Board 198: An Innovation-Themed National Science Foundation S-STEM Grant Program

Karl D. Schubert; Carol S Gattis; Xochitl Delgado Solorzano; Jennie S Popp; Paul D Adams; Leslie Bartsch Massey; Thomas Carter; Chunhua Cao

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--46763
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/46763
Download Count: 21

Paper Authors

biography

Karl D. Schubert FIET University of Arkansas orcid.org/0000-0002-8289-9501

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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 Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

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biography

Carol S Gattis University of Arkansas

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Dr. Carol Gattis is the Associate Dean for Special Projects in the Honors College and Adjunct Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas. She has 30+ years of successful STEM educational program design, development, and research relative to engineering and honors student recruitment, retention, diversity, international education, innovation, and course development.

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Xochitl Delgado Solorzano University of Arkansas

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Xochitl Delgado Solorzano is the director of the Honors College Path Program at the University of Arkansas. In this capacity she oversees all aspects of the Path Program, including recruitment and student success, grant requirements, and fundraising.

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Jennie S Popp Ph.D.

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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 abroa

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Paul D Adams University of Arkansas

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Paul D. Adams, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Distinguished Faculty Member, The Honors College
University of Arkansas
119 Chemistry Building
phone:(479)575-5621

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Leslie Bartsch Massey University of Arkansas

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Leslie Massey is an instructor in the First-Year Engineering Program at the University of Arkansas. She received her BS in Biological Engineering and MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Arkansas. She previously served as a project mana

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Thomas Carter III University of Arkansas

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Chunhua Cao The University of Alabama

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Abstract

To provide industry and government with STEM graduates that have the skillset to help our country be competitive on a global scale, students need to learn how to become innovators. With funding from a National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) grant, researchers at the University of Arkansas aim to increase the number of STEM graduates with innovation training and experience. The Closing America’s Innovation Gap through Collaboration with Industry (DUE 2030297) program (INNOV) provides academic innovation opportunities while also providing scholarships and retention programming to help students succeed.

INNOV was informed by an earlier S-STEM grant program, Closing the STEM Labor Gap through a Path to Graduation (PTG) for Low Income, Rural Students (DUE 1742496). PTG graduates felt that their credit-bearing bridge program was important to their success. To take it a step further, INNOV provided two first-year innovation courses. PTG identified specific student struggles which allowed the INNOV team to address these issues from the beginning to improve retention.

The INNOV program components include a credit-bearing innovation bridge program during the intersession immediately before the students’ first semester on campus, a two-semester first-year sequence of innovation courses with industry-partnered projects, and innovation-related field trips to industry. It also has a non-course related portion called the Path program which includes a first-year living community, peer mentoring, professional mentoring, faculty mentoring, monthly cohort meetings, and teambuilding activities.

Cohort 1 began in fall 2021 with 12 students (9 from historically underrepresented groups (HUG), 7 female) and the fall 2022 cohort had 16 students (10 HUG, 6 female). Spring 2023 ended with 26 students in the program, a 93% retention rate. Entering students are low-income Pell Grant recipients, have an ACT of 23-27, and a high school GPA of 3.50+.

INNOV program sophomores were surveyed at the end of their sophomore year and asked to reflect on their experience. Related to the innovation experience courses in their first year and how it impacted them in their sophomore year courses and/or in life outside the classroom, • 81% felt the courses helped them feel more comfortable expressing their ideas. • 76% said the courses helped them feel more comfortable with taking risks. • 63% felt that the courses were valuable to their future educational and career goals. • 54% said that the courses helped them be more creative and innovative. • 54% felt that the courses helped motivate them to continue in their STEM degree program.

Related to the non-academic Path program portion of the grant program, • 73% felt that Path was an important factor in continuing their chosen degree program. • 73% felt that Path was important in promoting their sense of belonging.

This paper will discuss the academic and retention components of INNOV including new strategies informed by lessons learned from an earlier grant. Student success and achievement data, as well as student survey data, will be presented.

Citation
Format

Schubert, K. D., & Gattis, C. S., & Delgado Solorzano, X., & Popp, J. S., & Adams, P. D., & Massey, L. B., & Carter, T., & Cao, C. (2024, June), Board 198: An Innovation-Themed National Science Foundation S-STEM Grant Program Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46763

TY - CPAPER
AB - To provide industry and government with STEM graduates that have the skillset to help our country be competitive on a global scale, students need to learn how to become innovators. With funding from a National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) grant, researchers at the University of Arkansas aim to increase the number of STEM graduates with innovation training and experience. The Closing America’s Innovation Gap through Collaboration with Industry (DUE 2030297) program (INNOV) provides academic innovation opportunities while also providing scholarships and retention programming to help students succeed.

INNOV was informed by an earlier S-STEM grant program, Closing the STEM Labor Gap through a Path to Graduation (PTG) for Low Income, Rural Students (DUE 1742496). PTG graduates felt that their credit-bearing bridge program was important to their success. To take it a step further, INNOV provided two first-year innovation courses. PTG identified specific student struggles which allowed the INNOV team to address these issues from the beginning to improve retention.

The INNOV program components include a credit-bearing innovation bridge program during the intersession immediately before the students’ first semester on campus, a two-semester first-year sequence of innovation courses with industry-partnered projects, and innovation-related field trips to industry. It also has a non-course related portion called the Path program which includes a first-year living community, peer mentoring, professional mentoring, faculty mentoring, monthly cohort meetings, and teambuilding activities.

Cohort 1 began in fall 2021 with 12 students (9 from historically underrepresented groups (HUG), 7 female) and the fall 2022 cohort had 16 students (10 HUG, 6 female). Spring 2023 ended with 26 students in the program, a 93% retention rate. Entering students are low-income Pell Grant recipients, have an ACT of 23-27, and a high school GPA of 3.50+.

INNOV program sophomores were surveyed at the end of their sophomore year and asked to reflect on their experience. Related to the innovation experience courses in their first year and how it impacted them in their sophomore year courses and/or in life outside the classroom,
• 81% felt the courses helped them feel more comfortable expressing their ideas.
• 76% said the courses helped them feel more comfortable with taking risks.
• 63% felt that the courses were valuable to their future educational and career goals.
• 54% said that the courses helped them be more creative and innovative.
• 54% felt that the courses helped motivate them to continue in their STEM degree program.

Related to the non-academic Path program portion of the grant program,
• 73% felt that Path was an important factor in continuing their chosen degree program.
• 73% felt that Path was important in promoting their sense of belonging.

This paper will discuss the academic and retention components of INNOV including new strategies informed by lessons learned from an earlier grant. Student success and achievement data, as well as student survey data, will be presented.
AU - Karl D. Schubert FIET
AU - Carol S Gattis
AU - Xochitl Delgado Solorzano
AU - Jennie S Popp Ph.D.
AU - Paul D Adams
AU - Leslie Bartsch Massey
AU - Thomas Carter III
AU - Chunhua Cao
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 198: An Innovation-Themed National Science Foundation S-STEM Grant Program
UR - https://strategy.asee.org/46763
DO - 10.18260/1-2--46763
ER -