Louis Stokes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways and Research Alliances: Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-LAMP)2020-25

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce through their efforts at significantly increasing the numbers of students from historically underrepresented minority populations to successfully complete high quality degree programs in STEM.

Southern University and A&M College, lead institution for the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-LAMP), consists of a consortium of 12 two-and four-year institutions and one research organization in the state. Louisiana State University-Alexandria and Louisiana Tech University join the existing members of the alliance over the next five years. The

alliance, located in a NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) jurisdiction, will expand its research and education capabilities through this project by producing up to 1,060 new STEM baccalaureate degrees and retaining 25% of these students for STEM graduate studies by 2025. This goal will be accomplished by expanding partnerships to provide student and faculty research experiences and other support and addressing sustainability and institutionalization of successful practices in engagement and retention of STEM students.

Specifically, the alliance will collaborate with Department of Energy (DoE) national laboratories and two Louis Stokes Regional Centers of Excellence projects, among other public and private sector organizations.

The implementation of the Ten Strand Systemic Mentoring Model (Ecosystem) and best practices in teaching, mentoring and learning for STEM minority undergraduate students will continue. The broadening participation research component of the project will (1) investigate the relationship that low socio-economic status and/or minority status has on retention and graduation rates and (2) will quantify the impact that the Ten-Strand Systemic Mentoring Model has on student retention and on-time graduation.

Project results will be disseminated via the alliance and partner institution websites to the STEM community.

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.