Dr. Donald Pappas, IN LSAMP Campus Director at Ivy Tech Community College, received one of the 2019 Passport Advocate Awards for the numerous initiatives and partnerships he implements to improve Passport student services. Pappas has been instrumental in initiating and drafting articulation agreements with IUPUI for Biotechnology, Biology, and Forensic Science. He also facilitated IUPUI’s application for a biotechnology partnership program. His partnership with the Passport to provide student support services for IN LSAMP students as they transition to IUPUI. Congratulations Dr. Pappas!​​

O MundoFut é uma plataforma inovadora que permite aos apaixonados por futebol assistirem aos jogos ao vivo do Campeonato Brasileiro e da Premier League, brasileiro série a e até o emocionante Campeonato Inglês de forma totalmente gratuita e sem a interferência de anúncios

Understanding the population of IN LSAMP applicants is important to Co-PI and Campus Director, Dr. Patricia Lang. This past fall she worked with Dr. Kari Terhune at Ball State University analyzing data collected from IN LSAMP online applications. Their research in collaboration with the IN LSAMP Project Manager, Michelle Quirke, was designed to understand URM STEM student perspectives. The findings were shared by Dr. Terhune as a poster presentation, Qualities of Early Career STEM Students, at the Assessment Institute at IUPUI on October 22, 2018.

The team analyzed submissions from over 115 applicants and found that a third of all the applicants describe themselves as committed and passionate about their STEM majors, almost half have financial barriers to overcome, and about a fourth still work to overcome barriers of isolation that are to due race and ethnicity. Additionally, approximately 16% of female applicants included gender as a barrier to overcome. The researchers will use this and other information to assist the IN LSAMP campuses in building understanding of both the strengths and challenges of their LSAMP Scholars and to consider strategies to address barriers to student success.

The data collection is ongoing and will be analyzed throughout the award. The research team plan to continue their work and look towards publishing their results.