2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

NSF S-STEM Urban STEM Collaboratory: Lessons Learned and Sustainable Strategies

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

Since 2018, the Urban STEM Collaboratory has engaged faculty and students at three state- supported, urban campuses, in an NSF funded S-STEM project. Activities included collaborative research and student activities, designed to support and encourage engineering student success. The project research has focused on understanding factors that support engineering students in their development of STEM identity and particular interventions that result in positive outcomes in terms of academic performance, persistence, and success towards graduation. A total of 165 students have participated in the S-STEM project across the three campuses. Two campuses are in a final no-cost extension year with current scholar cohorts, while the third campus has completed its project’s efforts.

The developed interventions included: peer mentoring, Peer-led Team Learning, a STEM Ambassador program, a summer bridge program, an academic social networking platform (the CN), and academic year workshops, which were refined across the project period to address individual campus needs. Program refinement, due to COVID, and evolving needs of the scholars, were developed as necessary over the span of the project. The project has been successful in meeting its original objectives, including engaging a over 150 students, creating a community of scholars and faculty, and realizing increased academic and degree achievement outcomes for the scholars. Scholars at all three campuses have achieved higher GPAs and completed more credits toward their degrees than their S-STEM eligible peers. The individual interventions varied in effectiveness and impact.

This paper describes the final version of the Urban STEM Collaboratory model and the campus interventions. It discusses the elements that will be sustained beyond the project period at each campus. Lessons learned during the 6 years of collaboration are shared, with insights provided to support others in developing similar efforts on their campuses.

Authors

Seyedehsareh Hashemikamangar The University of Memphis
Dr. Stephanie S Ivey The University of Memphis [biography]

Dr. Stephanie Ivey is a Professor with the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis. She directs the University of Memphis Southeast Transportation Workforce Center and the West TN STEM Hub.
Craig O. Stewart http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-6843-795X University of Memphis [biography]

Dr. Craig O. Stewart is a professor of Communication at the University of Memphis.
Dr. Karen D Alfrey Purdue University [biography]

Karen Alfrey is a Professor of Engineering Practice and Assistant Director of EPICS at Purdue University in Indianapolis. She previously served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs and Programs and Clinical Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She has been a member of ASEE since 2003.
Prof. Tom Altman [biography]

Dr. Altman received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He specializes in optimization algorithms, formal language theory, and complex systems. He has published a book and over 90 journal/refereed papers. He received numerous research and teaching awards. An ABET CAC Program Evaluator, Dr. Altman has expanded his research interests into STEM and, in particular, Engineering Education.
Dr. Michael S. Jacobson http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0255-6507 University of Colorado Denver [biography]

Dr. Mike Jacobson received his B.S. in Mathematics from the State University of New York @ Stony Brook in 1975. He completed his MS and PhD. In Mathematics at Emory University in 1977 and 1980, respectively. Dr. Jacobson’s mathematics specialization is Graph Theory and Combinatorics. He also has been actively involved in training pre-service and in-service teachers. He joined CU Denver in 2003 as Professor and Chair, after spending 23 years at the University of Louisville as Assistant, Associate and Professor, Chair, as well as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Dr. Jacobson has published over 150 journal, conference, and technical papers. He has been a recipient, as PI or co-PI, of numerous research awards, including awards from the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation (in both Mathematical Sciences and Education and Human Resources).
Tony Chase Indiana University (IUPUI)
Dr. Maryam Darbeheshti http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7988-0906 University of Colorado Denver [biography]

Maryam Darbeheshti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Denver in 2009. She has been teaching at CU Denver since 2010. Darbeheshti's research interests are in the area of Fluid Mechanics and Engineering Education. She is the PI of a recent NSF award that focuses on STEM identity at Urban Universities.
William Taylor Schupbach University of Colorado Denver [biography]

William is working towards a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver and is a research assistant and a part time instructor.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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