With NSF support, Bowie State University will develop further its STEM capabilities involving minority students in greater numbers, paving the way for eventual increase of underrepresented degree seeking students in STEM disciplines. Project goals are (1) to develop an academic infrastructure that produces quality STEM graduates, (2) to expand the participation of underrepresented minority students and faculty, and (3) to strengthen a diverse internationally competitive and globally engaged workforce of scientists, engineers, and well prepared citizens.
Project synergistic activities include (1) revising STEM gate-keeping courses and promoting conceptual curricular continuity; (2) accelerating graduation and developing STEM Honors Program offerings; (3) developing new undergraduate programs in Bio-informatics and Computational Biology, and Computer Network Security; (4) implementation of research-based teaching and learning techniques and practices; (5) providing research and Internship opportunities to STEM undergraduate students; (6) expanding tutoring opportunities and building an assessment, intervention and advisement plan; (7) organizing Summer Academy for entering STEM freshmen; (8) providing support for successful entry into STEM graduate programs through a strong undergraduate curriculum and GRE preparation; (9) organizing professional workshops for faculty development, and research opportunities for faculty on/off campus, and (10) organizing an annual symposium on undergraduate research.
The intellectual merit of this project lies in the proposed STEM infrastructure enhancements and their potential to result in significant and sustainable improvements in the overall quality of STEM instruction at the institution.
The impact of the proposed efforts is to broaden the participation of under-represented minorities in STEM disciplines and the national STEM workforce.
