Building upon the success of Howard University’s five-year Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program, originally funded in 1998, this proposal joins together Howard University and the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) in seeking an increase in underrepresented minority student doctoral enrollment, graduation, and preparation of students for faculty careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This effort represents the first major endeavor in graduate education to bring together a Research-Extensive Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and a Research Intensive Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in a landmark effort to address the severe underrepresentation of both African Americans and Hispanics in STEM doctoral education. The combined strengths of the two institutions is a particular advantage of this proposal. This Alliance expands the range of doctoral disciplines offered by Howard’s AGEP program to include the STEM disciplines of computer engineering, environmental science and engineering, and geological sciences offered at UTEP.

The specific objectives of the Howard-UTEP Alliance will be to:

1. Increase the numbers of underrepresented students from partner institutions entering doctoral education at Howard and UTEP through the “Introduction to STEM Graduate Study” workshops

2. Decrease time-to-degree and prepare entering STEM doctoral students for their graduate program through a Pre-Doctoral Research program

3. Prepare underrepresented doctoral students for future faculty careers through their participation in the PFF program

4. Increase the likelihood that underrepresented doctoral students will complete their degrees through systematic and structured retention and mentoring services

5. Increase opportunities for underrepresented students to obtain research university faculty positions and increase their familiarity with post-doctoral fellowships through annual “Introduction to the Post-Doctorate” workshops

6. Enhance a sense of institution-wide STEM community engagement among doctoral students through interdisciplinary events, activities, distance learning, and a STEM honor society

7. Improve the oral and written communication skills of STEM doctoral students through “Communication Skills for Scientists” workshops

8. Encourage participation among STEM departments and faculty through the AGEP Faculty Advisory Council.