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Title: BROADENING RESEARCH EXPOSURE AND RESEARCH PARTICIPATION IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: FINDINGS FROM THE UMBC ME S-STEM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Starting in 2010, the ME department at UMBC has been awarded three NSF S-STEM grants to increase student diversity, improve retention, and provide successful paths toward job placement and graduate study in our department. In addition to scholarships and faculty mentoring, we implemented approaches to integrate research into various aspects of our curriculum, including visiting community colleges, giving research seminars to community college students and UMBC students, organizing lab visits for undergraduate students, and providing undergraduate research opportunities. In this study, we asked students to complete a survey after specific research related educational activities. Data analyses were conducted to evaluate whether the perceived experiences from exposure to research differed by ethnic group, family educational background, whether they are community college transfers, and whether the students are part of a scholarship program. The survey results were also used to measure the satisfaction of the participants from the research related activities, and to collect feedback for future improvements.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1742170
NSF-PAR ID:
10123827
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Biomechanics & bioengineering
ISSN:
0732-7072
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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