Bridge To Doctorate: Mississippi-LSAMP, Cohort 13

Jackson State University, Jackson MS

Investigators

Abstract

The United States has traditionally been a global leader in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and as a means to address the national need for the U.S. to remain globally competitive in the STEM disciplines, the inclusion of an untapped pool of creative, talented, and intelligent students historically underrepresented in STEM who earn a Ph.D. is warranted. Jackson State University (JSU), a Historically Black University, has a strong track record for preparing primarily African-American graduate students in biology, chemistry, mathematics, environmental science, computer science, and engineering for STEM doctoral degrees. To date, JSU's Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program has produced 34 Ph.D. graduates from underrepresented groups and 139 BD Fellows have been admitted into doctoral programs. Through their BD program, JSU will provide well-qualified and diverse faculty members for U.S. universities and colleges, as well as impact the number of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers holding the doctorate and entering the workforce. Jackson State University will execute a BD program that is based upon rich and challenging research and academic experiences, the development and implementation of an independent development plan (IDP), professional long term goals and objectives, the utilization of STEM summer extramural research internship experiences at potential graduate school sites for the BD Fellows' targeted Ph.D. program, and an international research experience. The BD program has four objectives that are focused on 1) research and academic preparation, 2) enrichment activities, 3) national and international partnerships, and, 4) evaluation and student tracking. These activities along with sufficient financial support from the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation (LSMAMP) program, rigorous curricula, and committed mentoring will enable their BD program to continue to reach their goal which is to prepare and increase the quality and quantity of students historically underrepresented in STEM entering the Ph.D. pipeline.