Research Initiation: LIONS Bridge Program:A Program Aimed at Enhancing Learning, Inclusivity, Opportunities, and Nurturing Students from Historically Excluded Groups in Engineering

This LIONS Bridge program is aimed at creating an innovative summer bridge program to provide strong support to incoming engineering students, making engineering education more broad-based and accessible. Through this program, participants will receive tutoring, mentorship from peers, faculty, and industry professionals, and engage in activities such as field trips and community service. These efforts will help students feel more confident and prepared as they begin and continue through their engineering studies. This project will work to ensure that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed. With tailored support and a welcoming environment, the program will improve recruitment and retention rates in engineering. The project at the University of North Alabama (UNA) will focus on creating a summer bridge program for incoming engineering students. The primary goals of the project will be to design and assess the bridge program, explore the impact of mentorship on student success, and prepare Dr. Amber Pete to conduct necessary engineering education research. The program will provide participants with tutoring, mentorship from peers, faculty, and industry professionals, field trips, community service opportunities, and two fundamental engineering courses. Its objectives aim to improve recruitment and retention rates and boost students' confidence. The research questions driving this project will include: How effective will the summer bridge program improve academic performance and retention among incoming engineering students? What role will mentorship play in supporting these students' success in engineering education? To address these questions, the team will employ quantitative and qualitative methods, including examinations, GPA tracking, retention rates, and student feedback. Key partnerships for this project will involve collaboration with high schools and community organizations to establish a support network for students. Additionally, the interdisciplinary team, led by Dr. Pete and comprising faculty from engineering, mathematics, science, and social sciences, all with extensive experience in their respective fields, will ensure a comprehensive approach to program development and evaluation. Two STEM researchers, known for their STEM education work in their fields, will serve as primary mentors to Dr. Pete, while other co-PIs, each with a unique set of skills and expertise, will assist with evaluation methodologies. The expected outcomes of this project will include creating a successful and replicable bridge program model, enhanced mentorship frameworks, and significant contributions to engineering education. The broader impacts will extend to fostering an inclusive academic environment at regional universities. By continuously assessing and refining the program, UNA will aim to build a more equitable and accessible pathway to engineering careers, ultimately contributing to a more broadly representative and innovative engineering workforce. These outcomes will not only benefit the immediate participants but also have a ripple effect, influencing the broader engineering education landscape. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Engineering Education & Centers (EEC) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.