Faculty-Mentored Experiences for Improving Undergraduate Biology Student Outcomes

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 Utah Valley University, an open enrollment primarily undergraduate institution. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to at least 32 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology, biotechnology, botany, microbiology, or bioinformatics.

Scholars will be recruited in year two of the undergraduate program and provided with up to three years of support. This project aims to improve the retention and graduation rates of these students by addressing several attrition factors, including length of time to completion, excessive part-time work, and feelings of isolation. The project will address these factors by encouraging participation in and supporting an immersive faculty-mentored undergraduate research program.

This project aims to prepare low-income, academically talented students for the workforce and graduate school.

The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Three specific aims will guide the work of the project team. First, is to promote student success and degree completion in STEM at an open enrollment teaching institution with traditionally low STEM enrollments.

Second, is to provide faculty-mentored research and other experiences that enrich students' education and increase their preparation for the workforce and graduate school. Third, is to advance knowledge about the roles of self-efficacy, teacher immediacy, and faculty mentoring in supporting student success. Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in two-week rotations among research laboratories followed by opportunities to engage in research activities in a research group of their choice.

Scholars may also participate in other types of faculty-mentored projects such as teaching assistantships and internships. Enrichment activities for all scholarship recipients include weekly cohort meetings with faculty, administrators, and industry professionals, a multi-level mentoring network, and professional development opportunities that include career preparation, networking, conference attendance, and presentations.

This project will contribute to a professional cooperative spirit among scholars that can support their preparation for graduate school and careers in the biological sciences. The project seeks to advance knowledge about the impact of evidence-based practices on student self-efficacy, interest, and persistence. 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.