The pursuit of underrepresented and underserved graduate students who attend Predominantly White Institutions to pursue disciplines and careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Despite the increase in the number of underrepresented minorities in graduate school, underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM disciplines are encountering experiences that directly affect their graduate matriculation. This study took a case study approach to investigate the Virginia Tech George Washington Carver Assistantship Program's impact on supporting underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM disciplines and to assess further the extent to which their participation in this support program influences their academic and career success. Given the substantial financial resources allocated to the program and the annual student enrollment, a comprehensive case study needed to be conducted to gain deeper insight into the Carver program and the stakeholders that engaged with the program to enhance future programming and sustainability. It was essential to assess the Carver program's effectiveness in promoting student success and addressing the factors that impact underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM fields. Triangulation is used in this study to inform and strengthen the research findings from past program scholars, current scholars, and faculty. The Carver program is not generalizable to other programs, students, and faculty because the experiences are specific to the participants in this study. The findings illustrate that the evolution program's evolution cultivates a culturally engaging culture and climate to foster graduate student success. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study explores how a Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences institutional program, the George Washington Carver Assistantship Program, supports underrepresented and underserved graduate students in STEM disciplines. Despite an increase in the number of underrepresented minorities entering graduate school, these student populations faced challenges that impacted their graduate matriculation. This study utilized a case study approach to examine the impact of the Carver program on students' academic and career success. By taking a deeper look into the experiences of past program scholars, current program scholars, and faculty members, this study aims to gain deeper insight into the program's effectiveness on student success beyond supporting students through funding. While the study findings shed light on how the Carver program creates a supportive environment for graduate students, it is important to emphasize that the Carver program does not apply to all programs, students, and faculty. The experiences are specific to the participants in this study. This study highlighted that the Carver program has successfully supported students toward reaching student success by establishing a culturally engaging campus environment. Recommendations for future work in this study are to utilize a systems thinking approach to examine the program more broadly and investigate the systems in place that allow the program to function and be sustainable.

<p>As diversity continues to be promoted in engineering, one category of students has largely been forgotten. That is the rural student. While rural students make up 20% of all public-school students, college enrollment rates for these students are lower than those of other locales. Reasons for the lower enrollment rates are explored in this research by examining the pathway of rural students into the engineering field. As previous studies on rural students have used differing definitions of rural, this work uses a definition of rural set forth by the National Center of Education Statistics along with the U.S. Census Bureau, to provide more consistency for future research on the rural student. This work includes multiple related studies. The first study examines the characteristics of the rural student to identify differences between students from rural areas and other locales. A case study then illustrates the distribution among locales of students applying to, being admitted to, and attending an engineering program at a large mid-Atlantic public university. This research shows that students from rural distant and rural remote locales come from communities that contain fewer racial/ethnic minorities than all other locales. There is less availability of Advanced Placement courses in these locales, specifically for courses related to STEM fields, and the percentage of students from these locales who apply to university is lower than for all other locales. </p>

The vast underrepresentation of minority, first-generation, and low-income students in postgraduate programs is cause for serious concern in the growing workforce. Despite the increase of college enrollment among underrepresented first-generation, low-income (UFGLI) students over the last decade, there are still a disproportionately small percentage of UFGLI students in postgraduate education, such as doctoral, professional, and masters-level programs. These educational disparities significantly affect opportunity for societal advancement and power. Findings from previous literature reveal that UFGLI college students often lack access to resources that provide assistance in the pursuit of postgraduate studies and that UFGLI students encounter additional barriers during the postgraduate application process compared to their more privileged peers. This study includes an in-depth discussion on the barriers that students encounter throughout the application process and introduces a new construct to the literature that may impact students’ entrance into postgraduate programs: postgraduate school application self-efficacy. While previous scholars have explored the admissions processes for a variety of disciplines and have developed a measure for graduate education self-efficacy, no measure has been developed to assess postgraduate school application self-efficacy (PSASE). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable measure of students’ postgraduate school application self-efficacy. In order to accomplish this, parallel analyses and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to determine the underlying structure of the PSASE scale, Cronbach’s alpha was computed to examine the scale’s internal consistency, and correlational analyses were conducted to demonstrate convergent and divergent validity. Results revealed a conceptually interpretable, five-factor solution that accounted for 75.43% of the total variance. The 25-item measure contained items with high factor loadings, low cross-loading, and strong construct coverage. The subscales all demonstrated strong internal consistency and cohesiveness. Correlational analyses with two similar, but distinct, constructs (graduate education academic self-efficacy and self-esteem) provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the PSASE subscales and total scale. Implications and future directions were also explored.

College enrollment has improved among Black and Latino students during the last several decades due partly to the influence of formal and informal mentors and increasing parental support of higher education. However, college completion for these underrepresented minority groups continues to lag behind graduation rates for White students. This research sought to examine whether pre-college relationships influence college completion. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Freshmen, this study tested the direct and indirect effects of social capital from pre-college networks, including parental capital and mentor capital, race and gender on college completion utilizing logistic regression. The results indicated that one form of parental capital, parental education, is positively associated with college completion for all students. Three forms of parental capital, however, were positively associated with completion for Black students. Contrary to hypothesis, mentor capital was not a significant predictor of graduation for any group. Furthermore, Black and Latina women graduated at higher rates and received more parental support for academic performance than their male counterparts. Implications for future research are discussed.

ABSTRACT EXPLORING COLLEGE READINESS: SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF EARLY COLLEGE STUDENTS by Kim R. Ramsey-White Research shows that too many students are graduating from high school ill-prepared to be successful in the postsecondary environment. This study examined the high school experiences of dual-enrollment students who participated in an Early College High School, and how the students perceived their high school experiences in preparing them for college. Additionally the study sought to understand the role that social capital played in the students’ preparation for college. In-depth interviews with 13 African American students, some of whom were first-generation college attendees, were used to illuminate the student voice in an effort to learn how early college practices and strategies were beneficial and/or detrimental to their preparation for college. Data from the study were analyzed using a college readiness framework developed by David Conley (2007) which focuses on four dimensions of college readiness: (1) Key cognitive strategies, (2) academic content, (3) academic skills and behavior, and (4) contextual skills and awareness. Findings from the study indicate that the students’ Early College High School experiences increased their confidence as college students (key cognitive strategies), taught them the benefits of time management and working in study groups (academic skills and behavior), and provided meaningful relationships and social networks that allowed them to navigate the college application and financial aid processes (contextual skills and awareness). The students also expressed concern that there was very limited alignment between the high school academic courses and expectations and those in the postsecondary institutions they attended. The results of the study contribute to the scholarship on the Early College model.

The purpose of this study was to describe participation patterns at the district level of students enrolled in career academies and determine whether participation in career academies is a function of demographic and/or prior learning experience and prior performance variables. Ex-post facto data was used to determine six-year enrollment trends. In addition, both binary logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression methods were employed to determine the extent demographic along with prior learning experience and prior performance variables could be used to predict participation within career academies. Trend data results indicated slight increases in the proportions of students of color (including African American, Hispanic, and Multi-Racial) enrolling in career academies. However, Caucasian students continued to be overrepresented in career academies. Furthermore, female students, as well as students from economically advantaged families, enrolled to higher degrees in career academies. Moreover, students who enrolled in career academies were found to have taken more CTE coursework while enrolled in middle school and they demonstrated higher mean scores on the reading and mathematics portions of the state assessment during the school year prior to entering high school. The study is significant as it seeks to address a gap in the literature on career academy program participation, supporting the notion that the demographic (gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status) make up of career academies mirror the demographics of the schools, districts, and the communities in which they operate.

This paper examined the critical factors and potential predictors necessary for successful admission to dental school for students participating in the credential enhancing Oral Health Sciences (OHS) master’s program at Boston University. The academic parameters of OHS-DMD and traditional (four year) college graduate DMD students were compared to determine if OHS graduates performed at a comparable academic level in dental school as DMD students who entered dental school without completing a credential enhancing master’s program. To accomplish this, we examined data from students who matriculated to the Oral Health Sciences program from 2006 to 2015 and collected demographic, undergraduate grade point average (GPA), dental admissions test (DAT) scores and Oral Health Sciences GPA from Admissions and Registrar records for our analyses. To compare dental school performance and success on national board exams we obtained data for both OHS-DMD and traditional DMD students who enter the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. We performed unpaired T-tests to evaluate differences in undergraduate GPA, DAT and OHS GPA data for those OHS students matriculating to any dental school to determine what criteria, if any, can be used to predict success. We found that two factors were significant in determining acceptance to dental school: the Oral Health Sciences GPA (3.501 ± 0.301 vs 2.914 ± 0.336, p <0.0001*) and DAT scores (18.380 ± 2.089 vs 17.231 ± 1.833, p= 0.0365*). Comparison of academic performance between DMD and OHS-DMD at BU dental school found that students perform equally as well in Year 1 but dropped lower in Year 2 when comparing GPA (3.40 ± 0.052 vs 3.290 ± 0.259*, p=0.043). Lastly, first attempt fail rates on national board examinations (8.3% + 4.78 vs 7.4% + 5.1, p=0.024) between traditional DMD and OHS-DMD students were reduced however retake pass rates were equivalent (p=0.120). These studies demonstrate that both OHS-GPA and DAT scores are significant factors in successful admission to dental school for those who had been unable to gain acceptance without the credential enhancing master’s program. Additionally, students performing well in the Oral Health Sciences program matriculate to dental school and are nearly as successful academically and on board exams as traditional four-year students DMD. Lastly, in keeping with the original mission of the OHS program, we have been largely successful in allowing underachieving and/or underrepresented minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students to gain acceptance dental school.

abstract: This is a qualitative study about sources of self-efficacy and roles of assistive technologies (AT) associated with the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) choice and participation of STEM professionals and graduate students with sensory and orthopedic disabilities. People with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM, which can be traced back along the STEM pipeline to early undergraduate participation in STEM. Little research exists, however, about pathways and factors associated with successful STEM participation for people with disabilities at any point along their trajectories. Eighteen STEM professionals and graduate students with sensory and orthopedic disabilities were interviewed for this study. Sources of self-efficacy were sought from interview transcripts, as were emergent themes associated with the types, uses and roles of AT. Findings suggest that people with sensory and orthopedic disabilities weigh sources of self-efficacy differently from white males without disabilities in STEM and more like other underrepresented minorities in STEM. Social persuasions were most frequently reported and in far more detail than other sources, suggesting that this source may be most impactful in the development of self-efficacy beliefs for this group. Additionally, findings indicate that AT is critical to the successful participation of people with sensory and orthopedic disabilities in STEM at all points along their STEM pathways. Barriers center around issues of access to full engagement in mainstream STEM classrooms and out of school opportunities as well as the impact of ill-informed perceptions about the capabilities of people with disabilities held by parents, teachers and college faculty who can act as gatekeepers along STEM pathways. Gaps in disability specialists' knowledge about STEM-specific assistive technologies, especially at the college level, are also problematic. The prevalence of mainstream public school attendance reported by participants indicates that classroom teachers and disability-related educators have important roles in providing access to STEM mastery experiences as well as providing positive support and high expectations for students with disabilities. STEM and disability-based networks served to provide participants with role models, out of school STEM learning experiences and important long-term social connections in STEM communities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2014

The United States is a nation of peoples with highly stratified degrees of healthcare access and coverage, including many individuals with none at all. Exacerbating the problem of widespread health disparities is a persistent shortage of physicians over recent decades. Of most urgency is the need for doctors within already underserved minority communities. Extant research demonstrates that a more racially diverse student body can effectively address the nation's physician shortage and gross health disparities. Yet, the pool of future physicians of color relative to the increasingly racially diverse U.S. population remains incongruent. For medical school admissions committees, this is a formidable challenge, made ever more difficult by legal affronts to affirmative action in postsecondary admissions. Accordingly, the "disadvantaged status" prompt was inserted into the U.S. medical school application as a race-neutral mechanism with potential to help cull a more racially diverse medical student body. This project addresses the interface of minorities with the "disadvantaged status" essay, as there is a relative paucity of literature on the point of entry to medical school, particularly exploring the voices of applicants of color. Utilizing a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, this study expands the existing literature involving: (a) the history of minorities in U.S. medical school and the medical community's response to the stark and persistent absence of diversity among medical students and practitioners; (b) affirmative action in higher education and the race-neutral admissions trend; and (c) the enduring construct of "disadvantage" in regard to minorities within the U.S. education system.

abstract: There has been an ever-increasing demand in the United States to produce educated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals. Because more women and minority students have begun their higher educational preparation at community colleges, these institutions have been uniquely positioned to support these students and increase the number of STEM graduates. Nevertheless, to attain this commendable goal, community college staff and faculty members will need to redouble their efforts to provide active and sustained programs and interventions to support and assure student persistence in STEM fields. To address the problem of practice, the researcher engaged in a variety of validating practices to influence women and minority students’ intent to persist in a STEM degree. Thirteen, first-year women and minority students participated in the study. Validation theory (Rendón, 1994) provided a framework to inform the intervention and forms of validation. The validating practices included two advising visits and intentional email communications to students in their first semester at community college. A mixed methods approach was employed to examine two objectives: (a) the types of validation students experienced in their first semester and (b) the influence of validating advising practices on intention to persist in STEM. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, n.d.) guided study efforts in relation to the second objective. Data gathered included survey data, interviews, email communications, and researcher journal entries. Results suggested students experienced academic and interpersonal validation by in-class and out-of-class validating agents. Although not all experiences were validating, students were validated to a greater extent by their academic advisor. Because of validating advising practices, students in this study developed confidence in their ability to be capable college students. Students also felt motivated and expressed intentions to persist toward a STEM degree. The discussion focuses on explaining outcomes of the four research questions by connecting to the extant literature. In addition, limitations of the study are presented. Finally, implications for practice, implications for future research, and lessons learned are also shared. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020