NIH Undergraduate Minority Scholars Program

1. An NIH Scholars Program for Undergraduate Training of Underrepresented Minorities in Biomedical Engineering 1P. Payton, PhD, 2M. Ong, PhD, 1S.Weinbaum, PhD 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York;2The Civil Rights Project, UCLA

2. NIH Undergraduate Minority Scholars Program INTRODUCTION • Program started in 2001 and renewed by NIH for 5 years in 2006. • All students are either Biomedical Engineering (BME) majors or take BME concentration. • Each student has their own assigned PhD student mentor for guidance and support plus PhD student teaching fellows for designated courses. • Every student required to do research starting as lower juniors including at least one summer research internship. Financial Support • Freshman and Sophomores: free tuition + $5000 stipend (per year) • Juniors and Seniors: free tuition + $6000 stipend (per year) • Summers-sophomore and junior yr.: $4500 research stipend (each summer) • Stipends can be combined with other financial support such as CUNY Honors College. Eligibility: • U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. NIH defined minority status. BME concentration: • Students in ChE, EE, and ME are eligible to apply to be NIH Scholars provided they complete at least 12 credits in the BME concentration and do a BME related research project in the junior and senior years.

3. Annual Retention Rate Retention rates before and after Mentorship Program Before Mentorship Program After Mentorship Program Students leave program to change major or because of academic performance (<3.0 GPA). Program involving PhD mentors became fully operational in the fall 2007. Program initiated in the spring 2007 because retention of BME majors was not up to expectations. 2006-2007 was a transition year. Retention rate 2002-2006 23/33 (70%); Retention rate 2007-2009 47/50 (94%)

4. NIH Scholar Satisfaction The following statements are representative of many comments made about how Scholars are generally supported by the Program: I was really taken aback because just everything that’s offered, all the help and advice and motivation and the pushing and everyone’s just willing to be there, like, for you. Specifically. It just lets me know that I’m not in this college process alone.[Scholar] They’re always there to care for you. They’re always there to make sure you’re not going to fall behind. [Scholar] There is a special experience to this [program]. There are help, networks, support groups… They can come talk to us. I don’t know how you can call that—family, extended family. It’s good feeling.[NIH Teaching Fellow]

5. NIH Scholars Educational Goals A majority of the NIH Scholars surveyed planned to earn degrees beyond the bachelor’s degree, and most were planning to stay in BME or enter a BME-related field. Among survey participants, 88% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, “Because of the NIH Scholars Program, I am more likely to continue in the field of BME after graduation”. Does not equal 100%. More than one goal can apply. 38/63 or 60% plan to go on for PhD or MD

6. Impact on BME Department as viewed by Dean and BME Chair The NIH Scholars Program has had a positive impact on the BME Department. The following statements are representative of the comments made by the Dean of the Grove School of Engineering and BME Department Chair . Dean Barba attributed the Department’s success to departmental leadership and a “trickle-down” model of mentoring: • BME is perhaps the most student-centered program, undergraduate and graduate. Of course, Professors Sheldon Weinbaum and John Tarbell, who provide leadership, have stressed the undergraduate mentoring. And they actually mentor their faculty. The senior members mentor the junior faculty. And together, they augment the graduate students and undergraduate students. I think it’s a successful model. I don’t think anybody in the school does it as well as they do. [Dean Joe Barba, Grove School of Engineering] Another practice among the senior faculty in the BME Department is that they have continued to foreground diversity in its vision of departmental development and strength. Dean Barba noted: • In terms of the faculty they’re attracting, they’re very conscious to bring women in, trying to bring in underrepresented people in engineering. They’re building very strong research groups. [Dean Joe Barba, Grove School of Engineering] Regarding the recruitment and hire of a senior faculty member, BME Chair Tarbell said: • We talked quite a bit with him about [diversity]. He’s a New York native. He was born in Queens. He’s interested in diversity, he knows about City College, its mission. He’s talked a lot about using his new lab for undergraduate research, and I think he’s going to be a great addition in that respect. He’s an excellent teacher, too. He will work with undergraduates. [John Tarbell, Chair of BME Department]

7. Symbiotic Relationship Between BME Department And NIH Scholars Program As part of the symbiotic relationship, NIH Scholars have benefited from opportunities in the wider BME Department, including the Junior Design, sponsored by NASA, and Senior Design. • Virtually every [student] in the department is involved with this. Everyone, as a Mentor or a TA. Even the first-year Ph.D. students. [Professor Sheldon Weinbaum, Distinguished BME Faculty] Junior Design • We got a small grant from NASA for undergraduate research related to NASA mission. And the project was to design a device that astronauts were to wear that would continuously monitor a number of their vital signs. And there were four or five vital signs that were continuously monitored. And they wanted it to be something that was very small and could be strapped to their bodies…Eleven of our juniors volunteered for this, of which the student leader was an NIH Scholar. The project was extremely successful, and it was one of the highlights for the regional meeting for the Northeast that was held by Cornell NASA. [Professor Sheldon Weinbaum, Distinguished BME Faculty] • This course was a great opportunity to explore research involving the design of actual biomedical devices. Most research done within the department doesn’t involve designing devices. Moreover, as undergraduate students whe have had very little exposure to electronics and electrical engineering as opposed to chemical engineering. Thus working with Professor Cardoso on this project allowed us to explore the application of Electrical Engineering to BME which turned out to be very valuable for other courses. [NIH Scholar] Senior Design • Senior design should be worth 12 credits. We spend more time there than sleeping, eating, commuting to school, from school, and other classes combined. It’s fun, yes, but it’s an enormous challenge to go from scraps of ideas to a fully functional prototype that you’re proud of. I took the Junior Design independent study course and I think that prepared me really well for Senior Design. The first thing you lean in Junior Design is that nothing ever works. By the time you get to Senior Design, you’re more practical with your ideas. Not pessimistic, no, just realistic. [NIH Scholar]

8. A Strong Sense Of Community For an urban, commuter campus, the development of this sense of community is a significant achievement. This sense of belonging has, in turn, aided the Scholars’ academic achievement, identify development as engineers, and commitment to BME related careers. [ Initiated by External Evaluator, Mia Ong, PhD.] • The NIH Program helped me to become part of my department. I’m BME. It’s definitely helped me to connect with my department. [NIH Scholar] • With NIH, it made the BME experience so much better because now... we have the gatherings, the meetings, and that gets us to know each other, like a family, other than just going to school. [NIH Scholar] • I learned the value of community growth and it is better than self-growth. [NIH Scholar] • There are some things you have to do for the Program so it can continue so that people even after us can keep on having the same benefits. [NIH Scholar] Nearly every undergraduate and graduate student, and several faculty members, had attended at least one social. Faculty involvement at the socials was meaningful to the Scholars. Below are some representative comments on the ways in which the socials contributed to students’ sense of community, Scholars’ academic development, and how the events made the BME Department members more cohesive and the departmental environment friendlier. • The bowling event was great. It was loads of fun. I met a lot of the Mentors and TAs, not just my own Mentor. [NIH Scholar] • The social aspect of the program is so great... So, at the social events, you get to see new faces. But you meet them [at the social], you might actually start talking, you might have some influence on them as well as they may have onto you. [NIH Scholar]

9. Effect Of Financial SupportEase financial burden Funding for students remains a major strength of the program. One hundred percent of students surveyed said that the funding from the NIH Scholars Program was “valuable” or “very valuable. • [The NIH Scholars Program] has helped me focus on my studies without having to worry about financial issues. [NIH Scholar] • I commute by driving instead of taking the subway, so my costs for transportation are much more. So [the NIH funds] kind of offsets it and allows me not to have to take an outside job. [NIH Scholar] • The Program has helped me pay for school. It has taken a huge financial burden off of me. I now have money left over to pay for books and any other needs that may arise. [NIH Scholar]

10. Effect Of Financial SupportReduce hours on non-BME job The NIH funding also allows many students to focus more on their studies by removing, or reducing, the barrier of working non-BME-related jobs. • It helped me a lot because since I became an NIH Scholar, my gpa drastically increased. It hasn’t been below a 3.8. So I could be a full-time student. [NIH Scholar] • The living stipend allowed me to quit my job as a cashier during my sophomore-junior year when classes became difficult. [NIH Scholar] • I have enough money to cut some of my work outside school so I can focus more on what really matters in my life. [NIH Scholar] • The summer stipends have been really helpful because it offers a great incentive to stay in a laboratory, conduct research with a faculty member and learn without having to depend so much on summer work. • [NIH Scholar]

11. Undergraduate Research Experience • The Program Provides Access to Research • With NIH you have the access to actually go around and feel comfortable asking a professor because they know • you’re an NIH Scholar, so they will tell you what’s going on in their labs you’ll have a chance to just • decide, well, if they’re available, to pick who you want to work with. [NIH Scholar] • The Program Provides Research Experience • The research experience was so great because I learned so many things that I didn’t learn in any • class. I was able to have experiences doing experiments in the lab and getting information by myself. • Learning to look up references. It kind of helped me for the classes. [NIH Scholar] • Because of the NIH Scholars Program, I have gained valuable industrial experience while still an • undergraduate student. And this has helped me obtain a full time position in a great company. [NIH Scholar] • The Program Paves the Way for Future Research Experiences • Research, research, research. I wouldn't be in an MD/PhD program right now if it weren't for it. • Thanks! [NIH Scholar]

12. Every Scholar Has A Mentor • In addition to helping the Scholars, participation in the NIH Scholars Program benefits the Mentors through the development of their own skills and interests. The following is a representative comment: • I’m pretty much sure [my Mentee’s] learning a lot from me, but at the same time, I’m deeply affected • by this mentorship. First of all, I realize, I make sure I’m helping somebody. Whatever I say to him • may affect his future. The thing is, if somebody trusts you, chances are, you’re working a little bit • harder than ever to improve yourself, to be a better person. [NIH Mentor]

13. Summary of Program Impact • Retention over 94% since fall 2007 • Mentorship by PhD students • Research Experience as juniors and seniors plus summer. • Educational Goals -60% pursue PhD or MD • Symbiotic Relationship between NIH Scholars Program and BME Department. Acknowledgement This program has been supported by an NIH grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute #HL69537