Spend a Summer with a Scientist:

Increasing the Diversity of the Computational Sciences

Baine B. Alexander & Julie Foertsch LEAD Center, UW-Madison

baine@engr.wisc.edu
foertsch@engr.wisc.edu
http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~lead

Goals || Demographics || Impact || Survey Results || Essential Elements

Evaluation Goals of the Summer with a Scientist (SaS) Program

The overarching goal of the SaS Program is to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities in the computational sciences through focusing on both the recruitment and retention of these students in graduate school.
The goal of the evaluation was to aid in the dissemination and replication of this program at other universities, and to uncover the essential elements contributing to its success.

Spend a Summer with a Scientist (SaS) Participant Demographics

Participants by race and gender
	Gender
Race	Female	Male	Total	%
Hispanic	15	18	33	48%
African-American	15	12	27	40%
Caucasian	8	0	8	12%
Total	38	30	68	100%
%	56%	44%	100%

Participants by educational status Total %
Participated only as an undergraduate 36 53%
Participated as an undergraduate and a graduate 8 12%
Participated only as a graduate student 24 35%
Total 68 100%


Participants by educational status	Total	%
Participated only as an undergraduate	36	53%
Participated as an undergraduate and a graduate	8	12%
Participated only as a graduate student	24	35%
Total	68	100%

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Spend a Summer with a Scientist (SaS) Impact

Program Impact on Participants' Desire to Attend/Remain in Graduate School
Count %
Increased greatly 15 59%
Increased somewhat 10 30%
No change 2 7%
Decreased somewhat 0 0%
Decreased greatly 0 0%

Impact of Various Program Elements on Participants' Desire to Attend/Remain in Graduate School
N=27 Decreased
greatly Decreased
somewhat No
change Increased
somewhat Increased
greatly Increased
(%)
Interactions with Dr. Tapia 0 0 3 8 16 89%
Being in the company of other minority students 0 0 3 13 11 89%
Interactions with other students 0 1 3 12 11 85%
Interactions with mentor 0 2 6 7 13 79%
Friday discussions about professional development 0 1 5 12 10 79%
Friday discussions about race 0 0 7 13 7 74%
Doing research in a university setting 1 1 5 6 13 73%
Giving presentations 0 1 11 5 9 54%
Mentoring high school students 1 1 11 10 3 50%

Program Impact on Participants' Desire to Attend/Remain in Graduate School
	Count	%
Increased greatly	15	59%
Increased somewhat	10	30%
No change	2	7%
Decreased somewhat	0	0%
Decreased greatly	0	0%

Impact of Various Program Elements on Participants' Desire to Attend/Remain in Graduate School
N=27	Decreased greatly	Decreased somewhat	No change	Increased somewhat	Increased greatly Increased (%)
Interactions with Dr. Tapia	0	0	3	8	16	89%
Being in the company of other minority students	0	0	3	13	11	89%
Interactions with other students	0	1	3	12	11	85%
Interactions with mentor	0	2	6	7	13	79%
Friday discussions about professional development	0	1	5	12	10	79%
Friday discussions about race	0	0	7	13	7	74%
Doing research in a university setting	1	1	5	6	13	73%
Giving presentations	0	1	11	5	9	54%
Mentoring high school students	1	1	11	10	3	50%

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Spend a Summer with a Scientist (SaS) Survey Results

Q34: How important do you think it is that the program
include students who have been in it a number of years?
Total %
Critically important 15 56%
Very important, but not critical 10 37%
Somewhat important 2 7%
Of little or no importance 0 0%
Total 27 100%

Q35: How important do you think it is that the program
include both graduate and undergraduate students?
Total %
Critically important 18 67%
Very important, but not critical 5 19%
Somewhat important 4 15%
Of little or no importance 0 0%
Total 27 100%

Q36: How important do you think it is that the program
be led by a respected professor who is a minority?
Total %

Critically important 16 59%
Very important, but not critical 8 30%
Somewhat important 2 7%
Of little or no importance 1 4%
Total 27 100%

Q34: How important do you think it is that the program include students who have been in it a number of years?
	Total	%
Critically important	15	56%
Very important, but not critical	10	37%
Somewhat important	2	7%
Of little or no importance	0	0%
Total	27	100%

Q35: How important do you think it is that the program include both graduate and undergraduate students?
	Total	%
Critically important	18	67%
Very important, but not critical	5	19%
Somewhat important	4	15%
Of little or no importance	0	0%
Total	27	100%

Q36: How important do you think it is that the program be led by a respected professor who is a minority?
	Total	%

Critically important	16	59%
Very important, but not critical	8	30%
Somewhat important	2	7%
Of little or no importance	1	4%
Total	27	100%

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Essential elements contributing to the success of SaS:

A program director who:

functions as a role model for the students as a successful and respected researcher from a similar background who has maintained his ethnic identity
is esteemed by his colleagues yet still approachable
supports and encourages students through individual mentoring relationships and builds their confidence to pursue and persist in graduate degrees
serves as a guide to the academic world by providing professional development information and opportunities to participants
has influence and “clout” within the university that enables him to actively support students' academic and financial interests
creates and actively sustains the SaS community

A community that:

surrounds participants with students from similar backgrounds who understand their experiences firsthand
provides undergraduate participants with numerous graduate student role models
provides a matrix of mentoring relationships between students at different levels so that each student can both be a mentor and be mentored
allows support and advice to come from many individuals rather than having students rely on a single mentoring relationship
has continuity and is sustained through having students participate for multiple years
is fully integrated into the life of the department and receives legitimacy through its connections to a respected research center
provides an open forum for discussions about race and ethnicity
provides instruction, practice and encouragement in professional development

A research project that:

allows students to experience and learn about the research process through working on an unsolved, open-ended, real-world research problem
increases participants' disciplinary knowledge and their understanding of how that knowledge may be applied
assists students in defining and refining their research and career interests
provides students with an introduction to the world of academia and graduate school
provides a forum for collegial interaction with a faculty member

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