Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
This grant was in its last year, and a no-cost extension was obtained to support the last students in the program. Following is a summary of the program with a listing of students who were involved in the FY2005-2006 and FY2006-2007. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Hispanic-American, Native American, and African-American students altogether comprise less than 5 percent of the student body in the Colleges of Agriculture and Science at Utah State University. The purpose of the Utah State University Multicultural Scholars Program is to help meet the local, national, and international needs for training food and agricultural scientists and professionals. Undergraduate research provides valuable training and substantially improve student retention rates. Carrying out such a comprehensive program will be achieved via the collaboration between three co-directors: a college of agriculture faculty member, the director of the multicultural student services, and a college of science
faculty member. OBJECTIVES: The overall objective of the Utah State University Multicultural Scholars Program is to increase the numbers of well-trained multicultural students who go on to successful careers in food sciences and agriculture. Students that will be specifically targeted for inclusion in this program include Latinos/Latinas (Hispanic Americans), Native Americans, and African-Americans. The specific objectives of this program are to: A. Improve multicultural student recruitment. B. Improve multicultural student retention. C. Prepare multicultural students for careers immediately following graduation or for graduate education in agricultural and food science. D. Build a socially and intellectually vibrant campus via a diversity of students. E. Enhance Utah State University's ability to recruit multicultural faculty into food sciences and agriculture positions. APPROACH: The USUMSP will provide a scholarship and linked fellowship to each participating student for part or
the entirety of the three-year grant. Students in the program will be expected to participate in the following: 1. Work towards an undergraduate degree in a major relevant to the agricultural or food sciences; 2. Laboratory research under the guidance of a caring and scientifically excellent faculty mentor, and direction from peer-mentors; 3. Participation in frequent socials and seminars with MSP students and the broader undergraduate research community; 4. On- or off-campus presentation of the students work at least once each year the student is in the program; 5. Residence in an on-campus housing community devoted to MSP students. Together, these program components will bring about the following benefits: Student Scholarship and Research Stipend: Each student in the USU MSP will receive a scholarship of $5,750/yr, and a research fellowship stipend of $3,000/yr. Students Paula Alania (ethnicity-H)-advisor: Lyle McNeil Mark Bayne (ethnicity-B)- advisor: Daryll DeWald Sonny Bryant
(ethnicity-NA)-advisor: Ken White Edgar Monroy (ethnicity-H)- advisor: Ken White Edison Suasnavas (ethnicity-H)-advisor: Ken White
PRODUCTS: none
OUTCOMES: This program has already been successful by helping to retain several at risk students. One hispanic student graduated and is currently in a sciences graduate program at U.C. Davis. One Phillipino student graduated and is currently in a post-baccalaureate program at the National Institutes of Health. One hispanic female student has continued at USU in a graduate program. The other students are in good standing.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The program activities have been disseminated on the USU Vice Provost's web site, in the department of biology BIOLOG, and on the web site for the Center for Integrated BioSystems.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The Multicultural Scholars program will end in Dec. 2006. A very similar program, the USU Multicultural Sciences Research Fellowship Program, will continue.
Impacts
This program has increased the retention of underrpresented students in disciplines of agriculture and food sciences, and bolstered the USU undergraduate research program.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/03 to 08/31/06
Outputs
The overall objective of the Utah State University Multicultural Scholars Program was to increase the number of well-trained ethnic minority students who go on to successful careers in food sciences and agriculture. Students that were targeted for inclusion in this program included Latinos/Latinas (Hispanic Americans), Native Americans, and African-Americans. The specific objectives of this program were to: A. Improve multicultural student recruitment. B. Improve multicultural student retention. C. Prepare multicultural students for careers immediately following graduation or for graduate education in agricultural and food science. D. Build a socially and intellectually vibrant campus via a diversity of students. E. Enhance Utah State University's ability to recruit multicultural faculty into food sciences and agriculture positions.
PRODUCTS: Altogether, 13 students were direct participants in this program over 4 years time. They were funded with scholarships and fellowships. All but one of the students in this program either graduated and entered the job market, entered graduate school, or are currently students in good standing. One student transferred to another institution. Although this cannot be proven, the retention of 12 students (11 ethnic minority students) who are underrepresented in the agricultural and food sciences is very good compared to the overall sciences ethnic minority student retention at Utah State University. Successes include one student who has gone on to a plant sciences Ph.D. program at the Univ. California, Davis, while another student went on to a post-baccalaureate program at the National Institutes of Health, and then has entered medical school at Pennsylvania State University.
OUTCOMES: The outcomes of the program include: 1)Providing laboratory research experience for 13 undergraduate students-all but 1 were ethnic minority life sciences students, 2)Enabling the students to broaden their educational experience beyond the classroom, 3) Teaching students how to do science including developing objectives and hypotheses and writing summaries of their results, 4) Helping to retain "at risk" students via a network of laboratory colleagues who enable their success by helping with coursework assignments and providing critical collegiallity--the students in this program had a higher rate of retention than earlier ethnic minority life sciences at USU, 5) the number of USU ethnic minority students pursuing careers in agricultural/life science has been increased.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A final report will be dessiminated to the participating Deans in the colleges of Agriculture and Science at USU, as well as to the Vice President for Research. Our goal is to submit this for publication in an education journal.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The Vice President for Research, College of Science and the College of Agriculture will continue to facilitate the success of students underrepresented in the sciences via fellowships. We are seeking significant external funding for this program.
Impacts
Overall, this modest impact (in terms of numbers of students) will have a broader effect in part because most of the students in the program serve as examples for their peers.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
OBJECTIVES This program is designed to achieve the following outcomes at Utah State University: Improve multicultural student recruitment. Improve multicultural student retention. Prepare multicultural students for careers immediately following graduation or for graduate education in agricultural and food science. Build a socially and intellectually vibrant campus via a diversity of students. Enhance USUs ability to recruit multicultural faculty Three co-directors head the program, and they will be involved in recruiting, placing, and directing undergraduate researchers. Dr. Daryll DeWald, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director (Research) of the USU Center for Integrated BioSystems, will serve as the primary co-director. Dr. DeWald has a research program in plant sciences, a long history and ongoing commitment to undergraduate research, and significant experience with undergraduate educational initiatives. Dr. Marie Walsh, Associate Professor of
Nutrition and Food Science. Dr. Walsh has a strong research program in food science and an equally strong commitment to multicultural student education. Dr. Juan N. Franco, the USU Vice President for Student Services, applies his leadership and long-standing record of success with similar programs. Key program components include: Student Scholarship and Research Stipend: Each student in the USU MSP receives a scholarship of $5,750/yr, and a research fellowship stipend of $3,000/yr. Retention and career preparation are improved significantly when students are involved in research early in their undergraduate training. The research fellowship can be used by the scholars during the summer months or during the academic year, or a combination of both. Student Recruiting (UNDERWAY): Students are being recruited primarily through activities of the USU Multicultural Services. As the program proceeds, we envision that the student research fellows will become advocates for the program and help
recruit other underrepresented students as well as offer suggestions for program improvements. Student Selection (UNDERWAY): Students must apply and provide transcripts and a personal statement on why they are interested in participating in the fellowship program. A committee of three research faculty members, two multicultural students, and the Director of the USU Multicultural Center will choose the students for the awards. Students will at a minimum have to: 1. Have and maintain a GPA of at least 2.75. 2. Be a major in one of the departments of the College of Agriculture or the Biology or Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments. 3. Submit a personal statement of interest. 4. Have long-term career goals (graduate school, industry, or teaching) in agricultural or food science. Current students: Paula Alania (Hispanic American Mentor: Dr. Lyle McNeil Mark Bayne (African American)- Mentor: Dr. Daryll DeWald Sonny Bryant (Native American) Mentor: Dr. Ken White Kikey Nakaturo (Hispanic
American) Mentor: To be determined Edison Suasnavas (Hispanic American) Mentor: Dr. Ken White
Impacts
This program will increase retention of underrepresented students in the disciplines of agriculture, food sciences, and nutrition sciences at USU and prepare them for professional careers. This program will also help USU recruit excellent students into these fields.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
This program is designed specifically to achieve the following outcomes at Utah State University: Improve multicultural student recruitment. Improve multicultural student retention; prepare multicultural students for careers immediately following graduation or for graduate education in agricultural and food science; build a socially and intellectually vibrant campus via a diversity of students; enhance USUs ability to recruit multicultural faculty. Three co-directors head the program: Dr. Marie Walsh, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Science; Dr. Juan N. Franco, the USU Vice President for Student Services, applies his leadership and long-standing record of success with similar programs; and Dr. Daryll DeWald, Associate Professor of Biology and Research Director of the USU Center for Integrated BioSystems, will serve as the other co-director. Key program components include: Student Scholarship and Research Stipend: Each student in the USU MSP will receive a
scholarship of $5,750/yr, and a research fellowship stipend of $3,000/yr; retention and career preparation are improved significantly when students are involved in research early in their undergraduate training; the research fellowship can be used by the scholars during the summer months or during the academic year, or a combination of both. Students are recruited primarily through activities of the USU Multicultural Services. Students apply through the multicultural office, are selected, and then must meet the following criteria. Have and maintain a GPA of at least 2.75. Be a major in one of the departments of the College of Agriculture or the Biology or Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments. Submit a personal statement of interest. Have long-term career goals (graduate school, industry, or teaching) in agricultural or food science. Former student: Victor Haroldsen (Hispanic student)Graduated, graduate schools, Mentor: Dr. Yajun Wu Current students: Mark Bayne (African American)
Mentors: Dr. Noelle Cockett, Dr. Dong Chen Sonny Bryant (Native American, Mentor: Dr. Ken White Edison Suasnavas (Hispanic American), Mentor: Dr. Ken White
Impacts
To increase retention of underrepresented students in the disciplines of agriculture, food sciences, and nutrition sciences at USU and prepare them for professional careers. This program will also help USU recruit excellent students into these fields.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
We have established the Utah State University Multicultural Scholars Program. The program provides a scholarship of $5,750/yr and a research fellowship of $3,000/yr. We awarded one of the scholarship/fellowships in the fall to Mr. Victor Haroldsen who is an outstanding student (hispanic). Mr. Haroldsen has been very involved in a plant abiotic stress research project with Dr. Yajun Wu. Mr. Haroldsen will likely be a co-author on 1 or 2 peer-reviewed publications and he plans to attend graduate school. We will award two more of the scholarship/fellowships by the end of January 2004. To accomplish our goals, we have established a team of individuals from the Multicultural Student Services (Suzanne Johnson, Staff Assistant, and Fawn Groves, Academic Advisor) along with Dr. Afifa Sabir of the Center for Integrated BioSystems who are working with the co-principal investigators.
Impacts
To increase retention of underrepresented students in the disciplines of agriculture, food sciences, and nutrition sciences at USU and prepare them for professional careers. This program will also help USU recruit excellent students into these fields.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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