Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives for Underrepresented Students

Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives for Underrepresented Students

Author: Becky Wai-Ling Packard

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-07-03

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13: 1000981495

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Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives for Underrepresented College Students is a step-by-step, research-based guide for higher education faculty and administrators who are charged with designing mentoring programs to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups. Written by an acknowledged expert in the field of STEM mentoring, the book constitutes a virtual consultant that enables readers to diagnose the issues they face, identify priorities, and implement appropriate practices to achieve their goals.The book describes the real and perceived barriers that underrepresented students—to include women, students of color, transfer students, and first-generation college students—encounter when considering enrollment, or participating, in science courses; considers the issues they face at the various transitions in their education, from entering college to declaring a major and moving on to a profession; and sets out the range of mentoring options available to program designers.By posing key questions and using three running case illustrations of common dilemmas, the book walks readers through the process of matching the best design options with the particular needs and resources of their own department or campus. Intentionally brief and to the point, the book is nonetheless a comprehensive guide to the full range mentoring models and best practices, that also covers issues of institutional and departmental climate and teaching methods, and offers insider insights to help designers avoid pitfalls as they create effective, sustainable mentoring initiatives.This guide will assist administrators working on new initiatives to broaden access and improve persistence and graduation in their programs, as well as apply for research grants, by clarifying objectives and identifying the effective evidence-based practices to achieve them. It also provides common conversation-starters for departments to identify obstacles to enrollment and broaden participation.


The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM

The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2020-01-24

Total Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 0309497299

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Mentorship is a catalyst capable of unleashing one's potential for discovery, curiosity, and participation in STEMM and subsequently improving the training environment in which that STEMM potential is fostered. Mentoring relationships provide developmental spaces in which students' STEMM skills are honed and pathways into STEMM fields can be discovered. Because mentorship can be so influential in shaping the future STEMM workforce, its occurrence should not be left to chance or idiosyncratic implementation. There is a gap between what we know about effective mentoring and how it is practiced in higher education. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM studies mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.


Empowering Underrepresented Students in Science

Empowering Underrepresented Students in Science

Author: Sonji Johnson-Anderson

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2021-09-23

Total Pages: 125

ISBN-13: 032390470X

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Empowering Underrepresented Students in Science: STEM Students Speak chronicles the best practices of a STEM retention program for underrepresented minority students (URM) at a public university. Written mostly as an engaging series of vignettes, this story invites its audience to examine the “underbelly of this successful program. It reveals to readers what lies at the heart of creating and sustaining a STEM retention program that is as inviting as it is vital. The program’s practice of reflection helps to build students’ self-efficacy and self-understanding. This book addresses the problem of merely throwing resources at a program to have it only achieve mild success. Most STEM retention/support programs offer a litany of “things they think are necessary for students, especially traditionally underserved students, to survive in STEM. We contend that our program goes beyond merely throwing money at a need, to critically assessing the need through the lens of inclusive practices. Our program attempts to engage with the whole selves of the students we serve. Proposes a focused, strategic approach to offering support to underrepresented minority (URM) students Shares easily reproducible ways to build a STEM support program to replicate the success at UMASS AP Features an engaging, readable style with real-world applications


Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation

Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2011-07-29

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 0309159687

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In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training. The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.


Black, Brown, Bruised

Black, Brown, Bruised

Author: Ebony Omotola McGee

Publisher: Harvard Education Press

Published: 2021-02-01

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 1682535371

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2022 PROSE Award Finalist Drawing on narratives from hundreds of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous individuals, Ebony Omotola McGee examines the experiences of underrepresented racially minoritized students and faculty members who have succeeded in STEM. Based on this extensive research, McGee advocates for structural and institutional changes to address racial discrimination, stereotyping, and hostile environments in an effort to make the field more inclusive. Black, Brown, Bruised reveals the challenges that underrepresented racially minoritized students confront in order to succeed in these exclusive, usually all-White, academic and professional realms. The book provides searing accounts of racism inscribed on campus, in the lab, and on the job, and portrays learning and work environments as arenas rife with racial stereotyping, conscious and unconscious bias, and micro-aggressions. As a result, many students experience the effects of a racial battle fatigue—physical and mental exhaustion borne of their hostile learning and work environments—leading them to abandon STEM fields entirely. McGee offers policies and practices that must be implemented to ensure that STEM education and employment become more inclusive including internships, mentoring opportunities, and curricular offerings. Such structural changes are imperative if we are to reverse the negative effects of racialized STEM and unlock the potential of all students to drive technological innovation and power the economy.


Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education

Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2018-04-08

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 0309467888

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Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals generate a stream of scientific discoveries and technological innovations that fuel job creation and national economic growth. Ensuring a robust supply of these professionals is critical for sustaining growth and creating jobs growth at a time of intense global competition. Undergraduate STEM education prepares the STEM professionals of today and those of tomorrow, while also helping all students develop knowledge and skills they can draw on in a variety of occupations and as individual citizens. However, many capable students intending to major in STEM later switch to another field or drop out of higher education altogether, partly because of documented weaknesses in STEM teaching, learning and student supports. Improving undergraduate STEM education to address these weaknesses is a national imperative. Many initiatives are now underway to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM teaching and learning. Some focus on the national level, others involve multi-institution collaborations, and others take place on individual campuses. At present, however, policymakers and the public do not know whether these various initiatives are accomplishing their goals and leading to nationwide improvement in undergraduate STEM education. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education outlines a framework and a set of indicators that document the status and quality of undergraduate STEM education at the national level over multiple years. It also indicates areas where additional research is needed in order to develop appropriate measures. This publication will be valuable to government agencies that make investments in higher education, institutions of higher education, private funders of higher education programs, and industry stakeholders. It will also be of interest to researchers who study higher education.


Success Strategies from Women in Stem

Success Strategies from Women in Stem

Author: Peggy A. Pritchard

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2015-01-01

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9780123971814

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Success Strategies from Women in Stem: A Portable Mentor, Second Edition, is a comprehensive and accessible manual containing career advice, mentoring support, and professional development strategies for female scientists in the STEM fields. This updated text contains new and essential chapters on leadership and negotiation, important coverage of career management, networking, social media, communication skills, and more. The work is accompanied by a companion website that contains annotated links, a list of print and electronic resources, self-directed learning objects, frequently asked questions, and more. With an increased focus on international relevance, this comprehensive text contains shared stories and vignettes that will help women pursuing or involved in STEM careers develop the necessary professional and personal skills to overcome obstacles to advancement. Preserves the style and tone of the first edition by bringing together mentors, trainees and early-career professionals in a series of conversations about important topics related to careers in STEM fields, such as leadership, time stress, negotiation, networking, social media and more Identifies strategies that can improve career success along with stories that elucidate, engage, and inspire Companion website provides authoritative information from successful women engaged in STEM careers, including annotated links to key organizations, associations, granting agencies, teaching support materials, and more


Women and Ideas in Engineering

Women and Ideas in Engineering

Author: Laura D. Hahn

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2018-07-20

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 0252050673

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The increasing presence of women within engineering programs is one of today's most dramatic developments in higher education. Long before, however, a group of talented and determined women carved out new paths in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Laura D. Hahn and Angela S. Wolters bring to light the compelling hidden stories of these pioneering figures. When Mary Louisa Page became the College's first female graduate in 1879, she also was the first American woman ever awarded a degree in architecture. Bobbie Johnson's insistence on "a real engineering job" put her on a path to the Apollo and Skylab programs. Grace Wilson, one of the College's first female faculty members, taught and mentored a generation of women. Their stories and many others illuminate the forgotten history of women in engineering. At the same time, the authors offer insights into the experiences of today's women from the College -- a glimpse of a brighter future, one where more women in STEM fields apply their tireless dedication to the innovations that shape a better tomorrow.


Thriving in Graduate School

Thriving in Graduate School

Author: Arielle Shanok

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-08-02

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 153813330X

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Addresses the mental health challenges of graduate school and how students can succeed and thrive. With rates of depression and anxiety six times higher among graduate students than the general population, maintaining emotional wellbeing in graduate school is vital! Students must be prepared with skills that will not only help them perform well but also help them feel well. Thriving in Graduate School: The Expert's Guide to Success and Wellness is the first book on graduate student mental health written by mental health professionals. It promotes psychologically healthy approaches to navigating the graduate school experience and teaches students that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. The authors introduce students to unique perspectives that are key to positive mental health. Additionally, this is the only book of its type to explore issues routinely faced by historically marginalized graduate students. Special sections at the end of each chapter written for faculty, administrators, and mental health professionals augment the book by suggesting ways that each of these groups can help guide and support graduate students through their journey. Featuring vignettes and experiences from actual graduate students, Thriving in Graduate School sheds light on common—but hidden—truths to help students manage the many challenges they will face and even thrive during their graduate school years. Written with compassion and humor, this is a must read for prospective students and those who seek to support them.


A Celebration of the EDGE Program’s Impact on the Mathematics Community and Beyond

A Celebration of the EDGE Program’s Impact on the Mathematics Community and Beyond

Author: Susan D'Agostino

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-08-31

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 3030194868

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The Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Program began twenty years ago to provide support for women entering doctoral programs in the mathematical sciences. With a steadfast commitment to diversity among participants, faculty, and staff, EDGE initially alternated between Bryn Mawr and Spelman Colleges. In later years, EDGE has been hosted on campuses around the nation and expanded to offer support for women throughout their graduate school and professional careers. The refereed papers in A Celebration of the EDGE Program’s Impact on the Mathematics Community and Beyond range from short memoirs, to pedagogical studies, to current mathematics research. All papers are written by former EDGE participants, mentors, instructors, directors, and others connected to EDGE. Together, these papers offer compelling testimony that EDGE has produced a diverse new generation of leaders in the mathematics community. This volume contains technical and non-technical works, and it is intended for a far-reaching audience, including mathematicians, mathematics teachers, diversity officers, university administrators, government employees writing educational or science policy, and mathematics students at the high school, college, and graduate levels. By highlighting the scope of the work done by those supported by EDGE, the volume offers strong evidence of the American Mathematical Society’s recognition that EDGE is "a program that makes a difference.” This volume offers unique testimony that a 20-year old summer program has expanded its reach beyond the summer experience to produce a diverse new generation of women leaders, nearly half of whom are underrepresented women. While some books with a women-in-math theme focus only on one topic such as research or work-life balance, this book's broad scope includes papers on mathematics research, teaching, outreach, and career paths.