Since 2004, Fisk and Vanderbilt universities have collaborated on an academic bridge program that has enabled 55 underrepresented minority graduate students in physics, material science, and astronomy to successfully enter Ph.D. programs. So far, 18 program participants have earned their doctorates.
Known as the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program, the initiative has provided a template for the establishment of the Tennessee Bridge-to-the–Doctorate program, which is serving underrepresented minority graduate students in a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
This week, an inaugural class of 12 Tennessee Bridge students will complete a two-week “boot camp” of science refresher classes and professional development workshops in Nashville. Last week, the 12 students in the boot camp joined with seven others who are entering the Fisk-Vanderbilt program.
The new initiative is being led by Tennessee State University (TSU) and Vanderbilt and is part of the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, or TLSAMP.
“This [new] program has brought us together … to get [underrepresented minority] students to transition into graduate programs,” said Dr. Lonnie Sharpe, the Massie Chair of Excellence at Tennessee State University and the TSLAMP executive director.
In contrast to “the Fisk-Vanderbilt program [that’s] geared toward students in physics,” Sharpe explains that what TLSAMP has “done is taken it to a much larger scale and includes students in all the STEM disciplines.” Tennessee Bridge recruits STEM college graduates nationally and from TLSAMP schools to apply and participate.
“One of our goals is to increase the number of students attending graduate school. This award allows more of our students to transition into such programs. I am excited about this great opportunity for our students to continue their quest for doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” he said.
