Supporting and Mentoring the Next Generation of Scholars in Applied Mathematics

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at the University of California Santa Cruz. UC Santa Cruz is a Hispanic Serving Institution, with about 40% first generation students, many of whom come from low-income families. Over five years, the project will fund two-year scholarships to thirty students who are pursuing the established "4+1" pathway, which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in four years and a Master of Science degree in Scientific Computing and Applied Mathematics in one additional year. This project will provide students with rigorous academic training to prepare them for careers as scientists and engineers in academia or industry. It aims to increase graduation rates and provide holistic support to help Scholars successfully complete the transition from college to graduate school. The supports include dedicated academic mentoring by trained faculty and staff, personal counseling, together with applied math-specific activities such as recruitment events, project-based courses, thesis research with a faculty, and participation in professional conferences. The project has the potential to advance understanding about the efficacy of communication strategies and faculty mentoring in improving student success. Because UC Santa Cruz is a Hispanic Serving Institution, this project has the potential to broaden participation in STEM careers, including positions in the nearby Silicon Valley. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. A great deal of research on undergraduate retention to date has focused on students during early college years. However, less is known about the factors that improve retention and completion rates for low-income juniors and seniors. Other gaps include understanding how to increase the motivation of undergraduates to pursue a graduate degree in mathematical sciences and how to support their success in that pursuit. The proposed research focuses on developing a culturally responsive, anti-deficit support and mentoring system for the students. Project activities include: (1) Mindful communication with the students to increase their participation in the program; (2) Analysis of the deficit vs. anti-deficit mindset of faculty mentors, and their impact on success of students at the senior undergraduate or graduate level; (3) Developing strategies and a workshop for changing a deficit mindset into a culturally-responsive, anti-deficit one, and analyzing its impact on student success. Using both formative and summative assessment techniques, outcomes of the project will be evaluated to understand the effectiveness of culturally responsive mentoring on student persistence to degree, career readiness, and post-graduation decisions and success. Findings from this research will be used to support development of teaching practices that close equity gaps within graduate degree programs at UC Santa Cruz. In addition, outcomes will be disseminated through professional societies, and through publications and conferences focused on STEM education and educational equity. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students. 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.