Components and outcomes of an interdisciplinary research program to inspire underrepresented undergraduate students in STEM fields

This paper describes components and outcomes of an interdisciplinary undergraduate research program intended to motivate female students to graduate with STEM degrees. This year, the program graduated the first student, who is the first STEM graduate in her family. The program is intended to inspire underrepresented undergraduate students to graduate with STEM bachelor's degrees by providing participating students with unique mentorship from distinguished leaders in STEM fields while the students simultaneously pursue technical research. The mentorship is provided to the students when they identify and interview leaders whose careers align with the desired career fields of the students. The interviews are conducted in collaboration with the IEEE History Center and American Institute of Physics. Research results produced by the students are presented at national conferences and published in conference proceedings. Transcripts of the interviews are published in perpetuity on the IEEE Engineering Technology and History Wiki. The project will continue within the STEM environment.