Blue Integrated Partnerships (BIP): Mentoring the Medici Scholars to Solve Tomorrows Big Challenges.
Abstract
For the United States to continue leading in technology and innovation, and to ensure the national security and prosperity of our citizens, we must grow an inclusive workforce in STEM disciplines that fully harnesses the intellectual capital of under-represented members of our society, in particular, Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, women and veterans. These untapped1 STEM pools represent an extremely valuable resource for meeting the needs of future national security, climate security, energy innovation and other evolving challenges, yet the numbers still tell a story of underrepresentation in engineering and technology education and careers. We propose to work to bring this resource to the workforce by attracting, motivating and coaching talented students from Minority Serving Institutions in a supportive, comprehensive program of mentoring and experiential training. Built around a core of relevant and high-impact design and research experience that simultaneously strengthens fundamental knowledge, we provide supports for success through a sustainability plan of longitudinal professional development, cohorts and cultivation, corporate partnership and public and private job placement opportunities.The key elements of the proposal are a robust, established network of institutions jointly committed to talent exchange and resource sharing, a multi-age educational program that builds on existing strengths within partner institutions, and leveraging of opportunities presented by a partnership with the U.S. Navy. Blue Integrated Partnerships (BIP): Within the BIP, a consortium of Purdue University (Lead),Tuskegee University, Engine-4 (Incubator in Puerto Rico) and the University of Puerto Rico (11 campuses) seeks to create a system of systems to prepare minority students to lead the future economy in times of extreme uncertainty. BIP is organized around three pillars: (i) Scholarship: Medici Scholars (see below), (ii) Mentoring: Network of Mentors, and (iii) Sustainability: Longevity & Impact. The Medici scholars: We call these trailblazing students the Medici Scholars2 in reference to the visionary Renaissance family that supported the blossoming of art, science and music in Florence. The pipeline of Medici Scholars includes a special focus on Navy soldiers that leverages the G-I Bill for undergraduate/graduates, provides internships at Navy labs and experiences with research collaborations. As veterans, these students come equipped skills to handle extreme conditions, but seek to further enhance their training capabilities in STEM fields. In addition, their children in K- 12 whoare abroad in military bases will have access to unique Summer Innovation-Research Experience at Purdue under the Medici Scholar Program. We will leverage existing programs at Purdue (for instance, the Minority Engineering Program) to broaden the impact and participations of minorities and military personnel.Societal Benefits & Relevance to Navy: The leading objective of this program is to provide the necessary tools and mentoring to lead to successful STEM careers identified as priorities for national security while building a long-term community of scholars and mentors. In addition, we envision a broad dissemination of materials/knowledge as a valuable contribution to the community through media and at the end of the summer symposium. 1 https://extramural-diversity.nih.gov/diversity-matters/underrepresented-groups2 Inspired by the presentation of Dr. Tom Fu during our Black Trailblazer workshop and book The Medici Effect.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112624
Entities
People
- Luciano Castillo
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Purdue University
- United States Navy