KEEP: Kentucky Environmental Education Pipeline, A program to retain a diverse and equitable scientific trainee pipeline

ABSTRACT The KEEP: Kentucky Environmental Education Pipeline will create a paid immersive undergraduate environmental health focused summer research experience that targets enrollment by URM and economically disadvantaged students. Nearly 60% of students who enter college with the goal of majoring in a STEM field end up graduating in a non-STEM field or leaving without a degree. This attrition is especially severe in students from underrepresented and historically marginalized communities. Among the major reasons for such a high dropout from STEM programs are limited career counseling, limited institutional support, and an academic culture that is unwelcoming or outright hostile to unique circumstances and lived experiences. The KEEP program will facilitate the development of student identity as scientists, create lasting support structures, and connect student research to local communities. The KEEP program will focus on the following Specific Aims: Aim 1: Create and administer a 10-week on-site summer undergraduate research program for UofL students in the broad field of environmental health sciences. The KEEP program includes mentored research as well as a community led environmental sampling bootcamp (all mentors also invited), weekly instruction in biostatistics concepts and methodologies, and dissemination via undergraduate research day participation as well as Posters-At-The-Capital and regional Ohio Valley Society of Toxicology meeting participation. Aim 2: Enrich undergraduate student development through continuing academic and career mentoring, professional development activities (ex: resume building and personal statement construction), exposure to a broad variety of environmental health research seminars, and weekly cohort building activities. Aim 3: Evaluation of student outcomes including recruitment, participation, satisfaction, and tracking of academic progress toward matriculation. We will utilize existing infrastructure associated with the UofL CIEHS and Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities as well as the UofL Cards Analytics office.