Our team collaborated with other faculty and received support for the education ESTEEMED program led by Dr. Kanipes
NorthCarolinaAgricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) submits this new ESTEEMED application with the overarching goal to significantly increase the preparation and production of high achieving underrepresented minority students who will pursue careers in Ph.D. programs in bioengineering or STEM fields relevant to Bioengineering. Consequently, the NC A&T ESTEEMED program will employ a persistence framework that combines an academic support system, early research experiences, collaborative learning and intrusive advising to cultivate the science identity of underrepresented minority students. Specific aims for the NC A&T ESTEEMED program are: 1) Increase the number of students who successfully complete pathway courses by the end of the sophomore year; 2) Increase the number of students prepared and committed to conduct research; and 3) Increase the number of students who are prepared for entering Ph.D. level programs in Bioengineering or STEM fields relevant to Bioengineering. Activities that support these aims and expected outcomes include: a Summer Bridge Program; Academic Year Activities that include intrusive advising, academic support, faculty-directed research, seminars; and, summer research experiences. Threaded through the two-year program, the NC A&T ESTEEMED scholars will participate in activities that enhance their STEM knowledge base, oral and written communication skills, and bioengineering/biomedical research skills. The expected outcomes and expectations for this program are that 1) 80% of participants will successfully complete freshman and sophomore level requirements for the major within two years; 2) 100% of participants will meet research development goals; and 3) 80% of ESTEEMED scholars will self-identify as a bioengineer or biomedical scientist.