Leveraging Data Science to Promote the Successful Participation of Talented, Undergraduate Students from Rural Alabama in STEM Fields

Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville AL

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well–educated scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high–achieving undergraduate students with demonstrated unmet financial need at Jacksonville State University, a comprehensive, regional four–year university in rural, northeast Alabama. Over a six–year duration, the project will provide scholarships to 20 selected undergraduate students each year who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Computer Information Sciences or Mathematics. Selected student applicants who are First Year, Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors will receive an annual scholarship to cover two semesters. At least 10, $10,000 scholarships will be awarded each year together with 10 or more $5,000 scholarships. An estimated 120 scholarships will be awarded overall. The project aims to increase student persistence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields by linking scholarships with proven and effective supporting activities, including faculty advising, faculty mentoring, faculty support, faculty–guided undergraduate research experiences, graduate school preparation, travel to research universities and high–tech organizations and STEM private businesses and appropriate science–focused summer internships. Project staff, together with faculty mentors, will assist scholarship recipients in developing Individual Development Plans outlining the scholarship recipient’s career goals and progression to achieving such goals. The project will also engage in improving student retention in STEM majors and programs. By establishing a system to support scholarship recipients, the project will test new approaches to prepare and provide STEM career-ready professionals for the STEM industry. Project findings will also generate new knowledge for actionable integration to impact rural institutions targeting high–achieving undergraduate students for enrollment into NSF approved STEM majors. 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.