AGEP PROJECT PROFILE INFORMATION:

SUNY AGEP

(State University of New York Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate)

PI: Robert McGrath, Provost Stony Brook University 407 Administration Building Stony Brook, NY 11794-1401 (631) 632-4360 Robert.McGrath@stonybrook.edu	Program Director: David L. Ferguson, Director Chair of the Department of Technology and Society Director of the Center for Inclusive Education 347A Harriman Hall Stony Brook, NY 11794-3760 (631) 632-8763 David.Ferguson@stonybrook.edu Program Administrator: Lucy Gluck, Program Administrator 345A Harriman Hall Stony Brook, NY 11794-3760 (631) 632-9988 Lucille.Gluck@stonybrook.edu
Preferred day-to-day contact person: Nina Maung, Program Coordinator Center for Inclusive Education Melville Library E-1340 Stony Brook, NY 11794-3387 (631) 632-1384 Nina.Maung@stonybrook.edu	Primary Partners: State University of New York Doctoral Degree Granting Institutions: § University at Albany § Binghamton University § University at Buffalo Secondary Partners: § State University of New York Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (SUNY LSAMP) § Brookhaven Science Associates at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Disciplines / departments:

ALL:

• Natural/Biological Sciences
• Engineering Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Applied Sciences

• Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Website address: www.stonybrook.edu/agep

Impact nugget:

The funding of SUNY AGEP provided the impetus and resources for the formation of the National Center of Inclusive Education (CIE) housed at Stony Brook University. Located in prime space in the main library, it is

· Providing a highly visible space to publicize AGEP goals

· Helping to build a community of UREP STEM scholars

· Building regional, state, and national networks

· Using existing research for improved program design

· Promoting best practices on local, Alliance, regional, and national levels

· Getting additional funding from private sources like Peterson’s of the Thompson Corporation

· Identifying needed areas for funding, advocacy, and research

In May of 2002, the CIE was launched by a special event on the broad topic of access and success in higher education. The event attracted committed and recognized leaders of higher education and industry to Stony Brook where issues related to minority graduate education were discussed on various levels. Since then, the CIE has grown to take on a multi-faceted role in addressing issues related to inclusion and academic excellence in higher education, with an emphasis on STEM disciplines. On April 30^th of this year, the CIE will host a highly visible regional conference called “A Gathering of Science Scholars: Access for Underrepresented Students in the Biological, Engineering, and Applied Sciences”. The conference is mainly student oriented with a focus on excellent skill-building workshops. Dynamic speakers who are recognized and celebrated leaders in the country will engage the university community on focused and informative discussions in order to raise more awareness about AGEP’s goals. The response to this conference has been overwhelming, with over 15 institutions across New York State represented.

In just two years, the CIE has fostered strong regional, state, and national networks bringing solidarity across program lines towards our collective mission. Likewise, the CIE has provided a platform for the development of collaborative working relationships with other institutions that have a track record of training and placing strong minority students such as UMBC, CUNY Medgar Evers College and the New York State Collegiate Science and Technology programs at campuses across the state. The open communication and strong networks that have been fostered by the CIE will continually enhance our ability to bring about visible and valuable impact nationwide.

The CIE has articulated issues that help achieve success and provide barriers to success by collecting and disseminating information about minority graduate education. This information is being used to provide expertise that is helping to raise the capacity of academic departments and education institutions to embrace diversity while striving for academic excellence (i.e., technical assistance with grants). It has developed support services that are based on research on national best practices. This can be seen in the highly successful Community of Science Mentoring Program where dissertation level graduate students mentor pre-candidate graduate students in a very structured and closely monitored model. These mentoring activities have significantly reduced attrition by addressing social isolation and academic roadblocks. Moreover, the community that has been developed through mentoring activities has evolved significantly in size and scope.

All of the events and services of the CIE have been so successful that they are now part of a new concerted effort to get additional resources to expand the scope and activities of the National Center for Inclusive Education.

Statement:

SUNY AGEP has been both a leader and catalyst for the establishment and growth of the National Center for Inclusive Education. This Center has already improved best practices and built strong networks and will continue to broaden its mission to become a national leader in UREP STEM education.