2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

To enhance minority undergraduate students’ research and interpersonal skills, a STEM-mentored research program was initiated with federal support. The Key research program (a pseudonym) was housed at a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI) in the Southwest. Similar to other HSIs, Hispanic faculty in STEM are underrepresented, and students have limited opportunities to engage with them [1]. Therefore, the Key research program looked for pairing undergraduate students with faculty within their departments to conduct research while being mentored. This study includes data from two consecutive years of the program, where two different groups of students and mentors participated. This study aims to highlight how student participants increased their sense of belonging and identification within the STEM research community after participating in the Key research program. The research questions address: how different students’self-efficacy and science identity was from cohort 1 to cohort 2? And what rules, roles, and values contributed to increasing students' sense of belonging in the research community?

The structure of the Key research program follows other undergraduate research programs where undergraduate students are paired with faculty mentors [2][3]. Besides faculty mentors, a few graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting professors participated. In this particular program, undergraduate students were involved in research activities with the guidance and support of their mentors. In addition to spending time in the mentors’ laboratories, students also attended professional development workshops and culturally relevant activities. In turn, mentors participated in monthly mentoring training sessions to become better mentors. The Key research program grew from year 1 to year 2, with eight students and seven mentors during 2023-2024 and 15 students and nine mentors during 2024-2025. The tripartite integration model of social influence (TIMSI) guides this study in explaining the social integration among students as mentees [4]. This model focuses on the community integration of individuals by understanding the rules, roles, and values of a community. In this case, we will analyze how students integrated and identified with the STEM research community.

The research team collected data through pre- and post-surveys and interviews. The Self-Efficacy and Science Identity survey was used at two timepoints to perceive differences in how students see themselves as scientists [5]. We also looked at differences by cohort using effect size statistics. Interviews provided in-depth information on student experiences due to their participation in the program. In particular, we focused on areas that increase their sense of belonging and confidence.

Specific student characteristics may influence their learning and experience in the Key research program. For instance, student ethnicity, native language, gender, first-generation status, major, and research interests. Preliminary results identified positive changes in their science identity from cohort 1 to cohort 2, with students reflecting deeper on what it means to be a good researcher. Furthermore, students expressed that sharing culture and values with their mentors helped them connect easily with their mentors. In particular, female students highlighted the importance of having a female mentor as their role model because seeing a successful Latina in their field was inspiring.