Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) faculty members presented information about a National Science Foundation-funded scholarship program that provided support to engineering and technology students. The Engineering Scholars Program: Increasing Access and Diversity targeted underrepresented groups, but anyone with financial need was eligible.

1. Alycia Marshall, Ph.D
Professor /Department Chair of Mathematics
Principal Investigator, Engineering Scholars Program (ESP)
aamarshall@aacc.edu
Marjorie Rawhouser, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Engineering
Faculty Mentor, Engineering Scholars Program (ESP)
marawhouser@aacc.edu
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD

2. Background
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) faculty
members presented information about an NSF-funded
scholarship program that provided support to
engineering and technology students. The Engineering
Scholars Program: Increasing Access and Diversity
targeted underrepresented groups, but anyone with
financial need was eligible.
The program was a grant from the National Science
Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education
(DUE), initially for five years. A no-cost extension
continued it for an additional year, and another year of
extension is anticipated.

3. Program Activities
The main components of the program were: financial aid,
faculty mentoring, professional activities, and study sessions.
The first faculty mentors were chosen from engineering
faculty. As the program gained students, mentors were
added from other academic areas. Initially, mentors met
with students monthly; frequency was increased to every two
weeks.
Monthly professional activities included seminar speakers
and visits to universities and local industries. Speakers were
professionals in many engineering disciplines, including
some former AACC students. University visits provided value
information about transferring, while industry visits allowed
students to see potential careers.
Weekly group study sessions provided an opportunity for
students to work together. It also allowed new students to
benefit from assistance from those who already completed
some of the coursework.

4. Results
The program has awarded 80 scholarships. Twelve
students are still at AACC. Thirty-eight scholars
graduated and/or successfully transferred to four-year
institutions including the University of Maryland
College Park, Frostburg State University, UMBC, US
Naval Academy and Virginia Tech. Students have
received over $250,000 in scholarship funds from four-
year institutions.

5. History of the Program
 Advisory Board – this
consisted of administration
and faculty member who
helped with initial
structure of the program
 Support of College
Leadership – This was
important to the process
 Office of Sponsored
Programs – Was very
willing to work with Dr.
Marshall on getting the
program started
Follow this link for a video
about the program
End of Year ESP Awards Ceremony

6. ESP Program Overview
The Engineering Scholars Program: (ESP
Scholars) implemented Fall 2011
•National Science Foundation (NSF), grant-funded
program ($598,000 DUE 1060246)
•Awarded 80 scholarships to students majoring in
engineering and engineering technology since fall
of 2011

7. ESP Program Objectives
 Increase financial and student support services for
students by providing scholarships in eligible engineering
programs targeting underrepresented groups in the STEM
fields (women, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native
Americans)
 Enhance student academic and support services for ESP
Scholars
 Increase retention rates of engineering students at AACC
 Increase employment and transfer rates of engineering
students at AACC

8. ESP Eligibility Requirements
 Demonstrated financial need
 Minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (high school
applicants)
 Declared major or intent to declare a major in one of
the targeted programs (Engineering Transfer,
Electrical Engineering Technology, or Mechatronics)
 US citizen or Permanent resident of the US.

9. ESP Program Structure
Maximum of $4,000 per year
Spring/Fall Orientations
Mentorship and Targeted Advising
Professional Talks, Field Trips and
Conferences
Organized Group Study

10. Spring/Fall Orientation
 2-day event before classes begin
 Introduces and reinforces program expectations
 Sample topics:
 Success in the classroom
 Goal setting
 College resources
 Financial literary
 Resumes and internships
 Transfer student panels
 Team-building events
 Professional field trips
 Lunch with mentors

11. Mentorship and Targeted Advising
 Mentors chosen from engineering, science,
and computer technology faculty
 Each mentor assigned 1 – 3 scholars
 Mentors meet with scholars bi-weekly
 Review and advise on class schedule
 Monitor grades
 Provide information and references for
resources
 Serve as advocate for students when
appropriate
 Faculty not assigned to mentor students
who are in their classes that semester.
 Mentors are expected to participate in other
ESP events

12. Professional Talks, Field Trips, and Conferences
 Second Friday Engineering Series (3 times per semester)
 Open to all students and faculty (required attendance by
all scholars)
 12 Seminars
 3 Field Trips
 2 “Meet the Profs” Events
 2 Frostburg Project Presentations
 6 Visits to UMCP and UMBV
 2 Regional Conferences

13. This slide shows some the places we’ve visited or where our speakers have come from.

14. Organized Group Study
 Three-hour period each week
 Reinforces sense of community among scholars
 Provides opportunity for check-in with program assistant
 Required attendance
 Peer-to-peer support

15. ESP Program Assessment
Student Surveys
(Qualitative/Quantitative)
Graduation/Transfer Rates
Retention of Students
Scholarship $$ Received at the 4-year
institutions

16. ESP Program Outcomes
 80 scholarships awarded to date
 38 scholars graduated and/or successfully
transferred to four year institutions including
the University of Maryland College Park,
Frostburg University, University of Maryland
Baltimore County, US Naval Academy and
Virginia Tech.
 ESP scholars have received over $250,000 in
scholarship funds from four-year institutions
to date

17. Challenges
 Required full-time status. – This is a challenge for some
students. Many of them still have to work part-time, or
they have family obligations.
 Maintenance of cohort structure/advantages. – The
initial concept would be a cohort of students who would
enter from High School and go through the program
together for 4 semesters. We ended up with students
who were at different places academically, so the cohort
model was not really enforced. This turned out to be ok,
because it allowed the more junior students to benefit
from the experiences of students who were further along
in the program.
 Even with scholarship- students are financially
challenged
 School-life balance
 Commuting challenges
 Scalability and sustainably beyond grant period

18. ESP Alumna: Claudette Dupont
“I have been very fortunate to have met
such a great group of scholars and
mentors. I gained skills in networking
and resume building. The ESP
program helped me explore
engineering and introduced me to
UMBC, where I was later accepted into
the Center for Women in Technology
T-SITE scholars program for transfer
students. Immediately upon
transferring to UMBC, I was able to
attain an internship as an engineering
assistant and drafter for Siemens
Building Technologies for over 2 years.
I am now currently working as an
Applications Engineer at Havtech.”

19. Additional Benefits
 ESP events open to all students
 Limited expansion of mentoring/advising model to
other engineering students
 Reinforcement of relationship between AACC
Engineering and transfer schools.

20. Acknowledgements
 Beth Baran
Associate Professor of Engineering, Engineering
Department Chair, ESP Lead Mentor
 Melissa Tewes
Program Assistant
 Debbie Mercado
Office of Sponsored Programs
 Funding from NSF Grant 062046
 Engineering Scholars Program Advisory Board

21. Contact Information
Dr. Alycia Marshall
410-777-2029
aamarshall@aacc.edu
Dr. Marjorie Rawhouser
410-777-2436
marawhouser@aacc.edu