Persistence in Science by All Students

David Asaiasaid@hhmi.org

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4 P’s

1) Perspective2) Persistence3) Privilege4) Potential

1) Perspective

Diversity benefits science.

Diversity….

1. …..is a property of a group. Science depends on groups.

2. …..adds: (i) perspective, (ii) interpretation, (iii) tools.Scientific breakthrough often results from a different approach, a different interpretation, and/or a different set of tools.

3. ….trumps homogeneity and ability when: (i) hard problem, (ii) multiple ways to look at the problem; (iii) large set of problem-solvers

- Scott Page, The Difference, 2007, Princeton University Press

Pers

ons,

in

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2010 2050

Opportunity: increasingly diverse talent pool

“Majority Minority”:

• All U.S. by 2042

• 18 yrs and younger by 2018

Challenge: we fail to take advantage of the diverse talent pool

NSF data for 2006, from Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation, National Academies, 2011.

U.S. talent pool

28.5%URM

Scientific workforce

9.1% URM

dx/dt: achieving parity?

1970 1990 2010 2030 2050 2070 2090 2110

20%

10%

30%

40%

50%

Science Ph.D.s

U.S. population

2100

2) Persistence

NSF WEBCASPAR (2000-05)

US population undergrads science science baccalaureates PhDs

Frac

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Undergraduate years are critical

Percentage of 2004 STEM aspirants who completed STEM degrees

5-year completion

Data from Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA

G. Huang et al., 2000. Entry and persistence of women and minorities in college science and engineering education. U.S. Dept. Education, National Center for Education Statistics

1. Predictors of success in college2. 5-year outcomes of students entering STEM

programs:– Complete STEM baccalaureate in 5 years– Persist in STEM discipline– Switch to a non-STEM discipline– Drop out of school

G. Huang et al., 2000, Entry and persistence of women and minorities in college science and engineering education, US. Dept. Education, National Center for Education Statistics

Complete Persist Switch Drop out

Persistence of undergrad STEM aspirants

3) Privilege

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Biology 231 is the third course in our four-semester core curriculum for Biology majors. In addition, many pre-professional students from other majors, like XXXX, also take BIOL 231. Our course is a rigorous attempt to link molecular structure with biological function. We first focus on the macromolecules of the cell, including proteins, membranes, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates; in each case the message is that structure leads to function. We then discuss in quantitative detail the energetics of cell biology, including membrane potentials, the use of ATP in coupled reactions, the metabolism of glucose and oxidative phosphorylation to produce ATP, and photosynthesis. Then we put some of these pieces together, discussing in detail selected aspects of cell biology, including signal transduction, cotranslational insertion of membrane/secreted proteins, intracellular trafficking of membrane bounded organelles, and cell motility. All exams are answered with short essays or calculations (no calculators permitted!). The emphasis is on precise problem solving. For many, BIOL 231 proves to be the “weed-out” course.

Our course is a rigorous attempt to link molecular structure with biological function.

All exams are answered with short essays or calculations (no calculators permitted!). The emphasis is on precise problem solving. For many, BIOL 231 proves to be the “weed-out” course.

Faculty privilege

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“Majority rules”

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…is deciding what’s best for others.

“mismatch hypothesis”

“…as a result of the mismatching, many blacks and Hispanics who likely would have excelled at less elite schools are placed in a position where underperformance is all but inevitable because they are less academically prepared than the white and Asian students with whom they must compete.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, 2013concurring opinion, Fisher v. U Texas

Testing the “mismatch hypothesis”M. Kurlaender and E. Grodsky. 2013. “Mismatch and the

paternalistic justification for selective college admissions.” Sociology and Education.

• University of California– Elite: Berkeley, San Diego, UCLA (30% acceptance)– Not-quite-elite: Davis, Irvine, Riverside, Santa

Barbara, Santa Cruz (59% acceptance)

• 2004, “Guaranteed Transfer Option” (GTO) (2,300 students)

• Several hundred chose to attend elite campus

• GPAs of GTO students statistically same as elite students.

• GTO students no more or less likely to drop out of elite schools.

• GTO students less likely to drop out than peers who chose non-elite schools.

• Mismatch effects no greater for minorities than for whites and Asians.

Findings….

What can we do?

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1. Learn to talk about difference.

http://img2-2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/10/17/debate.jpg

What’s important in mentoring?

Byars-Winston, Benbow, leverett, Pfund, Branchaw, Owen, 2013.

2. Learn from other programs• Meyerhoff Scholars (UMBC)• Science Posse (Brandeis)• BSP (UC Berkeley)• BUSP (UC Davis)

(1) Research experiences(2) Mentoring(3) Community-building(4) High expectations

3. Change the metaphor

Tenure-track faculty position

Post-doc 2 – 2 yrs

Post-doc 1 – 1 yr

Graduate school for Ph.D. – 4 yrs

Undergrad for B.S. – 4 yrs

High school – 4 yrs

http://www.sadeem.ae/Pipeline_at_Kuparuk.jpg

Watershed

• Inputs from many different sources, different environments, different pathways.

• Boundaries between stages are not always exact.

• Outcome is huge (the ocean) and there are many different places for the water to eventually go.

4) Potential

Course-based Research Experiences

Undergraduate student research1. Apprentice-based research experience

• Late• Expensive• Relies on selection

2. Course-based research experience (CRE)• Early• Scalable and less expensive• Emphasizes development of potential

SEA-PHAGES project

• Created by Tuajuanda Jordan and her team at HHMI in 2007

• Adapt PHIRE course developed by Graham Hatfull (U Pittsburgh)

• Deliver the course nationally (2008-present)– In AY 2012-13:

• > 2,000 students (mostly first-year UGs)• 75 schools (31 states, PR, DC)

Mycobacterium smegmatis

GenBank

Two semesters:

Scientific accomplishments:

• > 3,000 new phages• > 48,000 genes (865 novel genes)• 9 new clusters• 82% of mycobacteriophage GenBank sequences

contributed by SEA-PHAGES students• 16 publications (10 with undergrad co-authors)• New insights from the aggregated data

Learning (from Jordan et al., 2013)

Grades in lecture course

Retention

Three S’s to a successful CRE

1. Science– (i) genuine scientific problem; (ii) lead scientist

2. Skills– (i) technical simplicity; (ii) minimal prerequisites

3. Structure– (i) flexible scheduling; (ii) parallel activities; (iii)

clear milestonesHatfull et al., 2006. PLoS Genetics 2: e92

4th important element: $$

SEA-PHAGES: approx. $200 per student for supplies, EM, DNA sequencing (excludes salaries)

Informal survey of 15 research universities: average $47 (<$10 - $150) per student in intro Bio lab (excludes salaries)

Average $150 ($85 - $210) per student in advanced lab courses

$47. Flip the equation.

Introductory courses = opportunity to make a difference

1) Perspective2) Persistence3) Privilege4) Potential

“A great scientist looks like me”(Mirror, mirror, on

the wall…)

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Geoffrey Beene