Current Program Evaluation & Consulting

Program Evaluation Design and External Evaluator:

– 2009-2011. Louisiana State University, Science Howard Hughes Medical Institute (LSU-HHMI Professors program. Dr. Isiah Warner, Vice Chancellor, Office of Strategic Initiatives, and Dr. Zakiya Wilson, Program Director. This HHMI-funded program is directed at increasing the numbers of students from groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines, who are underperforming, but based on past performance demonstrate strong potential for achieving a STEM degree and continuing on to graduate school in a STEM field. External evaluation of the LSU-HHMI Professors program to determine program outcomes to date and the contribution of program elements to the initiative?s success. Findings of this external evaluation demonstrate that the program is successfully achieving its objectives to recruit talented but underachieving students interested in science, to retain them in science majors, and to encourage them to pursue PhDs in the STEM fields. The Summer Bridge program, community building, strong staff support, and financial scholarships were identified as critical program elements. A final report has been submitted (Hunter, September, 2011).

– 2007-2009. Collaborative Research: Horizontal Mentoring Alliances to Enhance the Academic Careers of Senior Women Science Faculty at Liberal Arts Institutions. Dr. Kerry Karukstis, Harvey Mudd College, P.I., NSF ADVANCE PAID initiative. This ADVANCE PAID project is designed to facilitate the advancement of senior women chemistry faculty members at liberal arts institutions to the highest ranks of academic leadership by achieving four linked objectives:

(1) helping senior women faculty articulate short- and long-range career goals and then formulate action plans to attain the stated professional goals;

(2) helping senior women faculty achieve professional recognitions or leadership roles in their departments, institutions, and professional organizations consistent with stated goals;

(3) identification and/or creation of resources that address career development issues for senior women at liberal arts institutions; and

(4) disseminating best practices on horizontal mentoring strategies for academic women.

The external evaluation addresses the broad question of how well the project has met its goals but will also assess in detail the relative effectiveness of each of the project?s strategies and explore what is different, and might need different strategies, for women at liberal arts colleges, as compared to women faculty members at Ph.D.-granting institutions. Qualitative baseline interviews were conducted and a report submitted (Hunter, 2010). Final outcome interviews are currently being analyzed.

Advisory Board on Assessment, Council of Undergraduate Research, Washington, DC.