LSAMP BD: UC Santa Barbara California Alliance for Minority Participation

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce and supports the production of scholarly research in STEM broadening participation. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines: Blacks and African Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of highly competitive students motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM. For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. The University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a partnering institution with the University of California System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP). The UCSB Bridge to the Doctorate (UCSB-BD) program will increase the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM doctoral programs addressing the national need for a more diverse and expansive STEM workforce. Through campus-wide collaborations linking research centers and technical institutes with departments across disciplines and institutional divisions, the program offers the potential for a rich exchange of ideas and practices that will be shared across the campus, the alliance, and national networks. Stipends will be provided to participants recruited from LSAMP-supported alliances across the nation. The program provides a strong community of mentors who support each other and extensive academic and professional preparation. To build a better understanding of the factors impacting the progression through advanced degrees for those underrepresented in science and engineering, a rigorous evaluation will be conducted to inform the future of the UCSB training landscape and help inform training curriculum and strategies in graduate STEM education across the nation. Evaluation findings, lessons learned, and impact of the UCSB activities will be disseminated through social networks, publications, presentations at national meetings, and data sharing processes with NSF-affiliated initiatives and STEM diversity consortiums. 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.