With female and minority representation in the STEM workforce lagging, programs like Columbus State University’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program are providing STEM students with greater academic, research, mentoring and professional development support. Based in the university’s College of Letters & Sciences, the LSAMP Program is making it possible for the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals to find their place in the nation’s workforce.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Leadership and Academic Enhancement Program supports historically underrepresented students studying and pursuing careers in the STEM fields. Its nationwide network of regional alliances seeks to increase the number of qualified underrepresented minority students graduating from undergraduate STEM degree programs, continuing to graduate school, and ultimately joining and helping to diversify the STEM workforce.

LSAMP student participation is competitive and reserved for students with a declared undergraduate major in a STEM field. At Columbus State, those include biology, chemistry, computer science, cybersecurity, mathematics and robotics engineering. In addition to being U.S. citizens, they must have a 2.5 high school or college GPA.

“What makes LSAMP ideal for our STEM students is that, through their participation, they get to see the bigger picture of the STEM field and what it holds for them and their future,” said LSAMP Program Coordinator Cremel Burney. “They get to network regionally and nationally with other minority STEM students and professionals as they share what they’re learning in the classroom and how they’re applying those principles through their research.”

Participation opens the door to networking and academic development opportunities—such as the Southwest Georgia LSAMP Alliance's Annual Summit in Columbus on Feb. 24-25. During the two-day event, hosted by Columbus State, students will present their research and benefit from a variety of speakers. More than 40 students plus faculty from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Columbus State University, Columbus Technical College, Georgia Southwestern State University, Valdosta State University, Georgia Southern and North Georgia are expected to attend.

The summit will be the first for senior CSU biology major Alisha Kennedy, but she looks forward to the event solidifying many of the benefits of her participation in LSAMP to this point.

“In the short time I have been a part of LSAMP, I have been able to build an incredibly strong network of students, professors and professionals in all sorts of fields who have helped guide me closer to where I see my future self,” noted Kennedy, who aspires to attend medical school and a pediatric hematologist/oncologist. “Through my research in biology and chemistry, I have gained a much greater understanding and appreciation of the work that goes into providing the best possible care for patients and the considerations that must be made for treatments, such as with prescription medications, before they can be offered to patients.

It’s the opportunity to continue expanding her peer and professional network at has senior Skyler Dexter, a native of Brooklyn, New York, looking forward to her repeat appearance at this year’s LSAMP summit.

“I hope to continue building my network with students and professionals alike” explained Dexter, who wants to parlay her accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree in robotics engineering into a career as a controls or automation engineer. “At past summits, I had multiple opportunities to meet company representatives and professionals in my fields of interest. These interactions have opened my eyes to how vast my career opportunities are.”

In addition to the Annual Summit, Columbus State’s LSAMP Program hosts a Summer Bridge Program each June that provides practical, hands-on application of STEM concepts, financial literacy programs, keynote workshops from STEM professionals, and resiliency training in addition to field trips, team and skill-building activities, and other engaging experiences.

LSAMP students can benefit academically, personally and financially through their participation. The program allows them to get more involved in their academic major and acquire practical hands-on experience in their chosen career field—all while developing deeper mentoring relationships with faculty, current practitioners and leaders in the scientific fields.

At Columbus State, as many as 15 students are involved with the LSAMP program at any one time. This includes both scholar, who receive full program benefits, and associate scholars who as affiliate members can also participate in some of the program’s academic and mentoring activities. As a result of those benefits, LSAMP scholars who have recently graduated from CSU have gone on to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in fields including biomedical sciences, chemistry, electrical engineering and public health. They also have participated in prestigious corporate internships and graduate fellowships, as well have received awards for their academic and research success.

For scholars, full benefits include a stipend toward their tuition and research interests, along with faculty mentoring in their field of interest, GRE preparation resources, and guidance for both graduate school and career planning. Full scholars also benefit by attending networking events, regional conferences, and graduate school fairs. At these events, they can explore advanced education and career interests, and interview for internships and full-time employment opportunities.

A former LSAMP scholar, Columbus native and 2022 CSU chemistry graduate Destini Thornton, continues to benefit from her program involvement as she pursues her doctorate at Auburn University.

“LSAMP contributed to my continued studies by allowing me to perform undergraduate research and have the training and exposure needed to be successful in my current program,” said Thornton, whose goal of is to become a medicinal chemist. “I also think that LSAMP has meetings that helped me with my professional development and overcoming obstacles that I have experienced being a person of color in STEM.”

Recent research by the Pew Research Center indicates that better minority representation in the STEM workforce is sorely needed. While African American workers comprise 11% of total employment across all occupations, they comprise only 9% of STEM workers. They represent just 5% of engineers and 7% of workers in computer occupations. And, while Hispanic workers make up 17% of the total workforce across all occupations, they comprise only 8% of the STEM workforce. Pay gaps for women and minorities working in STEM fields—when compared to their male and white counterparts—are equally pervasive.

In the College of Letters and Sciences—where most of the university’s STEM programs are concentrated—students from underrepresented groups represent three-quarters of the college’s overall enrollment. For those students, LSAMP offers both academic and nurturing benefits.

“LSAMP provided me with funding opportunities for research training that help propel me to the next step,” Thornton recalled. “I believe the aspect of LSAMP that made the greatest contribution to my academic success was the fact I was able to interact with like-minded people who shared the same experiences as I and were striving to make themselves better overall.”

For those reasons, noted Dr. Monica Frazier, a professor and chair of the Department of Biology, programs like LSAMP that mentor and foster minority students are vital.

“The LSAMP Program in particular allows students to thrive in an environment surrounded by peers who look like them and share similar academic and research interests in STEM,” said Frazier, who also serves as director of the Southwest Georgia LSAMP Alliance. “Ultimately, communities for students of color like ours become a network that our students will tap into well beyond graduation. The LSAMP network becomes their foundation for a lifetime of scientific and professional success.”

Kennedy agreed and credited that environment and the access the LSAMP has provided with offering her a well-rounded and motivating academic experience.

“I feel as if the experiences I’ve had to conduct research, make presentations, develop my leadership skills and broaden my network these past nine months—opportunities exclusive to LSAMP—have made my education more substantive,” she said. “They have also given me a much more unique viewpoint and attitude about science and my career goals, which have made me a much more hardworking and competitive student.”

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation was established in 1991 and named in honor of former U.S. Congressman Louis Stokes, who spent his life serving and defending those in need. Stokes, the first African American congressman elected in the state of Ohio, served 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his 30 years in Congress, he was one of the Cold War-era chairmen of the House Intelligence Committee, headed the Congressional Black Caucus, and was the first African American on the House Appropriations Committee. LSAMP chapters are found throughout the nation at technical, two-year and four-year colleges and universities.