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1. FLAME: PREPARING FUTURE LEADERS IN ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

   Turner, C; Turner, CM (July 2025, EDULEARN proceedings)

   IATED (Ed.)

   This article discusses the Preparing Future Leaders and Movers in Engineering and Computer Science (FLAME) program at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The FLAME program aims to create a supportive learning community that enhances students' successful completion of their computer science and engineering degrees while fostering their leadership development. The article highlights the program's achievements and challenges and the actions taken to address any shortcomings. It explores FLAME's strategy for cultivating leaders and innovators in engineering and computer science, particularly among low-income students. Additionally, the discussion covers the program's plans to help students identify more strongly as scientists or engineers, increase their completion rates for degrees in computer science, information technology, and engineering, and support their overall success, retention, and graduation. This support includes providing scholarships, mentoring, research opportunities, and professional development resources. 

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2. Fostering STEM Identity: Community Support & Peer Mentoring for Neurodivergent Students

   Matte, R; Monroe, C (October 2024, The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching)

   Despite interest and potential in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), neurodivergent (ND) individuals face underrepresentation and marginalization. These individuals experience low rates of degree completion and even higher dropout rates from STEM programs. In the workplace, elevated levels of unemployment among individuals with disabilities underscore the need to address obstacles to persistence in STEM programs and pathways to the workforce. The AIE-STEMPLOS (Access to Innovative Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-Providing Learning Opportunities and Scholarship) program at Landmark College, launched in 2021, aims to empower ND STEM scholars by leveraging effective mentoring strategies to support degree completion and career development in STEM fields. Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through scholarship funding (S-STEM), the program's primary goals are to support domestic low-income, academically talented ND scholars in Computer Science and Life Science, create a robust culture of mentorship within the STEM department, and strengthen scholarly professional development. We generally refer to students as scholars in this program as that is the language preferred by the NSF. The mentoring component is designed to enhance psychosocial and professional development through faculty, group, and peer mentoring. Employing tools like the Birkman Method, mentor maps and Individual Development Plans (IDP), the program fosters self-understanding and community among scholars. Evaluation methods include qualitative and quantitative assessments, with data showing high satisfaction with mentor-mentee relationships, robust engagement in professional development activities, and significant improvements in scholars' professional outlook and STEM identity. This comprehensive approach integrates faculty mentors, career counselors, and weekly cohort meetings for mentoring and professional development activities. This paper will highlight the faculty and group/ peer mentoring components of the program, demonstrating how inclusive educational strategies can promote diversity within STEM fields. 

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3. Early Research Scholars Program Update and Reflection Study

   Revelo, R. A.; Lichauco, A. B.; Rozhkova, A.; Diaz, D. (June 2023, 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   This conference paper provides an update on the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP) background, structure, and implementation at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), developed at the University of California San Diego and funded by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. The program aims to support retention of students from marginalized backgrounds in the fields of computing as well as electrical and computer engineering. This paper provides program updates, including data from the 2022-2023 academic year and preliminary results from a reflection study that began in spring 2020. The reflection study examined the impact of the ERSP on a student's computing and engineering identity development based on student reflection responses. In this paper, we also discuss student demographics, retention rates, and changes made to the program's curriculum at UIC. The evaluation results from the last three years of the program are also shared, which show how students are impacted by the program, as well as areas for improvement. Preliminary results show that the program has positively impacted students' computing or engineering identity development for at least three identity dimensions: recognition, competence, and community. 

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4. Increasing Diversity and Student Success in Engineering and Computer Science through Contextualized Practices

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--34817  

   Espiritu, D. J; Todorovic, R. (June 2020, 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access)

   Wright College, an open-access community college in northwest Chicago, is an independently accredited institution in the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) system. Wright is federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) with the largest enrollment of Hispanic students in Illinois. In 2015 Wright piloted a selective guaranteed admission program to the Grainer College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Students in the Engineering Pathways (EP) program follow a cohort system with rigorous curriculum aligned to UIUC. From this pilot Wright built programmatic frameworks (one-stop intentional advising; mandatory tutoring, near-peer, faculty and professional mentoring; and access to professional organizations) to support EP students. Initial results were positive: 89% transfer rate and 89% bachelor’s degree completion. Building from the EP frameworks, Wright obtained a National Science Foundation (NSF) HSI research grant to expand programs to non-pathway students. Through the grant, Building Bridges into Engineering and Computer Science, the college developed assessment tools, increased the number of 4-year partnerships, and designed and implemented an Engineering Summer Bridge with curriculum contextualized for the needs of the Near-STEM ready students. These students need one to four semesters of Math remediation before moving into the EP. The college measured the Bridge participants' success through analysis of Math proficiency before and after the Bridge, professional identity (sense of belonging) and self-efficacy (the belief that the students will succeed as engineers). Surveys and case study interviews are being supplemented with retention, persistence, transfer, associate and bachelor degree completion rates, and time for degree completion. The key research question is the correlation of these data with self-efficacy and professional identity measures. Preliminary Results: 1) Sixty percent (60%) of the Bridge participants eliminated the remedial Math requirement completely. (Increased Math proficiency) 2) Engineering admission and enrollment doubled. 4) Increased institutionalized collaborations: the creation of a more programmatic admission, advising, transfer, rigorous curriculum, and other student support services within the College. 5) Increased partnerships with 4-year transfer institutions resulting in the expansion of guaranteed/dual admissions programs with scholarships, paid research experience, dual advising, and students transferring as juniors. 5) Increased diversity in Engineering and Computer Science student population. Wright will share an overview of the Building Bridges into Engineering and Computer Science project, research design, expanded practices, assessments and insights from the development and implementation of this program. The developed frameworks will be applied to provide ALL students at Wright, and at CCC equitable Engineering and Computer Science education. 

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5. Engaging Transfer Students in a College of Engineering

   Christy Wheeler West, Eric J. (January 2023, ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition)

   The LINK scholarship program at the University of South Alabama is funded by an NSF S-STEM grant, awarding scholarships to low-income students transferring from community colleges in the Gulf Coast region to complete degrees in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The program provides financial support and academic mentoring to foster student success and optimize time to degree completion after transfer. Part of that effort includes providing pre-transfer advice through interactions with faculty and advisors at the regional community colleges. A further objective is to promote transfer student integration into the college, as this is expected to enhance academic achievement and professional development. This engagement is encouraged through faculty mentorship with frequent meetings, a cohort-building academic success seminar, and expected participation in engineering-focused student organizations. Our project includes a mixed-methods study to improve our understanding of what support mechanisms effectively integrate transfer students in our college, and how students perceive that integration to enhance their academic and professional development. Early data analysis is presented here. Student surveys indicate that they believe that peers in their classes and their assigned faculty advisors have the greatest impact on their integration and academic success. For professional development, the transfer students find that internships the most importance, followed by participation in student organizations. 

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