Pathway to Ph.D. Program

Outcome/Accomplishment

The NSF-funded Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) Engineering Research Center (ERC), headquartered at the University of Pennsylvania, hosted the inaugural Pathway to Ph.D. Program (PPP) virtually on September 25-26, 2021 with 15 undergraduate participants and 10 graduate mentors. Additionally, undergraduate students were matched with a mentor to review components of fellowship applications and graduate school materials.

Impact/Benefits

At least one participant subsequently received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award and another student received an honorable mention. PPP mentees submitted graduate applications to a range of universities. Initial program feedback indicated that all participants thought that the PPP was useful. Planning and recruitment for the 2022 PPP was underway by the end of the 2021 program.

Explanation/Background

ThePPP was created to address the lack of awareness by underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation low-income (FGLI) students about the graduate school admission process and funding opportunities. The PPP program serves as an avenue to recruit diverse students to IoT4Ag educational opportunities and the broader STEM community.

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Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

e-mail

iot4ag@seas.upenn.edu

Start Year

Microelectronics, Sensing, and Information Technology Icon
Microelectronics, Sensing, and Information Technology Icon

Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT

Lead Institution

University of Pennsylvania

Core Partners

Purdue University, University of California, Merced, University of Florida
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Outcome/Accomplishment

The NSF-funded Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) Engineering Research Center (ERC), headquartered at the University of Pennsylvania, hosted the inaugural Pathway to Ph.D. Program (PPP) virtually on September 25-26, 2021 with 15 undergraduate participants and 10 graduate mentors. Additionally, undergraduate students were matched with a mentor to review components of fellowship applications and graduate school materials.

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

e-mail

iot4ag@seas.upenn.edu

Start Year

Microelectronics, Sensing, and Information Technology Icon
Microelectronics, Sensing, and Information Technology Icon

Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT

Lead Institution

University of Pennsylvania

Core Partners

Purdue University, University of California, Merced, University of Florida

Impact/benefits

At least one participant subsequently received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award and another student received an honorable mention. PPP mentees submitted graduate applications to a range of universities. Initial program feedback indicated that all participants thought that the PPP was useful. Planning and recruitment for the 2022 PPP was underway by the end of the 2021 program.

Explanation/Background

ThePPP was created to address the lack of awareness by underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation low-income (FGLI) students about the graduate school admission process and funding opportunities. The PPP program serves as an avenue to recruit diverse students to IoT4Ag educational opportunities and the broader STEM community.