The S-STEM project is providing two-year integrated scholarships and support programs for five new graduate students each year who are seeking a M.S. degree in chemistry at California State University-Fresno (CSU-Fresno). This program is providing a diverse pool of students entering Ph.D. chemistry programs and M.S. level chemistry-based employment in Central California. The project is supplementing existing M.S. chemistry program elements at CSU-Fresno by providing additional opportunities for students to develop critical thinking, presentation and writing skills, and by preparing students for entry into graduate programs and the workforce. Because CSU-Fresno is a Hispanic Serving Institution, a large proportion of the targeted students are Hispanic, a critically under-represented group in STEM fields. These students are also serving as role models for minority undergraduate students in chemistry, helping to cultivate the next generation of graduate students. Assessment data from the project are being used to identify strategies that will promote the recruitment and retention of under-represented students into graduate programs that can be employed at similar institutions nationwide.
