KU leading multi-institutional program to support undergraduate STEM research and student retention
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas, in collaboration with five other regional higher education institutions, has been awarded a five-year, $3.5 million National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation grant. The award will establish the Aligning STEM Trainees for Enterprising Research (ASTER) program and fund undergraduate research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ASTER, derived from the Latin word for “star,” represents the state flowers of Nebraska (goldenrods) and Kansas (sunflowers), which will comprise the new alliance.
NSF’s LSAMP program aims to increase STEM degrees earned by underrepresented populations. The program has supported more than 650,000 undergraduate students in STEM since 1990. ASTER students will work on a variety of research projects spanning chemistry, neuroscience, genetics, combinatorics, fluid mechanics, particle physics, construction materials and more.
“The ASTER program will enable KU to increase access and participation among promising students through engaging research experiences with faculty who are there to support and guide them,” said Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, KU provost and executive vice chancellor and professor of educational leadership & policy studies. “It will spark student creativity and discovery. It will help students find a place at KU and our partner institutions. It will help them develop skills to ensure they are forever relevant in their fields and, equally important, leaders in their communities after graduation.”
Bichelmeyer is the principal investigator for ASTER. Ana Chicas-Mosier — education, outreach & diversity director for KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis — is co-investigator and will serve as the ASTER program director.
“This program is and was deeply impactful on my educational and personal success. As an undergraduate scholar, I found an excitement for research and a community of support that I still lean on today,” said Chicas-Mosier, who is an alumna of the Oklahoma LSAMP. “My goal for this program is to create a STEM learning and research community that provides multifaceted student support for long-term success.”
The collaborative effort among the University of Kansas, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Pittsburg State University, Johnson County Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College and Southeast Community College- Lincoln will provide support for scholars on each campus and build a transfer pathway to better prepare students for graduation and STEM careers. The ASTER program will host monthly professional development sessions, offer peer and faculty mentor pairing, identify and pair students with summer research and internship experiences, and host an annual symposium, transfer camps and faculty mentorship workshops.
This region of the central United States plains is surrounded by other LSAMP alliance institutions but is the first of its kind for KU and its partners. LSAMP scholars will be able to tap into this existing network of support to help them realize their goals.
Undergraduate STEM majors with an interest in research can apply online to the ASTER program. Faculty can express their interest in being matched with students through the ASTER faculty mentor webform.