My research centers on characterizing the optical, magneto-optical and structural properties of semi-conductor systems with a focus on solid state lighting, optoelectronic, and photonic applications. I attempt to unveil the mechanisms responsible for the efficient energy transfer between the host crystal and optically active dopants, and ferromagnetism, which exist in systems that don’t naturally favor them. The optically active dopants I have focused on are the rare earth ions, Eu, Er and Nd, in their trivalent form. These atoms display optical transitions between the intra-4f electron levels, which are quite sharp due to the shielding provided by fully filled outer 5s and 5p shells. It is this shielding that makes the rare earths good probes for the properties of the host crystal, as well as the environments into which they are incorporated. I also explore the evolution of structural defects such as vacancies and dislocations, under various growth conditions, and make connections between the electrical and optical properties to optimize the device compatibility of the materials. Future applications include full-color tunable single LEDS for microLED displays, single photon emitters for quantum information technology, and pocket sized electrically driven rare earth lasers.
Project #1: Rare-Earth-doped Semiconductors for Micro Light Emitting Displays & Optoelectronics Devices for Quantum Information Applications.
Supported By: NSF RUI Award #2129183 - $449,600, NSF RUI Award #1748439 - $372,276, NSF MRI Award #2216272 - $391,730, DOE Award #xxxxx - $716,000, and two WCU RIMS Grants ($15,000)
The realization of a "smart society" will require advancements in display and quantum computation technologies. Examples of such technologies include microscale color-tunable pixels and the fabrication of systems whose quantum states can be precisely controlled, both of which can be addressed by "trapping" rare earth (RE) elements in a semiconducting host. RE elements can be placed into various environments and retain most of their original atom-like properties, including emission wavelengths and spin states. Generally, RE ions are incorporated in passive, insulating materials. In this project, a team of researchers will study the properties of RE-doped semiconductors fabricated into structures such as diodes, microcavities, and microdisks. The team will explore new ways to manipulate the RE ions by utilizing the strong interaction between the RE ions and other defects within the semiconductor hosts. Overall, this project will serve as the basis for a new generation of RE-doped semiconductor devices that harness quantum mechanical effects to achieve new functionalities such as the control of spins and the manipulation of light emission for quantum information processing and solid-state displays.
RE-doped Semiconductors for Micro-LED Displays. Single electrically controlled color-tunable LEDs have been previously demonstrated in Eu-doped GaN, which is based on manipulating the state from which the Eu3+ ions emit. However, several details of the defect-specific energy-transfer pathways are still not fully understood. A deeper understanding of this process is crucial for optimizing such LEDs and for realizing controlled atomic emission in other RE-doped systems. The team will also explore whether spin information can be transferred from injected carriers to the RE ions and vice-versa in novel optoelectronic devices. Measurements of optical transition linewidths, radiative lifetimes, and spin coherence times will establish the baseline potential of RE-doped semiconductors for quantum information protocols. With their high efficiency and narrow emission linewidth, Eu-doped GaN and Er-doped GaAs are promising candidates as single quantum emitters. We aim to detect and address individual RE dopants by controlled dilute doping and enhancing the RE ions' radiative rates using photonic structures. Overall, the development of LEDs with full color-tunability will allow for the realization of single-contact RGB micro-LEDs, which will improve the performance of solid-state lighting technology and enable GaN-based active pixel displays.
RE-doped Semiconductors for Quantum Information. RE-doped insulators have been extensively studied for QIS applications due to the sharp, stable optical transitions and long lifetimes of the embedded RE3+ ions, which facilitate high-fidelity quantum control. Optically pumped RE single-photon sources in the telecom C-band (~1540 nm) have been realized in several insulating systems. However, RE-doped semiconductors have not received similar attention for QIS due to the limited availability of samples, the presence of background spins, and challenges with exciting the REs through the host due to competing native defects and inefficient energy transfer pathways. If these challenges can be addressed/overcome, the RE-doped semiconductor platform could fill a significant gap for quantum technologies by providing a spectrally-stable electrically-pumped single-photon source, quantum memory, or element of a quantum repeater operating in the telecom C-band. Moreover, the combination of robust quantum states based on RE ions with the maturity of GaN and GaAs synthesis and nanofabrication technology can enable the rapid development of scalable quantum optoelectronic devices.
Project #2: Exploring the Structure and Vibrational States of Surface Compounds of Nanoporous Si.
Supported By: NSF MRI Award #2216272 - $391,730 and WCU Provost Research Grant ($10,000)
While bulk silicon (Si) is essentially inert in the human body, when the Si surface is made porous, particularly when the pores are on the scale of <20 nm, several exciting applications are enabled. Porous silicon (PSi) powder is a more defective, high-surface-area material that is resorbable within the human body over practical time scales. Also, as with all semiconductors, the emitted light or luminescence from PSi is intimately shaped by quantum confinement. In essence, the small pores on the Si surface act like containers that can trap "freed" electrons, which become mobile after the abortion of light energy. This electron confinement changes what wavelength of light the PSi sample emits. These properties make PSi a promising candidate for bioimaging and theranostics due to its near-infrared luminescence, to which tissue is nearly transparent, and its biocompatibility. Bioimaging is a non-invasive method used to visualize a biological process or entity, such as cell reproduction. Theranostics is the combination of therapeutics and diagnostics and is often referred to when discussing cancer diagnoses and therapies.
Silicon (Si) wafers can be porosified through various chemical processes. For this research project, the nanopores in PSi were formed through regenerative electroless etching (ReEtching), a technique developed by Dr. Kurt Kolasinski, Professor of Chemistry at WCU. The specific samples produced for this research project have a porous surface where the nanopores are ~15nm in diameter, facilitating significant quantum confinement of mobile electrons. These PSi samples exhibit bright red luminescence centered at ~640 nm at room temperature. One issue that remains with PSi samples is that the luminescence is unstable under sustained exposure to intense UV light, which is needed to produce the desired red emission. It is known that the surface chemistry of PSi can drastically alter the stability of the luminescence; however, the structure of surface composition in each case is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, the surface states (i.e., energy levels where free electrons can be trapped) can change based on the surface's molecular makeup, which will cause the sample to emit other wavelengths of light.
The PSi samples can be grown and etched using different chemical baths resulting in different surface states and different luminescent properties. We have performed systematic spectroscopic studies on these PSi samples using various light sources, such as 532 nm, 405 nm, and 325 nm lasers, to produce the red emission from the samples. We found that all samples have three primary peaks at ~ 600 nm, 625 nm, and 640 nm, but some samples had a smaller "shoulder peak" at a shorter wavelength of ~570 nm. As the temperature was decreased, the emission intensity from the shoulder peak grew. The emission from the prominent red peaks either decreased or remained the same, which changed the overall emitted light from the samples from red to yellow (a mixture of the red and green light). However, in some samples, this shift is not observed. The next step is to determine the molecular makeup of the surface states and understand the energy transfer dynamics at different temperatures and under different excitation conditions.
Project #1: Rare-Earth-doped Semiconductors for Micro Light Emitting Displays & Optoelectronics Devices for Quantum Information Applications.
Supported By: NSF RUI Award #2129183 - $449,600, NSF RUI Award #1748439 - $372,276, NSF MRI Award #2216272 - $391,730, DOE Award #xxxxx - $716,000, and two WCU RIMS Grants ($15,000)
The realization of a "smart society" will require advancements in display and quantum computation technologies. Examples of such technologies include microscale color-tunable pixels and the fabrication of systems whose quantum states can be precisely controlled, both of which can be addressed by "trapping" rare earth (RE) elements in a semiconducting host. RE elements can be placed into various environments and retain most of their original atom-like properties, including emission wavelengths and spin states. Generally, RE ions are incorporated in passive, insulating materials. In this project, a team of researchers will study the properties of RE-doped semiconductors fabricated into structures such as diodes, microcavities, and microdisks. The team will explore new ways to manipulate the RE ions by utilizing the strong interaction between the RE ions and other defects within the semiconductor hosts. Overall, this project will serve as the basis for a new generation of RE-doped semiconductor devices that harness quantum mechanical effects to achieve new functionalities such as the control of spins and the manipulation of light emission for quantum information processing and solid-state displays.
RE-doped Semiconductors for Micro-LED Displays. Single electrically controlled color-tunable LEDs have been previously demonstrated in Eu-doped GaN, which is based on manipulating the state from which the Eu3+ ions emit. However, several details of the defect-specific energy-transfer pathways are still not fully understood. A deeper understanding of this process is crucial for optimizing such LEDs and for realizing controlled atomic emission in other RE-doped systems. The team will also explore whether spin information can be transferred from injected carriers to the RE ions and vice-versa in novel optoelectronic devices. Measurements of optical transition linewidths, radiative lifetimes, and spin coherence times will establish the baseline potential of RE-doped semiconductors for quantum information protocols. With their high efficiency and narrow emission linewidth, Eu-doped GaN and Er-doped GaAs are promising candidates as single quantum emitters. We aim to detect and address individual RE dopants by controlled dilute doping and enhancing the RE ions' radiative rates using photonic structures. Overall, the development of LEDs with full color-tunability will allow for the realization of single-contact RGB micro-LEDs, which will improve the performance of solid-state lighting technology and enable GaN-based active pixel displays.
RE-doped Semiconductors for Quantum Information. RE-doped insulators have been extensively studied for QIS applications due to the sharp, stable optical transitions and long lifetimes of the embedded RE3+ ions, which facilitate high-fidelity quantum control. Optically pumped RE single-photon sources in the telecom C-band (~1540 nm) have been realized in several insulating systems. However, RE-doped semiconductors have not received similar attention for QIS due to the limited availability of samples, the presence of background spins, and challenges with exciting the REs through the host due to competing native defects and inefficient energy transfer pathways. If these challenges can be addressed/overcome, the RE-doped semiconductor platform could fill a significant gap for quantum technologies by providing a spectrally-stable electrically-pumped single-photon source, quantum memory, or element of a quantum repeater operating in the telecom C-band. Moreover, the combination of robust quantum states based on RE ions with the maturity of GaN and GaAs synthesis and nanofabrication technology can enable the rapid development of scalable quantum optoelectronic devices.
Project #2: Exploring the Structure and Vibrational States of Surface Compounds of Nanoporous Si.
Supported By: NSF MRI Award #2216272 - $391,730 and WCU Provost Research Grant ($10,000)
While bulk silicon (Si) is essentially inert in the human body, when the Si surface is made porous, particularly when the pores are on the scale of <20 nm, several exciting applications are enabled. Porous silicon (PSi) powder is a more defective, high-surface-area material that is resorbable within the human body over practical time scales. Also, as with all semiconductors, the emitted light or luminescence from PSi is intimately shaped by quantum confinement. In essence, the small pores on the Si surface act like containers that can trap "freed" electrons, which become mobile after the abortion of light energy. This electron confinement changes what wavelength of light the PSi sample emits. These properties make PSi a promising candidate for bioimaging and theranostics due to its near-infrared luminescence, to which tissue is nearly transparent, and its biocompatibility. Bioimaging is a non-invasive method used to visualize a biological process or entity, such as cell reproduction. Theranostics is the combination of therapeutics and diagnostics and is often referred to when discussing cancer diagnoses and therapies.
Silicon (Si) wafers can be porosified through various chemical processes. For this research project, the nanopores in PSi were formed through regenerative electroless etching (ReEtching), a technique developed by Dr. Kurt Kolasinski, Professor of Chemistry at WCU. The specific samples produced for this research project have a porous surface where the nanopores are ~15nm in diameter, facilitating significant quantum confinement of mobile electrons. These PSi samples exhibit bright red luminescence centered at ~640 nm at room temperature. One issue that remains with PSi samples is that the luminescence is unstable under sustained exposure to intense UV light, which is needed to produce the desired red emission. It is known that the surface chemistry of PSi can drastically alter the stability of the luminescence; however, the structure of surface composition in each case is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, the surface states (i.e., energy levels where free electrons can be trapped) can change based on the surface's molecular makeup, which will cause the sample to emit other wavelengths of light.
The PSi samples can be grown and etched using different chemical baths resulting in different surface states and different luminescent properties. We have performed systematic spectroscopic studies on these PSi samples using various light sources, such as 532 nm, 405 nm, and 325 nm lasers, to produce the red emission from the samples. We found that all samples have three primary peaks at ~ 600 nm, 625 nm, and 640 nm, but some samples had a smaller "shoulder peak" at a shorter wavelength of ~570 nm. As the temperature was decreased, the emission intensity from the shoulder peak grew. The emission from the prominent red peaks either decreased or remained the same, which changed the overall emitted light from the samples from red to yellow (a mixture of the red and green light). However, in some samples, this shift is not observed. The next step is to determine the molecular makeup of the surface states and understand the energy transfer dynamics at different temperatures and under different excitation conditions.
Research Techniques:
When focusing on optical properties, I combine the atomic level selectivity given by resonant excitation with the spatial resolution achievable by confocal spectroscopy. The main spectroscopic techniques I use are:
Combined Excitation Emission Spectroscopy: Since the rare earths are shielded from their surrounding environment, they are not highly influenced by the crystal field of the host semi-conductor. This allows us to probe the ions by resonantly exciting them between crystal field levels, inherent to the ion itself, without “participation” of the host. Using a tunable OPO system, we can sweep large ranges of wavelengths, and only at energies that correspond to the difference of two energy levels will the rare earth be excited. Once excited, the ion will emit light with a specific emission profile, resulting from a radiative decay from lower energy levels, and eventually to the ground state. If we combine all the emission profiles at their respective excitation wavelengths, we can get a 2-D map, which, in essence, is the “blueprint” of the incorporation environments of all the ions in that host crystal.
Electro- and Photo- luminescence: In order to determine the effects of running a current through an active layer for an LED device, it is useful to excite the sample with an energy above the bandgap of the material and create electron hole pairs within the material. This simulates an electric current, and gives a good basis of understanding on energy efficiency of the material. For several growth conditions, electrical devices have been grown and fabricated. Using these, one can observe the device emission as a function of current and voltage.
Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting: To determine the excitation and emission dynamics of the rare earth ions, we use nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond laser pulses. We will excite the ions indirectly through energy transfer from carriers generated within the host by exciting above the bandgap of the host materials. We also use wavelengths within the bandgap and that are resonant with the intra-4f transitions of the rare earths. Under these excitation conditions, we will use TCSPC to measure the delay between optical excitation and photon emission and determine if the excitation mechanism influences the decay times. We will employ standard measures to avoid what is known as "pileup" and ensure a statistically accurate measurement of the PL decay times. This is particularly important for determining how photonic cavities impact the optical properties of the rare earth ions.
When growth conditions are modified for the improvement of the optical properties, attention must also be given to the structural and electrical properties, as these may be negatively impacted. To characterize the structural properties of the material I use:
Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy: Using atomic force microscopy, the surface features of the samples can be explored. These features include roughness, chirality, and dislocations, which can give us information on the nature of the crystal growth from a 2-D surface perspective. Transmission electron microscopy can then be used to acquire a high resolution side-profile image. When these are combined, they give us a good sense of how the crystal growth proceeded and what impact changing certain parameters had.
Atom Probe Tomography: When a 3-D representation of the atomic composition, in terms of concentration and location, is desired, atomic force microscopy is the perfect tool. APT is a time of flight mass spectroscopy, where the same is evaporated and the evaporated atoms are collected. Using this technique, the crystal can be “re-constructed” and analyzed with sub-nm resolution. This technique can also be used to determine dopant clustering and diffusion.
When focusing on optical properties, I combine the atomic level selectivity given by resonant excitation with the spatial resolution achievable by confocal spectroscopy. The main spectroscopic techniques I use are:
Combined Excitation Emission Spectroscopy: Since the rare earths are shielded from their surrounding environment, they are not highly influenced by the crystal field of the host semi-conductor. This allows us to probe the ions by resonantly exciting them between crystal field levels, inherent to the ion itself, without “participation” of the host. Using a tunable OPO system, we can sweep large ranges of wavelengths, and only at energies that correspond to the difference of two energy levels will the rare earth be excited. Once excited, the ion will emit light with a specific emission profile, resulting from a radiative decay from lower energy levels, and eventually to the ground state. If we combine all the emission profiles at their respective excitation wavelengths, we can get a 2-D map, which, in essence, is the “blueprint” of the incorporation environments of all the ions in that host crystal.
Electro- and Photo- luminescence: In order to determine the effects of running a current through an active layer for an LED device, it is useful to excite the sample with an energy above the bandgap of the material and create electron hole pairs within the material. This simulates an electric current, and gives a good basis of understanding on energy efficiency of the material. For several growth conditions, electrical devices have been grown and fabricated. Using these, one can observe the device emission as a function of current and voltage.
Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting: To determine the excitation and emission dynamics of the rare earth ions, we use nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond laser pulses. We will excite the ions indirectly through energy transfer from carriers generated within the host by exciting above the bandgap of the host materials. We also use wavelengths within the bandgap and that are resonant with the intra-4f transitions of the rare earths. Under these excitation conditions, we will use TCSPC to measure the delay between optical excitation and photon emission and determine if the excitation mechanism influences the decay times. We will employ standard measures to avoid what is known as "pileup" and ensure a statistically accurate measurement of the PL decay times. This is particularly important for determining how photonic cavities impact the optical properties of the rare earth ions.
When growth conditions are modified for the improvement of the optical properties, attention must also be given to the structural and electrical properties, as these may be negatively impacted. To characterize the structural properties of the material I use:
Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy: Using atomic force microscopy, the surface features of the samples can be explored. These features include roughness, chirality, and dislocations, which can give us information on the nature of the crystal growth from a 2-D surface perspective. Transmission electron microscopy can then be used to acquire a high resolution side-profile image. When these are combined, they give us a good sense of how the crystal growth proceeded and what impact changing certain parameters had.
Atom Probe Tomography: When a 3-D representation of the atomic composition, in terms of concentration and location, is desired, atomic force microscopy is the perfect tool. APT is a time of flight mass spectroscopy, where the same is evaporated and the evaporated atoms are collected. Using this technique, the crystal can be “re-constructed” and analyzed with sub-nm resolution. This technique can also be used to determine dopant clustering and diffusion.
Project #3 - STEM EDUCATION and High School STEM Outreach
Supported By: NSF S-STEM - Award #2028230 - $999,600, and DOE Award #xxxxx - $716,000
S-STEM: Increasing the Persistence of STEM Majors through Nanoscience-Themed Activities that Support Academic, Professional, and Personal Engagement and Development.
This project will contribute to the national need for skilled scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students at West Chester University, a comprehensive, primarily undergraduate institution. Over its five-year duration, the project will provide scholarships to 18 full-time students who are pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics, or Physics. Scholars will enter in two annual cohorts of nine students and receive up to four years of scholarship support. In addition to the scholarships, the project will provide Scholars with a comprehensive suite of evidence-based academic, professional, and personal engagement and development activities that are embedded within an overarching nanoscience theme. The activities will span Scholar’s entire academic career and include a STEM-oriented summer camp, Orientation and Learning Community activities, a STEM-themed journal club, opportunities for nanoscience research summer experiences and industry internships, and career planning and graduate fellowship grant-writing workshops.
The overall goal of the project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Specific aims include: (1) To implement a four-year program of evidence-based, integrated academic, professional, and personal experiences; (2) to contribute to an understanding of the impact of student cohorts and other psychological and social factors on student success and retention and graduation in STEM; and (3) to broaden the participation of low-income high-achieving STEM students in Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Drawing on a phenomenological approach, the mixed methods research and development effort will examine the lived experience of Scholar cohorts to document and explore how growth mindset, desirable difficulties/productive struggles, and metacognitive practices during learning impact student success, retention, and graduation with a STEM degree. Across individuals, time, and methods/measures, the project’s triangulation strategies will support the development/collection of data, the use of multiple data sources and methods/measures, analyses of the data to include addressing convergence, inconsistency, and contradiction, and the establishment of the trustworthiness, credibility, and validity of the study findings. The project has the potential to advance knowledge about activities and factors that differentially influence student success, retention, and graduation in STEM. A mixed methods formative and summative evaluation will inform project improvement, as well as document and assess project processes and student outcomes. Results from the project will be made available through the project website, publications, and presentations at education-oriented conferences and venues. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.
DOE-Funded 3-12 Outreach Project - I Want To STEM!
Analysis of trends in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reveals that, on average, the achievement gap (the disparity in standardized test scores between students from historically marginalized populations and their white counterparts) is among the largest in the country. For both 4th and 8th grades, the average test scores for African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students have shown gaps of approximately 32 points in reading and 35 points in math since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. This consistent achievement gap leads to an equity gap in higher education where retention and graduation rates for African American and Hispanic students lag behind those of their white counterparts. Most recent information from the 2018-2019 academic year shows that within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), while white students achieved a 73% 6-year graduation rate, the rate for African American, Hispanic, mixed-race, and Native American students was only 48%. Though the graduation rates for both groups are higher at West Chester University (WCU, 82%, and 61%, respectively), a gap of 19 percentage points still exists.
The WCU College of Sciences and Mathematics Center for STEM Inclusion has designed the I Want to STEM! initiative as a comprehensive outreach, research, and mentorship program that will guide students from elementary school to a bachelor's degree in STEM. The program will establish a "chain of mentorship" between Grades 3 - 12 students, undergraduates, and faculty/industry. Along the way, the students will see every next step in their path toward a STEM career with the guidance and support needed to be successful.
The report on the Economic Impact of Achievement Gaps in Pennsylvania's Public Schools states that the "race-ethnic academic achievement gaps [in the state of P.A.] amount to an estimated annual cost of $1 billion to $3 billion in lost earnings, which equates to 6 to 15 percent of the earnings for African-American and Latino workers. If student performance gaps based on race-ethnicity or family economic status were closed for future cohorts, each annual cohort in Pennsylvania would gain $3 billion to $5 billion in present-value lifetime compensation and nonmarket benefits." By providing K-12 STEM enrichment, the I Want to STEM! initiative will serve as a model for addressing this achievement gap.
Supported By: NSF S-STEM - Award #2028230 - $999,600, and DOE Award #xxxxx - $716,000
S-STEM: Increasing the Persistence of STEM Majors through Nanoscience-Themed Activities that Support Academic, Professional, and Personal Engagement and Development.
This project will contribute to the national need for skilled scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students at West Chester University, a comprehensive, primarily undergraduate institution. Over its five-year duration, the project will provide scholarships to 18 full-time students who are pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Forensic and Toxicological Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics, or Physics. Scholars will enter in two annual cohorts of nine students and receive up to four years of scholarship support. In addition to the scholarships, the project will provide Scholars with a comprehensive suite of evidence-based academic, professional, and personal engagement and development activities that are embedded within an overarching nanoscience theme. The activities will span Scholar’s entire academic career and include a STEM-oriented summer camp, Orientation and Learning Community activities, a STEM-themed journal club, opportunities for nanoscience research summer experiences and industry internships, and career planning and graduate fellowship grant-writing workshops.
The overall goal of the project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Specific aims include: (1) To implement a four-year program of evidence-based, integrated academic, professional, and personal experiences; (2) to contribute to an understanding of the impact of student cohorts and other psychological and social factors on student success and retention and graduation in STEM; and (3) to broaden the participation of low-income high-achieving STEM students in Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Drawing on a phenomenological approach, the mixed methods research and development effort will examine the lived experience of Scholar cohorts to document and explore how growth mindset, desirable difficulties/productive struggles, and metacognitive practices during learning impact student success, retention, and graduation with a STEM degree. Across individuals, time, and methods/measures, the project’s triangulation strategies will support the development/collection of data, the use of multiple data sources and methods/measures, analyses of the data to include addressing convergence, inconsistency, and contradiction, and the establishment of the trustworthiness, credibility, and validity of the study findings. The project has the potential to advance knowledge about activities and factors that differentially influence student success, retention, and graduation in STEM. A mixed methods formative and summative evaluation will inform project improvement, as well as document and assess project processes and student outcomes. Results from the project will be made available through the project website, publications, and presentations at education-oriented conferences and venues. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.
DOE-Funded 3-12 Outreach Project - I Want To STEM!
Analysis of trends in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reveals that, on average, the achievement gap (the disparity in standardized test scores between students from historically marginalized populations and their white counterparts) is among the largest in the country. For both 4th and 8th grades, the average test scores for African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students have shown gaps of approximately 32 points in reading and 35 points in math since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. This consistent achievement gap leads to an equity gap in higher education where retention and graduation rates for African American and Hispanic students lag behind those of their white counterparts. Most recent information from the 2018-2019 academic year shows that within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), while white students achieved a 73% 6-year graduation rate, the rate for African American, Hispanic, mixed-race, and Native American students was only 48%. Though the graduation rates for both groups are higher at West Chester University (WCU, 82%, and 61%, respectively), a gap of 19 percentage points still exists.
The WCU College of Sciences and Mathematics Center for STEM Inclusion has designed the I Want to STEM! initiative as a comprehensive outreach, research, and mentorship program that will guide students from elementary school to a bachelor's degree in STEM. The program will establish a "chain of mentorship" between Grades 3 - 12 students, undergraduates, and faculty/industry. Along the way, the students will see every next step in their path toward a STEM career with the guidance and support needed to be successful.
The report on the Economic Impact of Achievement Gaps in Pennsylvania's Public Schools states that the "race-ethnic academic achievement gaps [in the state of P.A.] amount to an estimated annual cost of $1 billion to $3 billion in lost earnings, which equates to 6 to 15 percent of the earnings for African-American and Latino workers. If student performance gaps based on race-ethnicity or family economic status were closed for future cohorts, each annual cohort in Pennsylvania would gain $3 billion to $5 billion in present-value lifetime compensation and nonmarket benefits." By providing K-12 STEM enrichment, the I Want to STEM! initiative will serve as a model for addressing this achievement gap.