COMPASS PROGRAM Maria S. Santisteban, PI Rebecca Bullard-Dillard, co-PI
Goals Goal 1: Recruit 27 motivated, academically talented, financially needy students, including underrepresented minorities (URM) and first generation students, as Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science, and Chemistry majors and provide them financial assistance. Goal 2: Improve the STEM education experience of the 27 students and prepare them for the STEM workforce or graduate/professional programs. Goal 3: Increase student retention to degree achievement. Goal 4: Build a learning community of STEM scholars
Success! Financial support Career support Community Building Academic Support
Program activities: Financial support Scholarships: Each S-STEM scholar will receive an annual scholarship (average of $6,000/academic year) for their financial support while they are completing their STEM degree.
Program activities: Academic support Math-readiness summer mini-course The goal of this course is to cement students’ math knowledge and to increase their math fluency to the level where they feel well equipped and confident for their next courses. Seminars: The goal of having students attend these guest seminars is for them to learn other viewpoints within a discipline, and to hear about current research and practical applications of what they learn in their courses. Tutoring: All COMPASS scholars will be encouraged to attend tutoring, specially for subjects they are having trouble with.
Program activities: career support Career planning and placement through professional development workshops, invited speakers, internships, and travel: The goal of these is to open students’ eyes to possible careers in STEM, including those beyond academia. Summer research/internship: Students are encouraged and helped to find paid summer research/internships away from UNCP. Funds in the amount of $2,100 will be provided for up to 4 students working with faculty at UNCP, or to supplement any unpaid portions of their summer research experience at other institutions/agencies or in a STEM industry internship. Attendance at professional/academic meetings and conferences All students doing research will be required to present at the PURC symposium. All students will be able to attend the NC Academy of Science meeting, even if they do not have a project to present.
Resume-writing workshop Fall 2014 Math boot-camp Summer 2014 internship Search 101 workshop Fall 2014
Map Mapping workshop, fall15 Wake Forest Biotech Place Fall 2015 Visit to the BTEC at NCSU, Fall15
Program activities: Community building and support (Community of Scholars) Mentoring: Students will be mentored one on one by faculty in the Biology and Chemistry & Physics departments throughout the entire program COMPASS social and learning community: COMPASS scholars will come together for as many activities as possible to create and strengthen a sense of community. Some of these activities will also be attended by RISE scholars.
“Obligations” In order to retain a full 3 years of scholarship support, each scholar must: Maintain a GPA of 3.0 Meet with their mentor at least once a month Participate adequately in program activities: 2-week mini-course the summer before they enter the COMPASS program. Seminars, 6/year Workshops, 6/year Site visits, 2/year Attend one or two sessions of tutoring weekly while taking Cell Biology and Genetics for the biology majors and General Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry for the chemistry majors, or anything else scholar needs help with Carry out a summer research experience/internship Attend a scientific conference per year
How to apply The application process for the 2016 cohort will open in the spring semester. Please visit: schools-departments/departments/biology/compass- scholarship-programhttp:// schools-departments/departments/biology/compass- scholarship-program Address your requests to Dr. Santisteban (Biology department)
Questions?