National Conference Encourages Students to Pursue STEM Careers

Outcome/Accomplishment

A national conference of undergraduate and graduate students strengthened the STEM career paths for 10 mentored students and five graduate mentors from the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Purdue University. There they presented posters, heard inspirational talks, and attended professional development sessions.

Impact/Benefits

Students left the conference with a stronger identity as scientists and are more likely to pursue STEM careers, according to post-conference assessments. Students also said they benefited from conference presentations on graduate school and funding opportunities.

Explanation/Background

The annual Emerging Researchers National Conference in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Center for STEMM Education and Workforce Programs and the National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education. The format for the two-day conference included student poster and oral presentations, with constructive feedback from both academic and industry judges.

The 10 NSF CISTAR students participate in the Center’s Research Experiences and Mentoring program, designed to create a mentored, hands-on research experience for participants who are typically high school students, teachers, and undergraduates. 

Conference experience helps students grow their science identity, gain confidence in presenting, and better persist in a STEM career.

Location

West Lafayette, Indiana

e-mail

cistar@purdue.edu

website

https://cistar.us/

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Smart Infrastructure

Lead Institution

Purdue University

Core Partners

University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Texas at Austin

Fact Sheet

CISTAR Fact Sheet.pdf
Conference experience helps students grow their science identity, gain confidence in presenting, and better persist in a STEM career.

Outcome/Accomplishment

A national conference of undergraduate and graduate students strengthened the STEM career paths for 10 mentored students and five graduate mentors from the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Purdue University. There they presented posters, heard inspirational talks, and attended professional development sessions.

Location

West Lafayette, Indiana

e-mail

cistar@purdue.edu

website

https://cistar.us/

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Smart Infrastructure

Lead Institution

Purdue University

Core Partners

University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Texas at Austin

Fact Sheet

CISTAR Fact Sheet.pdf

Impact/benefits

Students left the conference with a stronger identity as scientists and are more likely to pursue STEM careers, according to post-conference assessments. Students also said they benefited from conference presentations on graduate school and funding opportunities.

Explanation/Background

The annual Emerging Researchers National Conference in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Center for STEMM Education and Workforce Programs and the National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education. The format for the two-day conference included student poster and oral presentations, with constructive feedback from both academic and industry judges.

The 10 NSF CISTAR students participate in the Center’s Research Experiences and Mentoring program, designed to create a mentored, hands-on research experience for participants who are typically high school students, teachers, and undergraduates.