The STEM-ENGINES Undergraduate Research Collaborative is anetwork of ten Chicago-area community colleges and three Midwesternbaccalaureate-granting institutions that is exploring new models that encouragecommunity college students to persist in the sciences. The core of the programis an authentic undergraduate research experience initiated on a student's homecampus during the academic year and continued off-campus during the summer.This is supported by explicit instruction in the skills and habits of being ascientist as well as genuine interactions between research-active students andfaculty at both two-year and four-year institutions. Over the past three years,168 students have been STEM-ENGINES fellows--93% have completed the program, 50% have done summer research, 52% have transferred to baccalaureate-grantinginstitutions, and one student from our first cohort has just begun Ph.D.studies in chemistry. Our assessments, which include self-reported careerpathway data, indicate that after a year in the STEM-ENGINES program, thenumber of students who plan to attend graduate school increases by 30percentage points. Assessments also show that first-year students experience a significant increase in their content knowledge of chemistry as a result of their research experience.

Engaging community college scientists with research

239th National Meeting (2010)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.