This paper describes how the College of Engineering at Boise State University utilized a National Science Foundation S-STEM award from 2011 to 2016 to support transfer students in their path toward graduation. The need for this support was a result of both Boise State University College of Engineering’s transition from a 2-year pre-engineering program to the establishment of Bachelors of Science in Engineering Degree programs in 1997 as well as the establishment of the College of Western Idaho as a regional community college in 2007. Both of these factors led to an increase in the numbers of incoming engineering students transferring from other institutions of higher education to complete their degree. These students were generally ineligible for most Boise State University scholarship programs which are mainly aimed toward students entering college directly from high school.
In this paper we describe how our program connected transfer students with university staff, faculty and resources. To date, this program has a 100% retention rate, with the exception of one student on an official leave of absence, and a projected 100% graduation rate with 91% of the students already graduated. In addition, approximately 22% of scholarship graduates are pursuing graduate degrees.
Lynn Olson, P.E, is the Advising Coordinating in the College of Engineering at Boise State. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University in 1995. She began her engineering consulting career with T-O Engineers (formerly Toothman-Orton Engineering) in Boise in 1997. In fall of 2011 she joined the staff of the College of Engineering at Boise State.. Since that time she has worked as an adjunct faculty teaching Introduction to Engineering and in 2012 took over as Scholarship Program Coordinator for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the College of Engineering. She has been actively involved with the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers since 2003 serving as Southwest Chapter and State President and currently serves as the Idaho Regional Director to the National Society of Professional Engineers. Lynn volunteers with both the MATHCOUNTS and Future City programs promoting math, science and engineering to 6th-8th grade students.
Amy J. Moll is a Professor in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University. Moll received her B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering from University of Illinois, Urbana in 1987. Her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are in Materials S
Doug Bullock is Professor of Mathematics at Boise State University and is currently serving as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. His educational research interests include impacts of pedagogy on STEM student success and retention.
Dr. Sondra M. Miller is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering within the College of Engineering at Boise State University. Miller earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa. Her educational research interests are focused on methods to attract and retain women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.
Amit Jain is the Chair of the Computer Science Department at Boise State University. He was the lead for the IDoCode project that helped to embed high quality computer science in Idaho high schools. The IDoCode project was funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. He serves on the statewide Governor's working group that has developed Computer Science standards for Idaho K-12 schools. He is also the lead on the CS Professionals Hatchery project, a $2 million dollar project funded by the National Science Foundation to serve as an exemplar on how to revolutionize the undergraduate CS experience. He has received over $6 million in grants and awards over the last five years from various state-level and national-level organizations as well as from industry. Previously, he has also served as the Chief Scientist for Balihoo, a local startup in Boise, Idaho. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida and a B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
Janet Callahan is the Chair of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University. Dr. Callahan received her Ph.D. in Materials Science, M.S. in Metallurgy, and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. Her educational research interests include materials science, freshman engineering programs, math education, and retention and recruitment of STEM majors.
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