Analysis of Microbial Water Contamination, Soil Microbial Community Structure, and Soil Respiration in a...

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Undergraduate Research
• Microbiology

Background:

• First-year college students often face large classes and limited research access, leading to ~50% STEM major attrition.
• Underrepresented student populations experience even higher departure rates from STEM fields.
• The Students as Scholars (SAS) Program was developed to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve first-year undergraduate student persistence and academic success in STEM majors.
• To introduce first-year students to original research design and scholarly inquiry early in their academic careers.
• To assess the impact of a structured research program on student confidence and retention in STEM.

Main Methods:

• First-year undergraduates participated in research-intensive courses focusing on hypothesis formulation and experimental design.
• Students worked in teams on projects in ecological, biochemical, or microbiological fields, including water quality and soil salinity studies.
• Research involved primary literature review, experimental execution, data analysis (including next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics), and interpretation.

Main Results:

• SAS participants demonstrated a 15% higher persistence rate in STEM fields compared to non-SAS biology majors.
• Students perceived the research experience as challenging yet confidence-building.
• Direct mentorship from faculty and upperclassmen was positively received by first-year students.

Conclusions:

• The Students as Scholars Program effectively enhances student persistence in STEM majors.
• Early engagement in authentic research and mentorship positively impacts undergraduate STEM student development and retention.
• This model provides a scalable approach to improving undergraduate STEM education and addressing diversity gaps.