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The Efficacy of Community College Student Participation in STEM Research Programs

Dr. Candice Foley and Ms. Nina LeonhardtSuffolk County Community College National Science Foundation DUE 0630944

New York State Education Department Project Number 0537-11-1095

Need for more STEM professionals if U.S. is to remain competitive.– The World is Flat (Friedman, 2005)– Rising Above the Gathering Storm (National Academy of Sciences,

2006)– The STEM Workforce Challenge (US Department of Labor, 2007)

Changing demographics in U.S.

Increasing % of U.S. workforce.

 

“Analysis of Some Near Infrared Spectra of C2Br”

“F-19 Fluorobenzoquinone for Peptide and Protein Labeling” 

“Automated Control System and Data Logginig for Cryo-Compressor and Refrigerator”

“Developing New Methods for Rapid Serial Crystallography”

“An Eight Week Survey to Quantify the Small Mammal Population Levels”

“Designing and Installing the Radio Frequency Tuners for a 1500 MHZ High Energy Accelerator and Inspecting the Results via CLAN and Gen-Mesh Computer Codes”

“The Effects of Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners on The Expression of the Genes Apl-1, Trt-1, and Ist-1 in Caenorhabditis Elegans (C. elegans)”

“Nanopatterning with Self-assembled Polymer Masks on Silicon (Si) and Evaporated Gold (Au) Wafers”

“Effect of Durometer (Shore A hardness) and Thickness on the Release Rates of Perfluorocarbon Tracers from Permeation Sources”

“Characterization of a Well Containing Cs-137 Source for Calibration of Personal Radiation Detectors”

“Determining the Release Rates of Perfluorocarbon Tracers Through Silicon Tubing”

Community college student researchers perform better academically than their peers who choose a more traditional path.

Success in STEM encourages increased success = persistence.

Therefore, our objective is to increase the number of students participating in our complementary programs and research opportunities. More funding!

Will the findings presented here hold across a larger sample size over a longer period of time?

Do community college student research experiences increase student persistence and success in STEM disciplines?

Do programmatic supports assist underrepresented populations to be successful in STEM disciplines?

BACKGROUND

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

THE STEM COMMUNITY AT SCCC:STUDENTS, MENTORS, FACULTY, RESEARCH

SCIENTISTS AND STEM ALUMNI

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

Immigrants Women

Create and leverage programs

Include financial and social/community

supports

Formative assessment each semester

Summative each semester and year

Longitudinal study

Inform our practice

METHODOLOGY

STEM Students

STEM Alumni

Scientists

Faculty

07-08 08-09 09-10

# of students 25 24 26

Avg. scholarship award

4848 4726 4404

Ethnicity (NSF preferred targets)

67.9% 73.9% 75%

Gender 42.9% F

57.1% M

47.8% F

52.2% M

43.8 %F

56.2% M

NSF- S-STEM Student Demographics

Biology26%

Chemistry7%

Engineering19%

Math19%

Comp. Sci.19%

Env. Sci10%

SCCC STEM Student Cohort Majors 2009-10

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

f07 sp08 f08 sp09 f09 sp10

GPA

STEM Cohort

Other SCCC STEM Students

Findings: SCCC STEM Cohort GPA vs. SCCC STEM GPA

Cohort data vs. SCCC STEM student data for students who are not part of our research programs.

Gender Major Final GPA

F Chemistry 4.0

F Mathematics 4.0

F Biology 3.8

F Biology 3.8

F Environmental Science 3.7

F Neuroscience 3.7

M Engineering 3.7

M Biology 3.6

F Mathematics 3.6

M Physics 3.4

M Engineering 3.4

F Mathematics 3.4

M Engineering 3.4

M Electrical Technology 3.4

M Environmental Science 3.3

M Electrical Technology 3.3

M Engineering 3.2

F Engineering 3.2

M Engineering 3.0

Selected Research Projects

RESULTS

Question

% of students-Strongly agree/ Agree

% of students strongly disagree/disagree Neutral

1. Without the financial aid provided by the NSF-S- STEM Scholarship, it would be difficult for me to stay enrolled at SCCC. 66.7% 8.3% 25%

2. In general, the NFS-S-STEM Scholarship program has provided me with enhanced academic opportunities I would otherwise not have had. 91.7% 8.3% 0%

Student Survey Results