United States

Introduction. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), through Targeted Infusion Projects (TIPs), provides support to achieve short-term, well-defined goals to improve undergraduate STEM education. In the current TIP at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), two freshman lab courses have been redesigned as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Merits of early research experiences are well documented (Dolan, 2016), yet fewer than 10% of XULA Biology freshmen have research opportunities in their first year. The XULA TIP aims at bridging this gap by infusing two authentic research projects in two foundational labs in Biology. The first, the ‘Yeast ORFan’ project, in collaboration with Juanita College, PA, aims at studying yeast ‘ORFans’ (genes of unknown function). The second, in collaboration with the USDA SRRC, LA, is centered on the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of an Aspergillus (fungal mold) species known to damage food crops. Although CUREs are gaining attention for their ability to offer research opportunities in a classroom setting (Dolan, 2016), few undergraduate minority-serving institutions have established CUREs as part of their curricula. There is, therefore, a great need to study CUREs and their impacts on underrepresented minority (URMs) students’ attitudes towards Biology, learning, retention, and their desire to pursue careers in STEM in general. The XULA CURE infusion project is the first of its kind at an HBCU (XULA) and the results of this intervention/newer way of teaching will enhance our knowledge in the area of science education.
Methods. Two established courses (Biol 1210L and Biol 1220L), meeting once/week for 1 credit hour and required for all Biology majors, were redesigned as CUREs. The student population consisted of ~ 240 students per semester; ~ 85% were URMs and ~ 70% were female. The overarching goal was to introduce students to scientific competencies using interdisciplinary concepts and ‘do-able’, real-life research projects with the above-mentioned yeast and mold as model systems. Data were collected by instructors in the form of student feedback, class participation, assignments, in-class computer work and the application of knowledge in lab experiments and on quizzes. Data were also collected by the external evaluator using assessments such as the Biological Experimental Design Concept Inventory (BEDCI, Deane et al., 2014) and the ‘Science Motivation Questionnaire’ (Glynn et al., 2011).
Results. In year one (Fall 2019-Spring 2020), only the Fall 2019 semester was 100% in person since these were ‘normal’, pre-COVID-19 pandemic conditions and students gained research experience with the yeast ORFan project. Instructors noted early on that, although students enjoyed the flexible format of hands-on lab work combined with data analysis, etc., the weekly two hour session did not provide enough time to teach lab skills and research-related scientific content, allow students to practice, learn troubleshooting, reflect on experimental design, conduct experiments, record results and understand their significance. Nevertheless, the combined hard work of both the CURE faculty and students demonstrated a pattern of improved academic performance on the four common (identical) quizzes. For example, in four sections taught by the same instructor, students in one section consistently underperformed at the start of the semester (on Quizzes 1 and 2), but their scores improved steadily until, by Quiz 4, their scores were indistinguishable from those of the students in other sections (unpublished data). Students also were evaluated on lab skills, experimental work, and group presentations. Lastly, based on the external evaluator’s analysis, students showed gains in four of the five assessed areas of biology motivation (intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, self-determination, and career motivation, unpublished data). In mid-March, 2020, the threat of COVID-19 caused the University to shut down overnight. Students were forced to leave, and some had no place to live. Many students and faculty lost their loved ones or became infected with the virus. The remaining weeks of the Spring 2020 semester were taught exclusively online; instructors conducted Zoom class meetings while developing a completely new style of teaching and communicating. Fortunately, since the courses were designed to focus on many lab skills early on, the online transition, while not optimal, still allowed for about 75-80% of the projects to be covered. Both year two semesters (Fall 2020-Spring 2021) were taught as ‘hybrid’ courses (at least 50% in person) with extremely strict COVID-19 guidelines. The XULA team developed novel strategies, including preparing in-house videos for the group that was on ‘Zoom’ to study, while the other group was in the lab. At the time that this abstract was submitted (May 2021), year two had just ended. All of our strategies, results, and outcomes will be discussed during the conference workshop or poster session. 
Conclusions and Discussion. Preliminary analysis of year two suggests that while students appreciated the efforts of the CURE team during the COVID-19 pandemic, their morale overall was down. Our students were used to seeing their instructors and advisors in person. While the hybrid model is better than being all online, most students prefer in person learning. Some have confessed that they tend to get lazy and not pay attention since Zoom recordings can be made available. However, things are looking up and XULA plans to move back to all in person instruction. Year one results have demonstrated positive trends in most evaluative areas and year three (Fall 2021-Spring 2022) should provide even more insights. In conclusion, our working hypothesis remains that providing meaningful research experiences early on to all URM Biology majors can positively impact their self-confidence and desire to stay in STEM. Findings from our study will also advance the understanding of this type of intervention and provide a roadmap for other minority-serving institutions who might want to implement it. 
Acknowledgments. 
NSF HBCU-UP TIP Program [Award Number 1912437, P.I. Shubha K. Ireland (SKI)].
The Xavier Eminent Scholar XXXVIII Professorship to SKI (Louisiana Board of Regents supported).
Dr. Jill Keeney, Biology, Juniata College, PA 16652 (collaborator/guide, the yeast ORFan project).
Dr. Jeff Cary and scientists at the USDA, SRRC, LA 70124 (collaborators/guides, the Aspergillus project).
References. 
Deane, T., Nomme, K., Jeffery, E., Pollock, C. &amp; Birol, G. (2014). Development of the Biological Experimental Design Concept Inventory (BEDCI), CBE-Life Sciences Education, 13, 540-551. doi: 10.1187/cbe.13-11-0218 
Dolan, E. L. (2016). Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Paper commissioned for the Committee on Strengthening Research Experiences for Undergraduate STEM Students. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Board on Life Sciences, Division of Earth and Life Studies. 
Glynn, S. M., Brickman, P., Armstrong, N. &amp; Taasoobshirazi, G. (2011). Science Motivation Questionnaire II: Validation with science majors and nonscience majors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(10), 1159-1176. 


13th Conference on Understanding Interventions 2021

Research Experiences in Classroom and their Impacts on Biology Freshmen at an HBCU 



scientific method

cure

hbcu

retention

bioinformatics

The annual UI conference has grown from a meeting to a community of more than 6,000 researchers, program officers, evaluators, program directors, training faculty, and others within STEM, and now operates with a mission to mutually inform scholarship and practice, develop and enhance the community interested in educational interventions, and provide professional development for all STEM persons. UI held its first Virtual conference in December of 2020 in response to Covid-19 restrictions that forced the cancellation of the original March 2020 in person meeting. Born out of necessity, the virtual conference introduced a format that provided pre conference availability of symposia, Deeper Dives and Poster presentations. The 13th Annual Understanding Interventions Conference will continue with that design and we foresee future conferences adopting aspects of that format in reaching a virtual audience as well as those who attend the conferences in-person.

Attendees will experience plenaries, workshops, symposia, and poster presentations on hypothesis-based research on interventions and initiatives that broaden participation in STEM careers. The conference will continue to facilitate the dialogue among education, behavioral, and social science researchers, evaluators, and faculty in STEM fields who participate in intervention programs. Graduate students in these fields are strongly encouraged to attend. Workshops, sessions, and posters will communicate effective strategies from successful STEM intervention programs, present results from empirical research studies, and synthesize the translation of research findings into practice on STEM learning, undergraduate research, graduate education, and student retention.

The cost to attend the conference is $150. There are special rates for post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, as well as conference grants that can be provided for those with need. Registration for the conference is open, with additional information to come.

The annual UI conference has grown from a meeting to a community of more than 6,000 researchers, program officers, evaluators, program directors, training faculty, and others within STEM, and now operates with a mission to mutually inform scholarship and practice, develop and enhance the community interested in educational interventions, and provide professional development for all STEM persons. 

Introduction. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), through Targeted Infusion Projects (TIPs), provides support to achieve short-term, well-defined goals to improve undergraduate STEM education. In the current TIP at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), two freshman lab courses have been redesigned as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Merits of early research experiences are well documented (Dolan, 2016), yet fewer than 10% of XULA Biology freshmen have research opportunities in their first year. The XULA TIP aims at bridging this gap by infusing two authentic research projects in two foundational labs in Biology. The first, the ‘Yeast ORFan’ project, in collaboration with Juanita College, PA, aims at studying yeast ‘ORFans’ (genes of unknown function). The second, in collaboration with the USDA SRRC, LA, is centered on the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of an Aspergillus (fungal mold) species known to damage food crops. Although CUREs are gaining attention for their ability to offer research opportunities in a classroom setting (Dolan, 2016), few undergraduate minority-serving institutions have established CUREs as part of their curricula. There is, therefore, a great need to study CUREs and their impacts on underrepresented minority (URMs) students’ attitudes towards Biology, learning, retention, and their desire to pursue careers in STEM in general. The XULA CURE infusion project is the first of its kind at an HBCU (XULA) and the results of this intervention/newer way of teaching will enhance our knowledge in the area of science education.
Methods. Two established courses (Biol 1210L and Biol 1220L), meeting once/week for 1 credit hour and required for all Biology majors, were redesigned as CUREs. The student population consisted of ~ 240 students per semester; ~ 85% were URMs and ~ 70% were female. The overarching goal was to introduce students to scientific competencies using interdisciplinary concepts and ‘do-able’, real-life research projects with the above-mentioned yeast and mold as model systems. Data were collected by instructors in the form of student feedback, class participation, assignments, in-class computer work and the application of knowledge in lab experiments and on quizzes. Data were also collected by the external evaluator using assessments such as the Biological Experimental Design Concept Inventory (BEDCI, Deane et al., 2014) and the ‘Science Motivation Questionnaire’ (Glynn et al., 2011).
Results. In year one (Fall 2019-Spring 2020), only the Fall 2019 semester was 100% in person since these were ‘normal’, pre-COVID-19 pandemic conditions and students gained research experience with the yeast ORFan project. Instructors noted early on that, although students enjoyed the flexible format of hands-on lab work combined with data analysis, etc., the weekly two hour session did not provide enough time to teach lab skills and research-related scientific content, allow students to practice, learn troubleshooting, reflect on experimental design, conduct experiments, record results and understand their significance. Nevertheless, the combined hard work of both the CURE faculty and students demonstrated a pattern of improved academic performance on the four common (identical) quizzes. For example, in four sections taught by the same instructor, students in one section consistently underperformed at the start of the semester (on Quizzes 1 and 2), but their scores improved steadily until, by Quiz 4, their scores were indistinguishable from those of the students in other sections (unpublished data). Students also were evaluated on lab skills, experimental work, and group presentations. Lastly, based on the external evaluator’s analysis, students showed gains in four of the five assessed areas of biology motivation (intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, self-determination, and career motivation, unpublished data). In mid-March, 2020, the threat of COVID-19 caused the University to shut down overnight. Students were forced to leave, and some had no place to live. Many students and faculty lost their loved ones or became infected with the virus. The remaining weeks of the Spring 2020 semester were taught exclusively online; instructors conducted Zoom class meetings while developing a completely new style of teaching and communicating. Fortunately, since the courses were designed to focus on many lab skills early on, the online transition, while not optimal, still allowed for about 75-80% of the projects to be covered. Both year two semesters (Fall 2020-Spring 2021) were taught as ‘hybrid’ courses (at least 50% in person) with extremely strict COVID-19 guidelines. The XULA team developed novel strategies, including preparing in-house videos for the group that was on ‘Zoom’ to study, while the other group was in the lab. At the time that this abstract was submitted (May 2021), year two had just ended. All of our strategies, results, and outcomes will be discussed during the conference workshop or poster session. 
Conclusions and Discussion. Preliminary analysis of year two suggests that while students appreciated the efforts of the CURE team during the COVID-19 pandemic, their morale overall was down. Our students were used to seeing their instructors and advisors in person. While the hybrid model is better than being all online, most students prefer in person learning. Some have confessed that they tend to get lazy and not pay attention since Zoom recordings can be made available. However, things are looking up and XULA plans to move back to all in person instruction. Year one results have demonstrated positive trends in most evaluative areas and year three (Fall 2021-Spring 2022) should provide even more insights. In conclusion, our working hypothesis remains that providing meaningful research experiences early on to all URM Biology majors can positively impact their self-confidence and desire to stay in STEM. Findings from our study will also advance the understanding of this type of intervention and provide a roadmap for other minority-serving institutions who might want to implement it. 
Acknowledgments. 
NSF HBCU-UP TIP Program [Award Number 1912437, P.I. Shubha K. Ireland (SKI)].
The Xavier Eminent Scholar XXXVIII Professorship to SKI (Louisiana Board of Regents supported).
Dr. Jill Keeney, Biology, Juniata College, PA 16652 (collaborator/guide, the yeast ORFan project).
Dr. Jeff Cary and scientists at the USDA, SRRC, LA 70124 (collaborators/guides, the Aspergillus project).
References. 
Deane, T., Nomme, K., Jeffery, E., Pollock, C. & Birol, G. (2014). Development of the Biological Experimental Design Concept Inventory (BEDCI), CBE-Life Sciences Education, 13, 540-551. doi: 10.1187/cbe.13-11-0218 
Dolan, E. L. (2016). Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Paper commissioned for the Committee on Strengthening Research Experiences for Undergraduate STEM Students. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Board on Life Sciences, Division of Earth and Life Studies. 
Glynn, S. M., Brickman, P., Armstrong, N. & Taasoobshirazi, G. (2011). Science Motivation Questionnaire II: Validation with science majors and nonscience majors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(10), 1159-1176. 


poster

Science Self-Efficacy, Academic Self-Concept, and Their Associated Factors in Freshmen at a Historically Black University

Shiva Mehravaran, MD, MIH, MSc;1† Hamideh Taraji, DrPH;2 Farin Kamangar, MD, PhD1; Payam Sheikhattari, MD, MPH;2 Christine Hohmann, PhD1

1 Department of Biology, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, Morgan State University, Maryland, 21251, USA
2 Department of Public Health, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Maryland, 21251, USA

†Corresponding author: shiva.mehravaran@morgan.edu

Keywords: science self-efficacy, academic self-concept, undergraduate, academic outcome, historically Black university
Abstract
Introduction. Self-efficacy and self-concept are two important constructs that influence an individual’s behavior. Self-eﬃcacy is deﬁned as a person’s confidence in their capability to successfully perform a particular task (Bandura, 1997). Such beliefs inﬂuence people’s decisions, efforts in given endeavors, flexibility in the face of adversity, and level of accomplishment. Self-concept is defined as a person’s perception of themselves, and it can be useful in explaining and predicting how one acts (Bong & Skaalvik, 2003). In academic settings, self-eﬃcacy and self-concept often pertain to students’ conﬁdence in their capacity to perform academic tasks such as preparing for exams and conducting their own research. Students’ perceptions of their capabilities and their confidence in performing necessary tasks to achieve goals in academic settings is an important and essential asset that contributes to the enrichment of students’ knowledge and skills (Bandura, 1997). Educational institutions are increasingly recognizing the role of science self-efficacy (SSE) and academic self-concept (ASC) in academic motivation and learning (Artino, 2012) and their importance for college student success (Meral, Colak, & Zereyak, 2012). This study was conducted to examine SSE and ASC and identify their associated factors among freshmen at a historically Black university.

Methods. The 2018 Freshman Survey developed by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) was administered to incoming first-year students at the beginning of the Fall semester at Morgan State University, Maryland, USA. Additional information was retrieved from the institutional database at the end of Fall 2020 semester. We examined associations of SSE and ASC scores with background information (gender, race/ethnicity, first generation status, financial concern, degree aspiration, academic major), scores on other main CIRP constructs (Pluralistic Orientation, Habits of Mind, Social Self-Concept, Science Identity, Social Agency, and Likelihood of College Involvement), and academic outcome metrics (persistence, cumulative GPA, and cumulative course completion rate) up to Fall 2020.

Results. Of the 472 students included in the study, 327 (69.3%) were female and 417 (88.3%) were African American. Mean SSE and ASC percentage scores were 68.6% and 73.5%, respectively. Multiple regressions analyses with background variables showed that a higher SSE score was associated with male gender, having no financial concern, and certain majors (Nursing and Biology). A higher ASC score was associated with having no financial concern and aspiring to obtain a graduate degree, and it was significantly lower in Psychology compared to all other majors. Across majors, the inter-gender difference was greatest in Computer Science where females had lower and males had higher SSE and ASC scores. SSE and ASC significantly correlated with each other and all the other CIRP constructs examined in this study. SSE showed the strongest correlation with Habits of Mind (r=0.476) and the weakest correlation with Likelihood of College Involvement (r=0.123). ASC showed the strongest and weakest correlations with Social Self-Concept (r=0.591) and Science Identity (r=0.096), respectively. Students with higher SSE and ASC scores had higher GPA at the end of their first semester (Fall 2018); the association was statistically significant for ASC. In the long-term, students with higher SSE and ASC scores were more likely to persist to their 2nd and 3rd years, although the associations were statistically significant for SSE only. Both SSE and ASC showed inverse associations with 3rd year academic outcomes, and higher scores were associated with lower cumulative GPA and course completion rates and vice versa; only the association between SSE and Fall 2020 cumulate GPA was statistically significant.

Conclusion. In this detailed analysis of data from freshman in a historically Black university, differences in the levels of students’ SSE and ASC were found to be strongly related to their gender, financial status, choice of major, as well as their scores in other CIRP constructs examined in this study. Students who persisted to their 2nd and 3rd years of study had significantly higher baseline SSE and ASC scores, but their GPA and course completion rates seemed to have an inverse relationship. Further longitudinal studies can help understand how SSE, ASC, and other CIRP constructs can be used as predictors of academic success and in case-control studies. Overall, results identified certain areas that should be of interest to other researchers who aim to inform educational policies and interventions to overcome barriers towards academic and career success. 

Acknowledgements. Research reported in this publication was supported by ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research at Morgan State University and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UL1GM118973. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

References
Artino, A. R. (2012). Academic self-efficacy: From educational theory to instructional practice. Perspectives on Medical Education, 1(2), 76–85.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. Macmillan.
Bong, M., & Skaalvik, E. (2003). Academic Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy: How Different Are They Really? Educational Psychology Review, 15, 1–40.
Meral, M., Colak, E., & Zereyak, E. (2012). The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 1143–1146.

Science Self-Efficacy and Academic Self-Concept Among Freshmen at a Historically Black University

The COVID pandemic has had devastating personal and career impacts on millions of people in all walks of life, including established scientists [1,2]. However, much less is known about how recent biomedical PhD graduates are navigating the pandemic. We have been interviewing a group of PhDs students for over 10 years, uniquely positioning us to investigate how recent PhD graduates are navigating the pandemic. Recruited a decade ago, participants were less subject to potential selection bias that can occur in new studies. The study duration also allowed for rapport to grow between participants and interviewers. Our data reveal how young scientists responded to pandemic-related challenges. But they often seized new opportunities and reflected carefully on their roles in science, future careers, and life choices.

Our findings, drawn from annual interviews with 58 individuals, fit into two sections. First, we report on themes: work and productivity; mentors and networks; job transitions; and life outside work. Our data illustrate a range of experiences and highlight sources of opportunity and challenge. We explore questions such as: Given the disruption and restructuring of lab time, what led many to conclude as a new postdoc did, “it was a surprisingly productive time”? How did mentoring and networking change when face-to-face interactions went virtual? For whom did career decisions become highly influenced by personal circumstances, such as a postdoc whose work-at-home time led to reconsidering his career and family roles? 

Second, we focus on academic careers for insights into how aspiring and new faculty navigated the pandemic, including: how trainees managed increasing uncertainty and job searches; and how new faculty navigated campus shutdowns. Some decided to shift away from academia; while for most, short-term doubts about academia were tempered with long-term optimism, as one postdoc said, “it can only get better.” 

Overall, we found that young scientists were able to utilize their skills and resources during a time that disrupted work and personal lives. Many shared responses similar to one graduate, “[The pandemic] is part of everyone’s life . . . [I] feel fortunate that it’s allowed me to move forward.” We found increased space for reflection on work, life, and values was a major factor that facilitated participants to “move forward” amidst challenges. We argue that PhD and postdoctoral trainees could benefit from more built-in time and space for reflection.

References 
Korbel, J. O., & Stegle, O. (2020, May 11). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on life scientists. Genome Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-020-02031-1

Myers, K. R., Tham, W. Y., Yin, Y., Cohodes, N., Thursby, J. G., Thursby, M. C., Schiffer, P., Walsh, J. T., Lakhani, K. R., & Wang, D. (2020, July 15). Unequal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientists. Nature Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0921-y


How Recent PhD Graduates Navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Balance of Challenges and Opportunities

STEM, medicine, and other STEM-intensive health professions are disciplinary areas (referred to here as STEM+) that lack diversity, undoubtedly reflecting many underlying issues in these disciplines as well as in society. Perhaps most important are disparities in access to high quality pre-college STEM education, since they lead to deep and persistent societal inequities. These disparities are especially evident in the STEM+ disciplines and are exacerbated by the strongly hierarchical organization of knowledge and practice in these fields. A strong foundation in pre-collegiate education provides a significant advantage, enabling strong performance in undergraduate programs, which in turn facilitates successful application into highly competitive graduate and professional STEM+ programs. There are many shortfalls in every stage of this pathway that impact the success of minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. 

The consequences of the lack of diversity in the STEM+ fields are wide-ranging and significant. Students who are educated in low-resource, underperforming K-12 environments often cannot access STEM curricula that are based on best pedagogical practices and face extraordinary challenges during the early years of their undergraduate education trying to catch up to their peers who had stronger pre-college STEM educational experiences. Students who come from under-resourced backgrounds often have few opportunities to glimpse the transformative advantages of a STEM+ career, leading to the perpetuation of significant societal inequities. The lack of diversity also directly impacts the STEM+ disciplines in several negative ways. The STEM+ practitioner community in the workforce is affected by an insufficient variety of lived experiences and is unable to draw upon the wealth and breadth of knowledge possessed by people who identify as having different cultural, racial, linguistic, religious, gender and sexual identity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a result, the perspectives brought to bear on problems may be too narrow in scope. There is ample evidence that suggests that scientific productivity is negatively impacted when a research team lacks diversity, as measured by publication data (Freeman & Huang, 2015). In addition, outreach to disadvantaged communities and efforts to provide assistance to them may not be optimally designed, or even appropriately prioritized (Page, 2008). 

Here, we focus on the mechanisms that assist STEM+ students to overcome socioeconomic and educational disadvantages. We emphasize the importance of mentoring in diverse and inclusive learning communities since our underlying rationale is that diverse populations of successful undergraduates are essential for creating professional diversity in the future STEM+ workforce.

Mentored Learning Communities to Enhance Diversity in STEM and Medicine

Interest plays a major role in STEM motivation. Our research is based in introductory biology classes for pre-health majors, where students start out with high levels of interest. The course is challenging, however, and we test interventions (based in expectancy-value theory [Eccles & Wigfield, 2002]) to help underrepresented students perform better. Both competence beliefs and values are critically important, but we intervene on value, and test competence beliefs as moderators. Different outcomes reflect different motivational processes, and we use different measures to study students' performance in gateway science classes and persistence in STEM. We know that these value-focused interventions can promote students' performance and engagement in the targeted biology classes (Harackiewicz et al., 2016). We have now begun to analyze long-term follow-up data from biology students in order to shed light on intervention processes and inform the design of future interventions (Harackiewicz & Priniski, 2018).

Using Long-term Follow-up Data to Understand and Refine Utility-Value Interventions in the Biomedical Sciences

Historically, ethnic minority scholars (African Americans, Latinx, American Indians/Alaskan Natives) have been underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields (NSF, 2017). With historically underrepresented (HU) groups projected to become nearly 40% of the population by 2050, it is imperative that the STEM disciplines increase their diversity (NACME, 2014). A collateral benefit often attributed to diversity is greater creativity, with more divergent groups achieving greater amounts of creativity (Paulus, van der Zee, & Kenworthy, 2017; McLeod, Lobel, & Cox ,1996). Lack of heterogeneity in STEM education and the workforce is thought to result in missed opportunities, missed perspectives, and waste of intellectual potential (Valantine & Collins, 2015). Demographic, cognitive, and gender diversity have all been signaled as sources of strength and ideas in team settings. However, there are few studies exploring what types of team diversity actually lead to greater creativity in multidisciplinary settings. 
We designed this study to explore what type of team diversity results in greater creativity outcomes within a team-based, project-based Bioinspired Design course for undergraduate students. The Bioinspired Design course aims to remove artificially created disciplinary boundaries to extend beyond STEM by being open to undergraduates from any major, year, or disciplinary background. This study included 275 students, spanning over two years of the course, who were 60.7% female, 38.5% male, and 0.8% non-binary/other; ranged from 18 to 26 years of age, and 13.5% were HU student. Due to the unique student population and pedagogical approach of this course, we developed an integrative creativity measure that assessed the fluidity, elaboration, originality, and innovation of the bioinspired products created by the teams in the course and yielded good validity, α= 0.82. Lastly, we coded the 72 teams for different types of diversity measures that included educational status, major, ethnicity, and HU status.
Correlational data between our measures of diversity and creativity show the more diversity of educational status in the team the higher the innovation (r=0.12, p<.05) and overall creativity (r=0.17, p<.01). The data also show the higher the diversity in majors within the group, the higher scores on elaboration (r=0.12, p<.05), originality (r=.019, p<.01), innovation (r=0.18, p<.01), and overall creativity (r=0.23, p<.01). Results further affirmed that the more diverse the group in terms of ethnicity, the higher the scores in all domains of creativity, fluency (r=0.23, p<.01), elaboration (r=0.23, p<.01), originality (r=0.11, p<.05), innovation (r=0.16, p<.01), and overall creativity (r=28., p<.01). 
Our findings show correlational effects on the creativity of student output within an interdisciplinary undergraduate STEM course and diversity in terms of educational status, major, and ethnicity. Specifically, when there is higher interdisciplinary cooperation and ethnic diversity in a team, there is greater output of original ideas, innovation, and overall creativity. The results suggest that many types of diversity in scientific teams can lead to more innovative discoveries, more focus on real world issues, and supports the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration.


Effect of Team Diversity on Creativity of Bioinspired Design Inventions

We employed two approaches using regression analyses to examine the impact of the BUilding Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Scholars Program on first-year students at four BUILD sites on self-efficacy with respect to research. Findings indicate that first-year participation in the BUILD Scholar program significantly increases researcher self-efficacy.

Examining the Impact of the BUilding Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative on Researcher Self-Efficacy among First Year Students


Introduction: The Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence (SCOARE) program provides mentors with knowledge and strategies to achieve more effective mentoring of their mentees in scientific communication (SciComm) skills. Previous Social-Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) studies of the relationships between development of SciComm skills, how they are mentored and used, and mentees’ intention to remain in research careers have suggested that increasing mentors’ awareness of the importance of SciComm and how to mentor it, especially as it relates to both personal and science identity, can play a role in increasing mentees’ self-efficacy and sense of belonging in research careers, as well as reinforce their intentions to remain in research careers (Cameron, Lee, Anderson, Trachtenberg, & Chang, 2020). Based on this evidence, we developed a mentor-training workshop with learning objectives closely linked to the SCCT constructs. We aimed to test whether such a workshop intervention for faculty mentors can have an enduring impact on their mentees. Here we present preliminary results from an analysis linking mentor-reported post-workshop data with their matched mentee-reported data. The findings from this analysis describe the impact of two particular mentoring strategies, ‘acknowledging [mentees’ efforts in SciComm]’ and ‘providing quality feedback’, on mentees’ six months after the mentor’s workshop participation.

Methods: Participants for the current study were doctoral and postdoctoral mentees of the mentors who participated in half-day SCOARE workshops. (Mentees do not attend the workshop.) We invited at least one mentee per mentor to take a pre-survey 2 weeks before their mentors attended the workshop and post-surveys 6 months after the workshop. The online mentee survey includes items regarding discomfort in the research environment because of linguistic background, self-efficacy in scientific communication, and perception of the quality of communication with mentor. The three discomfort questions were 1) have you been judged unfavorably because of the way you speak English (definitely not to definitely yes), 2) how comfortable would you feel speaking your home style of English to your mentor or other senior scientists? (completely comfortable to very uncomfortable), 3) Thinking about the writing and speaking necessary to be successful makes me reconsider my goal of pursuing a research career (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Mentors who participated in the SCOARE workshops were also participants for the current study. On the corresponding faculty mentor survey, mentors were asked which mentoring strategies presented in the workshop they had applied after the workshop with three response options, “didn’t use the strategy”, “used the strategy in the same way as before”, and “used the strategy differently/more”. For the current study, we focused on two strategies from the workshop: giving constructive feedback and providing acknowledgment. 
Mentee outcomes of self-efficacy in SciComm and perception of quality of communication with mentors were assessed using mixed-effects linear models with an unstructured covariance and with the intercept as a random effect. The models were estimated using maximum likelihood via PROC MIXED in SAS (version 8.2). Five predictors were used for each mentee outcome: three items of discomfort and two mentoring strategies. This study has approval from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center IRB (Protocol 2018-0206).
Results: One hundred-sixty mentees completed both pre-and post-surveys and 95 mentors reported the mentoring strategies they applied with their mentees. Among mentees who completed both surveys, 76% were doctoral trainees, 66% were female, 30% were first generation, 60% were White, 11% were Hispanic/Latinx, 6% were Black or African American. Sixty percent reported that their doctoral program was in a basic science.
Three-level multilevel growth model results revealed that mentee perception of the quality of communication with their mentors significantly increased when the mentors applied a new or enhanced “feedback” strategy (F=5.49, p=.03). In particular, “feedback” strategies significantly influenced mentee perception of the quality of communication when mentees reported high levels of feeling “judged unfavorably due to the way I speak” (F= 12.78, p<.001). Overall, trainee self-efficacy in writing and speaking increased 6 months after the workshop; however, mentees who reported feeling uncomfortable talking to their mentors at baseline experienced even greater impact on self-efficacy in writing and speaking if their mentors used a new or enhanced “acknowledgment” strategy (SE writing: F=16.54, p<.001; SE speaking: F=8.88, p=.003). In addition, mentors’ use of new or enhanced “acknowledgement” strategies was powerful for mentees who reported strongly reconsidering their pursuit of research careers due to the SciComm required for success; their self-efficacy in writing increased (F=18.98, p<.001). Mentee comments include ‘Our meetings are much more productive and our mentor/mentee relationship has grown. We are on the same page the majority of the time now’; ‘There has been an improvement in the relationship regarding my career goals and future direction. More oriented toward individual progress’; ‘My mentor provides feedback on the work that I do, both positive and constructive. My mentor's notes on what I am doing well make me feel encouraged and appreciated. The constructive feedback I get helps motivate me to improve on skills that are not as strong. This prepares me for my future career. I value my mentor's input immensely.’
Conclusion: Results from this preliminary analysis suggest that doctoral and postdoctoral mentees whose mentors learn and apply SciComm mentoring strategies from the SCOARE workshop show improvements in several predictors associated with sustained intention to remain in research careers. Mentors who increased or enhanced their practices in giving feedback and acknowledging mentees’ efforts in SciComm had greater positive impact on mentee-reported quality of communication and mentee self-efficacy in scientific writing and speaking, and the impact was greater among mentees who reported feeling discomfort in the research environment at baseline, who may be at higher risk of attrition. The strategies learned by the mentors in the workshop require no special knowledge of linguistics, English grammar, composition, or public speaking; acknowledgement of trainees’ work, an especially effective strategy, is also especially easy to apply and does not require a time commitment for either mentor or mentee. Additional results of the intervention study are forthcoming. 


Teachable Mentoring Strategies that Benefit Diverse Mentees: 
Preliminary Evidence from the ‘Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence’ Mentor-Training Program

In this presentation we describe our mentor program which reaches 1,100 first-year students enrolled in Calculus I, Physics I, and Chemistry I and the impact of our curriculum on the academic behaviors of mentees and the mentors.

Creating Mutually Beneficial Communities of Care

Introduction: The lack of diversity among faculty at universities and medical schools in the United States is a matter of growing concern. At universities in the US, underrepresented minority (URM) researchers make up a mere 3.5% of the faculty in the life sciences and just 6.3% of the faculty in basic science departments at medical schools (Lambert et al., 2020). Women also remain underrepresented, accounting for only 39% of the faculty in the life sciences at universities and 35% of the faculty in basic science departments at medical schools (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2017; National Science Foundation, 2019). We hypothesize that there are a significant number of postdoctoral researchers with aspirations of becoming faculty members in academia, but many seek nonacademic careers due to uncharacterized influences. 

Methods: Based on psycho-social theories for career development and motivation, we developed and conducted a survey to examine the factors that influence commitment to or divergence from conventional academic research careers with 1284 biomedical postdocs across the United States. To further elucidate the benefits, challenges, and strategies for pursuing an academic career, 994 responses were qualitatively analyzed using both content and thematic analyses. 177 unique codes, 20 categories, and 10 subthemes emerged from the data and were generalized into two thematic areas: Life in Academia and Strategies for Success.

Results: We reveal four main outcomes that were largely undefined in the field. (1) The first two years of postdoctoral training are pivotal in the retention of women and URM postdocs in the academic research pipeline. (2) The likelihood of biomedical postdocs choosing an academic research career increases as financial security, mentorship from their PI and their sense of self-worth increase. (3) Unlike their colleagues, many URM postdocs do not expect to associate with the people that they value most in a research-intensive faculty position. (4) We also find that female postdocs reported lower research self-efficacy (belief in research abilities) and lower outcome expectations (belief in the outcomes of research efforts) than men, which also significantly predicts first-author publication rates. 

Conclusions and Discussion: Multiple factors are responsible for URM and female postdocs not choosing to pursue careers in academic research, including the low expectation of finding people of similar background or like-values in academia. For women, lower self-efficacy and outcome expectations compared to their male counterparts were strong predictors for choosing non-academic careers. Interventions addressing such factors in the early stages of postdoctoral training may prevent attrition of underrepresented groups. For advisors and institutions, this work provides a unique perspective from postdoctoral scholars on elements of the academic training path that can be improved to increase retention, career satisfaction, and preparation for the scientific workforce.

Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Award Number UL1TR002384) for support.

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Next from 13th Conference on Understanding Interventions 2021

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Advancing Careers of Upper Level Students in the Life Sciences: The Case of a Minority Serving Institution

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