William & Mary Scholars and WMSURE awarded a new grant from the Jesse Ball DuPont Fund
by Anne H. Charity Hudley
The William and Mary Scholars program has enjoyed 
tremendous growth this year. An average of 20 students and several faculty attend each Wednesday afternoon workshop. In addition, even a greater number of students work closely with WMSURE advisors and mentors (including all pre-major William and Mary Scholars) and WMSURE students are engaged in research on campus and throughout the world. WMSURE is now housed in Blow 236, just across from the Charles Center and next to the Counseling Center which allows for more integration between both the academic and social components of the program. Students report that the networking and mentoring opportunities that the program provides are among the most important aspects of WMSURE.
10 WMSURE students received 2013 research grants. Another 10 received research grants in the summer of 2014. In addition, WMSURE scholars are funded by other sources including but not limited to: individual faculty grants, National Science Foundation REU experiences, and NASA.
Workshops have covered topics including: choosing your major, how to get started in research, doing honors, the imposter syndrome, solo status, and stereotype threat. WMSURE faculty presented on their own research to students as well. WMSURE was highlighted at the Virginia Universities & Race Histories Conference by Dr. Michael Mallory, director of the Ron Brown Scholars Program, as a great example of a program that moves beyond admissions initiatives for underrepresented students into areas of retention and academic excellence.
WMSURE's featured guest speakers this year were both distinguished researchers from underrepresented backgrounds and WMSURE parents. Dr. Chyke Doubeni, Presidential Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health and vice chair for research in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and father of WMSURE scholar Ebi Doubeni. Dr. Doubeni led a workshop on his work on colorectal cancer focusing on racial and socioeconomic disparities in mortality and on the effectiveness of screening. He currently leads National Institute of Health-funded multisite studies of the comparative effectiveness colorectal cancer screening and is a co-principal investigator of one of three colorectal cancer research centers of the PROSPR (Population-Based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens) network. Dr. Susan Gooden, Professor of Public Administration and Policy in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and Executive Director of the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and mother of WM Scholar Caper Gooden led a dinner and a movie discussion on Understanding structural racism. WMSURE scholars watched “Race: The Power of an Illusion” and Dr. Gooden facilitated a highly engaging post-viewing discussion.
This year, WMSURE students have continued to take an active role in expanding and leading the program. Current student-initiated projects included WMSURE course development, a plan for a student and alumni mentoring program, and research on the experience of WMSURE students.
In support of these efforts, the William and Mary Scholars Program and WMSURE has received a new $68,000 grant from the Jesse Ball DuPont Fund. The grant was awarded as a challenge match grant. As the college raises funds in support of WMSURE, the DuPont Fund will match them up to $68,000, so please consider giving to WMSURE.
The three-year funding will enable WMSURE to bring underrepresented Virginia high school students to campus to learn about research, to support more WMSURE faculty and student research efforts, to hire undergraduate WMSURE fellows who will serve as WMSURE peer advisors and mentors, and to have a conference each summer so that university faculty from across Virginia can learn more about how to best support underrepresented students in the classroom and in research.
The first WMSURE research workshop for high school students, Autumn Blast Research, will be held on October 26, 2014, following Autumn Blast. The second workshop for high school students will be held in April 2015, the Sunday afternoon after A Day for Admitted Students. We welcome participation from the entire William and Mary Community. The first WMSURE two-day faculty conference will be held on Thursday, June 25th and Friday, June 26th 2015 to support faculty who engage in undergraduate research with students from underrepresented backgrounds. Faculty may apply to participate in the faculty conference.
