This project continues a successful CSEMS program at Georgia Institute of Technology. The objectives are to enable access to a top-quality education to the most deserving students and to ensure the best guidance for their success as technology leaders.
The current program has already supported, financially and through mentoring, 87 students. Results from the first two and a half years show (a) a student retention rate that is considerably superior to that of their peers (b) success in guiding students to stay in CSEMS disciplines for their choice of careers, (c) success in identifying and addressing issues that pose both difficulties and offer opportunities to students most in need of guidance. This project builds on current success towards developing a self-sustaining activity beyond the period of this award. Many students are from under-served backgrounds that range from rural to inner-city environments. The project team is chosen to increase the recruitment and preparation of graduates from underrepresented groups, provide expert mentoring, and increase opportunities for students to experience participation at the leading edge of technology.
Intellectual Merit: The ideas used in the project were considered risky 3 years ago - solutions focused on the real problems encountered by students new to the heightened level of competition and expectations. The existing project showed how to motivate undergraduates to delve into topics that are worthwhile to explore; how to bring top-notch mentors into a scholarship program; how to validate a bold model of low-overhead project management, with team effort and shared concern for students as the guiding principles - a model for effective use of student and faculty time in intellectual endeavor, while bringing the best team resources to address individual student's needs. A Progressive GPA Scale encouraged the student's determination to succeed, emphasizing performance in the junior and senior years. This successful model is guiding future scholarship programs.
Broader Impacts: Curriculum-research integration is boosted through seminars, as well as by guiding students towards research internships. Industry-university collaboration is enhanced through undergraduate participation in industry seminars, and students guided towards co-op opportunities. The program channels those students who need this exposure the most into the wide range of opportunities available on a technological campus. It utilizes resources already in place at Georgia Tech, such as the Space Grant Consortium, the Women in Engineering (WIE) program, CEISMIC, and other programs to reach and influence the decisions of middle- and high-school students, especially from underrepresented and rural communities, to choose CSEMS areas. The continuation is expected to assist another 120+ students, not just to complete, but to enhance their education and to stay motivated to be leaders in technological fields.
