Chicago, Illinois
June 18, 2006
June 18, 2006
June 21, 2006
2153-5965
Educational Research and Methods
32
11.1107.1 - 11.1107.32
10.18260/1-2--1091
https://peer.asee.org/1091
422
Taryn Bayles, Ph.D. is a Professor the Practice of Chemical Engineering in the Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Department at UMBC. She has spent half of her career working in industry and the other half in academia, and has received over $3M of NSF funding in Engineering Education & Outreach over the last three years. She has been recognized with several teaching and mentoring awards and the USM Regents' Faculty Award for Collaboration in Public Service.
Claudia Morrell is the executive director of the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) at the UMBC. Under her leadership, the Center’s programs and resources have expanded dramatically, including the development of a CWIT Scholars program which retains 94% of its students; increased funding of $7 million in scholarships, research, and program funding to support girls’ and women’s participation and advancement in STEM careers in education and industry; and the expansion of personnel from two to forty-one staff, students, teachers, and faculty. She also served as the executive producer for an international award-winning women and technology video entitled, You Can Be Anything.
Anne M. Spence is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UMBC and holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland - College Park. During her twelve years as an engineering educator, she has developed curricula, directed programs to increase the recruitment and retention of women in engineering, and developed hands on engineering programs designed to foster an interest in engineering among elementary, middle and high school students. She manages a number of NSF grants related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and serves as the director of the Project Lead the Way training institute in Maryland.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program: An Analysis of a Pilot Program
Abstract
The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is completing a pilot program on a series of initiatives that identified their effectiveness in increasing the number of undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, pursuing and receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These initiatives were funded by the National Science Foundation through their STEP (STEM Talent Expansion Program) (STEP-DUE-0230148) program. This was achieved through the following objectives: Developed a high school awareness activity that brought teams of UMBC engineering students to area high schools to introduce the high school students to STEM concepts using hands on engineering activities and demonstrations. During the presentation, the high school students were made aware of the various paths that UMBC students have taken in order to study engineering and what they plan to do upon graduation. Evaluated the relative effectiveness of a two-week summer bridge program, a scholarship program, and an internship program on student enrollment and retention in STEM programs compared to partial or no intervention. Strengthened and expanded the current informal consortium arrangement between UMBC and CCBC to increase STEM program articulation and student transfer. A formalized internship program at CCBC is still being developed with science and technology-related companies.
An important part of the program is the full involvement of the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT), a UMBC organization whose mission is to increase the involvement of females in IT and technology-related fields, such as engineering. The Center was instrumental in developing a mentoring program for faculty and students and monitoring faculty and student participation.
This paper and presentation will include data collected for the pilot program which will include the outreach program to local high schools, as well as the impact of the summer bridge, scholarship, internship and mentoring programs on retention in STEM majors for the students receiving the full or partial intervention as compared to a control group.
Background
The exponential growth in spending for national security has left educational institutions with the enormous challenge of developing a workforce with sophisticated technological skills, and in particular, increasing the number of individuals graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Given the need, universities and colleges must meet the growing challenge to identify and enroll students in these areas1. The September 2000 Report of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science,
Bayles, T., & Morrell, C., & Spence, A. (2006, June), Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Talent Expansion Program: An Analysis Of A Pilot Program Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1091
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