Project Abstracts

for Fiscal Year 2020

Promoting Postbaccalaureate 

Opportunities for Hispanic Americans 

(PPOHA) Program
1

PR/Award # P031M200076

University of St. Thomas Houston (TX) $600,000.00 Pipelines and Pathways

Project (HPPP) proposes development and pilot of a new, industry-approved

master’s program. The MS in Industrial and Process Chemistry will be offered 

online, or classroom based. PPOHA funds will expand the postbaccalaureate 

academic offerings and enhance program quality at UST, a designated Hispanicserving institution. This program will expand educational opportunities at the 

graduate level and improve the academic attainment of Hispanic and low- income 

students completing postsecondary degrees.

Project meets Competitive Preference Priority One and the 

Invitational Priority: As part of a collaboration with University of HoustonDowntown (UHD), an eligible Hispanic- serving institution, UST will create a 

pipeline from UHD’s STEM Scholars program to the MS degree plan in 

Industrial and Process Chemistry. An external advisory board consisting of

professionals in the chemical, petrochemical and oil and gas industries has approved 

the program curriculum for accreditation of the program by the National 

Professional Science Master’s Association. UST faculty have aligned the needs of 

business and industry with the training and curricular needs of students that will 

enter a variety of STEM career options. This program will establish a PSM graduate 

degree program in Industrial and Process Chemistry. It is aligned with industry 

needs and will prepare students for entry into a variety of STEM career options.

A full-time Pathways for Professional Careers Manager will conduct 

corporate and industry outreach to establish on-going internship opportunities for 

students in this program. The Pathways Manager will conduct outreach in person 

with industries in the greater Houston metropolitan area, and via phone and skype 

for students participating in the online program from a geographical distance. A 

Transition Support Services Coordinator will support students coming directly to 

the master’s program following college/university graduation to make the 

challenging transition to graduate coursework a successful transition. The Support 

Services Coordinator will be trained to provide wrap-around services for the 

Hispanic and low-income graduate students, including proactive counseling

focused on the best practices from Bettinger and Baker’s coaching theory (2011), a 

theory proven effective and meeting evidence of “moderate evidence of 

effectiveness” by the IES What Works Clearinghouse.

A Graduation to Graduate School Guide will provide support and counseling 

to graduates coming from UHD’s STEM Scholars Academy to the UST program. 

Activities will also include classroom and online course design and pilot delivery, 

creation of tutorial modules, and student enrichment and lab visits to familiarize 

themselves with the professional chemistry industry.
2

The HPPP program will also upgrade scientific equipment in the UST chemistry 

labs. Each year, funds will be allocated for postbaccalaureate research fellowships 

and scholarships for Hispanic and low-income students enrolling at UST. This 

program will be directed by Dr. John Palasota, who previously served as Project 

Director on several successful Department of Education grants. UHD partner Dr. 

Mary Jo Parker, Director of the UHD STEM Scholars Academy will serve as the 

Graduation to Graduate School Guide. The program will be evaluated by an 

independent professional evaluator and member of the American Evaluation

Association.

Total number of students served by this project: By September 2024, at 

least 1,144 students will utilize grant services, training, and programs. During the 

grant, at least 565 students will enroll in courses, and at least 219 students will 

graduate with the MS in Industrial and Process Chemistry degree. The Federal 

cost for each participant in this proposal project is an average $542 per student 

per year.
3

PR/Award # P031M200019

University of California, Santa Cruz (CA) $599,867.00 proposes for this Title V 

Part B program GANAS (Graduating and Advancing New American Scholars), 

a project aimed at increasing the readiness of Latina/o students from UCSC and 

California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to apply and succeed in 

graduate programs. The GANAS Project includes interventions strategically 

positioned to overcome institutional barriers that impede Latina/o graduate student 

preparation, retention, advancement to candidacy, and completion. This will be 

accomplished through eight project activities under two areas of focus:

• Graduate Student Pipeline Interventions

o Activity 1: Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

o Activity 2: Navigating Graduate School Application Process Course.

o Activity 3: Careers in the Creative Economy Course - Pathways 

to Graduate Degrees in the Arts.

• Graduate Degree Completion Programs

o Activity 4: Financial Planning/Literacy, Holistic, and Basic Needs

Counselor.

o Activity 5: Doctoral Summer Bridge Program.

o Activity 6: VOCES Graduate Student Writing Center.

o Activity 7: Graduate Student First-Year Experience Course: 

Induction to the Discipline through Collective Learning.

o Activity 8: Latina/o Teacher Credential and Master's Degree Initiative.

The measurable objectives established for the project are:

Objective 1: By Sept. 30, 2024, Increase the number of Latina/o a graduate 

student enrolled at UCSC by 35%.

Objective 2: By Sept. 30, 2024, Increase Latina/o graduate students’ 

writing proficiency by 3 percentage points.

Objective 3: By Sept. 30, 2024, Increase Latina/o graduate students’ 

sense of belonging to UCSC by 12%.

Objective 4: By Sept. 30, 2024, Increase graduate degree completion for 

Latina/o, low - income, and graduate students of color by 3 percentage 

points.