Thoughts Louisiana State University HHMI Professors Program Destiny Improving student comprehension of science and mathematics at all levels of education An Innovative Hierarchy Model Integrating Research, Education, and Peer Mentoring

An LSU HHMI Mentor is… LSU HHMI Undergraduate Mentors are students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines who are ready to change their academic careers. Though they enter the program with GPAs between 2.5 and 3.0, they are committed to raising the bar—and helping others to do the same. In the HHMI Professors Program, Undergraduate Mentors receive the support they need to achieve academic excellence. They attend regular mentoring meetings with program staff, enroll in a course in which they acquire new learning strategies and organizational skills, and develop a solid academic support network among program participants. They benefit from increased opportunities for research and assistance in obtaining summer research positions, as well as mentoring local high school students. For their efforts and dedication to the program, they receive a stipend of $3,000 per year. LSU HHMI Graduate Mentors are graduate students in the STEM areas who are committed to helping undergraduates reach their full potential. They take on Undergraduate Mentors in their research projects and help the students to become effective researchers. For their commitment to the program, Graduate Mentors receive a yearly stipend. LSU HHMI High School Teacher Mentors are high school teachers who are implementing innovative mentoring and metacognitive techniques in the classroom. Their students work with LSU HHMI Undergraduate Mentors. LSU HHMI Faculty Mentors are LSU faculty who devote their time to the HHMI Professors Program, enriching the experiences of all other participants. They have the opportunity to interact with an extraordinary group of students and to participate in changing the face of math and science education at LSU and beyond. “Watch your THOUGHTS, because your thoughts become your words,… A wise and trusted person who assumes responsibility for another person, to impart knowledge or skill by example and experience through an exchange of opinions and ideas in order to reach a decision for a plan of action that facilitates increased learning ability. -Lisa Batiste-Evans

“Watch your WORDS, because your words become your actions,… Supporting Achievement The chart below follows the average GPA of nine LSU HHMI Undergraduate Mentors who began the program in its first semester, Spring The average of these students’ GPAs is displayed for the semester before they began the program, their first semester in the program, and their second semester in the program. These students’ marked improvement has made them far more competitive for summer research and internship opportunities, scholarships, and graduate school.

Becoming an LSU HHMI Mentor LSU HHMI Undergraduate Mentors: Are you an LSU freshman or sophomore with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0? Are you committed to promoting diversity in the STEM disciplines? Are you considering pursuing a terminal degree (PhD or MD/PhD) in a STEM discipline? LSU HHMI Graduate Mentors: Are you currently pursuing a terminal degree in a STEM discipline? Are you actively engaged in research? Are you committed to promoting diversity in the STEM disciplines? Are you interested in involving undergraduates in your research and helping them to achieve their academic goals? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you could be an excellent candidate for the HHMI Professors Program. Please visit to learn more and download an application. “Watch your ACTIONS, because your actions become your habits,…

What Current Mentors Say About the HHMI Professors Program “I have not only learned to study better, but plan better, learn better, and share what I’ve learned.” “This program has totally changed my way of thinking, which has helped change my attitude about school.” “The resources and skills I’ve learned help me excel in my classes and research.” “Watch your HABITS, because your habits become your character,… “I learned how to climb the metacognitive ladder, but more importantly, I have learned about myself.” “[HHMI] increased my determination to study and keep focused.” “…the program has changed my habits. I never thought anyone or anything could change my habits.”

When I joined the LSU faculty in 1992 as the West Chair of Chemistry, I had some definite ideas about the contributions I wanted to make to the Department of Chemistry, the university, and the scientific community. I later served as chairman of the Department of Chemistry, and also had the honor of being named a Boyd Professor, the highest honor in the LSU system. Now, as Vice Chancellor for LSU's Office of Strategic Initiatives, one of my charges is to create an environment in which all students can thrive! The HHMI Professors Program is an integral part of this effort. As an HHMI Professor, I along with the HHMI staff, have built a mentoring program we believe will improve undergraduate performance in early science and math courses, in addition to providing a support system for students. Our plan is to empower students to gain knowledge about their own cognitive systems by developing a new model for education in science and mathematics. This model incorporates a "mentoring ladder" involving faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, high school teachers, and high school students, as well as elementary teachers and students, i.e. LSU HHMI Mentors. The future of science in America depends on increasing the number of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Our program’s goal is to promote diversity within the STEM disciplines, particularly at the graduate level, through an innovative hierarchy model for integrating undergraduate research, education, and peer mentoring. Our mission is to improve student comprehension of science and mathematics at all levels of education. We are changing the way students think! Please join us in our effort. Sincerely, Isiah M. Warner Isiah M. Warner, Ph.D. HHMI Professor A Letter from... “Watch your CHARACTER, because your character becomes your DESTINY!”

Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that employs hundreds of leading biomedical scientists working at the forefront of their fields. In addition, through its grants program and other activities, HHMI is helping to enhance science education at all levels and maintain the vigor of biomedical science worldwide. Since 1988, the Institute has awarded more than $1 billion in grants. The grants are helping to strengthen science education and encourage talented young people to pursue research and teaching careers. In 2001, Howard Hughes Medical Institute announced a competitive grant program called the HHMI Professors Program. Universities were invited by HHMI to nominate faculty members to compete for the HHMI Professor awards. Invitations were based on the universities' classifications by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as doctoral and research universities, and on their records of post-baccalaureate student achievement in the sciences. Nationwide, only 20 institutions were honored with the distinction of receiving this $1 million award. Accompanying LSU are institutions such as Cornell University, New York; Harvard University, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts; Vanderbilt University, Tennessee; and Yale University, Connecticut. The Louisiana State University’s HHMI Professors Program combines undergraduate research with mentoring and new teaching strategies, with the goal of developing a new model for undergraduate training that creates a self- perpetuating atmosphere for encouraging students to advance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

LSU IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ACCESS UNIVERSITY Office of Strategic Initiatives Louisiana State University HHMI Professors Program 240 Thomas Boyd Hall 225/ Lisa Batiste-Evans Program Manager Blanche Adams Executive Services Assistant Karin E. Hamlin Assistant Program Manager