Post on 15-Dec-2015
Rice-Houston Alliance for Graduate Education and the
Professoriate (AGEP) Program
Theresa Chatman
NSF PI Meeting
March 19, 2009
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Project Overview AGEPHistory
• Spend a Summer with a Scientist Program: 1989 - 1999
• Rice Minority Graduate Education (MGE) Program: 1998 - 2003
• Rice-Houston Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program:
2004 - 2009
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Project Overview
Union of:
• Rice Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
• Houston Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (HLSAMP) Program
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Alliance SuccessesSummer Program
• Research Projects• Community Building
Activities• Professional
Development Initiatives
• Mentoring Part of AGEP Culture
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Alliance SuccessesLecture Series
2007• Ruth J. Simmons, President of Brown University (Rice)• Valerie Taylor, Chair of Computer Science, Texas A&M University (UH)
2008• Sylvester James Gates, Professor of Physics, University of Maryland (Rice)• Jennifer West, Professor of Bioengineering, Rice University (UH)
2009• Warren Washington, National Center for Atmospheric Research (UH)
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Notable speakers give talks and interact with students
• Hector Ruiz, CEO, President and Chair of the Board, AMD
• Marta Tienda, Princeton, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs
• Arlie Petters, Duke University, Professor of Mathematics
• Raymond Johnson, University of Maryland, Professor of Mathematics
• Neal Lane, former Science Advisor to the President
• Edward Djerejian, former Ambassador to Israel
Alliances SuccessesDistinguished Speakers & Guests
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Former AGEP students give talks and interact with students• Cassandra McZeal, Senior Research Mathematician, ExxonMobil
• John Rodriguez, Member, Technical Staff, Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments
• Illya Hicks, Associate Professor, Rice University
• Juan Meza, Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Amanda Mosola, Research Scientist, ExxonMobil
Alliance SuccessesAGEP Ph.D. Recipients
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Alliance SuccessesDepartment Interactions
• Close relationship to campus admissions committees and departmental representatives
• Meetings with faculty to demonstrate AGEP success
• AGEP Websites, AGEP brochures, department-specific materials, general graduate brochure
• Students moved to research dollars--frees up $ for additional students
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Alliance SuccessesDepartment Interactions
• Financial support management by AGEP Steering Committee
– Negotiate student support with faculty and department heads
– Track supporting profiles of faculty– Provide leverage for student recruitment– Provide summer mentors with $500 cost of research
supplement– Provide conference participation support
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Alliance SuccessesLessons Learned
Faculty assistance with troubleshooting• Summer evaluations of students by faculty (twice)• Pumpkin grades for first-year graduate students• Tutors provided as needed (early intervention)
Number of Underrepresented Ph.D Recipients in All STEM Disciplines at Rice University
2
5
1617
14
11
26
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2001/02 2003/04 2005/06 2007/08
PhD Recipients
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Alliance SuccessesInfrastructure Changes
Presidential Mentor Award at Rice
• Recognizes faculty with a strong commitment to mentoring, especially minority students
• Institutionalized• Recognition at Spring faculty meeting by
President • Carries monetary award
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Alliance SuccessesInfrastructure Changes
Rice Presidential Mentor Award - Yin Zhang, CAAM, AGEP Mentor
• First awardee (2003)• In four years, eight female Ph.D. graduates; two Mexican American, two African
American
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Alliance SuccessesEvaluation and Assessment
Provide data on the progress of the Rice-Houston AGEP Program meeting its overarching goals of increasing recruitment, retention, and production of minority undergraduates and graduates in STEM fields
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Alliance SuccessesEvaluation and Assessment
Methods and DesignPre- and post-surveys and interviews to assess:
• Implementation of the Rice model at the University of Houston (formative evaluation)
• Impact on alliance student participants of cross-institutional community and overall program
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Alliance SuccessesEvaluation and Assessment
AGEP Graduate Survey
Surveyed all Rice AGEP graduate participants from 1991-2003
Findings: 80% respondents - AGEP had positive or very
positive impact on motivation to obtain doctoral degree
92% respondents - experiences in AGEP Program had positive or very positive impact on desire to remain in graduate school and complete degree
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• Students rated the following AGEP Program components as having a positive or very positive impact on their desire to remain in graduate school:
– AGEP Program overall (88%)– Interactions with other students in program (90%)– Being in company of minority students from other
ethnic groups besides their own (88%)– Being in company of students from their ethnic
group (86%)– Being involved in AGEP community (88%)
Alliance SuccessesEvaluation and Assessment
AGEP Graduate Survey
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Alliance SuccessesADVANCE/AGEP Interactions
• Annual Negotiating the Ideal Faculty Position Workshop
• Bi-monthly Postdoc Luncheons
• Dean’s Lecture on Leadership and Diversity
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University Commitment
• High level of university commitment– Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies – AGEP PI– President established Presidential Mentor Award and
President’s Lecture Series of Diverse Scholars– President’s Minority Council– AGEP positions institutionalized – project manager,
project administrator– Stipend support for AGEP students– Partial support for faculty summer salaries– Office space and meeting space– Campus support for activities
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Rice President David Leebron
“The Rice-Houston AGEP program is a sterling example of what progress can be made with the support of two university administrations, dedicated faculty, exemplary staff, and impassioned students.”