1. The Fisk-to-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program
Get the preparation you need to earn a PhD
Earn a Masters degree in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics at Fisk, with full funding support.
Get valuable, paid research experience.
Receive preparation for the GRE.
Get fast-track admission to the Vanderbilt PhD program, with full funding support.
Physics & Astronomy
Biology and Biomedical sciences
Chemistry
Materials science
Emmanuel Rowe, PhD
Vanderbilt University and Fisk University

2. Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program: requirements and benefits
Full Tuition + 12 month research assistant stipend + health + laptop + textbooks
Fisk/Vanderbilt Course Cross-Registration
Masters degree requirements: Classical Mechanics, Quantum I, E&M I, Stat Mech, Electives
PhD degree requirements: Above, plus E&M II and Quantum II (physics) or Stars, Galaxies, Large-Scale Structure or Radiative Processes (astronomy), Electives
Masters research thesis with Fisk and Vanderbilt faculty
Flexibility and course-correction
tutoring provided free -- more on monitoring later
Professionalization
Seminars on hidden aspects of academic research culture, travel to professional meetings, time management, mentoring, Bridge Underground
Not a back door...an audition. Must satisfy same requirements as all PhD students.

3. What does GRE correlate with?
23%
44% 8%
This shows the distribution of quantitative GRE (GRE-Q) scores for different genders, ethnicities and discipline (US students only). The top and bottom of each vertical bar show the 75th and 25th percentile (respectively) of the score distribution for each category, while the light hash near the middle of the bar denotes the 50th percentile. A GRE-Q score of 700, a common cutoff score for many Physics departments, is marked by the thick horizontal grey line.
Note that this cutoff score would exclude precisely half the White applicants from further consideration in the physical sciences.
Miller & Stassun (2014, Nature)
And yet, over 50% of the PhD-granting institutions
use GRE cutoffs that exclude URMs!

4. My work -- filling in gaps in preparation
Month-long, all day pre-Bridge Bootcamp on computation and math skills (expanding to second summer)
Tutoring pool on-call for one-on-one or group review sessions
Grad student ‘computational guru’
Order of magnitude astrophysics
Intake exams to help with placement
Interview practice + job/fellowship materials help

5. Key theory behind the program: recognizing unrealized potential
What roles do we need?
What qualities predict success?
Passion, initiative, “fire in the belly”, hard work = “grit”
Success in relevant courses
Ability in the laboratory
Persistence in the face of hardship (the “P” in PhD)
Entrepreneurial spirit
Committed academics
Productive, creative, entrepreneurial researchers
Effective teachers and mentors
Transformational leadership
Not GRE!

6. How long will it take for astronomy PhDs to reflect the real US demographics?
Stassun et al 2010
• increase minority astronomy PhDs per year by a factor of ~15
• let half be hired as faculty (congrats!)
• assume a faculty turnover rate of 3% per year
By ~2045, we could see parity

7. Key theory behind the program: recognizing unrealized potential

8. Key theory behind the program: recognizing unrealized potential

9. There will be external pressure and skepticism
Unconscious bias — A single poor performance generalizes, but a success is just a fluke.
Perception: wasting time on low performers
(they’re actually kick-ass scientists…)
Students face huge internal pressure
Impostor syndrome when required to represent the Bridge, their family, their town, their race.

11. Our success == Our students
Since 2004:
98 Bridge students
>44 Underrepresented minorities (all US citizens)
52% female
55 students so far crossed the bridge to Vanderbilt or other institution of choice
11 more students preparing to cross the bridge
4 students dropped out, all minorities
97% retention rate overall
Since 2006:
Fisk is top producer of Black MA degrees in physics, and top 10 producer of MA degrees in physics to US citizens
2009: First Bridge program PhD (now faculty at UAH)
2012: Inaugural cohort of three more PhDs
now 16 PhDs all in STEM careers.

12. Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program