Dr. Barbara Kramer, Professor of Chemistry and Director of STEM Talent Expansion Programs, was recently awarded nearly $500,000 in National Science Foundation grant money for the continuation of the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MOLSAMP) at Truman. MOLSAMP is specifically designed to diversify the nation’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce by increasing the number of graduates that are historically underrepresented in these disciplines. The partnership, which began in 2015, includes a coalition of public and private universities statewide: Harris-Stowe State University, University of Missouri-Columbia, Lincoln University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University, Missouri State University, University of Central Missouri, St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Sciences, and Truman. The end goal is to double the number of undergraduate minorities graduating in STEM in the state.
Each campus uses the grant money in a unique way, playing to their needs and strengths. Major research institutions like the University of Missouri and Washington University focus on undergraduate research and offer summer opportunities to students in the program. Truman’s focus has been on intentional academic advising and retention, and since its inception, sixty Truman students have had some active participation, and the University has seen an increase in the number of minority students in STEM degrees. The new grant will help fund more collaboration with partner institutions and provide stipends for students between $1,000 and $2,000 so that they can attend more in-person activities as well as utilize online resources.
Dr. Kramer believes the community aspect is the most valuable. Students attend workshops, conferences (on the state and national levels), and work together with other underrepresented students in STEM fields. There is also an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium sponsored by MOLSAMP where scholars from all the partner schools present their research in poster sessions. Kramer said, “Having the community that MOLSAMP builds for them is making a difference, not just at Truman but as they enter graduate school or industry.”