- Rozovsky wins prestigious NSF Early Career Award
- UD students meet alumni, experience 'closing bell' at NYSE
- Newark Police seek assistance in identifying suspects in robbery
- Rivlin says bipartisan budget action, stronger budget rules key to reversing debt
- Stink bugs shouldn't pose problem until late summer
- Gao to honor Placido Domingo in Washington performance
- Adopt-A-Highway project keeps Lewes road clean
- WVUD's Radiothon fundraiser runs April 1-10
- W.D. Snodgrass Symposium to honor Pulitzer winner
- New guide helps cancer patients manage symptoms
- UD in the News, March 25, 2011
- For the Record, March 25, 2011
- Public opinion expert discusses world views of U.S. in Global Agenda series
- Congressional delegation, dean laud Center for Community Research and Service program
- Center for Political Communication sets symposium on politics, entertainment
- Students work to raise funds, awareness of domestic violence
- Equestrian team wins regional championship in Western riding
- Markell, Harker stress importance of agriculture to Delaware's economy
- Carol A. Ammon MBA Case Competition winners announced
- Prof presents blood-clotting studies at Gordon Research Conference
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, programs announced
- Stay connected with Sea Grant, CEOE e-newsletter
- A message to UD regarding the tragedy in Japan
- More News >>
- March 31-May 14: REP stages Neil Simon's 'The Good Doctor'
- April 2: Newark plans annual 'wine and dine'
- April 5: Expert perspective on U.S. health care
- April 5: Comedian Ace Guillen to visit Scrounge
- April 6, May 4: School of Nursing sponsors research lecture series
- April 6-May 4: Confucius Institute presents Chinese Film Series on Wednesdays
- April 6: IPCC's Pachauri to discuss sustainable development in DENIN Dialogue Series
- April 7: 'WVUDstock' radiothon concert announced
- April 8: English Language Institute presents 'Arts in Translation'
- April 9: Green and Healthy Living Expo planned at The Bob
- April 9: Center for Political Communication to host Onion editor
- April 10: Alumni Easter Egg-stravaganza planned
- April 11: CDS session to focus on visual assistive technologies
- April 12: T.J. Stiles to speak at UDLA annual dinner
- April 15, 16: Annual UD push lawnmower tune-up scheduled
- April 15, 16: Master Players series presents iMusic 4, China Magpie
- April 15, 16: Delaware Symphony, UD chorus to perform Mahler work
- April 18: Former NFL Coach Bill Cowher featured in UD Speaks
- April 21-24: Sesame Street Live brings Elmo and friends to The Bob
- April 30: Save the date for Ag Day 2011 at UD
- April 30: Symposium to consider 'Frontiers at the Chemistry-Biology Interface'
- April 30-May 1: Relay for Life set at Delaware Field House
- May 4: Delaware Membrane Protein Symposium announced
- May 5: Northwestern University's Leon Keer to deliver Kerr lecture
- May 7: Women's volleyball team to host second annual Spring Fling
- Through May 3: SPPA announces speakers for 10th annual lecture series
- Through May 4: Global Agenda sees U.S. through others' eyes; World Bank president to speak
- Through May 4: 'Research on Race, Ethnicity, Culture' topic of series
- Through May 9: Black American Studies announces lecture series
- Through May 11: 'Challenges in Jewish Culture' lecture series announced
- Through May 11: Area Studies research featured in speaker series
- Through June 5: 'Andy Warhol: Behind the Camera' on view in Old College Gallery
- Through July 15: 'Bodyscapes' on view at Mechanical Hall Gallery
- More What's Happening >>
- UD calendar >>
- Middle States evaluation team on campus April 5
- Phipps named HR Liaison of the Quarter
- Senior wins iPad for participating in assessment study
- April 19: Procurement Services schedules information sessions
- UD Bookstore announces spring break hours
- HealthyU Wellness Program encourages employees to 'Step into Spring'
- April 8-29: Faculty roundtable series considers student engagement
- GRE is changing; learn more at April 15 info session
- April 30: UD Evening with Blue Rocks set for employees
- Morris Library to be open 24/7 during final exams
- More Campus FYI >>
11:28 a.m., Aug. 11, 2009----Rigorous. Demanding. Intense. Awesome. These are typical comments from participants in the 2009 University of Delaware Graduate Preparatory Summer Residential Program, who finished their four-week summer stint on the UD campus feeling better prepared not only for graduate school but for life.
Funded by the Educational Advancement Alliance (EAA), the pilot program included 34 participants, all recent graduates or rising juniors or seniors at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). EAA is a nonprofit organization that provides programs to supplement and enrich the educational environment and experiences of students in the School District of Philadelphia and beyond. The organization's focus areas are science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The summer program at UD was supported by a $210,000 grant from EAA and the National Nuclear Security Administration this year, with the funding renewable for up to nine additional years.
For many of the participants, association with EAA began earlier this year at the Fattah Education Conference in Philadelphia. Organized by EAA, this annual conference was the vision of U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), who more than 20 years ago wanted to create an atmosphere where underrepresented undergraduate students could come together to be mentored and inspired. According to Michael Vaughan, senior assistant dean in UD's College of Engineering and program principal investigator, the residential program at UD is “the further realization of and partnership in this important work.”
“This is a true bridge program that provides a window into the graduate experience,” Vaughan said. “Our goal is to help participants transition to grad school by providing them with a variety of resources, including core courses in math and science, as well as modules in GRE test preparation, technical writing, team-building and career exploration.”
Students also participated in weekly STEM research team sessions, which culminated in their producing PowerPoint presentations and writing research proposals articulating what they had learned. In addition, the students kept journals and created essays documenting their experiences.
According to EAA administrator Sandra Harmon, the organization offers support for minorities at all levels from pre-school through the master's degree. One mechanism for encouraging students to choose STEM careers is EAA's HBCU STEM Fellowship Program, which provides fellowships and stipends to graduates of HBCUs who have gained admission into master's programs at schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
“One of the objectives of the summer program here is to better prepare students to take advantage of the EAA fellowships,” Michael Chajes, dean of the UD College of Engineering, said, “and we hope that some of them will choose to attend the University of Delaware if they have a positive experience here during the preparatory program.”
The approach seems to be effective in steering students in the right direction. “I wasn't even planning to apply to grad school,” said Ishmael Khalid, a senior biology major at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. “This program showed me new avenues that I could follow. It was tough but worth it.”
“The program helped me learn things about myself personally as well as intellectually and socially,” said Shayla Thomas, a junior biology major at Spellman College in Atlanta. “Everything I learned here will help me in graduate school as well as in making decisions in my life.”
Lamont Edwards, a senior psychology major at Virginia State University, especially appreciated the GRE prep portion of the program, which was organized by UD's McNair Scholars Program. “The summer program was demanding,” he said, “but it was very beneficial in terms of providing exposure to the graduate experience.”
Participating instructors saw real evidence of progress on the part of the students during the short but intense program. “By the end of the program, they were functioning at the level of first-year graduate students,” said Karl Booksh, professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, who with graduate assistant Mike Malone taught the chemistry and biochemistry course modules. “They learned to synthesize information, formulate independent thoughts and opinions, and effectively defend their points of view.”
“It's great to be with students who are excited about class for the sake of learning, and not just for a grade,” he added.
The calculus module was taught by Anthony Seraphin, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, while professors Patrick Gaffney and Charles Epifanio in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment hosted a special two-day session at the University's Lewes campus.
Vaughan emphasizes that even though the program is funded and organized through the College of Engineering, it is a multidisciplinary STEM-based effort, with involvement by three UD colleges -- Arts and Sciences; Earth, Ocean, and Environment; and Engineering -- as well as the McNair Program. More than 10 STEM departments on campus participated in the weekly seminar series to brief the participants on graduate opportunities within their respective disciplines.
“EAA is in the business of enhancing the lives of students of color,” said Deputy Provost Havidán Rodríguez, “and we're interested in diversifying the ranks of STEM students at the University of Delaware. This program benefits everyone involved by better preparing talented students for graduate programs and increasing the pool of qualified students choosing to major in STEM fields.”
“Programs like this go a long way toward helping us build partnerships and increase diversity,” UD Provost Tom Apple said. “There is a critical need to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers, and the EAA-UD Graduate Preparatory Program is helping to ensure that underrepresented students are well prepared for the rigors of the graduate experience in these fields.”
Article by Diane Kukich