SomosSTEM
About SomosSTEM (“We are STEM”)
New Mexico Highlands University’s (NMHU) SomosSTEM (“We are STEM”) is an NSF (National Science Foundation) funded program. SomosSTEM engages students in place and community-based undergraduate participation in STEM.
The program involves students in life science community research pathways through the critical transition from lower to upper division coursework. Activities and experiences are used to support the development of a life science community that engages students, faculty, and community STEM partners. Grant activities include Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs); the SomosSTEM Fellows activities throughout the academic year; a full summer internship program; and the Community Voices lecture series.
SomosSTEM Activities
CUREs
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are laboratory modules integrated into introductory life-science classes at HU.
SomosSTEM Fellows Activities
Fellows activities are special out-of-class events focused on science and community offered throughout the academic year. Activities are designed to support student retention and success in science by providing experiential learning opportunities through collaborative and place-based scholarship and service experiences in local areas of New Mexico.
Summer Internship Program
The nine-week SomosSTEM summer internship program pairs HU sophomores with several local community STEM partner mentors. During the last week of the internship, students work with HU faculty to connect their internship experiences to the classroom by helping to create ibCUREs (intern-built CUREs). These will be integrated into introductory life-science courses.
Community Voices Lecture Series
The SomosSTEM Community Voices lecture series seeks to integrate multiple perspectives and community experiences into our academic science community on campus and to increase undergraduate participation in the sciences.
Professional development opportunities for HU faculty and community partners
SomosSTEM offers HU STEM faculty and local community STEM mentors trainings in effective mentoring techniques to support student success.
Research
Research In partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), the SomosSTEM research study seeks to understand how early, high-impact, and community informed research activities effect the development of students’ self-efficacy, science identity, and sense of belonging.
STEM education researchers Dr. Elvira Abrica and Dr. Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza are conducting a five-year study utilizing a mixed method approach to evaluate how the development of these psychosocial attributes support college student persistence and degree completion in the life sciences at NMHU. The research study provides many opportunities for students to participate, including surveys, focus groups and interviews.
Student information
The SomosSTEM program gives you research experiences early in your undergraduate coursework. We provide you with the opportunity to be a part of the local STEM community by working with peers and local STEM partners in government agencies, non-profits, and private industry.
SomosSTEM CURE labs are a part of introductory life science classes so you can do science in your lab courses while participating in research within the local community.
The SomosSTEM Fellows activities support student success by giving you an opportunity to work with faculty and community STEM partners on local science challenges that addresses real-world problems.
The SomosSTEM summer internship program is for sophomores, and introduces you to a partner mentor from a local not-for-profit, business, or government agency. During the 9-week internship, you will have an opportunity to work with them in the field and learn about local STEM-based activities.
To learn more about current SomosSTEM opportunities, please email our activities coordinator, Ashal Shrestha (ashrestha2@live.nmhu.edu) or the grant’s lead Investigator, Dr. Sarah Corey-Rivas (sjcorey@nmhu.edu)
Faculty information
Professional development opportunities
SomosSTEM offers HU STEM faculty and local community STEM mentors training to build effectiveness in mentoring students. SomosSTEM also provides professional development opportunities to Highlands life sciences faculty members who have taught or will teach a SomosSTEM Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE).
Resources for CURE development
The SomosSTEM CURE Library contains CUREs that have already been developed and deployed at Highlands. SomosSTEM faculty collaborators are welcome to reuse or revise a CURE for their introductory-level life science classes. Please email Dr. Corey-Rivas for access to the library.
*Please note that CUREs using a previous researcher’s data may require a request to the researcher for data access.
SomosSTEM (“We are STEM”)!
Supported by the National Science Foundation, Award #1953487. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.