Faculty Colloquium Series

When & where

About this event

BenSTEMS Year One: Building Community, Belonging, and Academic Success in STEM Presenters Darya Aleinikava, PhD - Associate Professor, Physics Brooks Maki, PhD - Associate Professor, Chemistry Niina Ronkainen, PhD - Professor, Chemistry Andrew Wig, PhD - Professor, Physics, Engineering Ellen Ziliak, PhD - Dean of Faculty, Professor, Mathematics Abstract BenSTEMS is a National Science Foundation SSTEM-funded project designed to support academically talented, low-income, and Pell-eligible students pursuing degrees in the mathematical, computational, and physical sciences at Benedictine University. The program combines scholarships with evidence-based academic, mentoring, and community-building interventions to improve student retention, success, and graduation rates. This presentation will provide an overview of the project, including student eligibility, cohort-based programming, academic support, and professional development activities. We will share insights from our planning year, including student participation, early outcomes, and lessons learned. Particular attention will be given to efforts aimed at strengthening students' sense of belonging and STEM identity. We will also discuss challenges encountered, program refinements informed by first-year data, and plans for future years of the grant. Thursday, Sept. 24 12:20-1:20 p.m. Goodwin 321 Link to Access Teams Stream: Click Here

Reviews

Discussion