The Colorado Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-AMP) will sponsor a Bridge to the Doctorate Program (BD) at the Colorado School of Mines for the 2010-2013 academic years. This cohort of 12 students from underrepresented minority populations in science, technology, engineering and technology (STEM) will increase the number of talented students who will obtain doctoral degrees in the STEM disciplines. Upon completion, these Ph.D. graduates will either enter the technical workforce or choose a career in academia becoming role models for other underrepresented minority students at all critical education junctures in the future. The goals of the program at CSM are to (1) recruit LSAMP students at the postbacclaureate level and entry into STEM Ph.D. programs at CSM or other STEM PH.D. granting institutions; (2)ensure retention in STEM fields and interest in the professoriate; and, 3) instituionalize successful recruitment and retentionn practices for replication at other graduate institutions. The program will build on the experiences and lessons learned from BD cohorts 1-3 matriculating at Colorado State University.
The project contributes to the knowledge base concerning the effectiveness of interventions needed to lead qualified students from URM groups with undergraduate degrees in STEM disciplines to successful completion of a doctoral program in their field of study. In addition, the program will lead to the enhancement of successful strategies for URM graduate student success that are applicable to other institutions of higher learning. Finally, the program will contribute to the national goal of increasing the number of URM students in STEM disciplines with Ph.D. degrees in their area of expertise.
Colorado School of Mines (Mines), located in Golden, Colorado, is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public university in Colorado and has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program geared towards responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. Mines, an active member of the Colorado Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-AMP) Consortium, was awarded the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-AMP) Bridge to the Doctorate grant in 2010. The COAMP-BD proposal was submitted on behalf of Mines by Provost S. Castillo and Drs. Linda Figueroa and Junko Munakata-Marr, both Faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Evaluation of Fellowship applicants was carried out by a Faculty Advisory Board: Dr. M. Mooney - Civil and Environmental Engineering; Dr. M. Prasad – Petroleum Engineering; Dr. C. Koh – Chemical & Biological Engineering; Dr. T. Boyd – Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies; and D. Lasich – Executive Director of the Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (WISEM) program and Special Advisor to the President for Diversity. Mines awarded eleven two-year Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowships that began in Fall 2010. The 2010 Cohort consisted of six women and five men, with average incoming GPA of 3.075. The Principal Investigators were also able to bring in a small Fall 2011 Cohort of three BD Fellows who were awarded the BD Fellowship for only one academic year. The Fall 2011 Cohort was merged with the Fall 2010 Cohort in terms of meetings, trainings, and social events. The 2011 Cohort consisted of one (1) woman and two (2) men, with average incoming GPA of 3.561. The PIs identified three primary program goals for the BD Fellowship program: 1. Recruit LSAMP students and matriculate into PhD STEM programs 2. Ensure BD student retention and interest in the professoriate 3. Program Institutionalization to Support URM Graduate Students In support of those goals the following activities/workshops were instituted: • Welcome and Orientation social event • Weekly BD meetings • Faculty Advisor training • End-of-Year banquet • How to write research abstracts • How to write research abstracts • How to create an effective research poster • How to write a successful NSF GRFP • Community outreach opportunities • Professional dining etiquette • Paths to Professoriate workshop • Social hour events Of the Fall 2010 Cohort, ten (10) enrolled in an M.S. program and one (1) enrolled directly into a Ph.D. program. Of the 10 M.S. students, eight (8) had earned their Master’s Degree by the conclusion of the Spring 2013 semester, with another scheduled to graduate in the Fall 2013 semester. Of the 8 M.S. students who earned the degree four (4) have enrolled or are enrolling in Ph.D. programs beginning Fall 2013 and 4 are employed full-time. The Principal Investigators (PIs) were able to bring in a small Fall 2011 Cohort of three (3) BD Fellows. The Fall 2011 Cohort was merged with the Fall 2010 Cohort in terms of meetings, trainings, and social events. Of the Fall 2011 cohort, one was enrolled directly into a Ph.D. program. Of the two M.S. students, one (1) graduated with the M.S. degree in Spring 2013 and 1 is expected to graduate Fall 2013 with the M.S. degree. The Spring 2013 M.S. graduate is currently employed full-time. The Fall 2013 M.S. candidate is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program. In conclusion, the Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship program at Colorado School of Mines was successful in helping to bridge seven (7) of the thirteen (13) BD Fellows into doctoral programs. The Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship grant was a significant award for Mines in helping us to maintain and expand our diversity efforts. The entire Faculty, Administration, and Staff at Mines would like to recognize and extend a thank you to CO-AMP, led by Dr. Rick Miranda, Dr. Beverly Marquart, and Dr. Ernest Chavez. CO-AMP played an instrumental role in support of the efforts taken at Mines throughout the proposal phase, program execution phase, and the closing period. The Faculty, Administration, and Staff at Mines would also like to thank Dr. Arthur Hicks and the entire LSAMP contingent for their tireless work in support of underrepresented minority (URM) students, particularly in the STEM fields. Mines is honored to have participated in the Bridge to the Doctorate program.
