the program campus-wide. In addition to such methods, the authors believe that successful recruitment of both potential students and faculty mentors requires: Strong institutional support from both faculty and staff (counselors/advisors, teachers, professors, program coordinators) Establishing a strong social and academic network-important in identifying potential students and faculty mentors. Establishing relationships with other academic and social programs targeting URM students in the sciences Academic resultsUpward Bound N=88 (Years ) Bridges to the Baccalaureate N=46 (Years ) Minority Biomedical Research Support (Years ) Enrollment/transfer 4-yr institutions 100%74%N/A Bachelor’s degreeN/AIn progress=61% Completed=26% In progress = 38% (n=48) Completed= 63% Graduate schoolN/Ain progress=8%: 1 M.D., 1 Ph.D., 1 M.S. Completed=2% 1 M.P.H. Applied=8%: 3; 1 accepted Ph.D. 2005: 6/6 (1 MD; 1 PharmD; 2 MA; 2 PhD) 2006: 5/5 (4 PhD; 1 MPH) 2007: 5/5 (4 PhD; 1 MPH) 2008: 1/3 (1 PhD) 2009: 2/4 ( 2 PhD; 1 Fulbright) 2010: 8/8 (1 MD/PhD; 4 PhD; 3 MA) 2011: 9/10 (8 PhD; 1 MS) Acknowledgements *Funding for Bridges to the Baccalaureate program supported by NIH grant 5R01 NS Former Co-Directors, Yosh Kawahara, Ph.D. * Jaye Van Kirk, M.A., and Current Directors, Jodi Corliss, M.S., & Edward Alexander, Ph.D. *The Pre-College Institute at San Diego State University, Director, Cynthia Park, Ph. D. Methods Program Descriptions: In this pipeline model, we discuss three federally funded programs designed to retain underrepresented students in the mathematics and sciences disciplines from high school, to community college, to four-year institutions. The SDSU Pre-College Institutes Upward Bound Math and Science program (UBMS) serves 50- predominately low-income, potential first generation college bound incoming 11th and 12th grade students. The program consists of a six-week summer residential program and academic year follow up with each student. The incoming 12th grade students participate in the Research Mentorship program, during the six-week summer program. Data for this poster was collected for the UBMS students that completed 12th grade for years The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program at San Diego Mesa College is designed to support the success of community college students from underrepresented groups or populations affected by health disparities, who plan to transfer and earn a bachelor's degree in STEM and Behavioral Science disciplines. The program consists of an eight-week, fulltime summer internship and research mentorship, along with support throughout the academic year. Data for this poster was collected from program participants for years