SDSU Bridges to the Baccalaureate

San Diego State University, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

Summary San Diego State University will continue its realization of the mission of Bridges to the Baccalaureate - to increase the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing careers in biomedical research. SDSU partners with three local community campuses - San Diego City College, Grossmont College, and Southwestern College - in which 75% of past and current Bridges students have transferred or are preparing to transfer to SDSU or other four year university. During the past five years, Bridges students transferring to SDSU have participated in research programs at the NIH, The Scripps Research Institute, Harvard, MIT, UT Southwestern, U. of Wisconsin, and other major research sites. Students have published papers in peer-reviewed papers, presented their research at national meetings, graduated, and entered postgraduate studies. The goal of the SDSU Bridges program for the next five years will be to train 20 students a year from the three partnering colleges to complete their bachelors¿ degree training. The outcome of the program will be to produce five cohorts (¿12, ¿13, ¿14, ¿15 and ¿16) of highly competent students who have transferred or are planning to transfer to a four year university. Among those transferring to SDSU, students will have a 90% retention rate in their baccalaureate degree programs. The Bridges Program will continue to help students achieve their academic objectives through enrichment courses in biomedical research laboratory techniques, technical writing, chemistry, microbiology, calculus, research ethics, a minority health care disparities colloquium, and computational biology (bioinformatics, mathematical physiology, and computer modeling). Continued ¿bridging¿ of students can occur after transfer to SDSU, through its NIH MARC and MBRS programs, McNair and NSF traineeship programs, all targeting underrepresented science majors. Bridges student progress is tracked from program entry at community college through transfer to SDSU and matriculation to graduate school.