Texas LSAMP Phase IV

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) LSAMP Phase IV will extend an alliance of three institutions: 1) Texas A&M University (TAMU), a Tier I research institution, 2) Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), a Historically Black College and University, and 3) Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), an Hispanic Serving Institution. To sustain gains made during Phase I, II, and III of the TAMUS LSAMP, alliance institutions will develop strong ties with 5 community colleges, which each have large underrepresented minority (URM) student enrollment. The community colleges are Palo Alto College (San Antonio); North Harris Montgomery College, both the North Harris and Cy-Fair campuses; Houston Community College- Northeast campus; and Del Mar College (Corpus Christi). INTELLECTUAL MERIT - TAMUS LSAMP IV has a GOAL of broadening the participation of underrepresented minorities (URM) in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) disciplines to the successful completion of a bachelor's degree and who are well prepared and ready to matriculate into a doctoral program. Objectives include: 1. Enhance community college partnerships for recruitment of URM students into STEM majors through integrated interactions with alliance institutions. 2. Expand retention efforts for STEM URM undergraduates with a focus on firstyear and transfer URM students at alliance institutions. 3. Promote and encourage URM student pursuit of doctoral degrees and building of a community of scholars from the undergraduate to graduate school levels and across alliance institutions. 4. Provide international experience for a select group of TAMUS LSAMP IV students for increasing and diversifying the pool of globally trained STEM graduates PI Dr. Karan Watson, Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost, and Regents Professor of Electrical Engineering, TAMU, will be joined by co-PIs: Dr. David Prior, Executive Vice-President and Provost, TAMU; Dr. Karen Butler-Purry, Professor of Electrical Engineering, TAMU, and current TAMUS LSAMP Phase III Project Director; Dr. Milton Bryant, Dean of Engineering, PVAMU; and Dr. Frank Pezold, Dean of Science and Technology, TAMUCC. These research faculty will seek to advance discovery of successful mechanisms to increase URM student retention, graduation and pursuit of doctoral degrees, and URM student involvement in international study abroad. BROADER IMPACTS - The involvement of PVAMU, a Historically Black College and University, and TAMUCC, an Hispanic Serving Institution, will broaden the participation in STEM of URM groups, as will participation by TAMU, as research intensive institution, and 5 community college partners since all enroll large numbers of URM students. LSAMP IV will benefit society by increasing participation of URM groups in STEM, and by providing opportunities and activities at the undergraduate and graduate levels that lead to educational and career enhancements of URM students. LSAMP IV will also enhance the infrastructure of research and education by advancing undergraduate research and pursuit of graduate and doctoral STEM degrees at alliance institutions and through the replication and dissemination of successful models for URM community college transfer students.