Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Science and Mathematics Education
- University of the District of Columbia
Co-Author(s): Carolyn Cousin , University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Center for Research and Development was established to promote initiatives, strategies and activities that improve student academic performance. The major focus of the Center is to increase the overall academic proficiency of UDC STEM majors and to increase the number of minority students pursuing careers in STEM. The Center provides enrichment activities; summer programs; seminars, workshops, and lectures from distinguished scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and psychologists; and academic workshops for students to enhance their academic skills. Additionally, students are exposed to research experiences in UDC STEM faculty laboratories, as well as research-intensive universities and facilities throughout the nation and are provided opportunities to present their work at STEM conferences. The Center is the premier program that initiated the concept of a Journal Club for undergraduate students on the UDC campus. When it began, Journal Club was the only STEM program included in this forum. The Center specializes in facilitating undergraduate laboratory and research experiences for all STEM students interested in STEM research and enhancement. The Center has established an Academic Advancement Partnership (AAP) between doctorate degree granting institutions and the Center to facilitate the enrollment of UDC students in the AAP institutions and to provide opportunities for UDC faculty to form research collaborations with AAP faculty. These institutions include: Georgetown University, George Washington University, University of California, San Diego, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, Indiana University, University of Wisconsin, and Rutgers University. STEM Center students have been accepted into Ph.D. programs at the following institutions: Cornel University, Howard University, The Scripps Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Washington University, University of Wisconsin, University of Cincinnati, University of Pennsylvania, Stony Brook University, The Rockefeller University, Rutgers University, and Memorial Sloan – Kettering Cancer Center.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): The STEM Center is supported by NSF/HBCU-UP grants 1531014 and 1622811
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,