The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce through the development of highly competitive students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. The goal of the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity is to increase the quantity and quality of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations, with emphasis on Ph.D. matriculation and completion. For the U.S. to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. BD programs implemented in the nation's institutions of higher education contribute to addressing one of the objectives in NSF's 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, namely to "integrate education and research to support development of a diverse STEM workforce with cutting-edge capabilities." The Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ILSAMP) is led by Chicago State University, which is a Predominantly Black University and will host the 2015-2017 cohort of BD Fellows, with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) as the main implementation campus. UIC will offer a comprehensive program that includes rigorous academic preparation and research training experiences as well as mentorship and professional development activities. Since the strategies implemented at UIC will result in the production of well-trained, highly-skilled STEM Professionals from underrepresented groups, the project will contribute significantly to increasing the diversity and representation in academia and the STEM workforce, thereby ensuring the nation's global competitiveness.
Since starting in 2006, the ILSAMP BD at UIC has produced 22 STEM PhDs out of its 42 fellows from three cohorts. The Illinois LSAMP BD Program at UIC will continue to produce more STEM PhDs following the four primary objectives of the program: 1. To recruit twelve highly motivated students from LSAMP campuses across the nation; 2. To prepare matriculating BD Fellows to study and train towards the PhD; 3. To facilitate activities that will encourage BD Fellows to persist in PhD studies; and 4. To implement a series of activities designed to enhance the education and training of ILSAMP BD Fellows and help them transition to postdoctoral fellowships, placement in the academy, or other positions requiring doctoral level STEM education.
