A Successful 2-week Innovation- and Student Success-Focused Bridge Program for First-Year Students
- Conference
- Location
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Minneapolis, MN
- Publication Date
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August 23, 2022
- Start Date
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June 26, 2022
- End Date
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June 29, 2022
- Conference Session
- Page Count
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22
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--42080
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/42080
- Download Count
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474
Paper Authors
Karl Schubert
University of Arkansas
orcid.org/0000-0002-8289-9501
Dr. Karl D. Schubert is a Professor of Practice and serves as the Associate Director for the Data Science Program for the University of Arkansas College of Engineering, the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and the J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences. His research interests include data science and analytics, innovation, technology, and interdisciplinary project-based active learning methodologies. As part of his current role, Karl is leading a State-wide multi-college faculty and administration workgroup, with the Arkansas Center for Data Science as the Education & Workforce Development Research Theme for an NSF EPSCoR grant, to develop a consistent and collaborative interdisciplinary multi-college B.S. and Associate degree, and certificate program in Data Science, and leading a team developing a State-wide High School path for Data Science for the Arkansas Department of Education, and he is developing an interdisciplinary multi-college Innovation Curriculum. Dr. Schubert is also a member of the NAMEPA Board of Directors and represents NAMEPA on The Carpentries Equity Council.
Before his appointment at the University, in senior-level corporate roles that include CIO, CTO, Global SVP of Engineering, and General Manager, Karl has developed a steadfast reputation for driving strategic business growth and technology innovation. He has strong experience in interdisciplinary data science, innovation and technology, and lifecycle management, operations, global business, through working in companies including IBM, Dell, Lifetouch, midrange companies and start-ups, and his own company, TechNova Consulting, LLC.
Dr. Schubert has authored two books and has been awarded patents for early work in storage systems architecture, storage area networks, data analysis methods, touch screen technologies, and other technology areas. He is an elected member of the Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers, a 2008 recipient of the College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award, was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) in 2015, was inducted as a charter member of the University of Arkansas Academy of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in 2017, and is a Senior Member of IEEE, a Senior Member of IISE, and a Senior Member of ACM.
Dr. Schubert lives in Tontitown, AR, USA with his wife Kathryn and their son, Tucker.
Xochitl Delgado Solorzano University of Arkansas
Leslie Massey University of Arkansas
Leslie Massey is an instructor in the First-Year Engineering Program. She received her BS in Biological Engineering and MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arkansas. She previously served as project manager at the Arkansas Water Resources Center, but returned to teaching full time in 2013. She teaches Introduction to Engineering I and II and and is the coordinator for the First-Year Honors Innovation Experience.
Carol Gattis University of Arkansas
Dr. Carol Gattis is the Associate Dean Emeritus of the Honors College and Adjunct Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering. She has 30+ years of successful educational program design, development, and research relative to engineering and honors student recruitment, retention, diversity, international education, and course development. She has served as PI/co PI on four NSF S-STEM grants.
Jennie Popp
Jennie Popp, Ph.D. is a Professor of Agricultural Economics and the Associate Dean of the Honors College at University of Arkansas. As Associate Dean, Dr. Popp contributes to student success initiatives through the management of Honors College study abroad and research grant programs, the facilitation of the development of service learning and other new courses, promotion of undergraduate research activities and in contributions to the PTG and Honors College Path programs. Her research has focused on identification and implementation of sustainable agricultural best management practices. She has been the lead or co-principle investigator on over $20 million in federally competitive grants to support her research.
Chunhua Cao The University of Alabama
Thomas Carter University of Arkansas
Divya Muralidhara University of Arkansas
Divya Muralidhara is a Data Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at the University of Arkansas. She assists with reporting of University data to state/federal agencies, coordinates data for national/state/professional surveys, creates checks to improve data accuracy and reproducibility, and conducts spatial data analysis and visualization. She has earned her Master of Information Systems degree from the University of Arkansas in 2009 and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida in 2007.
Abstract
Despite the vital role innovation plays in scientific advancement, opportunities to develop innovation skills remain limited, especially for low-income students. Training in innovation principles and processes are frequently extra-curricular pursuits, such as unpaid internships with start-up organizations, shadowing innovation professionals, or obtaining an additional business degree that covers innovation principles. These pursuits often require financial means or connections in the field – both of which are often unavailable to low-income students. Without an academic route in which STEM degree programs are embedded with innovation instruction and exercises, innovation training will remain out of reach for most low-income students.
The bridge program engages students in a specially designed 3-credit hour course where 2-credit hours are dedicated to teaching students about innovation and developing their innovative thinking and behaviors. One-credit hour is devoted to student success strategies and developing feelings of being welcome at the university through guest speakers. Outside of class, bridge students participate in cohort building and mentoring activities. The bridge program included 12 NSF S-STEM students as well as 12 non-STEM students, all of which are participating in the Honors College Path Program which is designed to increase retention of underrepresented students. This allowed multidisciplinary collaboration for diversity of thought.
Schubert, K., & Delgado Solorzano, X., & Massey, L., & Gattis, C., & Popp, J., & Cao, C., & Carter, T., & Muralidhara, D. (2022, August), A Successful 2-week Innovation- and Student Success-Focused Bridge Program for First-Year Students Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42080
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