Scholarships-Creating Opportunities for Applying Mathematics

Indiana University Of Pennsylvania, Indiana PA

Investigators

Abstract

The National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program will fund the Scholarships-Creating Opportunities for Applying Mathematics (S-COAM) project. The S-COAM project aims to support 87 low-income students with demonstrated financial need and academic promise to succeed in STEM disciplines at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). The scholarships will be provided over five years to students who are pursuing either bachelor's degrees in STEM with a minor in mathematics or master's degrees in applied mathematics. The project will create a supportive connection between master's students and undergraduates by engaging them in cohort activities, including include research and internship opportunities, conference travel support, and hands-on technology workshops. The project will also encourage students to pursue advanced mathematics courses and will connect students with mentors and external speakers. First year students will participate in linked courses and customized peer-led discussion sessions with support from graduate assistants and cohort peers. Building on existing student support infrastructures at IUP, this project aims to: (1) Increase numbers of science undergraduates pursuing a mathematics minor and enhance their preparation for the workforce and further studies; (2) Improve retention of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in mathematical areas; (3) Enhance diversity of STEM students through targeted recruitment initiatives; (4) Expand recruitment for the master's program in Applied Mathematics; (5) Enhance overall academic environment, student culture, and research opportunities; and (6) Strengthen students' leadership abilities, technical skills, and aptitude for life-long learning. Strategies to achieve these goals include: (a) Integrating a supportive mentoring program with cohort activities and timely advising; (b) Connecting students to university-wide networks for academic, social, and career development; (c) Building interventions to help new graduate students succeed in advanced courses; (d) Creating hands-on training workshops for advanced industry-standard software; (e) Leveraging IUP's multicultural recruiting to enhance STEM diversity; and (f) Inviting a diverse group of researchers and industry professionals to interact with students. The S-COAM project will investigate the relationship between faculty interaction, networking, project ownership, and persistence as well as the impact of peer-led team learning for students enrolled in Calculus I, Calculus II, and Linear Algebra. The S-COAM project will develop a systematic survey tool to assess mathematical professional identity and beliefs. The project aims to identify best practices and analyze how curricular and co-curricular activities affect retention, student academic success, persistence to degree completion, placement in graduate programs, and pathways to STEM careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.