bridge - aps physics · american physical society’s minority bridge program (mbp) seeks to...
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M B P M A N A G E M E N T T E A M
Theodore HodappAPS Director of Education and Diversity
Peter MuhoroAPS MBP Project Manager
Sara WebbAPS MBP Project Coordinator
Arlene Modeste KnowlesAPS Career and Diversity Programs Administrator
M B P S T E E R I N G C O M M I T T E E
Cherry Murray (Chair)APS President, 2009
Dean of Engineering and Applied Science Harvard University
J.D. GarciaProfessor Emeritus, University of Arizona
Yolanda GeorgeDeputy Director of AAAS Education Programs
Wendel HillProfessor, University of Maryland
Anthony JohnsonProfessor, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Ramon LopezProfessor, University of Texas at Arlington
Steve McGuireProfessor, Southern University
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MINORITIES
EARNING PHDs IN PHYSICS
minoritybridgeprogram.comTM
C O N T A C T
Peter MuhoroAmerican Physical Society
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740phone: 301 209 3245 fax: 301 209 3357
minoritybridgeprogram.com
The American Physical Society (APS) has made a significant commitment to this process; working with organizations, universities, and students to achieve these goals. We propose to increase, within the next decade, the fraction of minority students receiving PhDs to the same fraction that receive bachelor degrees.
A steering committee, consisting of nationally-recognized leaders in physics research, education and minority issues, guides the project.
MINORITY
PROGRAMBRIDGE
AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
FRACTION OF MINORITY PHYSICS PHDS
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, IPEDS Completion Survey*Normalized to URM population fraction. 100% on this graph would indicate that the percentage of physics PhDs awarded to URMs would equal the percentage of URMs in the US population.
Nor
mal
ized
Frac
tion
of M
inor
ity P
hDs*
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (2007); IPEDS Completion Survey Department of Education (2002-2007)
MINORITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
CollegeAge
Enrolled in College
PhysicsBachelorDegree
Physics DoctoralDegree
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
~500
~30
The percentage of PhDs awarded to this demographic, when adjusted for population growth, has been essentially unchanged for more than a decade. The absolute number of URM physics PhDs entering the workforce each year could be increased if programs are put in place that facilitate the pursuit of graduate education in physics among these minority students.
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Minorities in physics suffer significant attrition at every level. Each year the US awards roughly 450 bachelors degrees and 30 PhDs to URMs. The transition to PhD is especially important since it produces role models and mentors.
26 PhDsl
American Physical Society’s MINORITY BRIDGE
PROGRAM (MBP) seeks to increase the
representation of African American, Hispanic
American and Native American students earning
doctorate degrees in Physics. We are facilitating
bridge programs between institutions that serve
minority populations and PhD-granting research
institutions with the commitment and resources
to sustain such programs.
Physics ranks at the bottom when considering
the fraction of students completing either
baccalaureate or doctoral degrees. These
underrepresented minority (URM) students make
up a third of the college-age US citizens and a
quarter of the US undergraduate population.
However, they earn fewer than 10% of the US
physics bachelor’s degrees. There is further
attrition between the bachelor’s and the doctoral
level, with only about 5% to 6% of PhDs granted
to under-represented minorities.
P R O J E C T C O M P O N E N T S
ESTABLISHING BRIDGE PROGRAMS The central focus of any Bridge program must be to help talented students succeed in graduate education. Bridge programs provide an intellectual and cultural transition for students who have potential for success in doctoral education. We plan to establish a few of these programs through
a competitive process at a variety of institutions, to provide adequate capacity for reaching our stated goal of 20 more PhDs each year. APS would provide recruiting throughout the country, including Puerto Rico, for all Bridge programs as well as a
common application process.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS/RECRUIT STUDENTS The success of a program with the scope of the MBP relies heavily on effective partnerships between program administration and faculty at participating departments. Having close working relationships with faculty is crucial to the recruitment of students into the program. This will be through direct contact with underrepresented minority students at universities and conferences informing students of various opportunities and through summer workshops held to learn from each other’s experience.
DEVELOP PARTNER INSTITUTIONS We will work with a larger cohort of about 20 institutions that demonstrate commitment to working with diverse students and supporting them as graduate scholars. These institutions will also be selected by a competitive process from a broad range of institution types, and must demonstrate activity in mentoring, advising and supporting students intellectually, socially and financially.
PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES The American Physical Society will provide project oversight and pursue centralized activities that can benefit the community as a whole. These include annual recruiting and relationship-building visits; a common application and application mentoring process for Bridge program students; additional institution-independent mentoring for students; act as ombudsman to help mediate solutions to problems; community advocacy; common data collection, analysis, and research on project goals and components; a summer workshop for Bridge students and faculty mentors; and dissemination of project goals, results, and best practices through Society publications.