Henry Frierson Anne Donnelly Carolyn Tucker University of Florida
SES-0750663 Kim Nickerson Johnetta Davis Robert Schwab University of Maryland, College Park
SES-0750657 Steven Ullmann University of Miami
SES-0549057 Anne Donnelly University of Florida
SES-0750683 Orlando Taylor Florence Bonner Angela Cole Howard University
The grant provides three years of continued support to the Atlantic Coast Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (AC-SBE) Alliance. AC-SBE, comprised of Howard University, University of Florida (lead institution), University of Maryland at College Park, University of Miami, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to complete a range of activities with the goal of increasing the number of under-represented minority students receiving doctorate degrees in the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences and ultimately entering the professoriate. All five universities are currently among the nation's leaders in awarding PhDs in the SBE fields to underrepresented minority students. The AC-SBE Alliance includes elements designed to help students at each step as they move from undergraduate school into graduate programs and onto the professoriate. The Alliance will continue to: (1) recruit and prepare undergraduates to pursue a PhD in SBE fields, (2) assist students in the transition from undergraduate to graduate study, (3) retain PhD students and increase degree completion rates, and (4) prepare future SBE faculty for success. Although each of the five schools in the AC-SBE alliance has unique features, the AC-SBE Alliance includes a number of overarching or "value-added" activities that involve sharing resources across the five universities. For example, the Alliance builds upon Howard University's Summer Institute that prepares future faculty in the STEM (science, engineering and technology) fields, adding a parallel SBE component. Also, entering AC-SBE students participate in a one-week course--Introduction to Data Analysis for the Social Sciences--at the Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Odum Institute also offers a number of videoconference short courses to AC-SBE students.
Broader Impacts. Through integrating the resources of the five Alliance institutions, AC-SBE has the potential to realize a broad impact across a wide region of the country in the production of SBE PhD recipients. Thus, AC-SBE serves as a comprehensive project for recruiting, mentoring, and graduating underrepresented students in SBE PhD programs, and further to more broadly support students who want to pursue graduate studies and academic careers. It is anticipated that the norms of inclusiveness at the AC-SBE Alliance institutions and the relationships that have been forged will endure well past the termination of grant support to continue efforts to ensure the significant numbers of minority students pursue and receive PhD degrees and enter the professoriate.
Intellectual Merit The Atlantic-Coast Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (AC-SBE) Alliance was formed in 2005 by Howard University, the University of Florida, the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of Miami, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Those institutions were among the nation’s top 25 producers of underrepresented minority (URM) doctoral recipients in the social, behavioral and economic sciences. The Alliance successfully addressed the four objectives that were established: Recruit and prepare undergraduates to pursue a PhD in SBE fields Assist students in the transition from undergraduate to graduate study Retain PhD students and increase degree completion rates Prepare future SBE faculty for success Each of the five Alliance schools provided both common and unique contributions as well as collaborative overarching activities. Examples included: Preparing Future Faculty Summer Institute was designed to provide advanced doctoral students with intensive training and experiences to enhance their preparation for the professoriate. Hosted by Howard University Institute on Postdoctoral Preparation was designed to prepare advanced doctoral students for postdoctoral opportunities and to enhance their future postdoctoral experience. Hosted by Howard University The Odum Institute Summer Statistical Workshop was designed to provide entry-level statistical training to graduate students with basic concepts to facilitate the transition into their respective social science disciplines. In 2009, the Institute expanded to include an Intermediate-Level workshop and continued to offer this additional workshop through the end of the grant period. In addition a variety of academic and social activities were incorporated to promote inter-institutional student networking for future collaborations. Hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) is a long-standing joint program between the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Michigan, and Westat that provided courses in survey methodology. Hosted by the University of Maryland, College Park. "Why Should I Be An Economist?" was offered to URM undergraduate students with the expressed aim of cultivating an interest in this discipline. The workshop provided participants with insights on new economic paradigms by leading economists who use their economics degrees in a variety of ways in the public, private and non-profit arenas. Hosted by Howard University Undergraduate Summer Research Program was offered to high-performing social science undergraduate students from across the country. Selected participants receive research mentoring from faculty and guidance on preparing for graduate school and academic careers. Hosted by the University of Miami. The Summer Research Initiative (SRI) provided an 8-week research experience to undergraduate students across the country. It was designed to introduce students to research methodologies, help them prepare for graduate school, and provide faculty the opportunity to assess potential graduate applicants. Hosted by the University of Maryland, College Park. Broader impacts In integrating the resources of the five AC-SBE Alliance institutions, AC-SBE had an impact across the southern Atlantic coast in the production of SBE PhD recipients. The impact was felt nationally as well due to activities such as the Odum Statistical Summer Institutes and the Preparing Future Faculty seminars, both of which involved participants throughout the country. The summer research programs at three of the institutions engaged undergraduate students from schools across the country in SBE research with the intent of preparing the students for PhD programs in SBE fields. Thus, AC-SBE served as a comprehensive project for recruiting, mentoring, and graduating URM students in SBE PhD programs, and to provide professional development activities to doctoral students who were interested in pursuing academic careers. Annually, a number of students have graduated from SBE programs better equipped for workforce challenges in part because of their participation in AC-SBE Alliance programs that fostered their growth and development in statistics, survey methodology, and in post-doc and faculty preparation. As a result, the alliance formed an effective bridge for many of the students to advance through their coursework, candidacy, graduation, and into the workforce. Further, through the wide variety of inter-institutional activities and activities within the respective campuses, participants formed networks and relationships that will last throughout their professional lives and serve as a foundation for professional support and advancement. Overall Conclusions/Statement The AC-SBE Alliance used this NSF funding opportunity to create & implement training programs that allowed for graduate student recruitment and retention, undergraduate student progression towards the PhD, and a natural & attainable path towards a career in academe. Funding for this project has ended and additional funding is being pursued to continue the Alliance and it’s efforts. The relationships that have been forged between the five AC-SBE Alliance institutions should continue well beyond the grant to ensure that significant numbers of minority students pursue and receive PhD degrees and enter the professoriate.
