Multicultural Science Programs

      

Left to Right: Dean Patrick Wolfe and Bryson Smith; American Airlines Representatives with Math and Actuarial Science students; and Sara Cuevas, Vincent Leal & Valeria Garcia at Alumni Award Event.

Natasha L. Harris
Associate Director of Diversity
Multicultural Science Programs and Emerging Leaders
MATH 916
(765) 494-1765

Email: natashalharris@purdue.edu

For more information about Multicultural Science Program (MSP), or to contribute, contact MSP at (765) 494-1765 or email scienceMSP@purdue.edu.

Major donors include:

Purdue University Faculty, Staff, and Alumni.

 

Program Goals and Objectives

The Science Diversity team believes mentoring relationships play a significant role in the academic and social development of mentors and mentees and that development is enhanced through programming that promotes a strong professional identity early in one's college career.

Program Goals

Multicultural Science Programs in the College of Science facilitates the pursuit of science-oriented careers. It is the goal of these programs to increase representation from ethnic groups that are traditionally under-represented in the sciences. The College of Science values diversity and feels that students who study science in a diverse environment have a better academic experience.

Program Objectives

MSP is designed so that faculty and peers serve as role models, offer support, and recommend strategies to contribute to the success of first year students.

Program Description

MSP is composed of five components:

• Summer Programs
• Tutoring Program
• Undergraduate Mentoring Program
• Student Organization
• Graduate Program

These five components work together to form a continuous environment that fosters success for students in the College of Science at Purdue University from freshman year through Ph.D.

Undergraduate Mentoring Program

The BoilerMentor or Undergraduate Mentoring Program consist of upper-class undergraduates who have displayed leadership and a passion in their field of study are invited to be mentors to the first-year academic scholars and multicultural students participating in MSP.

Benefits in participating in the BoilerMentor Program include:

• Provide an environment in which the mentor/mentee relationships can grow and flourish;
• Expose students to role models and academic and non-academic resources on and off campus; and
• Provides weekly meeting and social programs to strengthen the mentor/mentee relationships.

Graduate Program

The Graduate Program is a series of networking events that feature a speaker in a relevant field, allows busy, dedicated scientists to share their experiences with one another at a convenient time. These meetings are invaluable in that they provide contact with role models, who are successful in science, to the students in science. In addition, these meetings provide an opportunity to increase informal networking between faculty/staff members and graduate students.