The Impact of Summer Research Experiences on Community College Students' Pursuit of a Graduate Degree in Science and Engineering

摘要

The Transfer-to-Excellence Research Experience for Undergraduates program (TTE REU) is a summer undergraduate research program offering multi-disciplinary research projects to community college students in the state of California. TTE REU is hosted by three NSF-funded centers at University of California, Berkeley: the Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, the Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, and the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center. The overall goal of the TTE REU program is to increase the number of students who will go on to graduate school in STEM. The TTE REU program has supported 44 community college students to date with engagement being spurred on by research. Each TTE participant is paired with two mentors-a faculty advisor and a graduate student mentor-who oversee and guide the student during their nine-week internship in an independent research project. In addition to their research projects, TTE participants are trained in laboratory safety, research protocol, and professional ethics; they partake in academic and professional development seminars to prepare for a baccalaureate degrees and careers in science and engineering. Approximately 94% of the past TTE students eligible to transfer to a 4-year institution were admitted to and are now enrolled various universities across the nation and majoring in science or engineering in comparison to a 39% statewide average. This paper will focus on the impact of the program on the interest in pursuing an advanced degree in STEM after participating in the TTE REU program.