Activities

EIA-0080940 :
"Graduate Education for Minority Students
in Computer Science and Engineering: Extending the Pipeline"

THIS PROJECT ENDED August 31, 2007 - Our sincerest appreciation
to NSF for their support on this research.

Encouraging students to enroll in graduate programs in CS & E

Each year department representatives visit our Hispanic-serving partner universities to encourage students to pursue graduate study. These visits have resulted in minority students being recruited to UTEP, and in UTEP students connecting with our graduate partners.

Partner School Ph.D. Initiative

This initiative is specially designed to create educational opportunities for faculty at our Texas partner institutions who hold an MS degree in Computer Science or a related field, are teaching Computer Science at their institution, and wish to pursue a PhD in Computer Engineering. This special program is designed to adapt to the needs, experiences and expertise of each individual participant. It is structured to enable participants to obtain their doctorate in Computer Engineering while reducing disruption to their normal professional and family lives. The program was launched in Fall 2002.

Teacher's-Only Fast Track Initiative

This initiative is designed to support area teachers interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Computer Science by facilitating their fast-track entry into our M.S. degree program. Our objective is to accelerate teachers' preparation for taking graduate courses.
Our Teachers-Only Fast-Track program began in the summer of 2001. The program covers the first two undergraduate courses in Computer Science (CS 1401 and CS 2401) in a single eight-week term. Teachers who complete the fast-track summer program will complete two semesters worth of work! Additionally, the Department offers students who complete the summer courses the opportunity to register for a fall evening course, Data Structures (CS 2302), which is the main prerequisite for masters program core coursework.

Participant Support

This project currently supports six Hispanic students in or targeted for Ph.D. programs in Computer Science and Engineering.

Future Efforts

Future Efforts will focus on continued support of the activities mentioned above, as well as implementation of a peer mentoring program. This effort will be designed to promote interaction between graduate and undergraduate students in the program. We expect that graduate mentors will assist new/soon-to-be graduate students with finding a compatible research opportunity, and serve as role models on the road to graduation and gradate work. Once launched, this mentoring program should enhance not only the academic performance of undergraduates, but also the breadth and depth of the graduate mentor's own leadership and professional skills and goals.