U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

Institutional Service

Washington, DC 20006-8517

Project Abstracts for 

New Grantees - FY 2011

Funded under Title III, Part E: 

Minority Science and 

Engineering Improvement 

Program (MSEIP)

(CFDA Number: 84.120 A)
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Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) 

FY 2011 Project Abstracts

CFDA: 84.120A

Page

Introduction 3

ABSTRACTS 

CA Charles R. Drew University of Medicine And Science 4

CA California State University, Bakersfield 5

DC University of The District of Columbia 6

FL Miami Dade College – InterAmerican Campus 7

GA Paine College 8

NC Elizabeth City State University 9

PR University of Puerto Rico – Arecibo Campus 10

PR University of Puerto Rico at Humacao 11

TX Texas A & M International University 12

TX Houston Community College 13

TX The University of Texas at Brownsville 14

TX The University of Texas at El Paso 15
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Introduction

The purpose of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) is to effect long-range 

improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions and to increase the 

flow of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and technological 

careers. MSEIP supports the Federal Government’s efforts to improve and expand the scientific and 

technological capacity of the United States to support its technological and economic competitiveness. This 

program also addresses President Obama’s three overarching priorities for science, technology, engineering, and 

technology (STEM) education:

1. Increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, technology, engineering, and math; 

2. Improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by 

students in other nations; and

3. Expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and 

minorities.

Additionally, MSEIP supports the Secretary of Education’s project activities in areas of greatest educational 

need.

The specific objectives of MSEIP include the following: (a) to improve access of minority students in 

undergraduate and graduate science and engineering through community outreach programs conducted through 

eligible minority institutions; (b) to improve in the quality of preparation of students for careers in science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate work; (c) to improve the capability of minority 

institutions for self-assessment, management, and evaluation of their science programs and dissemination of 

their results; and (d) to improve existing capabilities of minority institutions in the areas of planning and 

implementation of science and engineering programs, so they will achieve the ability to compete more 

effectively in assistance programs not specifically intended for minority groups or institutions. 

Awards under MSEIP in fiscal year 2011 are for 12 to 36 months to support three types of grants: Institutional;

Cooperative; and Special Project. Each grant type is described below. For the fiscal year 2011 MSEIP 

competition, we announced in the Federal Register Closing Date Notice published on August 3, 2011, that we 

would not award Design grants, which are planning grants, because applicants may not have funds to execute 

the plans without receiving additional funds under another fiscal year.

Institutional grants support the implementation of a comprehensive science improvement plan, which may 

include any combination of activities for improving the preparation of minority students, particularly 

minority women, for careers in science. 

Cooperative grants assist groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities working together to 

conduct a science improvement program. Any nonprofit accredited college or university may participate in 

a cooperative grant; however, the fiscal agent must be an eligible minority institution.

Special grants are designed to assist minority institutions with activities that improve the quality of training 

in science and engineering at minority institutions or enhance the minority institution’s general scientific 

research capabilities. A Special grant may be given to any applicant supporting activities that provide a 

needed service to a group of eligible minority institutions. Special grants may also be used to provide inservice training for project directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority institutions.

MSEIP supports pre-college STEM programs (K-12), tutoring for pre-college and college students in STEM 

fields, faculty development for STEM faculty, STEM curriculum development, renovation of STEM 

labs/classrooms, stipends for eligible program participants, and a wide range of activities designed to increase 

minority STEM graduates. As the nation’s population becomes more diverse, it is important that the educational 

and training of all Americans are met so that our nation remains a global technological leader. Increasing the 

participation of these students in the proposed activities is critical to broadening diversity in the sciences and 

enhancing the nation’s technological and economic competitiveness. This paper summarizes the abstracts 

for 12 new awards funded under the fiscal year 2011 appropriation.
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CHARLES R. DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE

State: California

PR Award Number: P120A110091

Grant Type: Institutional

Increasing STEM Success among At-Risk and Foster Youth (I-STEM) Program

Abstract

The Increasing (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ) STEM Success among At-Risk and 

Foster Youth (I-STEM) Program is a laboratory-based intervention designed specifically for high school 

students from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds (including 

women) who are at risk for retention with special attention to and preference for foster and minority youth.

The overarching I-STEM objective of increasing the numbers of these students, 10th through 12th grade, who 

successfully access and complete college in STEM fields drives the five specific goals of the program:

1) Build the high school student’s skill, interest and knowledge base needed for successful transition 

from at-risk status into undergraduate status, optimally in a STEM major;

2) Provide an environment of high achievement amidst a university culture of scholarship in the life 

and health sciences;

3) Provide a scholastic and research immersion experience, with tutors and mentors in addition to a 

corps of dedicated program curriculum teachers;

4) Develop the students’ sense of belonging to an extended and reliable university academic family; 

and

5) Raise expectations and self-efficacy for students’ personal and professional achievement.

Over the nine-month academic year, meeting three days per week during non-regular school hours, the program 

will each year accept 100 at-risk students, in four sections of 25 students each, and immerse them in a carefully 

crafted and highly structured curriculum composed of three major components: didactic instruction on various 

scientific topics, hands-on, integrated laboratory experiments, and mathematics instruction and standardized 

exam practice.

The expected outcomes of the program include enhanced student grasp of scientific concepts and the ability to 

effectively apply them, pursuit and mastery of California Science Curriculum Standards through practice and 

practical experience in the laboratory, development of skills in preparing for standardized exams, dedicated 

interest in higher learning at the college level and beyond, college admission and graduation, and, ultimately, 

successful pursuit of graduate studies and a career in a STEM field.
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, BAKERSFIELD

State: California

PR Award Number P120A110050

Grant Type: Institutional

Filling Essential Gaps in the High Needs San Joaquin Valley STEM Degree Pathways

Abstract

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) currently enrolls over 6,000 undergraduates, over 51 percent 

are underrepresented minorities and 62 percent are women. CSUB is the only four-year degree granting campus 

within a 100 mile radius. Its service area includes some of the fastest growing and most economically depressed 

populations in California. CSUB’s mission includes providing equitable access to high quality, relevant 

education. However, CSUB faces many challenges in its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

(STEM) education. Retention and graduation rates are lower than other majors at CSUB and, more alarmingly, 

there are equity gaps in the first year retention rates and graduation rates among STEM students.

This project resulted from a thorough assessment of the gaps in CSUB's much needed engineering pathway that 

remain after many steps to address the magnitude of need. CSUB faculty members have identified the Calculus 

sequence as a roadblock in the engineering pathways, particularly since over 40% of incoming freshman in 2008 

required mathematic remediation. Additionally, while existing outreach and enrichment activities have begun to 

attract students, growth has been slow, particularly among underrepresented minorities and women in 

engineering degrees.

Project Goals and Objectives include:

Goal 1: Develop a new, high-quality Calculus sequence for the engineering programs that is consistent with the 

principles of modern, more accessible engineering education and meets accreditation standards.

Goal 2: To develop an Engineering Enrichment and Outreach Program to increase the participation and 

degree completion rates of underrepresented minorities and women.

Objective 1: To increase participation and completion of the Calculus sequence, with underrepresented 

minorities and women equitably represented relative to total enrollment.

Objective 2: To increase the participation and retention rates among CSUB engineering cohorts participating 

in the project, with the equity gap 100 percent eliminated. Through focused and targeted programming and 

services developed through this project, it is believed that this objective is obtainable.

MSEIP Competitive Preference Priorities How Project Addresses Priorities

(1) Increasing the number and proportion of high-need 

students who persist in and complete college or other 

postsecondary education and training.

(2) Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), 

analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, 

including data on program participant outcomes, in 

accordance with privacy requirements, in the 

following priority area: Improving postsecondary 

student outcomes relating to enrollment, persistence, 

and completion and leading to career success.

(3) Applications from institutions that have not 

received a MSEIP grant within five years prior to this 

competition.

(1) The proposed project contains components which 

promote the participation and support the retention 

and degree progress of underrepresented minorities 

and women. Particularly, the project addresses the 

roadblock in the Calculus sequence that leads to 

stalled degree progress and enriches the engineering 

pathway with engaging, hands-on projects and peer 

mentoring.

(2) Evaluating both objectives 1 and 2 will require 

extensive quantitative and qualitative data gathering 

and analysis. Periodic assessment will be conducted 

to see if the project is improving participation, 

retention and degree progress, with outcomes for 

project participants compared to matched peer 

groups.

(3) CSUB has not received a MSEIP grant.
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UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

State: District of Columbia

PR Award Number: P120A110052

Grant Type: Institutional

Pathways to a STEM Baccalaureate and Beyond (STEM Pathways) at the 

University of the District of Columbia

Abstract

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is an urban land-grant institution and the only public 

university in the nation’s capital. The university offers associate, baccalaureate, masters, and professional 

degrees through its six colleges and schools, including the new UDC Community College. UDC’s serves a 

student population that is approximately 80 percent underrepresented minorities (this includes approximately 27

percent who did not report) and approximately 60 percent female in a city that is majority underrepresented 

minority. 

Goals: Create inviting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) associate’s degree pathways 

that lead efficiently to a STEM baccalaureate; establish the “STEM Academic Fitness Community” to provide 

support and developmental activities that invite and enable underprepared students to achieve full academic 

success in STEM; grow a community of STEM faculty focused on and equipped to improve STEM student 

learning. 

Outcomes: We expect this program will significantly improve minority student success in college level STEM 

courses; significantly increase student engagement and reduce STEM attrition prior to their sophomore year; and 

significantly increase the number and proportion of underrepresented minority women and men at UDC who 

successfully complete STEM baccalaureates in 6 or fewer years, en route to STEM-based careers or graduate 

study. 

Contributions to Practice:

1) A model one-year math program that prepares students to thrive in Calculus; and

2) A model learning community for under-prepared students that significantly improves college skills, 

academic success, retention, and graduation in STEM.
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MIAMI DADE COLLEGE – INTERAMERICAN CAMPUS

State: Florida

PR Award Number P120A110020

Grant Type: Institutional

Organized Approaches for Success in Science (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) 

STEM OASIS)

Abstract

Miami Dade College (MDC) InterAmerican Campus requests $645,138 from the U.S. Department of Education, 

Office of Postsecondary Education, under the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program to 

implement an institutional project: Organized Approaches for Success in Science (STEM OASIS). The goal 

of this three-year project is to engage high-need minority students in the study of science and improve the 

critical skills necessary for them to persist and earn a STEM degree, using a variety of strategies. The project 

will also enable collection of high-quality and timely data for improving postsecondary student outcomes related 

to persistence in and completion of STEM degree programs. 

STEM OASIS focuses on minority students, especially women, assisting them in earning an MDC Associate in 

Arts degree in a STEM concentration in two years and subsequently transferring to a STEM Bachelor of Science 

degree program, also at MDC. 

The objectives for meeting the goal of STEM OASIS project are:

1) Faculty development and implementation of science inquiry pedagogy in STEM courses as a 

strategy to promote student engagement in science; 

2) A 20 percent increase in retention through incorporation of peer-to-peer STEM learning as a means 

to develop problem-solving skills, persistence, success, confidence, and leadership skills in STEM 

courses; 

3) Engagement of 10 students in targeted undergraduate research in order to build and improve STEM 

skills critical for advancement; and 

4) Establishment of a student-led STEM community-building platform through which students can 

form connections and remain engaged with STEM and successfully transfers to the Bachelor of 

Science program in a STEM field at MDC. 

Funding from the U.S. Department of Education will be used for faculty development, student peer-to-peer 

learning stipends, project staff salaries, educational materials, and travel. MDC demonstrates its commitment to 

STEM OASIS with institutional contributions in the form of personnel costs, facilities, and administrative 

resources.
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PAINE COLLEGE

State: Georgia

PR Award Number P120A110059

Grant Type: Institutional

Innovation in Quantitative Literacy for the Improvement of 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Abstract

The overarching goals of this Institutional Project are to: Develop mathematical skills of Paine College students 

to improve their overall performance in STEM courses; Increase the pass rates of students in College Algebra 

and other required mathematics courses for STEM majors; Facilitate the progression of STEM majors from the 

freshman to the sophomore level; Increase students’ retention in the STEM majors at Paine College; and 

Develop students’ quantitative and analytical skills so that they are better prepared for pursuing advanced 

degrees in science and engineering or careers in the STEM workforce. 

Proposed objectives and activities to achieve these goals are arranged in three components:

1) Pre-matriculation activities (Summer Enrichment Program); 

2) Curriculum revision; and 

3) Student retention and development. 

The overall objective of the summer enrichment program is to give the program participants (incoming Paine 

College freshmen) opportunities to develop mathematical skills with the goal of improving their preparedness 

for college algebra and other core mathematics courses. The second component of this project involves the 

restructuring of STEM curriculum. in order to enhance and update the content, activities, laboratory exercises 

and pedagogical methods, particularly in mathematics courses, in order to create a learning environment that is 

stimulating, interactive, hands-on, as well as meaningful and useful for students at Paine. Retention activities 

(the third component) involve a mentoring program (Learning Communities) and opportunities to conduct 

summer and academic year laboratory research with STEM faculty, and present findings at scientific 

conferences. 

The intellectual merit of the proposed project is that it allows the various components described to be integrated 

into a comprehensive collaborative effort that improves and increases retention and graduation rates of 

underrepresented minorities in STEM disciplines. 

The broader impact of the proposed project is at least three-fold:

1) Data collected from project participants could be used by the institution and others to inform future 

STEM curriculum and infrastructure decisions; 

2) Strategies implemented in this project could be duplicated in other non-STEM disciplines on 

campus; and 

3) Successes of this project can be disseminated to and used by other HBCUs and minority serving 

institutions to enhance their STEM programs and increase STEM graduation rates.
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ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY

State: North Carolina

PR Award Number P120A110105

Grant Type: Cooperative

Critical Thinking Through Technology 

Abstract

The proposed three-year MSEIP Project will recruit faculty from a total of twelve institutions, consisting of 

eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, one community college, one women’s 

college, and two tribal colleges for faculty development and training in the use of “Critical Thinking Through 

Technology” (CTTT) strategies in teaching STEM courses. 

The proposed project will address the growing shortage of qualified and competent STEM majors by 

strengthening course curricula through the infusion of critical thinking through technology. The partnering 

institutions are: Hampton University, Virginia; Virginia Union University, Virginia; Fayetteville State 

University, North Carolina; University of North Carolina at Pembroke, North Carolina; Dillard University, 

Louisiana; Bluefield State College, West Virginia; Medgar Evers College (CUNY), New York; Lincoln 

University, Missouri; Bennett College for Women, North Carolina; College of the Albemarle, North Carolina; 

College of the Menominee Nation, Wisconsin; and Haskell Indian Nations University, Kansas.
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UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO – ARECIBO CAMPUS

State: Puerto Rico

PR Award Number: P120A110098

Grant Type: Institutional

Enhancement of STEM Programs through Integration of Mentoring and Undergraduate 

Research Experiences

Abstract

University of Puerto Rico–Arecibo Campus (UPRA) is a public, Hispanic-Serving Institution which serves a 

predominantly low-income and first-generation student population. In this proposal, UPRA proposes to 

reinforce the knowledge base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in effective 

technologies and strategies in the teaching-learning process, mentoring, and integration of undergraduate 

research into course curricula; to enhance STEM student learning outcomes in Developmental Education (basic 

skills mathematics) and STEM core courses through intrusive peer mentor/tutoring to be offered in the STEM 

Learning Center and faculty research mentoring; and to renovate existing facilities into a state-of-the-art STEM 

Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory to enhance the experiential learning process and improve students’ basic 

quantitative, critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills by providing enriched hands on and technologicallyoriented, active learning experiences. 

Anticipated student outcomes improvements include: the freshmen to sophomore retention rates of students 

participating will increase at least five percent on an annual basis after the second year as measured against

previous years’ baseline data; targeted STEM students passing rates and grades in developmental education 

math courses and core courses will be at least five percent higher than non-participants and similar cohorts in 

previous years; and the persistence to graduation rate of the 2012 STEM freshmen cohort impacted will 

demonstrate an increase of at least five percent.
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UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT HUMACAO

State: Puerto Rico

PR Award Number: P120A110068

Grant Type: Institutional

STEM Institute: Opening doors for High School Hispanic Students 

from the Puerto Rico Easter Region

Abstract

Could the introduction of an intense, innovative and advanced STEM experience alert and motivate students 

from the high schools in the Puerto Rico Eastern Region? This answer will arrive with this project that proposes 

the creation of a (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) STEM Institute in the University of Puerto 

Rico at Humacao (UPRH) for the 2011 to 2014 periods to demonstrate its success rate with high school students 

(11th graders) from the Puerto Rico Eastern Region.

The main goal of the STEM Institute: Opening doors for High School Hispanic Students from the Puerto 

Rico Easter Region is to better prepare high school students and particularly females and students with special 

needs, for future learning in science and technology careers while creating awareness of their talent pipeline as 

the main resource for the STEM-related industries which provide employment in the Puerto Rico Eastern 

Central Region. The urgent need to prepare these high school students is demonstrated with the results from the 

Academic Performance in Science Test, administered yearly to the students by the Puerto Rico Department of 

Education, as a request from the U.S. Department of Education. The tests results show (“less than acceptable”) 

the urgent need to prepare the Puerto Rican students in science related fields. The intellectual merit of this 

project arises from the student exposure to hands-on for the innovative STEM curriculum. The implementation 

of this project will increase the percent of “Proficient” and/ or “Advanced” students in science matters and 

subsequently, their admission to college science programs.

The Chemistry Department proposes to serve and expose 144 Hispanics, low-income and special needs students 

to Science educational and research activities. A detailed and comprehensive budget is presented according 

with the science activities organized by the director and his colleagues who are committed to provide all 

necessary resources in order to successfully implement and institutionalize the educational activities of the 

project. This project will be delivered in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Regional Education Office, the 

Eastern Region schools, the industries in the UPRH service area, and the community. The Dean of Academic 

Affairs will supervise the project’s implementation and will provide the necessary support for its success.

The Assessment Plan will include formative and summative evaluations; the annual and final performance 

reports for the Dean’s approval and the submission to the U.S. Department of Education with the collaboration 

of the UPRH Assessment Office, in coordination with the assistance of the external evaluator.
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HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

State: Texas

PR Award Number: P120A110109

Grant Type: Cooperative

Astra STEM Project 

Abstract

The Astra science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Project provides a year-round continuum 

of mathematics and science-focused academic programs and supportive activities to high-need students from 

sixth grade through baccalaureate level with the goal of increasing enrollment and persistence in (STEM) fields 

of study. With the ultimate objective of increasing the number of minority women achieving STEM degrees and 

entering science and engineering careers, the project will follow each participant through the program in initial 

and subsequent years, offering support and tracking progress to evaluate impact and to enhance the program for 

improved results. The Astra STEM Project is an expansion of the cooperative’s recently established STEM 

improvement initiatives. Already forging ahead with innovative programs to increase the numbers of minorities 

enrolling and persisting in STEM-related fields, Houston Community College (HCC) and the University of St. 

Thomas (UST) will continue to build upon these goals by developing this project with a focus on minority 

female recruitment, retention and degree achievement in the STEM fields. 

The Astra STEM Project will directly serve 100 students in its initial year, tracking each student’s performance 

through subsequent years. HCC and UST track enrollment, course completions and student scores each 

academic term, therefore the evaluation of the success of the program is built into system infrastructure. HCC 

and UST will report on the change in all minority students, especially females, enrolled in engineering, 

technology, physical and biological sciences three years prior to and after the first year of this program’s 

implementation. The cooperative will also work with other local four-year institutions to report numbers of 

minority students who graduate in a STEM-related field within six years from the date of the program 

implementation.
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TEXAS A & M INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

State: Texas

PR Award Number P120A110067

Grant Type: Institutional 

STEM-Minority Outreach and Retention Enhancement (STEM-MORE)

Abstract

Texas A & M International University (TAMIU), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, proposes a Minority Science 

and Engineering Improvement Program Institutional project to establish innovative outreach and retention 

programs to increase the number of minority students, attaining science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics (STEM) degrees. 

The proposed project, STEM-Minority Outreach and Retention Enhancement, has three specific objectives:

1) Increase the number of students entering STEM majors by 20 percent each year of the program;

2) Achieve an 85 percent retention rate for project participants; and 

3) Increase the five-year graduation rate for STEM majors, currently below 30 percent, to 46 percent. 

The project’s goal will be realized through the implementation of a number of vigorous and cost-effective 

outreach and retention activities, including outreach and enrichment workshops, experiential training, 

undergraduate research experiences, student mentoring, and faculty professional development. 

Performance measures will include:

1) Increases in the number of undergraduate STEM students;

2) Increases in the retention of STEM students; and

3) Increases in the percentage of STEM students graduating within five years. 

Some of the other annual key measurable outcomes include:

a) Introducing more than 4,100 minority middle and high school students to STEM career 

opportunities;

b) Providing STEM workshops to 120 minority students; 

c) Providing 5 internships and 10 research assistantships to minority STEM students;

d) Developing a transfer agreement that builds on our current articulation agreement with the local 

community college to increase the transfer of minority students into systems engineering at 

TAMIU; 

e) Providing summer engineering design workshops to 25 minority students. 

Increasing the participation of these students in the proposed activities is critical to broadening diversity in the 

sciences and enhancing the nation’s technological and economic competitiveness.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE

State: Texas

PR Award Number P120A110083

Grant Type: Institutional 

Readiness, Recruitment, Retention, Graduation –

Four Dimensions for Achieving Hispanic Student STEM Success (R

3G=HS3

)

Abstract

The goal of this proposal is to increase by 15 percent over three years the number of graduates from the College 

of Science, Mathematics and Technology (CSMT) at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB). To achieve 

this goal, we are planning to increase the retention and graduation rate of active science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors by 15 percent per year, and at the end of the project period to 

have 60 percent of students in CSMT programs graduate within four years. The results will be disseminated 

through conferences and publications, and the proposed strategies can be replicated in other minority-serving 

institutions.

The proposal is based on our initiative R

3G=HS3

focused on improving Readiness for college-level STEM 

courses, Recruitment of local students into STEM majors, and Retention of enrolled STEM students, assisting 

them to Graduate in a timely manner, resulting in Hispanic Students STEM Success (R

3G=HS3

). Key 

components of the Initiative are to: Assist area high schools to identify and address curriculum issues that leave 

the students ill-prepared for college STEM courses; Institute region-wide outreach to community and technical 

college STEM students; Identify and remove barriers for smooth transfer from these colleges into STEM degree 

programs; Develop innovative and focused math courses to facilitate acquisition of those skills necessary for a 

STEM degree; and Implement college-wide academic support systems including student mentoring and family 

support programs.

These are all proven educational needs of our growing population of primarily first generation, low-income 

Hispanic students who are entering UTB at the developmental level and dropping out at a rate of approximately 

50 percent each semester. Thus, R

3G=HS3 will address the challenges for STEM education among minority 

institutions and among underrepresented populations.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

State: Texas

PR Award Number P120A110086

Grant Type: Institutional

The Hispanic Engineering Leadership Institute (HELI):

A Model for 21st Century Engineering Education

Abstract

With rapid growth of the Hispanic population, projected to become the minority majority (U.S. Census Bureau, 

2011), the need to tap into this underrepresented segment of the population, particularly Hispanic women and 

English Learners (ELs), is vital and calls for an innovative framework to broaden participation.

The proposed Hispanic Engineering Leadership Institute (HELI) provides such framework and The 

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a minority institution serving a largely Hispanic population in a region 

of Texas with the lowest median income, commits to an institutional project increasing the number of Hispanics, 

particularly Hispanic women and English Learners (ELs), persisting to timely graduation from undergraduate 

engineering programs and who obtain 21st century professional skills needed for a globalized workforce.

Establishing the comprehensive HELI is informed and underpinned by established research and grounded 

theories, providing the framework for student academic and professional development, with integrated 

concurrent faculty development to improve teaching and learning.

The HELI project:

1) Engages equal gender numbers and EL learners;

2) Implements Problem Based Learning (PBL) for developing student professional skills; and

3) Integrates internal and external evaluation as a feedback mechanism for improving programmatic 

institutionalization.

The project meets the clamoring demand by industry and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for 21st 

Century engineers. Importantly, it advances participation of minorities and especially women in the engineering 

workforce. Finally, the HELI project serves as an effective MSEIP STEM education model for increasing 

graduation of minority engineers who embody leadership skills and ingenuity to assume leadership roles in the 

nation’s workforce.

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