1. Ann Podleski
  2. Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Harris-Stowe State University
  1. Jayashree Balakrishna
  2. Professor-Physics
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Harris-Stowe State University
  1. Anbreen Bashir
  2. Associate Professor of Biology
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Harris-Stowe State University
  1. Nichole Gosselin
  2. Post Doctoral Research Fellow
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Saint Louis University
  1. Scott Horrell
  2. Assistant Professor of Biology
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Harris-Stowe State University
  1. Andrew Jackson
  2. Adjunct Faculty
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Harris-Stowe State University
  1. Shashi Rai
  2. Math Teacher
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Soldan IS High School
  1. Vasit Sagan
  2. Associate Professor of Geospatial Science
  3. Increasing Under-Represented Populations in Sustainability and Urban Ecology (SUE)
  4. http://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.cfm?wid=89&pid=1667
  5. Saint Louis University
Public Discussion

Continue the discussion of this presentation on the Multiplex. Go to Multiplex

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 9, 2022 | 10:32 p.m.

    Welcome to our MSEIP presentation. We created a unique learning community with a cohort of students involved in academic activities outside the classroom. As they discovered their own potential and felt good about campus academic engagement, they influenced the larger school.  Students increasingly engaged in academics and spent more time in student spaces judiciously placed near STEM faculty offices. 

    We appreciate any feedback and questions and also look forward to seeing and learning from your presentations. 

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
  • Timothy Hamilton

    May 10, 2022 | 01:08 p.m.

    It's great to see a program like this that gives opportunities, involvement, support, and encouragement to underserved and marginalized students.  Congratulations to all involved, from teachers to students.

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
  • Icon for: Anbreen Bashir

    Anbreen Bashir

    Co-Presenter
    Associate Professor of Biology
    May 10, 2022 | 05:40 p.m.

    Thank you Timothy! The biggest reward of being a part of MSEIP was to see our students grow. The grant helped instill skills, confidence, interpersonal growth and positive work ethic in our student body!

  • Icon for: Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 01:26 p.m.

    Dr. Bashir, 

    The video was amazing.  It was wonderful to see our students so confident and appreciative of their experience.  OWJ

  • Icon for: Mariam Manuel

    Mariam Manuel

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 09:22 a.m.

    Wow! This program is so powerful. I love all the ways in which you built a sense of community between the students and faculty members. Was there any type or training or professional development you did with the researchers or mentors prior to them working with the high school students? 

     
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    Fran Agnone
    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 10, 2022 | 10:40 a.m.

    It did really help that the academic year MSEIP activities had created a strong sense of community and also naturally modeled effective mentorship and academic engagement outside of the classroom.  When the high school students got involved in the summer program, they were drawn to the community of college students.  

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
  • Icon for: Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 01:27 p.m.

    Ann, 

    The work you have done with our students is amazing.  I cannot tell you how many times I have viewed the video.  

    OWJ

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 10, 2022 | 10:16 a.m.

    Thanks Mariam.
    Some of the TA-research mentors for the summer program had been with us through the year involved in MSEIP activities. We did have training for about 10days prior to the Summer program.

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
  • Icon for: Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 01:29 p.m.

    Dr. Balakrishna, 

    The work that all of you are doing with our students demonstrates their true potential.  Thank you!  OWJ

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 10, 2022 | 10:19 a.m.

    One of the strong components of our program was the strong student-faculty bonds that were forged. Also, our cohort students started getting involved with academics more/ They went on to become academic role models and helped other students  develop a passion for learning. We had many faculty members across the school contributing a couple of hours a week to engage students in projects, activities, and readings based on student interest.

    The questions that come to mind are

    i) Did your project have similarities to this model?


    ii) What other ways are there to involve the larger school beyond the ones actually in the project. We did have classroom projects. We also created conferences nearby so that other students, faculty, and members of our college could attend easily.

    iii) What other strategies have been used to foster interdisciplinary research with students and multiple faculty?

    Look forward to thoughts and discussions.

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
  • Brent Wessel

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 11:50 a.m.

    What a fantastic program! I was glad to be a small part of a high school academy one summer. Keep up all the amazing work!

     
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    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu
    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 10, 2022 | 12:15 p.m.

    This was truly an institution wide effort and having so many people involved really increased the impact on students.

  • Icon for: Andrew Jackson

    Andrew Jackson

    Co-Presenter
    Adjunct Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 04:31 p.m.

    MSEIP provided an opportunity to encourage our students to explore new ideas and work in a team atmosphere. They learned by using scientific methods to gain knowledge and confidence in their academic abilities.  

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Paige Evans

    Paige Evans

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 04:35 p.m.

    This is a great program!  I love the Saturday's Speakers Program.  All of this community building is wonderful.  Thank you for sharing this work.

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Anbreen Bashir

    Anbreen Bashir

    Co-Presenter
    Associate Professor of Biology
    May 10, 2022 | 05:31 p.m.

    MSEIP equipped our students with unique skills involving interdisciplinary approach of learning. It allowed them to explore real world problems and  put into practice information learned through various disciplines involved. 

     
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    Shashi Rai
    Scott Horrell
    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Vasit Sagan

    Vasit Sagan

    Co-Presenter
    Associate Professor of Geospatial Science
    May 10, 2022 | 05:47 p.m.

    I think training students with hands-on research is the way to go. We all learn by working on a project, resolving challenges, and presenting our work to audiences. This is a wonderful experience for me as faculty. I enjoyed observing our students trained through this program publishing peer-reviewed papers and presenting at conferences. 

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Jessica Parker

    Jessica Parker

    Facilitator
    Senior Director
    May 10, 2022 | 05:52 p.m.

    WoW! This was such a powerful community and institutional effort that is so exciting to learn about. I don't think the beginning graphic really captures how the community building, academic engagement, collaborative research, and professional support is intertwined and layered. I would love to learn more about the impact on students and their professional successes. Could you share more about this aspect of the program? 

     
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    Jessica Parker
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 10, 2022 | 07:24 p.m.

    Jessica - you are right that the core aspects of our program were very much intertwined and layered - I considered including more arrows in the opening graphic to try to capture that. In some sense everything is related to everything else, including various levels of professional success continuing to impact academic engagement, community building, and even more collaborative research. 

    I think aspects of our program gave students a broader concept of what types of careers and grad programs they ultimately decided to pursue.  And we definitely noticed that MSEIP students were well positioned to take advantage of internship and other opportunities while still an undergraduate.  The speakers that we brought in both for our Saturday activities and also for our MSEIP conferences represented a lot of different professional opportunities and help give students a chance to both showcase what they were doing in their MSEIP activities and to find out about different career paths.

     
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    Jessica Parker
  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 10, 2022 | 08:40 p.m.

    Hi Jessica,

    Along with what Dr. Podleski said, there were exposures through workshops and collaborations. One of our students did a GIS project and now is working in a company that uses GIS. A student's resume was very much enhanced by his work in MSEIP that resulted in his being an author on a peer reviewed publication. He is in graduate school pursuing a Computer Science degree.  

     MSEIP work often helped students find their passions and then pursue them with other opportunities and it was a great steppingstone for many students. A student interested in animals was exposed to bird biology in MSEIP. He then pursued another opportunity in which he looked for a mentor interested in birds and then ended up doing bird-tick and health research at a premier institute in the city and is now in graduate school.  MSEIP gave students an opportunity to express themselves. It gave them confidence and they then worked hard to take advantage of other opportunities and achieve their dreams. 

     We have MSEIP students who are in and have finished nursing programs, a MSEIP student in dental school, a MSEIP student in the school of pharmacy, a MSEIP student accepted to a school of Osteopathy, MSEIP students in graduate school, and MSEIP students in technical jobs. Student resume's fattened by MSEIP did help them pursue summer internships.  

     

    We had students just being around school more picking the brains of faculty and studying. It just enhanced the academic experience. Student-Faculty relationships fostered by MSEIP did help students in their coursework and boost confidence and have successful careers even when specific MSEIP activities did not determine their career path.  

     
    2
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    Jessica Parker
    Fran Agnone
  • Icon for: Scott Horrell

    Scott Horrell

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor of Biology
    May 11, 2022 | 11:41 a.m.

    Hi Jessica,

    Thank you for your question. Yes, trying to encapsulate a program like this presents a unique challenge. The impact on each student is different, so we tried to find a heading to fit it all under (hence the overly broad "professional success"). In conversations with Jay and Ann, we did settle on the idea that this served as a stepping stone. In some cases, the next step was to pursue a Ph.D. or Master's degree. In others, it was getting a job using the skills they had developed in MSEIP. But for some participants, it was an even more subtle step - to pursue (and get) an independent research experience at an R1 University, to start focusing and dedicating more time to pursuing their degree, or to feel more comfortable working with faculty or one another.

    One of the most exciting things for me as a faculty participant was to watch this impact manifest itself at the individual student level in varied ways. We felt this was perfect for our institution because we aim to serve the individual needs of our students. And what better way to demonstrate that than to see that the outcomes are individualized as well?

     
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    Jessica Parker
    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 01:30 p.m.

    At this time I can only say that all of you make for a terrific team and a major gift to our students and Harris-Stowe State University.

    Thank you!  OWJ

  • Rekha Meyer

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 10, 2022 | 08:05 p.m.

    Great things happen when students and faculty collaborate and learn! Well done MSEIP students and kudos to faculty!!

     
    1
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Odesa WeatherO@hssu.edu

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 16, 2022 | 01:31 p.m.

    Rekha, 

    You are absolutely CORRECT!  THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT ALL OF YOU DO!

    OWJ

  • Erica Reese

    May 11, 2022 | 11:15 a.m.

    This all sounds great and encouraging for the students. Anything with Dr P involved is awesome, I miss the HSSU faculty and fun. #alumni #math Way to go everyone!

     
    1
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    Scott Horrell
  • Erica Reese

    May 11, 2022 | 11:15 a.m.

    This all sounds great and encouraging for the students. Anything with Dr P involved is awesome, I miss the HSSU faculty and fun. #alumni #math Way to go everyone!

  • Icon for: Denice Blair

    Denice Blair

    Informal Educator
    May 11, 2022 | 11:44 a.m.

    What an amazing project! As an educator in a university museum, I got a lot of ideas from your program model, especially the student mentoring and how the competition brought people together to learn from each other in really positive ways.

     
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    Scott Horrell
    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 11, 2022 | 11:52 a.m.

    Denice - I am so glad you got some ideas from our program.  We continued to tweak aspects of the program as we constantly reflected on all aspects.  So glad this Video Showcase is providing opportunities to both share what we have tried and also get ideas from others. There are so many awesome projects going on!!!

  • Icon for: Scott Horrell

    Scott Horrell

    Co-Presenter
    Assistant Professor of Biology
    May 11, 2022 | 11:55 a.m.

    Hi Denise,

    Thank you for your comment. Yes, the positive aspect of the competition showed up over and over as we discussed the program with students. A student just visited me a few weeks ago (two years after their graduation and participation in MSEIP) and he was still talking about how good it felt when their group did well and got bragging rights. Competition seems to have a profound effect on student psychology.

  • Icon for: Jacqueline Ekeoba

    Jacqueline Ekeoba

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 02:14 p.m.

    Thank you for sharing this project and creating a STEM community for students and faculty. I am curious to know what your recruitment efforts entailed for MSEIP. 

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 11, 2022 | 03:09 p.m.

    Hi Jacqueline,  I am assuming that you are asking about how students were recruited to be MSEIP trainees (as we referred to them).  There was an application posted on our university website and students submitted an application which included an essay about why they were interested.  At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member was required also.  And there was an interview with the PI of the grant, Dr. Jayashree Balakrishna.  We had a variety of majors (STEM, Education, Social Sciences) and freshman to seniors.  And some students continued as MSEIP trainees for multiple semesters and others went on to other opportunities (or graduated) and we were able to have a few new students involved each semester.  All the college students involved were students at our university.  High School students in the summer program were recommended by their high school teacher, and the teacher also participated in the summer program.

     

  • Icon for: Shashi Rai

    Shashi Rai

    Co-Presenter
    Math Teacher
    May 11, 2022 | 07:27 p.m.

    My high school students gained an immersive enrichment experience that gave them insight into STEM careers, which they would not have received in their regular high school curriculum. Even during the COVID pandemic, the MSEIP program engaged the students in a Virtual Learning Environment which provided them valuable experience with the simulations and other virtual activities. The MSEIP experience inspired them to take STEM courses in college and pursue careers in STEM fields.

     
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    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Jesús Lee-Borges

    Jesús Lee-Borges

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 11, 2022 | 08:09 p.m.

    Excellent project! Wonderful job you are doing in your project. I was very impressed that you are incorporating the use of GIS in this project. It is definitely a powerful tool that opens opportunities, as the student pointed out.

    Do you have a specific course where you teach GIS, or is it incorporated in another course?

    Definitely interested in trying to do something with GIS in my project.

     

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 12, 2022 | 02:11 p.m.

    Most of what was done in the MSEIP project for GIS started with faculty workshops (a component of our MSEIP grant) led by Dr. Vasit Sagan (one of our co-presenters) that included student participants.  So as some of the faculty were getting training in GIS, MSEIP trainees (students) participated in these workshops with us.  For some students this became a specialty and they (and a few faculty) did projects that led to posters and deeper research projects.  This led to an on-going collaboration with another university, including partnering with them on focused research through a supplemental grant to help establish research at HBCU's.   We are now extending our course offerings to include GIS across the curriculum (we initially had one course in GIS, but not a lot of students were aware of this).  We have hopes of a Geospatial Sciences certificate and are fortunate in that St. Louis is a hub for Geospatial.  There are a lot of resources for GIS, including some free internet programs (I have not explored those, but have been to student presentations where students do use those.)  Let me know if you have additional questions - this is definitely something I am trying to do more with and our university is also getting more involved - there is training this week in GIS that is open to all faculty.

  • Rebecca Weaver

    May 11, 2022 | 09:02 p.m.

    Thank you for sharing this video showcase of HSSU's MSEIP. It is clear that the MSEIP is having a profound and positive impact on students and faculty alike. A former MSEIP student will be leading a Canopy Crew of youth to conduct tree health assessments throughout St. Louis, as a part of the Treesilience program, and we could not be more excited to have in our team. We are very grateful to HSSU and the MSEIP for the engagement and collaboration over the years. Thank you!

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Nancy Songer

    Nancy Songer

    Facilitator
    Dean
    May 11, 2022 | 10:03 p.m.

    Thank you for sharing this amazing project. I am wondering how you are measuring the impact of the program? Any examples of metrics or outcomes are appreciated. Thank you.

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 12, 2022 | 11:14 p.m.

    I see that Dr. Balakrishna provided a lot of information about the types of data we collected for assessment and many of the outcomes of our program.  As a faculty member and one of the Co-PIs of the grant, and actively involved with most aspects of the grant, I have benefitted in terms of content knowledge, new technical skills, more connections and collaborations with others outside our university which enhance my teaching and research and provide more opportunities for students.

  • Nancy Collier

    K-12 Teacher
    May 12, 2022 | 12:28 a.m.

    Grateful to know my Father (Andrew Jackson) is involved in such an important & necessary program. 

     
    1
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Fran Agnone

    Fran Agnone

    Program Director, STEM Educators Academy
    May 12, 2022 | 10:49 a.m.

    What an inspiring project. I love hearing about all the ways collaboration comes into play in this higher ed learning environment. And especially value the call out of "learning aside" professors. I'm so impressed by the career pathways that were shared of participants. Are there plans to continue the program beyond the life of the grant? 

     
    1
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: David Haury

    David Haury

    Facilitator
    Emeritus Professor
    May 12, 2022 | 11:26 a.m.

    It seems you have a great model that is engaging and motivating for both students and educators/researchers. Could you say more about how you have or plan to make this model self-sustaining? What guidance can you offer teams at other institutions about how to imbed this model as a self-sustaining learning opportunity?  Or, is that a challenge that you are still pursuing?

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 12, 2022 | 01:19 p.m.

    Hi David,

    one of the advantages we had at our school was that the faculty in different disciplines are in close proximity to each other and constantly engage with each other. We could involve a lot of people in our project and really give our cohort students individual attention and then bring them together on Saturdays to interact as a larger group. Those students were then advocates for other students because they made them see that faculty was very accessible to students.  So we crated mentors among students. An interdisciplinary STEM project was a natural fit for us. 

    We put a lot of time looking into cohort student interests, schedules and faculty schedules to make sure each student could be involved in readings and activities based on their interests and majors, each semester.  We had a lot of support from all faculty.

    Then COVID came and changed the landscape and campus engagement was difficult but we are working on bringing it back.  

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 12, 2022 | 12:48 p.m.

    Hi Fran,

         We now have the equipment, knowhow and collaborations established for research  continuance and internships.  In fact we are in process of getting a joint position with a neighboring university collaborator with GIS in mind.  We have a certificate program in GIS getting ready to be rolled out. Some of our faculty are involved with the Danforth Plant Science center in Grant activities (Dr. Podleski is involved in this).

    We are recipients of a sub-grant which includes interdisciplinary plant Phenotyping and Geoscience research. A fellow faculty member and I used the MSEIP purchased instruments to do intercropping research through another Grant  in our Greenhousethis past year. 

    We have built strong relations with organizations like the Nature Conservancy and other organizations and institutions for further collaborations.

    I am in talks with fellow faculty to look for funding campus engagement (Journal, book clubs, research reading, speaker series, etc) like our Saturday program.  It will be like a new beginning in some sense because COVID effects shut down a lot of on-campus engagement.  We realized that for many of our students the Physical in person on-campus engagement trumps the conveniences of virtual engagement. We plan to resurrect  on-campus engagement with many aspects of the MSEIP model in mind.

     

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 12, 2022 | 01:06 p.m.

     

    Hi Nancy,

    We would look at MSEIP student retention, graduation, and post-graduation career paths. Also post-MSEIP involvement in other opportunities. For some MSEIP students it was a stepping-stone and they often have continued mentorship with the MSEIP faculty because of the strong bonds forged by the experience. Some of then went on to be TAs as part of other programs but were often a TA for a MSEIP faculty class. We have kept up with our yearly cohorts.

    We had surveys from the Summer school for the high school teachers, and students, faculty, and MSEIP TAs to get information on student engagement and content. We also had assessments during the Summer program for content, research, and presentation.

    In addition, we had data from faculty surveys of all faculty involved with MSEIP, the percentage of MSEIP (former or current) who presented at Conferences whether they presented MSEIP or other projects. 12 of 20 accepted presentations for the 2019 ERN conference were current or former MSEIP students. Three of the other 8 later joined the MSEIP program (2 for our Summer Academy. We also had research projects that resulted in a publication with a MSEIP student as one of the authors in a refereed Remote Sensing Journal. This student presented at the American Geophysical Union international conference. Another MSEIP student won an award at the GEO-Resolution conference (3rd place for their poster). We also have former students in Grad. programs, technical jobs, environmental companies, and professional programs (dentistry, pharmacy, nursing).

    MSEIP's flexibility of ways in which students could be engaged - projects research, TA or combinations of these helped students chose what suited them best and also look for other opportunities off and on campus as they learned about their interests. We followed them through their continued path in other programs. We also looked at the number of MSEIP students who got internships in the Summer at various universities, and organizations.

    We also had projects in our courses and some MSEIP students helped the students in some of the classes with these. Even when we first went virtual, we had MSEIP students engage virtually as TAs and project helpers in some courses. We used the CURE test to evaluate our class projects.

    There were multiple programs that some of these students were involved in over the course of their undergraduate years that impacted them and MSEIP was a very strong stepping-stone for them to transition to other programs. They got a stipend for campus academic activities and connected with faculty and fellow students. The stipend helped them be on campus more and not have to look for jobs off campus. Our MSEIP students definitely impacted the larger school. They got students from their different STEM majors to come and work in campus spaces, MSEIP students would stay and study on Saturday after the morning program. Soon other students were coming in on those days (pre-COVID).

  • Icon for: Paul Adams

    Paul Adams

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 12, 2022 | 10:51 p.m.

    This is a great project.  What would be the essential steps for others to start a similar project without funding?

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 12, 2022 | 11:26 p.m.

    Hi Paul - that is a great question.  I think some aspects of our project might be accomplished through some type of seminar course that students might take that has the flexibility to include some of the activities students and faculty were involved in.  It would likely be at a smaller scale, but might involve guest speakers, or team teaching approach, with a theme that can be approached in an interdisciplinary way.  Or maybe a set of courses in different subjects, that are tied together with a common theme, where the instructors and students from the different classes all collaborate in some way.  These are just some initial thoughts and it likely depends on the culture of the particular school as to what things might work. 

  • Icon for: Paul Adams

    Paul Adams

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 13, 2022 | 12:43 a.m.

    Thanks for the insights!

  • Icon for: Cali Anicha

    Cali Anicha

    Researcher
    May 13, 2022 | 09:13 a.m.

     I so appreciated hearing from the students - thanks for centering their voices!  You mentioned a 10-training you held - for TAs and other non-students involved in the work - can you offer any details about that training?

    Also - the offer of a stipend so students did not need to seek jobs outside campus is a crucial component. A very real way to begin to level the academic playing field!

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 13, 2022 | 09:40 a.m.

    You have definitely hit on some of the key components of the project design - the stipend to engage with academic activities on campus (but outside the classroom) was really a game changer. 

    In terms of the training for TAs, there were many aspects in different years of the grant.  In the first year that we did a virtual summer academy, (Summer 2020), we met via Zoom in the weeks leading up to the academy and "practiced" and did a lot of experimenting with what we could do.  It was collaborative in that I think the training went both ways - students helping faculty and really sharing of ideas and strategies.  We also met at the close of every day of the actual session, to debrief and share ideas about what is working and what can we adjust.  Some of the best ideas came from the student TAs.   I met with TAs to go over my planned lesson to get feedback from them and it really helped me.

    And in the second year that we did a virtual summer academy, the experience TAs were partnered with a newer TA and the TAs actually led the sessions with the high school students.  A faculty member would meet with the TAs in each group to go over what they planned to do and get feedback from the other TA and/or faculty.  There was a lot of training and practice for the Virtual Labs we were doing (this was in both years of virtual academy)

    Before we were virtual, the first summer academy did not involve the high school students, so served as a training in the sense of the college students (and the faculty) were participants in the academy.  Also, there were always some students who were MSEIP trainees during the academic year who also were TAs in the summer academy.  The fact that they were already comfortable with faculty and each other helped to model the TA role and was also something that helped make the high school students engage.

     

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 13, 2022 | 09:41 a.m.

    Hi Cali,

    Prior to COVID when we had in-person instruction, the TAs would come in and work on some of the labs, with the instructors who were teaching them. During the virtual Academies the TAs had to do the virtual labs and make sure they did them more than once so they knew exactly what was involved. We also had a session discussing the academy and expectations.. In the last academy the TAs were actually doing much of the instruction (supervised) so they had to have their lesson plans ahead of time as well and they would be looked at, edited, and they would do practice sessions with each other and the PI.

    For all the summer academies, the mentoring part was easy because they already took it seriously, and they wanted to make a difference. New Summer inductees (TAs) were helped by those already there. Classes in our Summer Academies, typically had an HSSU instructor, high school students, TAs, and at least one high-school teacher. Students were in groups so different classes went on in different rooms. Also we had projects run by a person hired for that and they would also meet the TAs and go over their expectations of the TAs. There were also Kahoot and Jeopardy quizzes that TAs had to set up based on the words and terminology related to the lessons.  

    We had already established strong faculty-student bonds with some of the TAs over the course of the year and these TAs which made it a lot easier. 

  • Icon for: Cali Anicha

    Cali Anicha

    Researcher
    May 13, 2022 | 11:28 p.m.

    Thank you for taking the time to share all those details - much appreciated!

  • Alini Agnes

    Graduate Student
    May 13, 2022 | 03:09 p.m.

    WOW! 

    Its amazing to see how influential the MSEIP program has been to so many student's career paths including my own! I hope that more students have the opportunity to participate in programs just like this! It will enhance their growth as a student and help build crucial skills as they continue through their academic journey - and beyond. 

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Jayla Johnson

    Undergraduate Student
    May 14, 2022 | 09:22 a.m.

    I really enjoyed this video. The insight from this video provided me with so much understanding and all the different subjects that sit under the MISEP umbrella! I enjoyed hearing from each student. As an a former undergraduate student I found myself being able to relate to what they were saying or what skill set they were able to strengthen. Providing students with these kinds of experiences and opportunities to prior to graduate schoo or their career has such a huge impact and that clear! Go HSSU! 

     
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  • Icon for: John Kaup

    John Kaup

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 14, 2022 | 02:36 p.m.

    What a great program and loved seeing all the comments, questions etc.  Appreciate your providing stipends to offset the need for these students to work during the academic year - this is certainly key for full participation.  Was not sure how many years students participate, did they move into leadership roles as they progressed through the program (from year to year).  I can see them working on a research project and then helping the next cohort as a "seasoned" researcher on that project.  

  • Icon for: Jayashree Balakrishna

    Jayashree Balakrishna

    Co-Presenter
    Professor-Physics
    May 14, 2022 | 06:32 p.m.




    Hi John, 


    Some students stayed on in MSEIP and. took on leadership roles. Others in our Cohort joined other research Grants or even became TAs through other grants and were in our shared student spaces as role models for other students. 


    Our Summer Academy TAs included some MSEIP students we had worked with during the year. MSEIP also helped us connect to other students who came to our shared spaces, and they would then become part of the pool. 


    When we started, we had a notion that we would have this cohort with limited numbers of graduating seniors and the others would stay, groom a new set, before they graduated. As the Grant progressed and we got to know students, we realized that some of them were ready to move on to new opportunities. Sometimes, we had students who we considered half-MSEIP so they could do MSEIP some of the time and other things at others. There was a lot of flexibility. We also had students leave in the Summer and come back in the fall.  





     

  • Frank Mack

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 15, 2022 | 12:33 a.m.

    A dedicated and committed faculty and TA collaboration.  I am very familiar with their outstanding efforts to engage and motivate students toward and in STEM fields and studies. This was a specific initiative in their ongoing and successful efforts.

  • Icon for: Shayo Bulenda

    Shayo Bulenda

    Graduate Student
    May 15, 2022 | 01:42 p.m.

    Wow, what an amazing program this was! We need more programs like this. Excellent job to all participants and faculty. 

     
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    Scott Horrell
  • Icon for: Meixia Ding

    Meixia Ding

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 15, 2022 | 08:20 p.m.

    What a cool project! Truly needed. Hope the project model and findings will be widely disseminated to benefit more students!

  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 16, 2022 | 11:35 a.m.

    Thanks for your comment - this was a great model for our university and hope others can get ideas of how to incorporate aspects that work for their faculty and students.  

  • Kiearea Johnson

    May 16, 2022 | 12:03 p.m.

    This is so amazing. I am a proud Harris-Stowe Alum and seeing the growth of the Arts and Sciences at Harris-Stowe is so encouraging. I recall participating in a sustainability project and just knowing the students have so many resources and support. I am very happy about reach they have with the students. I know Harris-Stowe Mathematics Department changed my life. 

  • Shawn Baker

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 17, 2022 | 08:42 a.m.

    Great Work… It is truly amazing to see what students can do when they have the support and dedication of faculty. You can see and hear passion that both the students and faculty have for MSEIP and the experiences provided. 

     
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    Ann Podleski
  • Kim Medley

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 17, 2022 | 09:02 a.m.

    What an amazing program. You have not only set students up for success in numerous ways, you are building community. Big congrats!

     
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    Ann Podleski
  • Icon for: Ann Podleski

    Ann Podleski

    Lead Presenter
    Mathematics Professor and Chair of Math & Applied Sciences Dept.
    May 17, 2022 | 03:23 p.m.

    Building community is key.  Thanks for your comments.

  • Freddie PhD

    Higher Ed Administrator
    May 17, 2022 | 12:32 p.m.

    The MESIP project at Harris-Stowe State University is yet another example of how success happens when access, funding resources, and faculty mentoring is provided to develop and strengthen student talents through undergraduate research. Involving our students in undergraduate research opens doors for graduate school aspirations and desires that further the participation of underrepresented minority students in STEM. Our HSSU faculty and faculty friends from other academic institutions made this project a success for our students. I am proud of the outcomes that were generated from this wonderful work.