Developing Research and Educational Excellence to Attract and Maintain Students in STEM (DREAM-STEM)

Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Alabama State University, “Developing Research and Educational Excellence to Attract and Maintain Students in STEM aims to expand pathways into STEM colleges and careers, mitigating critical labor shortages by improving recruitment, retention, and graduation rates for STEM professionals. The project will include delivering hands-on STEM activities to high school and community college students; launching a summer transition program; establishing a supportive undergraduate research and learning community; and implementing a faculty development program to support instruction and research. The project is expected to increase the number of well-prepared STEM professionals who can meet the growing demand for innovation and workforce development. The goals of the project include: 1) Establishing a STEM enrichment experience program for high school and community college students; 2) Creating a STEM summer bridge pathway to college and career program for graduating high school seniors and community college students; 3) Developing a STEM scholar research and learning community program focused on education and research for undergraduates, and 4) Implementing a faculty STEM mentoring, advising, research, and teaching program. These goals will be achieved through several objectives that leverage real-world problem-solving, digital tools, and the integration of advanced technologies into research and courses, as well as through collaboration networks that connect academic and real-world experiences, aligning STEM education with career pathway exploration for STEM majors. The project is expected to enhance students’ academic performance, STEM self-efficacy, and help increase the number of students pursuing STEM degrees and entering the STEM workforce. Findings from the project are expected to inform institutional practice at Alabama State University and will provide evidence-based findings for institutions seeking to improve educational outcomes in technology-supported education. 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.