Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The goal of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Food Science for Underrepresented Populations (SURFFS-UP) Program is to provide experiential food science learning opportunities for underrepresented undergraduate students. This five-year program at Chapman University will provide six underrepresented students annually with the opportunity to engage in hands-on summer research experiences in food science, professional development and interactions with professionals in the food industry. At least 50% of fellows will be recruited from local minority-serving institutions, with a focus on first-generation and underrepresented students. The project objectives are to: (1) Provide experiential food science research opportunities to a total of 30 underrepresented undergraduate students through an 8-week intensive summer research experience; (2) Increase the involvement of underrepresented students in food science by recruiting from minority-serving institutions; (3) Develop leadership and critical thinking skills that empower students to pursue graduate studies and/or professions in food science and related fields; and (4) Promote student awareness of food science to create a pipeline of future professionals in a growing and under-staffed food industry. Students will work with an assigned faculty mentor on a hypothesis-based research project and will present the results of their research at the conclusion of the program. Students will also visit food laboratories, plants and attend weekly professional development seminars to further develop their leadership skills. Participation in this program will provide students with important technical and leadership skills that will promote their success in professional employment and/or graduate studies in food science.?
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
The goal of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Food Science for Underrepresented Populations (SURFFS-UP) Program is to provide experiential food science learning opportunities for underrepresented undergraduate students.The project objectives are to: (1) Provide experiential food science research opportunities to a total of 30 underrepresented undergraduate students through an 8-week intensive summer research experience; (2) Increase the involvement of underrepresented students in food science by recruiting from minority-serving institutions; (3) Develop leadership and critical thinking skills that empower students to pursue graduate studies and/or professions in food science and related fields; and (4) Promote student awareness of food science to create a pipeline of future professionals in a growing and under-staffed food industry.
Project Methods
EFFORTSSix SURFFS-UP fellows will be selected annually, with each faculty mentor assigned 1-2 fellows.Fellows will be expected to participate full-time (40 h per week) in the summer research experience, including approximately 35 h for research and 5 h engaging in professional development and cohort-building events.The research projects will be designed to enhance experimental design, food science competency, communication, and collaboration and will be complemented by community and professional development activities to promote belonging and scientific identity.Fellows will attend weekly professional development seminars and bi-weekly research talks that cover topics in food science.Fellows will participate in two field trips per summer to visit a local food processing facility and a food testing laboratory.At the end of the 8-week summer program, the fellows will give poster and oral presentations of the research at the end-of-summer commencement event.EVALUATIONThe Fellows will complete a pre-, post- and follow up- program survey modeled after the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE III) assessment instrument that will include1. The Preflection Survey will be completed by each fellow 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the research program. 2 Fellows will then complete a post-program SURE III survey on the final day of the program. This survey will assess learning gains, participant evaluation of components of the program, as well as demographic variables.3. Finally, The SURE Follow-Up Survey will be completed six months after the SURFFS-UP program's conclusion. The Follow-Up Survey provides an opportunity to understand students' reflections on the research experience in terms of viewing it as a learning experience and the effects the program has had on them as individual learners.While the quantitative surveys above will provide insight into the "what," the qualitative data will help the PD more fully understand the "why" in terms of participant expectations and perceptions of the program and assessment of themselves as researchers. SURFFS-UP fellows will participate in comprehensive recorded and (later) coded focus group interviews pre-, mid-, and post-experience. Questions for the group interview sessions will collect information to better understand the fellows' expectations and levels of self-confidence as participants (pre-experience); experiences during the REEU program, including their perceptions of the presence of the essential features of an undergraduate research experience (mid-experience) as outlined by Lopatto; and their self-assessed intellectual development and changes in their personal research identity (post-experience). Additionally, fellows will respond to weekly prompts during the summer to better understand their perception of the experience and mentoring while it is in progress. They will also answer open-ended questions on a 6-month follow-up questionnaire to assess how the REEU experience has impacted their level of commitment to STEM majors/careers, sense of self as a future researcher, and range of scientific interests.