Advancing Success of Low-Income Students in Computer Science and Engineering through Scholarships, Mentoring, and Artificial Intelligence-Driven Support

About This Grant

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Baylor University. A total of 24 scholars pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in bioinformatics, computer science, cybersecurity, data science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and general engineering will receive scholarships averaging $12,500 for up to five years. Scholars will receive faculty, peer and alumni mentoring, and the project will build strong scholar cohorts through shared events, experiences and professional development activities. Additional activities for scholars include academic tutoring, development of artificial intelligence skills, undergraduate research, and participation in a living and learning community. The overall goal of this Track 2 Scholarships in STEM project is to increase STEM degree completion of academically talented, low-income undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. There is a significant national need to grow the STEM workforce and nurture key talent that will ensure economic competitiveness and provide domestic leadership across critical sectors. This project directly speaks to this need by supporting STEM student success, which will strengthen the workforce in engineering, computer and data science, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, and other key areas of need. A predictive analytics platform, Navigate, will assist the team in tracking scholars' progress and, in the long-term, identifying those who might benefit from early intervention efforts. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator who will gather feedback, monitor student progress, and provide regular insights to help improve the program. The data generated will contribute to the knowledge base regarding effective strategies to support talented, low-income students in STEM. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of academically talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.