Pennsylvania State University
PAE-9: Support Programs for Future Faculty

Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/diversity/srop.html SROP is an eight-week research program designed to interest talented undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in academic careers and to enhance their preparation for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors. In addition to the research experience, the program includes professional development workshops, seminars, field trips, and social activities. Each year, the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs works in partnership with the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) to host twenty-five to forty students participating in the SROP. During the summer, students work with faculty mentors in the academic fields for which they might pursue graduate work. Each student also prepares a major paper on his or her research project for presentation at the Penn State SROP Symposium. In addition to SROP activities at Penn State, students attend the CIC SROP National Conference, where they participate in round table discussions to talk about their research and to learn about the work of SROP students at the other CIC institutions. Penn State Sloan Scholars http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/diversity/sloanfellows.html The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provides funding for underrepresented students to pursue doctorates in mathematics, science, and engineering. The Sloan Scholars Program specifically targets African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans. Faculty members who have proven track records in graduating underrepresented students from their doctoral programs are selected each year to mentor incoming fellows. Penn State SOLID (an SbeS [Glass] Member) http://www.ssri.psu.edu/agep/ Penn State has received a two-year grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and enhance programs for the improved recruitment, mentoring, and retention of African American, Hispanic, and Native American graduate students in the social and behavioral sciences and economics (SBE). Penn State received this Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professorate (AGEP) program award in partnership with Northwestern University; Ohio State University; Temple University; University of Chicago; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and University of Wisconsin, Madison. Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate http://www.neagep.org/ Penn State is a member of The Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP), which is one of 26 NSF-funded Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) programs in the US. The goal of the NEAGEP is to increase the number of domestic students receiving doctoral degrees and entering the professoriate in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Professional Development Opportunities http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/diversity/prodev.html The Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs in concert with the Graduate School and the academic colleges sponsor professional development opportunities for underrepresented graduate students. These workshops, seminars and conferences are intended to address issues that may not be addressed in the academic units that can serve as barriers to students’ academic success. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend national and regional conferences in their academic fields; funding is available to help underrepresented students travel to professional conferences when they are presenting their research. The McNair Scholars Program http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/diversity/mcnair.html is one of 180 such programs nationwide. First established in 1989 and named after Dr. Ronald E. McNair, this program is designed to help prepare talented undergraduates to enter graduate school and to receive their doctoral degree. McNair Scholars are presented with opportunities to study and do research in the University's state-of-the-art facilities in order to hone those skills required for success in doctoral education and they participate regularly in a variety of academic support and professional development activities designed to prepare them for graduate education and beyond. Compact for Faculty Diversity Penn State participates by sending two of our multicultural directors each year to recruit faculty members for Penn State and we send several doctoral students in their final year of study to the Institutio on Teaching and Mentoring through our SBE(GLASS) grant (see above).