|
Why is the program aimed at 1st and 2nd year women when they have not yet declared a science major?
The first year of college is the time of highest attrition for young women interested in science, engineering, and math (SEM), yet it is the time of their highest motivation and enthusiasm.
The WISP internship program capitalizes on Dartmouth students' strong motivation and aptitude at this time. It provides important connections with faculty and other researchers, and the opportunity to experience science first-hand.
The first recommendation in the Report of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development (CAWMSET, 2000) is to establish
"aggressive, focused intervention efforts targeting women, under-represented minority, and disabled students at the... transition into post-secondary education."
Retention of women in science at Dartmouth... Are there issues?
Comparable numbers of men and women students with comparable aptitudes express an interest in
science when they enter Dartmouth. By the time they declare a major, however, many more women than
men have changed their minds and left the sciences. In other words, women continue to exhibit higher
attrition rates than men. In the class of 2003, for example, the rate of attrition from the sciences
for women was 56%, while for men it was 38%.
The proportion of undergraduate women majors varies greatly among science departments; women outnumber men in the
biological and earth sciences but are under-represented in the physical and computational sciences and engineering.
How can an introductory level research experience influence a student?
- A satisfying internship experience can deepen the drive or sharpen the focus of high caliber students who already feel determined about a science career.
- An internship with good mentoring can significantly influence the persistence of an intelligent student who may be unsure of her "fit" in the scientific community.
- An internship with good mentoring can teach life skills like critical thinking, responsibility, dealing with ambiguity, time-management, and assertiveness.
- A first-year internship can be an entry point for future research experiences on campus or in industry during their undergraduate years.
- A good research mentor can provide valuable coaching, support and feedback to develop future science scholars.
|
"I would definitely recommend an internship to an incoming woman.
I would tell her to find an interesting project in a lab where she feels comfortable working, and to
just go for it, because it will be a very valuable experience. I'm glad that I had the internship
experience as a freshman. It will make me all the more confident as I pursue research in the future."
-Intern, when asked "Would you recommend an internship to an incoming woman?"
|
Findings from a recent intern survey offer more insight on what they have gained and how they rated their primary contacts.
In terms of developing young scientists, how significant an influence is student research when done at the undergraduate level?
A survey conducted by WISP on a 24-year cohort of Dartmouth science alumnae (1973-1996) documents the value of undergraduate research. Women who participated in undergraduate research were more likely to:
- persist in the sciences
- have a mentor
- pursue graduate level study
These statistically significant results formed part of the College's 1999 re-accreditation subcommittee report on undergraduate research. The executive summary can be read at www.dartmouth.edu/~wisp/alum_UR_report_exec.html.
How many Dartmouth faculty have participated in this program?
Since 1990-91, nearly 300 faculty and other researchers have sponsored a total of 1,194 interns. Sponsors volunteer from all of the basic sciences in the Science
Division of the College of Arts & Sciences, and from the departments of Anthropology, Psychological
& Brain Sciences, Environmental Studies, Geography, and Linguistics & Cognitive Sciences. In
addition, faculty from the Thayer School of Engineering and the Dartmouth Medical School participate
regularly. Other sponsors include researchers from CRREL, the VA Research Center, and the Vermont
Institute of Natural Science (VINS). To date, 45 sponsors have participated for 5 years, and 13 have
participated for 10 years.
What does a sponsor gain from working with an intern?
You can:
- Have a positive influence on a Dartmouth woman's persistence in science.
- Gain personal satisfaction from investing in future scientists.
- Share the excitement of discovery you derive from your research.
- Guide and support young students in practicing good science and critical thinking.
- Help students take responsibility for their learning and skills development outside of graded situations.
|
|
QUOTES FROM SPONSORS when asked,
"what have you found to be the most striking aspect of supervising first year students..."
"They are very bright and can pick up on new things quickly."
"Their native abilities together with their naïveté."
"They have all exhibited a high degree of maturity, interest, and enthusiasm in all aspects of the internship."
|
Past sponsors assert that an intern's minimal incoming experience with scientific inquiry and research is definitely offset by their enthusiasm and freshness.
Why don't the WISP interns get graded in their internship to keep them more accountable?
Seeking an internship requires a serious commitment on the intern's part, but it is still seen as an exploratory stage for many students in their academic development and personal growth. The non-graded learning environment, structured with sponsor assignments and feedback, offers interns perhaps their first real opportunity to learn for the sake of learning. Student compensation provides some incentive and enables work-study eligible interns to meet their obligations with credible out-of-classroom learning.
This page was last updated on August 1, 2008
Questions or feedback concerning this page can be sent to the WISP Webmaster.
|
