This project is awarding scholarships to 30 academically talented but financially needy upper-division undergraduate students who are pursuing baccalaureate degrees with majors or minors in mathematics. It is also awarding scholarships to 15 graduate students in applied mathematics. The undergraduate scholarships are targeting students transferring from community colleges, and the intent is that financial support will provide additional incentive for these students not only to finish their undergraduate degrees, but also to pursue graduate degrees. The success and eventual graduation of the scholars is being supported through common course scheduling, peer mentoring, and internship and research experiences. Some of the goals of the project are to increase the number of students pursuing degrees in mathematics, to establish supportive cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students, to expand recruitment of STEM undergraduates from community colleges, to broaden the career options of students by encouraging advanced mathematics coursework, and to provide workforce-ready graduates trained on industry-standard software packages.
(S-COAM) project at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), while increasing the number of students pursuing mathematics degrees, is unique in its goal of establishing a supportive connection of Master’s students with undergraduates through scholarship cohort activities. Over a period of four years, need-based scholarships supported 23 graduate students from the M.S. in Applied Mathematics and 45 undergraduate students seeking a major in a mathematical area or a mathematics minor with another science-related major from biology, chemistry, computer science, geoscience, natural science, or physics. Through this project more students took advanced mathematics courses, enhancing their preparation for the workforce and further studies. Regional recruiting efforts used faculty and S-COAM scholar representatives to encourage more students to pursue graduate studies via these scholarships. Undergraduate scholarships increased retention of IUP students and encouraged science students to minor in mathematics. The selection process considered need, academic performance, activities, and a personal statement. The program outcomes include: The 45 undergraduates include 26 mathematics majors and 19 science majors with a mathematics minor. 32 undergraduates graduated and 11 continued in their degree programs. Internships or REUs were completed by 19 students, and 15 pursued graduate programs in mathematics, geoscience, physics, economics, computer science, and climate modeling. Among 23 graduate students from the M.S. in Applied Mathematics program, 16 graduated, 3 continued with the program, 2 left for non-academic reasons, and 2 left due to academic performance. Internships were completed by 15 graduate students and 8 pursued Ph.D. programs in mathematical science, statistics, finance, or mathematics education. The employers include IBM, NASA, Fannie Mae, Sheetz, and IUP. Out of 68 students, 30 are female. Among female students, 22 graduated and 7 continued. Also, 10 female students pursued advanced degree programs in mathematics, physics, economics, climate modeling, mathematics education, MBA, and environmental science. Among the 12 graduating with a minor in mathematics, 5 pursued graduate programs; among 20 mathematics undergraduates, 10 pursued graduate programs. Intellectual merits include: Increasing numbers of students pursuing degrees in mathematics (comparing averages of the prior 3 years to the project’s 4 years, 13 more students seeking a mathematics major, 16 more students graduating with a mathematics minor, and 3 more graduating with a M.S. in Applied Mathematics) Establishing a supportive cohort of Master’s students and undergraduates (Every semester students work on a project in groups containing both undergraduate and graduate students. Second-year students also work together to design monthly meeting activities.) Enhancing students’ ability to pursue science-related degrees with significant mathematical requirements and prepare undergraduates to complete the IUP M.S. in Applied Mathematics in 1.5 years (4 undergraduate SCOAM recipients continued to pursue the M.S. in Applied Math at IUP. In addition, 11 more undergraduates pursued science and mathematics graduate degrees in programs, such as University of Oregon, University of Arizona, Clemson University, and Michigan State University.) Engaging students in research or internships with support for conference travel to present results (34 students completed either an internship or REU and 5-10 students per year received conference travel support.) Broader impacts include: Expanding career options of women, minorities, first-generation, economically disadvantaged, rural, and others through advanced mathematics coursework (In 2013-2014, average financial need for undergraduate and graduate recipients were $15,876 and $23,912, respectively. At least one career-related colloquium was offered every semester, including annual presentations featuring high-profile female and minority speakers.) Providing workforce-ready graduates trained on industry standard software packages (Annually, 3-6 software workshops were offered, including Matlab, Mathematica, R, and SAS.) Building university and student connections with: - regional industries through internship and placement programs - invited external speakers - regional educational institutions through recruitment and research presentations Serving as a model for improving retention and increasing the number of mathematically-oriented STEM graduates (Co-PIs gave several presentations on program design, activities, and outcomes at regional and national conferences.) Enhancing the college’s intellectual environment and changing the department’s academic culture (The external evaluator noted, "S-COAM has significantly expanded the number of educational opportunities available for the entire campus community. As part of the program, some very impressive mathematicians have made presentations on campus [and] numerous ‘how to’ programs have been carried out." The evaluator further remarked that "The department chair provided evidence of his support for the program and his genuine belief that S-COAM has made a tremendously positive impact on the department and its students.")
