Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The audience for this project will include two groups: (1) women and underrepresented minority undergraduate students enrolled in STEM-based agricultural and life sciences disciplines at eight 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, and (2) women and underrepresented minority graduate students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM-based agricultural and life sciences in Purdue University's College of Agriculture. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development were provided for graduate student related to the areas of technical and scientific ability; research and scholarship; ethical and responsible research; oral and written communication; mentor training; grant writing; and diversity, equity, and inclusive leadership practices. Additionally, graduate students weretrained to understand and apply the professional dispositions that are critical to their growth and development as a graduate student and professional. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results and impacts during this reporting cylce have been dissmenated at national conference and meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This annual report marks the end of our project. However, the Mentoring@Purdue program has been firmly established as a key aspect of what is need to help foster theprofessional growth and development of graduate students, faculty, and staff within our College of Agriculture and Purdue University. We are also excited to share that all M@P program activities created through the WAMS funding we received will continue with program improvements also being a part of our future growth.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have achieved three major accomplishments during this reporting period that are aligned with each of our project's objectives. Related to Project Objective #1 (Pre-Graduate School Pathway Program), our team has disseminated the Pre-Graduate School Resource Guide (PGRG) that we develop during the last reporting period to over 2,000 students at eight HBLGUs. As context, the PGRG was developed to help lead students through a linear progression of steps that help them clarify their educational and career goals related to completing a graduate degree. The process that went into developing the PGRG has been shared at national conference and meetings which have resulted in other institutions wanting to replicate and/or use the PGRG. Related to Project Objective #2 (Graduate School Feeder Program), we have expanded the number 1890 school partners from six to 10 and also added one Hispanic Serving-Institution (HSI). The following is an illustration of the success and impact of the Feeder Program (i.e., Mentoring@Purdue Summer Scholars Program [M@P-SSP]) during this reporting period. Scope of Project On June 23-June 28, 2019, Mentoring@Purdue (M@P) hosted its 6th annual Mentoring@Purdue Summer Scholars Program (M@P-SSP). Participants were selected from over 10 Minority Serving Institutions, including nine 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Universities and one Hispanic Serving Institution. The students were selected through an application process that demonstrated evidence of their academic and research accomplishments as well as future scholastic pursuits. The M@P-SSP consisted of activities including workshops on mental and physical wellness as a graduate student, completing the graduate school application, obtaining internal and external funding, a résumé/CV workshop, and a workshop on the transition from a Minority Serving Institution to a Predominantly White Institution. The Scholars visited research facilities, various graduate programs, and cultural centers on campus. Scholars also interacted with members of various affinity organizations and participated in extracurricular activities. Project Outcomes A total of 57 students submitted applications for participation in the M@P-SSP. Twenty-six students were selected from Alcorn State University (3), Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (3), Florida International University (1), Langston University (1), North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2), Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (6), Tennessee State University (2), Tuskegee University (3), University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (4), and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1). Sixteen students were female and ten were male. The demographic distribution of the cohort was 88.5% African American, 3.8% Hispanic/Latinx, 3.8% Multiracial, and 3.8% Other. Five of the students were interested in pursuing a master's, fifteen were interested in pursuing a doctoral degree, and five were interested in a DVM degree. Students engaged with eleven academic departments within the College of Agriculture, which included: Animal Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Animal Sciences, Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication, Biochemistry, Botany and Plant Pathology, Ecological Sciences and Engineering, Entomology, Food Science, and Horticultural & Landscape Architecture. Students also engaged with the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Nutrition, which is located in the College of Health & Human Sciences. Over forty faculty, staff, and students from the academic departments engaged with the students. Through seminars and workshops, students also had the opportunity to engage with The Dean of the College of Agriculture, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Office of Agricultural Research, the Alliance for Graduate Education the Professoriate, the Office of Multicultural Programs, the Center for Career Opportunities, and Wellness Programs. Impact On a scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (definitely), participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement on several items regarding their psychosocial and instrumental mentoring experiences during the M@P-SSP, their level of graduate school self-efficacy as a result of participating in the M@P-SSP, motivation to participate in the M@P-SSP, and future educational plans as a result of participating in the M@P-SSP. Below is the percentage of participants in agreement (reporting mostly or definitely) with selected items. As a result of participating in the M@P-SSP, 100% participants indicated that participation in the M@P-SSP would improve their chances of being admitted to graduate school. As a result of participating in the M@P-SSP, 96.1% of participants indicate that learned how to navigate the graduate school admissions process. During the M@P-SSP, 73% of participants connected with a professor they felt could potentially be their advisor. As a result of participating in the M@P-SSP, 92.3% of participants plan to apply to Purdue University for graduate school. Voice of the Participants "The program definitely exceeded my expectations. I really didn't know what to expect, but I know I am going home with plenty of helpful information that will make my years in graduate school go smoothly." "The program exceeded my expectations. Those over the program were dedicated to making sure we got the tools we needed to be successful. The workshops were also very beneficial." "I liked their openness and supportive attitude. I liked the enthusiasm brought to us and we were cared for like small children. That is very nice." "I did not expect to get as much out of the M@P as I did. I learned a lot about myself and what I want to do in the future." Related to Project Objective #3 (Graduate Student Retention Program), we have continued to enhance the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) that was developed during the first reporting period. The purpose of the PMP is to provide women and URM graduate students enrolled in STEM-based AgLS graduate degree programs in Purdue University's College of Agriculture access to social support mechanisms that are critical to their academic success, persistence and degree completion. The PMP meets monthly, discussing topics including Strengths-based Mentoring, Mentoring Across Differences, and Healthy Mentoring Relationships. Participants work through case studies and other activities to gain a better understanding of how several aspects of effective mentoring relationships are developed. Monthly social events are also held to further enhance community-building efforts among the PMP participants. Overall, evaluation results indicated that the PMP contributed to students' sense of belonging by delivering effective, inclusive strategies through peer mentoring curricula. Additionally, participants indicated that the PMP served as a counterspace to encourage and empower them to successfully matriculate through their graduate programs. By addressing race, racism, sexism, discrimination, power dynamics, privilege, and culture, the PMP contributed to developing a culture of respect, openness, and understanding.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Vollmer, D., Esters, L.T., Knobloch, N.A., & Getz, D.A. (in press). Perceived value of a pre-graduate school resource guide among underrepresented minority undergraduate students. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Journal.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Johnson, T., Esters, L.T., Knobloch, N.A., & Proctor, S.H. (in press). A follow-up study of underrepresented minority students perceived value of a pre-graduate program experience in Ag+STEM disciplines. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Journal.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Allen, B.C.M., Knobloch, N.A. & Esters, L.T. (2019). A case study evaluation of a mentoring training program focused on women and underrepresented minorities in Ag+STEM programs. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Journal, 63(1), 32-35.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Esters, L.T., & Clark, Q.C. (2019). Impact of a Ag+STEM intervention program on undergraduate minority student. Paper submitted to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference, Chicago, IL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Esters, L. T., Brown, Z., & Knobloch, N. A. (2019). Advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity and inclusion through multi-pronged mentoring program. Invited presentation at the International Mentoring Association National Conference, Gainesville, FL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Esters, L. T., Clark, Q.M., & Knobloch, N. A. (2019). Developing a mentoring based recruitment and retention program model. Paper presented at the National Land Grant Diversity Conference, Hebron, KY.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Esters, L. T., Hester, U., Cropps, T., & Knobloch, N. A. (2019). Encouraging mentoring best practices through a graduate peer mentor training program at a historically White institution. Paper presented at the National Land Grant Diversity Conference, Hebron, KY.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Clark, Q.M., Esters, L.T., & Knobloch, N.A. (2019). Developing leadership and professional skills of graduate students using an empowered mentor-leader program model. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Allen, B.C.M., Cropps, T., Hester, U., & Esters, L.T. (2018). Social justice mentoring as an approach to enhancing the graduate school experiences of women and underrepresented minorities. Paper submitted to the 17th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Esters, L.T., Knobloch, N.A., & Clark, Q.M. (2018). Developing an inclusive and intentional culture of mentoring to advance diversity and equity. Paper presented at the 10th Conference on Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Science Careers, Baltimore, MD.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Brown, Z., Esters, L., Knobloch, N., Alexander, E., Allen, B. Clark, Q. M., Cropps, T., Kornegay, R., Hester, U., Huang, Y., Merzdorf, J., & Vollmer, D. (2019). Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through a multidimensional mentoring program. Poster to be presented at the National Mentoring Symposium, Indianapolis, IN.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Brown, Z., Esters, L.T., Knobloch, N.A., Alexander, E., Allen, B.C.M., Clark, Q.M., Cropps, T., Hester, U., Huang, Y., Johnson, T., Merzdorf, J., Kornegay, R., & Vollmer, D. (2019). Advancing diversity and inclusion through a multifaceted mentoring program. Poster presented at the 11th Conference on Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Science Careers, Baltimore, MD.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Brown, Z., Esters., Knobloch, N.A., Alexander, E., Allen, B.C.M., Clark, Q. M., Cropps, T., Kornegay, R., Hester, U., Huang, Y., Merzdorf, J., & Vollmer, D. (2019). Using a multifaceted mentoring program to advance diversity and inclusion in graduate studies. Poster presentation at the 34th MANRRS Annual Career Fair and Training Conference, Overland Park, KS.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cropps, T.A., Hester, U., Esters, L.T., & Knobloch, N.A. (2018). Encouraging mentoring best practices through a graduate peer mentor training program at a historically White institution. Poster presented at the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Tampa, FL.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Baker, M., Powell, A., & Esters, L.T. (2018). Improving LGBTQIA+ student retention and success through peer mentoring. Poster presented at the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE) in American Higher Education, New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Allen, B.C.M., Cropps, T., Hester, U., & Esters, L.T. (2018). Using social justice mentoring to enhance the graduate school experiences of women and underrepresented minorities. Poster presented at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in American Higher Education, New Orleans, LA
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Clark, Q.M., Esters, L.T. & Knobloch, N.A. (2018). Developing professional and personal skills of graduate students using an empowered mentor-leader program model. Poster presented at the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE) in American Higher Education, New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cropps, T.A., Esters, L.T., & Knobloch, N.A. (2018). Encouraging mentoring best practices through a graduate peer mentor training program. Poster presented at the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) Research Conference, Charleston, SC.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The audience for this project will include two groups: (1) women and underrepresented minority undergraduate students enrolled in STEM-based agricultural and life sciences disciplines at three 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, and (2) women and underrepresented minority graduate students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM-based agricultural and life sciences in Purdue University's College of Agriculture. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development have been provided for graduate student related to the areas oftechnical and scientific ability; research and scholarship; ethical and responsible research; oral and written communication;mentor training; grant writing; and diversity, equity,and inclusiveleadership practices. Additionally, graduate students have been trained to understand and apply the professional dispositions that are critical to their growth and development as a graduate student and professional. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results and impacts duringthisreportingcylce havebeen dissmenated atnational conference andmeetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our projectteam continues to makeprogresson all three project objectives which have been noted in teh other questiosn of this annual report with anticipatedaccomplishmentsbeingreportedin thenext reportingcycle.However, our project team is poised to make significant progress on: 1) developing the Pre-Graduate School Pathway Program that will enhance the academic success and graduate school readiness of upper-level undergraduate students from three 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions, 2) developing the Graduate School Feeder Program between Purdue University's College of Agriculture and our 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions, and3) developing theGraduate Student Retention Program for incoming and existing women and URM graduate students enrolled in STEM-based AgLS graduate degree programs in Purdue University's College of Agriculture.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have achievedtwo major accomplishment duringthis reportingperiod. Relatedto ProjectObjective#1, our team has developed, published, and widely disseminated thePre-Graduate School Resource Guide (PGRG). Since April 2018, the PGRG has been disseminated to over 800 students at HBLGUs. Even more, thedevelopment and other impacts of the PGRG has been shared at national conference and meetings, with this sharinghavingresultedin other institutions wantingto replicate and/or use thePGRG. A description of thePGRG is below: The Pre-Graduate School Resource Guide (PGRG) was developed to help lead students through a linear progression of steps that help them clarify their educational and career goals related to completing a graduate degree. The PGRG was the outcome of a conversation between the co-director of the MP and the Dean for the College of Agriculture at one of the partner Historically Black Land Grant Universities (HBLGUs). Specifically, the Dean stated that their students needed to begin preparing for graduate school earlier in their academic careers. He recognized the potential of students and wanted to see those who were high achieving, and had potential, pursue advanced degrees. Another conversation occurred with the Dean and Associate Dean of a Graduate School at another partner HBLGU. This conversation revealed that the administration wanted a more structured mentoring program for students pursuing post-baccalaureate degrees. They wanted a resource for students that could be complementary to the existing curriculum which guide students through a progression of steps to obtain admission into a graduate program. Specifically, the PGRG provides students with steps to participate in learning experiences that help them prepare academically and professionally for success in graduate school as well as help them understand the steps related to navigating the application process. The PGRG is a personalized, interactive tool students can utilize throughout their entire undergraduate career to map out their graduate school goals and plans. Students can access the PGRG online as well as have a physical copy; each version allows students to document their personal plans, goals, and experiences. The PGRG contains 11 chapters that outline the steps of applying to graduate school as well as providing tips to students about the application process. This guide chronologically lays out the application process from finding letter of recommendation writers to taking the GRE, from approaching potential faculty to taking an internship. More specifically, chapter one is a timeline to follow starting with early undergraduate years through the last semester of senior year. This chapter provides a one-stop checklist for students to reference throughout the planning process. Chapter two provides charts to track all undergraduate courses needed to graduate and be successful. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a stressful burden that affects many students considering graduate school. Chapter three explains the exam section by section and provides insights, tips, and links to practice questions to elevate students' self-efficacy and confidence to succeed. Another stressful choice that students need to make is the school and program for graduate education. Chapter four asks students questions that should be considered when choosing schools and programs, and chapter five provides a comparison table for students to complete and visually compare characteristics to find the best fit. The PGRG guides students through what they will need and how to complete a graduate school application as well as a calendar to record all deadlines associated with the applications (Ch. 6). Tips for writing a statement of purpose are outlined (Ch. 7) as well as information to find the best professors to ask for letters of recommendation (Ch. 8). Also included in the PGRG is information about approaching faculty members from universities students are applying (Ch. 10 and 11) as well as the best options for internships (Ch. 9). The basic graduate school application requirements are also included and outlined in this guide aimed to help students succeed. Related to Project Objective #3, we also developed a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program (PMP). The purpose of the PMP is to provide women and URM graduate students enrolled in STEM-basedAgLSgraduate degree programs in Purdue University's College of Agriculture access to social support mechanisms which are critical to their academic success, persistence and degree completion.The PMP meets monthly, and to date have discussed topics including Mentoring 101, Mentoring Across Differences (e.g., gender and race), Strengths-based Mentoring, Navigating Mentoring Relationships with Faculty, Developing a Mentoring Philosophy, Navigating Difficult Situations in Mentoring Relationships, and Healthy Mentoring Relationships. Participants submit a monthly report to the PMP Coordinators, providing information such as their progress in the program, their own personal and professional growth, topics on which they would like more information, and how the program can help them to meet their mentoring goals. Following the monthly report, the PMP Coordinators follow up with the participant during a monthly meeting, during which their monthly report is discussed, as well as the participant's feedback on the program. Additionally, participants answer prompts on a Blackboard discussion board to further the conversation and reflect on what was discussed in previous meetings. Finally, to further enhance community building efforts among the PMP participants, social events are held monthly. Our projectteam continues to makeprogresson all three project objectives with anticipatedaccomplishmentsbeingreportedin thenext reportingcycle.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Vollmer*, D.L., Merzdorf, J.V., Esters, L.T., & Knobloch, N.A. (2018). M@P-ing out your future resource guide, West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University. [Disseminated to over 800 students at Historically Black Land-Grant Universities (HBLGUs) since April 2018.]
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