Valerie Petit Wilson, PhD Executive Director, Leadership Alliance

1. Enhancing the Talent Pool: Multi-Institutional Approach of the Leadership Alliance 3rd Annual Interventions ConferenceBethesda, MarylandMay 9, 2009 Valerie Petit Wilson, PhD Executive Director, Leadership Alliance Associate Dean of the Graduate School Clinical Professor of Community Health

2. The Leadership Alliancewww.theleadershipalliance.org A Consortium of 33 Outstanding Academic Institutions Shared Vision: Greater diversity in the nation’s institutions of higher learning Shared Commitment: Assist underrepresented minority students become future educators and leaders for our academic, public and government organizations Member Institutions Brooklyn College Brown University Chaminade University Claflin University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Delaware State University Dillard University Harvard University Howard University Hunter College Johns Hopkins University Montana State University-Bozeman Morehouse College Morgan State University New York University Prairie View A&M University Princeton University Spelman College Stanford University Tougaloo College Tufts University University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Miami University of Pennsylvania University of Puerto Rico University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Xavier University of Louisiana Yale University

3. Programs of The Alliance Programs at Four Levels • Undergraduate Summer Research • Graduate/Postdoc Transitions • Leadership Alliance National Symposium • Faculty Resource Network

4. Elements of the Presentation The Undergraduate Pool Critical Transitions in the Training Pathway Successful Strategies for Alliances

5. Part 1:The Undergraduate Pool The Role of Core Elements Evaluation of What Works Broadening Base of Competitive Trainees

6. The Role of Core Elements:Create a Single Program Across All Sites Why Core Elements? • Students from Differing Disciplines • 22 different research campuses • On average, students from more than 100 institutions • Primary intent – doctoral study • Range in age and research experiences

7. Examples of Core Activities • Research Skills • Training in Scientific/Research Methods • Journal Club/Literature Review • Critical Reading and Analysis • Responsible Conduct of Research • HIPAA /Radiation/Other Training • Communications • Proposal/Prospectus Writing • Abstract Writing for Posters • Presentation to Research Group on Campus Practice Presentation for Symposium • Symposium Presentations • Professional Development • Career Options – PhD, MD, MD/PhD • How to Choose a Graduate Program • Paths to Graduate School • Graduate School Admissions Process • Writing a Statement of Academic Purpose • GRE Prep/Strategies for GRE Testing • Funding a Graduate Education • Graduate School Experience Scope of Core Elements Across all sites – one program Research Skills to build expertise in methodology and knowledge of disciplinary standards Communications Skills to strengthen exchange of research results and facilitate networking within disciplines Professional Development to provide career choice clarity and boost confidence in pursuing the appropriate advanced degree.

8. What Works – Student Satisfaction • Student Satisfaction survey helps determine if learning goals achieved within cohorts • Testing across the years ensures that information is valid across time

9. Broadening Base of Competitive Trainees for Graduate Study (Poster 67) • Source of the ‘inexperienced’ cohort • From all institution types – MSIs and Majority institutions • Not affiliated with organized research programs on campus • Large proportion in humanities and social sciences, but still a significant proportion in the STEM fields Interpretation: Every student will not be identified ‘early’ – Plan program to look for those who come to these career aspirations relatively late in the undergrad career

10. Net Effect Over Time • More students who entered doctoral programs • The increase in PhD trainees is NOT at the expense of MD trainees; These are new populations

11. Part 2:Critical Transitions in the Training Pathway Graduate & Postdoctoral Transitions New Transitions: Career Choices

12. Monitoring the disciplinary mix of those entering graduate training…. …to determine that the disciplinary mix is similar to that of the undergraduate pool

13. Gender and Racial/Ethnic Distributions Women in enrolled in doctoral programs dominate the Biosciences and the Social Sciences, but… …there are no differences in disciplines by race or ethnicity.

14. Leadership Alliance Doctoral Scholars • On the Occasion of the Gala Celebration in July 2008 • “The Promise of Leadership”

15. As scholars complete Doctoral Programs, monitor their disciplines and their next steps, especially Postdoctoral appointments

16. New Transitions: Career Choices Populating the Academy and the Public and Private Sectors 41 Alliance Trainees hold Faculty Positons 33 are in the public and Private sector

17. Part 3:Successful Strategies Institutional Leadership Shared Governance Faculty Engagement

18. Require High Level Commitment Presidential Level commitment is required for membership. Senior Administrators as coordinators delegated to speak for the institutions; dedicated staff for summer programs at research institution. Overall coordination maintained by an Executive Office and dedicated staff, headquartered at Brown University Successful Strategy Affirm Institutional Leadership • Continuously Update Those Involved • Periodic Communication with Senior Leadership. Regular communication to Presidents/Chancellors/Provosts and at times, in person gatherings. • A Membership Manual provides a set of uniform standards for the group and examples of effective strategies and best practices for modeling across all sites. • Intranet ‘Library’ of past meeting materials, historic data, current policies, student participants, presentation materials. • An Annual New Coordinator Orientation for new institutions or replacement coordinators at existing partner campuses provides a trusted space to answer questions.

19. Successful Strategy - Shared Governance Facilitates Administrative Engagement • Goal: • Every institution participates • Each institution has equal role in decision making • Shared Governance • Delegated authority to oversee specific issues • 6 representatives per committee • Ad Hoc groups as necessary • Executive Committee • Members of the PAC and • Chairs of other committees • Executive Staff as ex officio • Continuity of work • Documentation of effort

20. .” Engage Mentors for: Hosting students in research projects for multiple years; Providing them with materials on the mission and expectation of the program for mentors and trainees Inviting mentors to symposium for interactions with larger undergraduate pool of students and possible recruitment to training programs; Encouraging mentors to provide letters of support for student applications for training positions My relationship with my mentor is really great; we talk about everything. We talk about school, growing up, the profession, how to get grants, how to apply to school, what you should look for in a school. It’s real personal; I have a real close relationship with this guy” Successful Strategy - Faculty Engagement Facilitates Training Progression

21. Enhancing the Talent Pool: A Multi-Institutional Approach • Questions? • See : • Poster #17 – Learning Goals of the Leadership Alliance Symposium • Poster #50 – Undergraduate Origins of Leadership Alliance Doctoral Scholars • Poster #67 – Broadening the Base of Competitive Applicants for Graduate Training • www.theleadershipalliance.org