UB leads effort to increase STEM degrees for underrepresented students

by Jane Stoyle Welch

These are just a few of the ways the University at Buffalo is creating new opportunities for underrepresented students to earn degrees in science and engineering fields.

These experiences and the program that supports them, the State University of New York (SUNY) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, recently received a $4 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. UB will receive $455,858 as one of the University Centers involved in the program.

“Building a diverse STEM workforce is of critical importance for our national economy, creating the broadest possible talent pool for our companies to draw upon and a rich pool of STEM entrepreneurs to create new businesses,” said Liesl Folks, dean of UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Our continued leadership in the SUNY LSAMP program allows us to promote the pursuit of engineering education to all those who have been historically underrepresented within our disciplines.”

The grant will help UB to continue to increase undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for underrepresented minority students.

“During this grant cycle, the UB LSAMP program is looking to increase student retention and success with new academic initiatives,” said Letitia Thomas, Director of STEM Diversity Programs in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and UB LSAMP Project Director. “We will focus on student improvement and success in STEM introductory courses, including math, chemistry and physics.”

Over the next five years, UB will focus on three goals: meeting the continuing challenge of preparing underrepresented students for a successful transition into STEM majors; providing experimental activities that lead to socialization into science; and promoting systemic change by broadening participation in research.

In addition, SUNY Buffalo State has joined the alliance, enabling deeper collaboration and opportunities for students in Western New York.

Created in 1996, the SUNY LSAMP program has been a leader in STEM education. It is a synergistic collaboration and alliance of 14 SUNY schools with a diverse mix of academic strengths and capabilities. The result has been an 11-fold increase in STEM enrollment for minority students in comparison to the previous 20 years in the state. The program has also helped increase the number of STEM bachelor’s degrees by almost 300 percent. During the past 5 years, the program has been a catalyst in helping to nearly double the number of underrepresented community college students transferring to four-year STEM undergraduate programs.

The National Science Foundation has supported the SUNY LSAMP program since its inception. This latest grant is the fifth stage of funding and will build upon and fine-tune the Fostering STEM Identity through Transitions (FIT) model that will conduct an in-depth theory driven examination of the pivotal experiences that lead to engagement, retention and overall success of underrepresented STEM college students.