Transfer-to-Excellence (TTE) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The United States is facing a severe deficit of scientists and engineers in the upcoming decades. One of the main reasons is the lack of diversity of students in STEM disciplines. Typically, students attracted by STEM majors are primarily male and come from non-Hispanic white or Asian populations. The need for appealing to and retaining students coming from non-traditional backgrounds is evident, given the shifts in the U.S. population demographics. As a way to address this issue, the Transfer-to-Excellence Research Experiences for Undergraduates (TTE REU) program of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) supports retention in STEM fields by offering hands-on research opportunities in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and robotics to increase the confidence and persistence of community college students in their pursuit of science and engineering education and ultimately technical careers. The nine-week program brings 10 students per year from California Community Colleges (CCC), the largest community college system in the U.S., to UC Berkeley, where engineering faculty will host students in their world-class research laboratories and mentor them in their own research projects. These schools will provide a diverse pool of talented future researchers, including low-income, first-generation, and/or underrepresented minority community college students, who might not otherwise have the resources or opportunities to pursue careers in research. Students will be engaged in leading-edge engineering research projects, including nanotechnology, energy-efficient electronics, biotechnology, sustainable engineering, body-centered sensors, mechatronics, greenhouse gas research, and optoelectronics. The renewal TTE REU program is a comprehensive summer research program that provides: 1) challenging research projects in leading edge engineering research laboratories; 2) counseling to prepare students to transfer to competitive four-year colleges/universities in science and engineering majors; 3) enrichment activities to build students' confidence to continue in science and engineering; and 4) exposure to the diversity of professional career opportunities that apply science and engineering training. The TTE program partners with advisors of Berkeley's Transfer Alliance Project to support its community college participants for another academic year following their research experience as the participants seek to transfer to a baccalaureate program. The main objectives of this renewal program are increasing 1) the number of underrepresented students who will seek and receive a baccalaureate degree in STEM and 2) the diversity of students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM disciplines. To accomplish these objectives, this REU Site will bring together the Center for E3S, UC Berkeley Transfer Alliance Project (TAP), and UC Berkeley engineering faculty. TAP will be a collaborator to provide academic advising and enrichment programs that prepare community colleges students to be competitive applicants to four-year colleges. Each TTE REU participant will be paired with a faculty member and a graduate student or postdoc, who will guide the student in independent research activities, at laboratory meetings, and through one-on-one mentoring meetings. TTE REU participants will also participate in academic and professional development activities to prepare for a baccalaureate degree and career in science and engineering. In addition, all TTE REU participants will be enrolled in a new online mentorship program after their summer research stay ends. This online program will enable a long-term, sustained and formalized mentoring relationship with all participants with the goal of retaining and further stimulating the students' interest in graduate school. 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.