Poster Abstracts

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University: Achieving Diversity in STEM Disciplines

Mississippi State University has a strong commitment to achieving diversity in STEM fields. The university addresses this commitment through a variety of programs.

In order to help address the incoming pipeline issue, MSU offers summer programs for minorities and women to make students of all ages aware of the exciting opportunities in these fields. The Bagley College of Engineering offers summer programs for minority students and women where junior high and high school students get an opportunity to learn about engineering fields with hands-on experiences. Summer bridge programs help incoming minority students make a successful transition to college life.

Other programs address the pipeline issue by working with educators. The Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology offers summer internship programs for 5th-12th grade mathematics, science and technology teachers, guidance counselors and 2-year and 4-year community college and university faculty. These professional development workshops allow educators the opportunity to visit industry and learn hands-on ways of integrating workplace skills into their lesson planning. These workshops involve field trips to industries that employ students in STEM disciplines such as Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company. The Bagley College of Engineering also has a summer camp for teachers where they provide teachers with hands-on activities that they can easily carry back into their classrooms to help students learn about the nature of engineering and science.

Once on campus other programs are available to help these students succeed in their chosen major. An NSF funded scholarship program helps students with financial need to be successful in Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines by providing them with additional scholarship funding. Student organizations on campus support women and minorities in engineering and science disciplines by bringing together students with similar backgrounds and ideas and providing a support network for these students.

Programs are also available to help nurture women and minorities and encourage them to pursue graduate education in STEM fields. The Office of Graduate Studies participates in the Alliance for Graduate Education in Mississippi which continues to strive toward recruitment, effective retention and increasing graduation rates among underrepresented students pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In addition, the Bagley College of Engineering’s Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education (IMAGE) program has similar aims for engineering disciplines.