Building integrated pathways to independence for diverse biomedical researchers: Project Pathways , the BUILD program at Xavier University of Louisiana

AbstractBackground and purposeXavier University of Louisiana is a historically Black and Catholic university that is nationally recognized for its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula. Approximately 73% of Xavier ’s students are African American, and about 77% major in the biomedical sciences. Xavier is a national leader in the number of STEM majors who go on to receive M.D. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in science and engineering. Despite Xavier’s advances in this area, African Americans still earn about 7. 5% of the Bachelor’s degrees, less than 8% of the Master’s degrees, and less than 5% of the doctoral degrees conferred in STEM disciplines in the United States. Additionally, although many well-prepared, highly-motivated students are attracted by Xavier’s reputation in the sciences, many of th ese students, though bright and capable, come from underperforming public school systems and receive substandard preparation in STEM disciplines. The purpose of this article is to describe how Xavier works to overcome unequal education backgrounds and socioeconomic challenges to develop student tale nt through expanding biomedical training opportunities and build on an established reputation in science education.Program and key highlightsThe National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)-funded BUILD (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) Program at Xavier University of Louisiana,Project Pathways,...
Source: BMC Proceedings - Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research