The Fisk-Vanderbilt Master's to-PhD Bridge program was created to address the underrepresentation of minorities in STEM disciplines by enabling these students to earn a Master's degree at Fisk as a stepping-stone to the PhD program at Vanderbilt. This proposal aims to take the elements that have worked so well for physics and astronomy in the Bridge program and use them to strengthen and expand the Biology, Chemistry, and Biophysics tracks. The overall goal of this program will be to broaden participation of underrepresented minority students in the fields of Biology, Chemistry and Bio-Physics, to develop methods that increase the preparation of students at Fisk for entering Vanderbilt, and to give track the professional development of each student, including training on the responsible conduct of research. The greatest evidence of Fisk and Vanderbilt Institutional commitment is that the Bridge Program has been operating for 8 years. Both universities have invested considerable time and money into the success of the program. In turn, as our students are now graduating with PhDs and moving into academia and industry we are delivering on that investment. This proposal will be a significant step in ensuring the achievements to date continue and expand bringing more biomedical sciences student into the Bridge family.
The Fisk-Vanderbilt Master's to-PhD Bridge program was created to address the underrepresentation of minorities in STEM disciplines by enabling these students to earn a Master's degree at Fisk as a stepping- stone to the PhD program at Vanderbilt. This proposal aims to take the elements that have worked so well for physics and astronomy in the Bridge program and use them to strengthen and expand the Biology, Chemistry, and Biophysics tracks.