TAMUS LSAMP Project: 25 Years of Success - Finding and Implementing Best Practices for URM STEM Students

Abstract

Holding dual positions, Dr. Walton's responsibilities range from the recruitment and retention of a talented and diverse graduate student population to the management of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, like the NSF-funded Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), aiming at increasing the number of underrepresented minority students successfully completing high quality degree programs in STEM disciplines.A product of one of the very programs that she currently directs, LSAMP, Shannon holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, a master's degree in Safety Engineering, and a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Engineering, all from Texas A&M University.With research interests rooted in engineering education, the learning styles of engineering students in particular, Shannon's tenure at Texas A&M is and has been rooted in the mentoring of both undergraduate and graduate students. Currently an advisor for the Texas A&M National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Chapter and an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a service organization, Shannon is no stranger to mission and vision of the academic excellence and cultural responsibility.

The Impacts of Global Research and International Educational Experiences on Texas A&M University System LSAMP Participants

“…Three reports have been published that include information about international programming in TAMUS LSAMP. They are, in chronological order: 1) Garcia et al (2017), 2) Merriweather et al (2017), and 3) Preuss et al (2020). The pedagogical framework for TAMUS LSAMP international programming prior to 2015 was not addressed in these publications but that after 2015 has been.…”

“…Alliance member" (Merriweather et al, 2017, p. 1) institutions. "Formally called TX LSAMP, the Alliance was one of the first six LSAMPs funded by NSF" (Merriweather et al, 2017(Merriweather et al, , p. 1) in 1991 Since that time, TAMUS LSAMP has supported over 11,500 students "for one or more semesters of their undergraduate studies" (Merriweather et al, 2017, p. 1) and Alliance institutions have awarded over 22,000 STEM degrees to URMs. "Using a carefully conceived suite of opportunities specially designed for URM undergraduate students.…”

“…. .the Alliance has" (Merriweather et al, 2017, p. 1) sought improvement of academic success for underrepresented students. Within the overall emphasis on academic success and advancement, programming offered and the number of member institutions have varied in the last 30 years.…”

Case Study: International Summer Research Programming Experiences Sponsored by TAMUS LSAMP

“…This was seen as a means of facilitating "seamless transition of underrepresented minority students into STEM graduate programs and [toward] degree completion and…stimulat[ing] new research and learning on broadening participation in STEM disciplines" [6,7]. Data from prior TAMUS LSAMP support of international research experiences [11,12,13,14,15] and evidence in the literature [16 ,17, 18] supported the efficacy of the approach. TAMUS LSAMP's international programming commitments were nearing the point of participant recruitment when the COVID-19 pandemic began.…”

“…Fall commitments for the participants are "an online learning community and writ[ing] a research proposal on the research problem identified while [the student was] in Yucatan" [20] and presenting their proposal as a research poster. These activities were offered through the ELCIR project from 2015 to 2019 with marked success for participants by exposing them to research and international contexts early in their academic careers [11,12,13,14,15,20]. Therefore, outcomes for students similar to those reported in [11,12,13,14,15] were expected for the summer 2022 IRAP cohort.…”