Louis Stokes STEM Pathways Implementation-Only Alliance: Indiana LSAMP

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

The overall goal of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program is to assist universities and colleges in diversifying the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce by increasing the number of STEM baccalaureate and graduate degrees awarded to persons from LSAMP populations. LSAMP populations are defined as persons from groups underrepresented in the STEM enterprise: Blacks and African-Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Indiana Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (Indiana LSAMP) is comprised of six institutions - Indiana University (Lead), Purdue University Indianapolis, Indiana University Bloomington, Ball State University, Indiana University Northwest, Indiana University South Bend, and Ivy Tech Community College of Indianapolis (ITCC). The goal of Indiana LSAMP is to significantly increase the number and competitiveness of students from LSAMP populations earning STEM baccalaureate degrees. To achieve this goal, the institutions will employ evidence-based interventions such as faculty-mentored research, peer mentoring, tutoring, professional and STEM career development, graduate education preparation and application support. Alliance mentors are drawn from a pool of 109 STEM faculty research mentors. The outcomes of the Indiana LSAMP will be disseminated through reports, LSAMP networking events, and professional conferences like the local annual Assessment Institute in Indianapolis which focuses on broadening the participation of LSAMP populations in STEM. The success of Indiana LSAMP can serve as a model for other states wishing to implement robust LSAMP programs. The long-lasting impacts from the project outcomes will foster a more diverse and inclusive environment on college campuses and assist in the development of a globally competitive workforce that helps restore STEM innovation in the United States. 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.