Louis Stokes STEM Pathways and Research Alliance: Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the STEM workforce through their efforts to significantly increase the number of students successfully completing high-quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative recruitment and retention strategies and experiences in support of groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.

The Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, led by the University of Georgia, consists of Fort Valley State University (FVSU, an HBCU), Georgia State University Perimeter College (GSU-PC – two-year institution), Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), Kennesaw State University-Kennesaw Campus (KSU-K), Kennesaw State University-Marietta Campus (KSU-M) and Savannah State University (SSU, an HBCU).

Peach State LSAMP will leverage funding, resources, partnerships, and commitments of each member institution to provide academic, social, professional, and financial support and programming for LSAMP populations pursuing baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields of study. Over the next five years, the alliance will conduct scholarly research to understand the impact and student outcomes for LSAMP students as they engage in research through a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) program.

The LSAMP VIP program will be a transformative approach for engaging undergraduate and graduate students in ambitious, long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary project teams led by faculty solving real-world problems. The Peach State LSAMP aims to achieve the following goals by 2027:

Goal 1: Increase enrollment of students underrepresented in STEM disciplines by 20% above the 2019-2020 benchmark enrollment of 12,121 per year.

Goal 2: Increase baccalaureate degrees obtained by students underrepresented in STEM disciplines by 20% above the 2019-2020 benchmark BS degree production of 1,627 per year.

Goal 3: Increase the transfer of GSU-PC LSAMP students to 4-year institutions by 20% above 2019-2020 benchmark transfer total of 20 per year.

Goal 4: Increase the number of LSAMP students who participate in research/internships by 25% above the 2019-2020 benchmark total of 270 undergraduate students per year.

Goal 5: Increase the number of LSAMP students who pursue graduate degrees in STEM by 20% above 2019-2020 total of 30 graduate students per year.

Goal 6: Develop Broadening Participation in STEM scholarly knowledge to understand the impact and student outcomes for LSAMP student engagement in VIP teams. Goal 7: Assess continued Peach State Alliance institutionalization and sustainability.

The Peach State LSAMP program is comprehensive and designed to enhance academic and research outcomes, including well-prepared and successful professionals underrepresented in STEM disciplines, evidence-based mentoring and student retention models, and a sound and rigorous evaluation plan. The program will leverage its institutional research infrastructure, as well as collaborate with other organizations and industry partners, to help students underrepresented in STEM transition into applied and research-based STEM careers.

The student academic and professional development interventions implemented in this project will have transferable value for STEM students and other institutions worldwide. Long-lasting impact from outcomes achieved will create a more diverse and inclusive environment on college campuses and in the STEM workforce. Ultimately, the Peach State Alliance will contribute significantly to preserving and improving the United States’ competitiveness in overcoming key global technology, health, and economic development challenges.

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.