Developing a STEM talent expansion pipeline in higher education: A work-in-progress

Attracting, retaining, educating, and graduating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students is vital to the sustainability and competitiveness of technology management firms in the U.S. and elsewhere. There are hosts of educational practices that colleges and universities can undertake to find, keep, and develop STEM students, for the purpose of increasing baccalaureate degree production in these important fields. Funded by a multi-year grant from the National Science Foundation, the Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program is a work-in-progress project that has activities, benchmarks, and outcomes associated at critical phases of an undergraduate student's journey through higher education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), a large, urban institution where STEM disciplines are a dominant component of the portfolio. This paper describes the purpose and significance of the project, including the institutional context, history, and development of STEM-centric initiatives. Specific attention will be paid to orientation, on-boarding, and first-year programs; initial career and leadership development components; STEM curriculum and pedagogical interventions; high-impact educational practices; co-curricular involvement in STEM-oriented organizations; and preparation for a variety of post-baccalaureate settings. The roles of a variety of project stakeholders will be discussed, and the present status and future directions of the project will be highlighted.