Big Blue STEM Scholars: Enhancing STEM Outcomes through a Learning Community and Professional Identity

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Millikin University. Over its six-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to at least 15 unique full-time first-year or transfer students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, or physics.

First-year students will receive four-year scholarships. Transfer students will receive two- or three-year scholarships depending on the time necessary for degree completion. The project aims to increase student retention and graduation rates by emphasizing evidence-based supports during the 1st and 2nd years of collegiate study.

Supports include forming a learning community, orientation, faculty mentoring, cohort courses, and building professional identity through undergraduate research, professional development, and engagement with STEM professionals. Millikin's prospective Scholars include a large percentage of female student and students from groups underrepresented in STEM, thus diversifying and strengthening the STEM workforce by increasing the participation of underrepresented individuals and helping to close the gender gap in STEM.

Moreover, the project is anticipated to positively impact additional STEM majors and faculty through their engagement with participant supports and professional development opportunities. Through the evaluation of supports, importantly, the project will impact STEM retention and graduation at similarly focused regional primarily undergraduate institutions.

The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Specifically, it will facilitate the obtainment of B.S. degrees in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics so students may pursue successful STEM careers and help meet the critical national demand for STEM professionals.

Fifteen students will receive an annual scholarship as Big Blue STEM Scholars to cover all unmet need. Importantly, scholarships will be provided to Scholars in good standing until they graduate. Since Millikin's institutional data indicates retention from year 1 to year 2 is a strong predictor of persistence in STEM fields for its diverse student population, this project was designed to emphasize early-stage interventions, primarily during years 1 and 2 for each cohort.

The Big Blue STEM Scholars project relies on building a sense of belonging and STEM identity through evidence-based supports targeted at improving student persistence, retention, and graduation. The goal is to form a learning community cohort and build Scholar professional identity through university orientation, tailored courses with elements of professional development, dedicated academic supports such as regular Scholar-faculty mentoring, undergraduate research, student leadership opportunities, and career preparation.

The effectiveness of these efforts will be studied through annual evaluation of institutional data, online surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups. Project results will be disseminated through Millikin University's Big Blue STEM Scholars website, conferences, and peer-reviewed journal publications. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields.

It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.

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.