About SMART

 

Program Overview

Southern University at Baton Rouge implemented "Strengthening Minority Access to Research and Training (SMART)" as its Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) initiative to address the historical under-representation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines of study at the undergraduate and doctoral levels. The HBCU-UP SMART program has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 1998 and operates on the proven thesis that the scope, depth, and quality of undergraduate training have a strong bearing on the desire and ability of an undergraduate student to attend and to succeed in graduate school. It further believes that student participation in undergraduate research positively correlates with their successful pursuit of the Ph.D. degree in STEM disciplines.

The ultimate goal of the HBCU-UP SMART initiative is to enhance the research and training infrastructure at the University. This enhanced infrastructure should strengthen the systemic effectiveness of SUBR in retaining and graduating under-represented minorities who are better prepared and motivated to pursue and complete doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines that lead to careers in the scientific and technological workforce of this nation.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

The HBCU-UP SMART Program endeavors to develop scientific and research skills among members of NSF-designated underrepresented minority groups, thereby increasing their representation in the scientific and technological workforce.
Participants in the HBCU-UP SMART Program are students majoring in animal science, architecture, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, plant and soil sciences, and urban forestry. These students work on individual projects with faculty research mentors as part of their on-going laboratory research experience.
Students in the Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (SREU) component are involved in full-time research (approximately 40 hours each week) over the course of an eight-week summer session. They receive a research stipend in addition to free on-campus room and board. Faculty research mentors direct the laboratory experience, which is supplemented with seminars twice weekly on relevant research topics. Final research results are presented during oral and poster competitions. Monetary awards and certificates of recognition for outstanding achievement are announced at the closing program.

Students that choose to participate in the Academic Research Experiences for Undergraduates (AREU) component during a fall and/or spring semester must commit to five hours of research each week with a faculty research mentor within their major discipline. Students are also required to participate in the bi-weekly SMART Track Enrichment Seminars where they are exposed to relevant topics of interest regarding academic progression and their eventual transition into this nation's scientific and technological workplace. Each student researcher is responsible for an oral presentation of their research findings. A final report must also be submitted at the end of the semester setting forth their research findings to date. Students that participate in the AREU component receive financial support in the form of a research stipend.

SMART Scholars, as they are known, receive valuable exposure to the challenges and rewards of a scientific or technological career while making a significant contribution within their designated field of study. Opportunities to make research presentations at regional and national research conferences are made available to those students that distinguish themselves by exhibiting a commitment to quality research.

This undergraduate research experience with the HBCU-UP SMART Program can serve to help the student focus on their specialization in graduate school and the type of work they really want to do in the workplace. The undergraduate research experience of a SMART Scholar is attractive to graduate schools because it signals that the student is ready to move to the next level of execution in their educational plan. Also, many prospective employers desire to hire employees with real-world experience, which affords SMART Scholars a head start on their careers.

Summer Program for High School Students

The HBCU-UP SMART Pre-college Algebra Course for High School Students (SMART PAC) is an intensive, eight-week, 3 credit hour college pre-calculus course for academically advanced high school students (rising juniors and rising seniors). This college course (Math 194) will include an integrated package of lectures, problem-solving sessions, pre- and post-standardized examinations, other examinations and quizzes, tutorial laboratory sessions, computer-assisted learning, and seminars. ACT preparation sessions are conducted weekly in a customized format that serves to supplement instructional objectives of the pre-calculus course.

SMART PAC is designed to prepare students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Students are exposed to college-level mathematics, thereby enhancing their skills level and performance potential with respect to remaining high school mathematics courses and ACT/SAT entrance examinations. SMART PAC also serves as a foundational gateway for students in their transition to the post-secondary academic climate.

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)