Prs15044 stem pipeline brochure web

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA SYSTEM: INFLUENCING THE TAMPA BAY REGION’S STEM TALENT PIPELINE FROM KINDERGARTEN TO COMMENCEMENT

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA IS ONE OF THE NATION’S FASTEST RISING PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES LOCATED IN THE HEART OF A RAPIDLY GROWING METROPOLITAN REGION. USF is a young university – not quite 60 years old – but with its ranking as 43rd among both public and private research universities nationwide; its $4.4 billion annual impact and its innovative and globally-engaged culture, the university has grown to become a powerful economic force. USF’s strategic plan is built first and foremost on supporting the success of its students.

Under the 15-year leadership of USF System President Judy Genshaft, the USF System has increased the number of undergraduate degrees in areas of strategic emphasis (STEM, health, education, security and globalization) by 100 percent and graduate degrees in those areas by 122 percent. In 2014-15, more than 8,000 new degrees in those disciplines were conferred. USF Research continues to set new records each year in new grants and contracts - $440,577,680 for 2014-15 – and the institution ranks 13th in the world, 10th in the United States and first in Florida in producing new U.S. patents. USF has been named an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), in recognition of its strong commitment to economic engagement.

When it comes to developing the Tampa Bay Region’s knowledge economy, the USF System is at the center of a vast and productive network of initiatives that reach far beyond its campuses. The region’s innovative future will be diverse, inclusive and multi-faceted because the work being done today to engage, empower and elevate a talented new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

The following is a sampling of many programs the USF System has created to bolster the region’s STEM talent pipeline.

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Science Mathematics Teacher Imperative (SMTI): This effort aims to transform middle and high school STEM education by preparing a new generation of world-class science and mathematics teachers.

USF’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Hillsborough County Public Schools have partnered with the mathematics education program faculty to provide coordinated research and development efforts for secondary mathematics teacher preparation programs and to embody research and best practices in the field.

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Tampa Bay Robert Noyce Master Teacher Fellows Program: This $1.2 million NSF-funded program is a partnership effort between USF, Hillsborough County Public Schools and Helios Education Foundation that provides stipends to 20 effective mathematics and science teachers who will engage in an extended teacher development program and assume leadership roles in their schools.

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Helios STEM Middle School Residency Program: Transforming STEM Teacher Preparation for the Transition Years: The Helios Education Foundation has invested more than $3 million to support

A STRONG START

the development of a new teacher education program for STEM middle school teachers to prepare middle school STEM teachers that takes into consideration middle school students’ developmental needs, curricular expectations (e.g., Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Next Generation Sunshine Standards for Science), and the content and pedagogical knowledge needed to teach

K-12 Research Focuses on High-Quality STEM Education

middle school students effectively. The effort is a collaboration between USF, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and Helios. +

USF Robert Noyce STEM Scholars Program: NSF provided $1.2 million in funding to provide stipends to 31 graduating seniors, recent graduates, and career changers who are interested in earning their teaching credentials in mathematics or science by enrolling in a one-year accelerated Masters of Arts

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in Teaching (MAT) program as a full time student. In return for this stipend, Robert Noyce STEM

Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program for USF Science Majors: This $2 million National Science

scholars will commit to teach for at least two years in one of the following school districts: Hernando,

Foundation initiative provides scholarships to majors in biology, chemistry, geosciences and physics

Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, or Sarasota.

to complete a 5-year program of studies that results in the bachelor’s degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with certification in secondary

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NASA STEM Education Constellation - Network of Evidence-Based STEM Educator Professional

science in the College of Education (the Accelerated Bachelor’s to MAT in Science Education

Development: By creating a national STEM educator professional development model capitalizing

Program, or Accelerated Program). The USF Noyce Program will also include summer internships

on NASA’s unique assets, the initiative aims to strengthen the STEM content knowledge and

in STEM education research for undergraduate freshman and sophomore science majors.

instructional skills of our nation’s teachers, thereby resulting in greater student interest and success in STEM-related courses and an increase in the national STEM workforce pipeline.

STEM/ICT Aspirants’ High School Experiences on STEM and ICT Course Taking: The NSF is funding a three-year longitudinal, multiple-method research study investigating high school STEM and

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USF College of Marine Science Oceanography Camp for Girls: Now in its 25th year, the camp was

information communications technology (ICT) course-taking for students who identified an

developed to inspire and motivate young women entering high school to consider career opportunities

interest in STEM or ICT careers as part of their eighth-grade career planning activities. The purpose

in the sciences. Each three-week program provides hands-on, real-world experiences in both

of this study is to connect students’ experiences with perceptions of and thoughts about what

laboratory and field environments. Under the interdisciplinary umbrella of oceanography, participants

influences rigorous STEM/ICT course-taking with patterns found among larger student groups and the

are directly involved in disciplines in which women and minorities are most often underrepresented:

larger structures that shape STEM/ICT course-taking. The overarching goal of this study is to identify

chemistry, geology, physics, engineering and mathematics. More than 900 girls have participated in

specific points where targeted interventions have the potential to increase STEM/ICT course-taking

the camp, one-quarter of whom have pursued STEM-focused disciplines.

and persistence, particularly among populations who are underrepresented in STEM/ICT careers.

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Florida Institute of Oceanography Teachers at Sea: The FIO, a consortium of statewide marine research

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interests hosted at USF, provides opportunities for high school science teachers to accompany

middle and high school students from across the Tampa Bay Region to submit original inventions

professors on research vessels and broadcast lessons ship-to-shore.

and present in front of a panel of distinguished judges that include patent attorneys, Home Shopping Network executives and the inventors of major technologies. In addition to cash prizes and assistance

USF National Society of Black Engineers: Chapter members provided weekly on campus tutoring

in patenting the winning technologies, past winners have gone on to feature their inventions on the

for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged K-12 students in the USF Urban Scholars

Today show and NBC’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Outreach Program. +

Tampa’s Middleton High School: USF College of Engineering Professor Kingsley Reeves (Industrial and Management Systems Engineering) teaches two on-campus courses for students enrolled at Middleton Magnet High School STEM program and offers dual enrollment for students who have advanced math abilities that exceed high school course offerings.

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NSF Research Experiences for Teachers - Water Awareness Research and Education: This initiative is led by College of Engineering professors and creates a five-week summer research experience for Hillsborough County School District and pre-service teachers with a significant enrollment of underrepresented minority students. The effort integrates new STEM content and methods into classroom practices.

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USF BULLS-EYE (Engineering Youth Experience) Mentoring Program: USF College of Engineering received a grant from the Motorola Foundation to partner with Hillsborough County Public Schools to establish a STEM mentoring program for 48 rising fifth and sixth graders transitioning into an ongoing STEM pipeline at Bartels Middle School. The program employs 12 African-American and Hispanic engineering students as peer mentors and instructors for the summer sessions.

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Engineering Expo: USF’s College of Engineering students each spring host the Expo to educate K-12 students on the importance of math, science, engineering and technology within their lives.

Engineering Expo is a free event and a unique opportunity to meet and talk with Tampa Bay’s local engineers and engineering student organizations. Expo features hands on exhibits and shows that help encourage more students to pursue fields in science and mathematics.

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USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Education Partnership with Bayhaven School of Basics Plus: For the past two years, USF Sarasota-Manatee has joined the elementary school in hosting Math Connections Day. USFSM analyzes the students’ math performance data for grades K-2 and then drafts engaging activities that specifically address Bayhaven students’ needs.

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USF Young Innovators Competition: Now in its eighth year, the competition encourages elementary,

STEM Funders Network’s National STEM Ecosystems Initiative: Tampa is one of 27 communities in the initial cohort of a national Community of Practice which have demonstrated cross-sector collaborations to deliver rigorous, effective preK-16 instruction in STEM learning. These collaborations happen in schools and beyond the classroom—in afterschool and summer programs, at home, in science centers, libraries and other places both virtual and physical. Launched in Denver at the Clinton Global Initiative, the STEM Funders Network STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative will form a national Community of Practice with expert coaching and support from leaders such as superintendents, scientists, industry and others. The first gathering of this Community of Practice will be hosted at the White House in November.

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USF St. Petersburg & St. Petersburg Science Festival: The annual St. Petersburg Science Festival is a regional celebration where families and the public can explore the wonders of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Held on the campus of USF St. Petersburg, the festival is a collaboration of more than 60 leading university departments, government agencies, and private partners, many of whom are part of the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, a consortium of research organizations that employ more than 1,400 marine scientists in St. Petersburg.

ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT

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USF-Community College Partnerships: A 2011 agreement guarantees students from Hillsborough Community College, Pasco-Hernando Community College and St. Petersburg College admittance to USF. They also will get preferential admission to certain upper-division programs.

Creating Pathways to STEM Degree Programs +

USF College of Nursing-Hillsborough Community College Partnership: The two institutions now offer an accelerated nursing degree that allows students to simultaneously enroll in HCC’s associate degree in nursing (ASN) and USF College of Nursing’s bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN).

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USF Pre-College Summer Programs: The pre-college experience encourages participation for high school students to attend academic programs on the USF Tampa campus in an academicallyfocused environment. Programs include biomedical engineering, business technology, game design and science and medicine academy. A four-week “STEM for Scholars” program immerses students in mathematics; computer science; 3D-visualization; and legged robotics. The STEM Education Center in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers challenging educational programs for gifted high school students, providing them with a deeper understanding of the various STEM fields.

Through exploration and research of the methods and applications of mathematics, computer science, the physical and biological sciences, as well as technological innovations and inventions are presented.

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JPMorgan Chase-Florida Center for Cybersecurity “New Skills at Work”: A partnership between the USF-hosted Florida Center for Cybersecurity and JPMorgan Chase has created new pathways for military veterans to receive fast-track training in cybersecurity to qualify for jobs in this in-demand field. Beginning in 2016, 20 student veterans who will participate in 24 weeks of fast-paced training in networking, programming, network operations, and

USF Area Health Education Center: USF AHEC encourages the next generation of health care professionals

security. Students will graduate with an

by providing opportunities for middle and high school students to learn about health care careers.

undergraduate certificate, multiple industry

AHEC also works with current medical students to introduce them to the rewards and challenges

certifications and will also gain hands-on

of working with the medically needy. AHEC Health Professions Summer Academy is a two-week

industry experience through 12-week

residential academic program intended to increase the college preparation skills of high school

internships. Graduates of this program

students interested in health careers such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physical

will be able to work full time in entry-

therapy, allied health, and public health.

level analyst roles while pursuing their

USF’s College of Engineering’s partnership in Florida Advanced Technological Education (FLATE) Center: In 2012, this NSF Center of Excellence in manufacturing at Hillsborough Community College was awarded an unprecedented third round of center-level funding for an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) regional center of excellence. The three-year, $2.8 million grant allows FLATE to further support manufacturing and technical education in Florida. FLATE focuses on building capacity in college programs and their feeder secondary programs; strengthens industry buy-in for employing credentialed degree graduates; and aligning industry credential requirements to academics.

undergraduate degree online or part time.

THE USF SYSTEM STRATEGIC PRIORITY:

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Undergraduate Research Colloquium: At USF, undergraduate research is broadly defined as a project that enables individual students or groups of students to pose or work from a defined research question, apply methods of inquiry to generate findings, and share the findings with others through presentation and publication. Each year, the university sets new records in the number of students and projects engaged in undergraduate research. Several high-profile research projects - including a 2013 breakthrough by USF chemists in creating a more efficient, less expensive and reusable

Student Success in STEM

material for carbon dioxide capture and separation – began as undergraduate research projects. USF also hosts several National Science Foundation Research for Undergraduates opportunity each year in such fields as applied physics, alternative energy and sensor engineering. +

Systemic Transformation of Evidence-based Education Reform: This recent $2.975 million award from the NSF seeks to transform the culture of STEM departments in research universities by rewarding the adoption of evidence-based teaching strategies by faculty and graduate students, with a special

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Florida for a five-year, $1.2 million grant to develop and implement a summer STEM Academy

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focus on the needs of under-represented groups and students transferring from community colleges.

USF STEM Academy: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has selected the University of South +

enrichment program for entering first-year students. A cohort of 120 students completed the

International University. The universities, in three of Florida’s largest metropolitan areas and

inaugural program in August 2015 and spent a week experiencing various STEM programs and

collectively serving about half of the students in the State University System, award nearly half

working with graduate student mentors. Many of the students are now living on campus in a STEM

of all of Florida’s degrees in areas of strategic emphasis, including STEM degrees. Through this

Living Learning Community that will continue to support and mentor them in their challenging studies.

consortium, the universities will share best practices, policies and programs to provide maximized career-readiness, particularly among under-represented and limited-income students. Examples

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Partners with University of South Florida to Create University Center of

include enhanced predictive analytics to better track students’ degree progress, more targeted

Exemplary Mentoring, 2014: The University of South Florida is celebrating a major academic

support through mentors and advisors, and closer partnerships with local companies to open up more

achievement with its selection by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to house one of just five University

internship or practicum opportunities. The universities also will explore ways to maximize efficiencies

Centers of Exemplary Mentoring. Sloan chose USF based on its track record for educating

by sharing resources such as software programs or student tracking systems to continue upward

underrepresented minority graduate students in STEM disciplines, particularly in marine science

trends in student retention, completion and career placement.

and engineering. The new partnership, which comes with a three-year grant of $630,000, aims to help USF expand outreach to these students and support them through professional development.

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The Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Universities: USF, the University of Central Florida and Florida

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Florida TEAm (Targeted Educational Attainment) Grants: As part of an ambitious effort to align university

USF is the only university in Florida to receive this recognition, and the only non-AAU institution

and college degrees with the state’s workforce needs, Florida’s Board of Governors awarded $8.5

included nationwide, joining Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State

million to the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities (USF, UCF and FIU) to

University and University of Iowa. Together the five UCEM awards total $4.7 million.

address education gaps in the areas of information technology and accounting. The consortium was granted $4.9 million for an Urban University Coalition Response to Florida Computer Information

USF SMART Lab: At USF’s Library, a learning laboratory for math and science courses utilizes best

Technology Workforce Needs and $3.6 million for an Innovative and Collaborative Approach to

research-based practices for teaching and learning. The Lab is staffed by faculty and instructional

Increasing the Supply of Quality Accounting Graduates in Florida.

staff who provide on-demand personalized assistance. In addition to the learning materials that are accessible at the lab and through the Internet, the SMART Lab provides students with the

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USF College of Engineering Design for X Laboratory: The Laboratory provides a collaborative, fun

opportunity to receive one-on-one help from tutors, teaching assistants and/or instructors. Nationwide

environment for undergraduate students to safely pursue meaningful multidisciplinary engineering

some college math courses, in particular College Algebra, have a reputation for having high failure

projects that expand their creative design and project management skills. The project teams are

rates, sometimes as high as 60 percent. At USF a redesigned pilot college algebra class combined

made up of engineering students, with opportunity to collaborate with non-engineering students,

with SMART Lab support has lowered the failure rate to 18 percent.

under the guidance of supportive faculty. Through these projects, students gain experience with team work and industry design and safety procedures.

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BEST @ USF: The Bulls Engineering Success Training (BEST) program provides selected undergraduate

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USF Muma College of Business Information Systems Decision Sciences Practice Center: USF information

students in the College of Engineering an interdisciplinary industry-based capstone design experience.

system students work on projects for corporate partners including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and 3M.

BEST students complete an industry-contributed project in two semesters, earning class credit, valuable

Students benefit from working on projects for industry, while gaining valuable experience, and earning

real-world skills and an opportunity to be mentored by leading industry figures.

stipends and credits. To date, 30 projects have produced $500,000 in revenue for the university and on-the-job experience for about 50 students.

USF Muma College of Business Executive Advisory Committee: The EAC is a group of executives and business leaders, largely from the C-suite and including leading regional technology companies and knowledge

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USF Sarasota-Manatee & Mote Marine Laboratory Partnership: USFSM and Mote’s collaboration allows for

economy industries, who provide advice to the dean and input on planning new programs to better align

joint appointments for Mote researchers to serve as USFSM faculty and will allow USFSM faculty and

curriculum and training with industry needs and expectations. A separate 18-member industry advisory

students to work closely with Mote staff on the research programs and initiatives. The Mote-USFSM

committee serves the college’s Information Systems Decision Sciences Department.

partnership links the growing USFSM undergraduate science degree programs with both innovative basvic research and applied science and technology programs taking place at Mote.

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NSF I-Corps at the University of South Florida: NSF I-Corps is a public-private partnership program that teaches university entrepreneurs with a targeted curriculum to identify valuable product opportunities that can emerge from academic research and offers entrepreneurship training to participants. I-Corps Sites will provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace.

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USF College of Pharmacy/CoreRx, Inc., Partnership: In 2013, the researchbased drug development firm received support from the Florida High Tech Corridor to bolster the training needed to prepare students for innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. USF’s existing partnership with CoreRx offers the university’s Doctor of Pharmacy students internships with hands-on training and teaching by CoreRX scientists. Students learn firsthand the industry’s drugmaking and delivery process.

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Student Innovation Incubator: Nearly 50 student-led companies have been selected for residency in USF’s Student Innovation Incubator, where start-ups benefit from services and mentorship of 200 CEOs willing to help the next

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

generation of entrepreneurs. This student-driven, university-supported business incubator turns students’ business ideas into reality and provides access to collaborative office spaces and community corporate partners. +

USF CONNECT: USF Connect is the university’s business and economic development initiative that provides support for technology start-ups and serves as the point of entry for companies looking to do business with USF. USF Connect drives economic development through several programs including the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator, Student Innovation Incubator and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s Matching Grants Research Program

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USF-Tampa Bay WaVE Partnership: With two rounds of funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, USF and Tampa Bay WaVe have partnered to launch and support the FirstWaVE Venture Center in downtown Tampa. The effort has enabled 94 startup companies to participate in the accelerator program, raise $12.6 million in outside capital, and create and retain 337 new jobs.