Grants, Research, & Evaluation
Funding: Bowie State University Entrepreneurship Academy
Description: The I-Corps Short Course Program and grant funds will focus on accelerating services focused on recruiting, retaining, and developing Black male educators. The project will create a book prototype to support school systems, individuals, and groups in recruiting, retaining, and developing Black male educators.
Lead PI: Dr. Julius Davis, Bowie State University
Award: $2,500
Foci: Entrepreneurship
Funding Source: African American Success Foundation: Lydia Donaldson Tutt-Jones Memorial Research Grant
Description: This study will explore how high-achieving Black male adult learners succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors in college. It will explore any differences between Black male adult learners' experiences at predominantly White institutions (PSIs) versus historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Lead PI: Dr. Ramon Goings, Loyola University Maryland
Award: $5,000
Foci: Research
Funding Source: ARC Networking: A STEM Equity Brain Trust
Description: The onset of and fiscal response to the coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, places a spotlight on the use of contingent faculty. Given the current and forthcoming faculty and administrator salary reductions, furloughs, and hiring freezes as a result of the pandemic, universities will continue to rely on, and in some ways, increase their use of contingent faculty as a price saving vehicle. However, higher education institutions need to understand the barriers and supports STEM contingent faculty face, particularly those from marginalized populations. This meta-synthesis will explore not only how we discuss the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender in research on STEM continent faculty, but also provide insights on best practices to support STEM contingent faculty in all of their intersectional identities.
It is important as a field to take a look at the research on STEM contingent faculty to understand what we know about this population and whose identities are discussed in research studies. Findings from this project will provide insight into the barriers contingent faculty in STEM face, how institutions can support their needs, and how the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender influence the barriers they encounter and possible support systems. Additionally, if it is found that scholars are not discussing this intersection for STEM contingent faculty. In that case, this study can serve as a call to scholars to take up this new research agenda.
Virtual Visiting Scholar: Ramon Goings, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Award: $20,000
Foci: Research
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Description: This Capacity Building project at Loyola University Maryland includes partnerships among faculty in its School of Education and National and Applied Sciences division and representatives from Baltimore County Public Schools, a high-need local education agency. Project goals include the following: 1) develop, test, and collect baseline data about STEM-education recruitment and retention strategies; 2) provide faculty with professional development to test, disseminate, and integrate active learning innovations in STEM and STEM-education courses; and 3) Develop a STEM-Network collaborative to strengthen the relationship with Baltimore County Public schools and to explore strategies to close the student-teacher diversity gap. Findings and lessons learned from this work are intended to provide information to the larger community of small, primarily undergraduate, liberal arts institutions that train future STEM educators. In the long-term, this Capacity Building project has the potential to contribute to the development of a diverse, experienced STEM teacher workforce, which in turn would support improvement of K-12 student academic achievement and STEM skills readiness for college success. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in a high-need school district.
PIs: Afra Hersi (PI) and Timothy Clark (Co-PI), Loyola University Maryland
Award: $75,000
Foci: Research/Evaluation
Center Team Evaluators: Drs. Sean Coleman and Julius Davis, Bowie State University and Ramon Goings, Loyola University of Maryland
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Description: This project will support fundamental STEM education research that examines broadening participation within the STEM teacher workforce. By investigating the factors that influence undergraduate student persistence in STEM and teacher education, it can contribute new knowledge about the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority pre-service STEM teachers. The research project aims to understand components of the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that affect recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students in STEM teacher education. The research design employs an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach that includes collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. The expected impacts include informing best practices through which pre-service STEM teacher preparation programs can increase minority representation. The project could lead to the creation of a replicable STEM teacher education model for other institutions.
Lead PI: Dr. Ramon Goings, Loyola University
Award: $147, 823
Foci: Research
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Description: This study examines the experiences of Latina English Learners to identify the resources and assets that impact their academic and career development and persistence in STEM. Guided by the cultural wealth model and social cognitive career theory, the investigator will conduct a qualitative study using a phenomenology design to understand the meaning of these students’ experiences using three developmental milestones: interest, access, and persistence. The investigator will use an anti-deficit view to interpret and make meaning of the experiences and assets that may have impacted Latina English Learners' outcomes. The study will provide insights concerning the career development and counseling support for this student population in both secondary and postsecondary schools.
Lead PI: Qi Shi, Loyola University Maryland
Award: $193,853
Foci: Research
Research Mentor: Julius Davis, Bowie State University
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Description: Throughout the theoretical and scientific literature, there is a shortage of research focused on Black male students who have participated in engineering or other STEM-related mentoring programs and experiences. There is also very little scientific and popular literature that examines, specifically, how such programs may impact Black male middle school-aged students' academic and career interest in engineering. This mixed-method study aims to pinpoint the different factors that shape Black middle school-aged students' interest in engineering and determine what specific experiences influence their understanding of engineering and other STEM-related fields. It is quite likely that the research findings will offer important insights on middle school-aged Black males, and how engineering and other STEM-related programs and experiences can influence their academic interests and career aspirations. Further, secondary and postsecondary professionals will be able to use the project findings to improve formal and informal engineering and other STEM-related learning experiences for Black middle school-aged students.
Lead PI: Dr. Julius Davis
Award: $249, 066
Foci: Research/Evaluation
Co-PI: Dr. Jumoke Kemi Ladeji-Osias, Morgan State University
Center Team: Drs. Sean Coleman, Bowie State University and Ramon Goings, Loyola University of Maryland
Funding Source: Maryland State Department of Education Teacher Collaborative Grant
Description: The PP-CRT program seeks to address the shortage and diversity of teacher candidates and teachers in educator preparation programs and the profession in elementary and mathematics education. The program will recruit and prepare diverse paraeducators to earn bachelor’s degrees to become certified elementary and mathematics teachers. Paraeducators will also engage in professional learning in CRT in coursework, workshops, classroom, and other experiences.
BSU Team/Co-PIs: Drs. Julius Davis (Team Led), Lynne Long, Jacqueline Sweeney, Akeda Pearson, and Evaluator: Dr. Darla Scott
Award: $750,000
Foci: Program/Professional Development/Research
Howard County Public School Partner (Lead Institution): Juliann M. Dibble (Lead PI), Corinne Gorzo, and Kelly Powers
Funding Source: United States Department of Education
Description: The STAR program is a partnership with Prince George's County, District of Columbia, and Dorchester County school districts to develop teacher leaders through an 18-month Master of Teacher Leadership degree. One of the grant's goals is to empower teachers to tailor their curriculum to the needs of their students. The grant funding will cover the degree program's costs, including tuition, fees, books, and a monthly stipend. The candidates will also earn micro-credentials in equity and technology.
BSU Lead PI: Dr. Wil Parker
Award: $7.23 Million
Foci: Program/Research
Center Team: Drs. Sean Coleman and Julius Davis, Bowie State University and Ramon Goings, Loyola University of Maryland