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1. The Chi-Sci Scholars Program: Developing Community and Challenging Racially Inequitable Measures of Success at a Minority-Serving Institution on Chicago’s Southside

   https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4999730  

   Sabella, Mel S. ; Mardis, Kristy L. ; Sanders, Nicolette ; Little, Angela ( September 2017 , The Physics Teacher)
2. The Effect of Program Cost on Minority Student Virtual Computing Outreach Participation

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3478432.3499128  

   Mackroy, Kaylah ; Nelson, Whitney ; Gosha, Kinnis ( March 2022 , SIGCSE 2022: Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 2)

   A Historically Black College or University (HBCU) hosted a virtual supplemental learning program to expose underrepresented minority and low-income youth to game development via Construct 3: Game Making Software. The program implemented a hybrid need-based admissions model that compared paid, subsidized, and free virtual outreach participation among underrepresented minority (URM) and low-income adolescents. Due to the program's unique distinctions: a virtual learning environment amid COVID-19, African American undergraduate instructors, and its need-based admissions model, it is unclear which factors directly affected student participation. Future directions include investigating what factors contributed to participation rates, obtaining student and parent feedback, and comparing this program to summer programs for underrepresented students. 

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3. A Remote Health Coaching, Text-Based Walking Program in Ethnic Minority Primary Care Patients With Overweight and Obesity: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Study

   https://doi.org/10.2196/31989  

   Smart, Mary H ; Nabulsi, Nadia A ; Gerber, Ben S ; Gupta, Itika ; Di Eugenio, Barbara ; Ziebart, Brian ; Sharp, Lisa K ( January 2022 , JMIR Formative Research)

   Background Over half of US adults have at least one chronic disease, including obesity. Although physical activity is an important component of chronic disease self-management, few reach the recommended physical activity goals. Individuals who identify as racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionally affected by chronic diseases and physical inactivity. Interventions using consumer-based wearable devices have shown promise for increasing physical activity among patients with chronic diseases; however, populations with the most to gain, such as minorities, have been poorly represented to date. Objective This study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of an 8-week text-based coaching and Fitbit program aimed at increasing the number of steps in a predominantly overweight ethnic minority population. Methods Overweight patients (BMI >25 kg/m2) were recruited from an internal medicine clinic located in an inner-city academic medical center. Fitbit devices were provided. Using 2-way SMS text messaging, health coaches (HCs) guided patients to establish weekly step goals that were specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. SMS text messaging and Fitbit activities were managed using a custom-designed app. Program feasibility was assessed via the recruitment rate, retention rate (the proportion of eligible participants completing the 8-week program), and patient engagement (based on the number of weekly text message goals set with the HC across the 8-week period). Acceptability was assessed using a qualitative, summative evaluation. Exploratory statistical analysis included evaluating the average weekly steps in week 1 compared with week 8 using a paired t test (2-tailed) and modeling daily steps over time using a linear mixed model. Results Of the 33 patients initially screened; 30 (91%) patients were enrolled in the study. At baseline, the average BMI was 39.3 (SD 9.3) kg/m2, with 70% (23/33) of participants presenting as obese. A total of 30% (9/30) of participants self-rated their health as either fair or poor, and 73% (22/30) of participants set up ≥6 weekly goals across the 8-week program. In total, 93% (28/30) of participants completed a qualitative summative evaluation, and 10 themes emerged from the evaluation: patient motivation, convenient SMS text messaging experience, social support, supportive accountability, technology support, self-determined goals, achievable goals, feedback from Fitbit, challenges, and habit formation. There was no significant group change in the average weekly steps for week 1 compared with week 8 (mean difference 7.26, SD 6209.3; P=.99). However, 17% (5/30) of participants showed a significant increase in their daily steps. Conclusions Overall, the results demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered walking study that included an HC; SMS text messaging; a wearable device (Fitbit); and specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals within an ethnic minority patient population. Results support further development and testing in larger samples to explore efficacy. 

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4. Underrepresented minority women’s experiences in a virtual eSTEM peer mentoring program

   Jones, V. O. ; Wendt, J. L. ( January 2022 , American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2022 Conference)
5. A comparison of student perceptions of the teaching profession at minority-serving and non-minority-serving institutions

   https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2021.pr.logan  

   Logan, Savannah L. ; Breakall, Jared B. ; Adams, Wendy K. ( October 2021 , Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings)

   There is an ongoing shortage of STEM teachers in the United States, and the teaching profession consistently struggles to recruit a diverse body of teachers whose demographics match those of their students. The shortage of STEM teachers and the lack of diversity in the profession have negative implications for student success in STEM fields, particularly among underrepresented groups. We have developed a survey and collected data on student perceptions of the teaching profession at 46 Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) across the country, including several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). We have analyzed these data with respect to institution type to determine whether perceptions of the profession may be a factor in recruiting and retaining a diverse body of teachers. We found that perceptions generally do not differ greatly between MSIs and non-MSIs and that students at MSIs tend to have slightly more positive views than those at non-MSIs. We also found that some variation exists for individual institution types, particularly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). 

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