Planning committee co-chair Evelynn Hammonds, Ph.D. (Harvard University), moderated a session to discuss changes at colleges and universities to improve access, success, and well-being. Panelists included Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D. (Morehouse School of Medicine [MSM]); Keivan Stassun, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt and Fisk Universities); Mike Summers, Ph.D. (University of Maryland, Baltimore County [UMBC]); and Kimberly Jackson, Ph.D. (Spelman College). In addition to helping Black female and male students, Dr. Hammonds said, they have worked to change the institutional landscape of the schools and communities.
MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: INNOVATING AGAINST THE ODDS
Dr. Montgomery Rice began by calling attention to the title of her presentation, noting, “We are still innovating against the odds.” She recently published a commentary in JAMA in which she pointed out that despite the creation of 14 new medical schools over the past decade, the number of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in medicine has not significantly increased (Montgomery Rice, 2021). Every school includes diversity in their mission statements, she observed, but they have not lived up to their missions. She pointed out the greatest number of URMs in medicine, including African Americans, continues to come from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions. Black men make
up less than 3 percent of positions in medical school, she added, “and this requires immediate action.”
Dr. Montgomery Rice highlighted several efforts at Morehouse School of Medicine to strengthen the applicant pool. It is important to conceptualize the work as “more of a pathway than a pipeline, and that pathway begins at K [kindergarten] through 5,” she said. Echoing previous presenters, she stressed elementary school is when individuals begin to set their future course. Scientific enrichment programs in the early years make a difference, she underscored, and commented, “This is one of the low-hanging fruits that we can do.”
MSM is partnering with the American Association of Medical Colleges and others to develop a national repository where people can learn the objectives, metrics, and toolkits of existing programs, rather than “reinvent the wheel.”1 As an example, MSM’s S.T.E.A.M. Academy has programs for grades 4 to 8 and for 9 to 12.2 “It’s about improving their problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity,” she explained, noting that the arts are included. One lesson of the pandemic has been to show that virtual learning can be hands-on, and hybrid programs will continue to reach more students, she added.
The First Look community services project introduces high school and undergraduate students to what is involved in pursuing scientific and health careers, she explained. In addition, the Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy is a very intentional program to increase the number of undergraduates from the Atlanta University Center Consortium to enter careers in the health professions and biomedical sciences. Thirty students, 10 from each school (Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and Spelman), have summer research programs, mentors, and other support. Outcomes include 88 percent retention in staying in science fields, and 82 percent going on to medical, physician assistants, dental, or doctoral programs. A master of science in medical sciences serves as MSM’s postbaccalaureate program. She called attention to its success rate in which from 80 to 100 percent are accepted into professional or doctoral programs after participating in this “graduate academic enhancer.”
“We understand that it can’t just be on the four HBCUs to graduate Black and Brown students. We are not trying to absorb by any means the
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1 For more information, see https://www.msm.edu/Community/commonspirithealth/index.php.
2 For more information, see https://www.msm.edu/Education/PipelinePrograms/STEAMacademy.php.
other 152 medical schools. But we can do more,” Dr. Montgomery Rice said.3 In 2020, MSM and Common Spirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health-care systems, announced a partnership to train more Black physicians.4 Over the next 5 to 7 years, she reported, MSM will establish new regional medical campuses and graduate education sites to involve 300 additional students per year in residency programs, with the intentionality to target Black and Brown students. In addition, an investment from the Bloomberg Philanthropies to the four HBCU medical schools is being used to defray student debt that impacts many Black and Brown students and physicians.
Dr. Montgomery Rice closed with what she sees as the keys to success to increase the number of Black health professionals:
- Frequent and meaningful advisement sessions with students
- Training and support to college pre-health advisors, K–12 teachers, and college faculty to help them understand the needs and contexts of students
- Summer research and clinical shadowing opportunities for students
- Mentorship programs, career and academic support and guidance, and enrichment workshops
- Standardized test preparation through pipeline programs
- Personal and professional development opportunities
- Clinical and research exposure with renowned experts in their disciplines
- Tuition scholarships and scholarships for travel to scientific and medical conferences
FISK-VANDERBILT MASTER’S-TO-PH.D. BRIDGE PROGRAM: FROM ADMISSIONS TO COMMUNITY
Dr. Stassun shared lessons from building and running the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program. He explained that he helped create the program in his first year as a Vanderbilt assistant professor in 2004
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3 In addition to MSM, these medical schools include Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, and Meharry Medical College.
4 For more information, see https://www.msm.edu/Community/commonspirithealth/index.php.
and, to date, about 150 students, 90 percent of whom are URMs, have participated. Fisk University is now the nation’s largest producer of master’s degrees by African American students in physics and materials science, and Vanderbilt has become one of the largest producers of Ph.D.’s by URMs across the physical sciences.
In setting up the program to increase representation, a major barrier identified was over-reliance on standardized test scores in graduate admissions. Traditionally, Ph.D.-granting institutions manage their graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) admissions through a form of triage, with Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores having an outsized influence on which applicants are considered in the next stage. Stassun and a colleague published an article in Nature (Miller and Stassun, 2014) that showed the powerful negative correlation between race, ethnicity, and GRE scores. The Fisk-Vanderbilt program instead shifted to a holistic review process. Multiple factors create a fair and consistent review, without an overreliance on test scores, to include undergraduate courses, perseverance, setting and pursuing long-term goals, preparedness, and potential.
Once the admissions barrier is overcome and students enter the program, a sense of community must be built, Dr. Stassun continued. Vanderbilt’s partnership with Fisk had to consist of more than good intentions to provide real community, he said. As students transition to the Ph.D. programs at Vanderbilt, they still capitalize on the community and tradition of Fisk. The program has also rethought mentorship to provide multiple sources for students to meet their different needs. For example, he noted he cannot be a student’s only mentor, especially for a student who needs access to top labs and networks that he as an astrophysicist cannot provide. He noted the science of effective mentorship in STEM indicates the value of going beyond a dyad and the myth of “one perfect mentor” to move toward mentoring networks in which mentees have access to multiple mentors to be successful (NASEM, 2019).
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY: MEYERHOFF MODEL
Dr. Summers has been on the UMBC faculty since 1987, the same year that Freeman A. Hrabowski III, Ph.D., joined the faculty. While experimenting for success is always needed, Dr. Summers said, the experience at UMBC pioneered by Dr. Hrabowski has worked extremely well. Dr.
Summers described the Meyerhoff Scholars model at UMBC and highlighted its successful adaptation at other universities.
At UMBC, the Meyerhoff Scholars model involves like-minded high achievers, 70 percent of whom are URMs, Dr. Summers explained, and they experience intrusive support, high expectations, and cohort learning. A summer bridge program is essential, and students learn how to support each other by working in teams. High exposure on the predominantly white campus is also required, he added. For example, in a large chemistry lecture hall, Meyerhoff Scholars are expected to arrive 15 minutes early, sit together at the front, and engage with the professor. This raises the expectations of faculty about Meyerhoff students and promotes climate change.
Of the 1,490 Meyerhoff participants to date, 71 percent have been URMs, with 91 percent retained in STEM. Among the 930 who have pursued graduate or professional degrees, 312 Ph.D.’s have been awarded (82 percent URMs), 59 M.D.’s/Ph.D.’s have been awarded (90 percent URMs), and 265 STEM master’s degrees have been awarded (86 percent URMs). In addition, 258 (81 percent URMs) are currently enrolled in graduate schools. Most of the underrepresented students are African American, he said.
Research counters the assumption that because the program recruits high-achievers, the students would have done just as well without the program. Researchers compared outcomes between Meyerhoff Scholars and students who were accepted into the program but chose to attend another institution. Dr. Summers reported that students who went elsewhere graduate with similar GPAs (grade point averages), but they are half as likely to graduate with STEM degrees and 7 times less likely to complete STEM graduate degrees than Meyerhoff Scholars (Maton et al., 2009, 2012). A broader impact on society includes such leaders as Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D., a leader in COVID-19 vaccine development; former Surgeon General Jerome Adams; and National Institutes of Health (NIH) award recipient Kafui Dzirasa, Ph.D. (a speaker later in the workshop; see Chapter 6). More than 40 tenured or tenure-track faculty are UMBC Meyerhoff graduates, he added.
Dr. Summers noted the outcomes have been replicated elsewhere. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) supported partnerships with the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), which he noted have different characteristics than UMBC. Outcomes almost immediately met or exceeded Meyerhoff outcomes in terms of STEM retention, 4-year graduation rates, Ph.D. matriculation, and minority participation (Sto Domingo et al., 2019). He noted that
HHMI and other grants, as well as institutional commitments, are necessary to fund the program. Institutional funds do not necessarily mean new money, but rather a refocusing of existing scholarship funds to support the program. Both the UNC and Penn State programs have begun to build dedicated endowment as well.
Dr. Summers has also been involved in a program started in 2012 by the chemistry faculty at his alma mater, University of West Florida. Beginning with informal meetings with students to talk about diversity, the program is now supported by NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the institution recently provided $500,000 from its institutional budget to move the program across the campus. Although it does not have all the elements of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, it has had 70 percent URM STEM retention. Sixty-three percent of the students are pursuing Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees, the majority in the nation’s top 25 graduate programs.
In conclusion, Dr. Summers said, large numbers of minority students are interested in STEM, but few are retained. High achievers will succeed without this support, but are less likely to pursue a STEM Ph.D. Institutional partnerships work well. Strong alliances with like-minded colleagues can be built with positive messaging and data.
SPELMAN COLLEGE: PROMOTING SUCCESS AND WELL-BEING AT A WOMEN’S COLLEGE
Dr. Jackson spoke about work to diversify the STEM pathway and advance equity in STEM for Black women. In addition to being ranked the nation’s top HBCU by U.S. News & World Report, she called attention to Spelman’s top ranking across all institutions in other measures related to teaching and innovation. She said Spelman is ranked first in producing African American women who go on to earn Ph.D.’s in science-related fields and first overall in where Black science and engineering doctorate recipients earned their bachelor’s degrees, according to NSF data.
Several years ago, Dr. Jackson reported, faculty from across the campus came together to discuss the “intellectual table” that is set for students. Essential elements they identified included high-impact practices to build cohorts and learning communities; cultural relevance and social responsiveness to provide agency; and critical race theory and Black feminist thought to foster STEM identity. Around 2013, she and fellow professor Leyte Winfield, Ph.D., created the Women of Color Legacy Project. They won an NIH planning grant to develop the tenets of the project with the objective
of being transformative, systemic, catalytic, synergistic, and unique. The project recognizes a multipronged cycle beginning with early investment in middle school and high school students through alumnae and professionals, Dr. Jackson explained.
Although the project did not receive full NIH funding, the planning grant allowed for discussions about how to cultivate “superwomen” in recognition that Spelman is uniquely poised to transform the current STEM landscape. She and Dr. Winfield published on the types of practices used by Spelman faculty, including authentic research experiences, effective mentoring, and innovative and impactful curricula (Jackson and Winfield, 2014). An important part of mentoring is to help young women embrace their identity, she added.
Dr. Jackson stressed that the work is centered on an empowerment, rather than a deficit, model. She explained:
Our goal is not to fix our students at all. We embrace their identity and cultivate their success. We recognize they are unique, we acknowledge their potential, we support sisterhood, we highlight Black female scholars, and we create opportunities because we believe that if you can see yourself, you can become whatever you want to be.
Spelman also separated out parts of the Women of Color Legacy proposal for implementation. Dr. Jackson and biology colleague Menteweb Ayalew, Ph.D., developed a program called Living and Learning in an Interdisciplinary Networked Community of STEM (LINCS) Scholars. Begun 6 years ago with no funding, it developed from learning that many students leave STEM fields because of isolation and lack of support. Through LINCS, cohorts with strong and lasting bonds move together up the academic and career ladder and leverage peer–peer and peer–outside networks. The community is now part of Spelman’s Social Justice Fellows Program in recognition that occupying a unique space at the multiple intersections of race, gender, and STEM is a social justice issue. The program creates synergies with other programs on campus and now has its fourth cohort of 21 sophomores and juniors with a declared interest in pursuing a Ph.D. degree. Dr. Jackson said the next step is to engage in hard conversations at the departmental level related to vision, metrics, and teaching strategies. In 2021–2022, the focus is to leverage what they have learned to tackle racialized issues in STEM.
DISCUSSION
Dr. Hammonds asked the presenters about how to ensure sustainability and funding of programs. Dr. Montgomery Rice suggested approaching NIH and other federal agencies. She also urged more leeway so that HBCUs with a track record can use the funding they receive for sustainability. If these programs were endowed, the pathway could continue and additional fundraising could take place. In addition to public support, Dr. Summers added many large majority schools focus on raising money for athletics, and there is a large pool of money that could be reinvested in other areas. It is important to have leadership who sees these programs as a priority in using institutional resources.
Dr. Stassun emphasized a role for partnerships, especially when academic strategic planning identifies diversity as an important goal. He also noted that federal agencies such as NSF like the idea of partnerships to provide glue between institutions to enable students’ successful transitions. However, partnerships must be equitable, Dr. Jackson stressed. Spelman is often approached to be a partner but without equitable funding or power sharing. Dr. Stassun agreed and noted federal agencies can exert leverage, such as requiring the principal investigator be at the minority institution or that articulated outcomes include capacity building for an MSI (math and science initiative) partner. “The dollars have to flow in ways that benefit the students, the faculty, and the institutions,” he said.
In concluding the session, Dr. Hammonds commented, “It’s really important to understand that there have been institutions that have successfully been addressing the kinds of psychological, behavioral, individual but also group-level interventions that help our students succeed. We can build on the programs we heard about.” Dr. Pinn added that these achievements show evidence of action. “We often put things into committees and discuss or do more research, but it’s time now for action to happen. Each of the institutions have put in place something and are moving forward, and we need to learn from those examples,” she said.
REFERENCES
Jackson, K. M., and L. L. Winfield. 2014. Realigning the crooked room: Spelman claims a space for African American women in STEM. Peer Review: Emerging Trends and Key Debates in Undergraduate Education 16(2): 9–12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4280840.
Maton, K. I., M. R. Sto Domingo, K. E. Stolle-McAllister, J. L. Zimmerman, and F. A. Hrabowski, III. 2009. Enhancing the number of African-Americans who pursue STEM PhDs: Meyerhoff Scholarship Program outcomes, processes, and individual behaviors. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 15(1): 15–37.
Maton, K. I., S. A. Pollard, T. V. McDougall Weise, and F. A. Hrabowski. 2012. The Meyerhoff Scholars Program: A strengths-based, institution-wide approach to increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine 79(5): 610–623.
Miller, C., and K. Stassun. 2014. A test that fails. Nature 510: 303–304.
Montgomery Rice, V. 2021. Diversity in Medical Schools: A Much-Needed New Beginning. Journal of the American Medical Association 325(1):23–24. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.21576.
NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). 2019. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25568.
Sto Domingo, M. R., S. Sharp, A. Freeman, T. Freeman Jr., K. Harmon, M. Wiggs, V. Sathy, A. T. Panter, L. Oseguera, S. Sun, M. E. Williams, J. Templeton, C. L. Folt, E. J. Barron, F. A. Hrabowski III, K. I. Maton, M. Crimmins, C. R. Fisher, and M. F. Summers. 2019. Replicating Meyerhoff of inclusive excellence in STEM. Science 364 (6438): 335–337.
