INSPIRE program: Eleven years of promoting STEM and Healthcare careers among low-income, underserved, minoritized high school students.

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Published: Nov 7, 2024

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Hector Rasgado-Flores
Rosalind Franklin University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9360-4783
Maxine Loh
Shella Blue
Rosalind Franklin University
Rachael Lange
Rosalind Franklin University
Jesus Ruiz
College of Lake County, Il
Eric Williams
Rosalind Franklin University
Cecilia Pena-Rasgado
Rosalind Franklin University
Brian Kufner
Wayne State College
Mytzy Rodriguez-Kufner
Leader Avenue, LLC.
Reema Rashied
Rosalind Franklin University
Sarah Mustaly-Kalimi
Rosalind Franklin University
Margaret Gonzales
Rosalind Franklin University
Bernadette Sanchez
University of Illinois Chicago
Maria Colunga
Round LAke (IL) School District

Abstract

The dearth of Latinx and African American (AA) professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields is most concerning. AA and Latinx workers in the labor market hold an 11% and 17% share of US workers, respectively. However, these groups only contribute 9% and 8%, respectively, of STEM professionals and 4.8 and 6% of physicians (Temming, 2021). Thus, academic programs focused on AA and Latinx STEM representation are vital in meeting the demands of increasing STEM and healthcare positions and diversifying these fields.


To build a pipeline for Latinx and AA high school (HS) students into STEM/healthcare fields, Rosalind Franklin University (RFU), a health professions graduate school, has developed the INfluence Student Potential and Increase Representation in Education (INSPIRE) program. Interested HS students from low-income and federally designated medically underserved areas in northern Lake County, Illinois, are enrolled in the program during HS and return annually until the completion of their undergraduate degree. INSPIRE is an eight-week summer, salaried program offering biomedical courses, career development seminars, parental engagement, and hands-on original biomedical research performance under the direction of a faculty mentor supported by a graduate student advisor on a 1:1:1 ratio. Since 2011, 62 students have participated, summing up 169 summer sessions. 100% of eligible participants have graduated from HS, 95.5% of them have matriculated into two- or four-year Colleges; 83% of the HS graduates have pursued STEM or Healthcare careers, and 6.6% of the 4-year college graduates have pursued postgraduate education; one of them at RFU. These numbers are significantly larger than the students' peers not participating in the program.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 25 No. 3 (2024): Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research
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Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the Institute for STEM Education and Research with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.
Author Biographies

Hector Rasgado-Flores, Rosalind Franklin University

Hector Rasgado-Flores, Ph.D.., is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Rosalind Franklin University-Chicago Medical School. He teaches, performs research, and is the Liasion for Latinx Students and
Community at the Office of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion. His research is on Cystic Fibrosis and using Music as a Therapeutic Tool. The NIH, American Heart Association, and Novartis have supported his work. He founded and is an advisor of the INSPIRE and Science Saturdays programs. He has been named Distinguished Mexican by the Mexican Government and has received two Life-Achievement Awards.

Maxine Loh

Maxine K. Loh (she, her, hers) is a current postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Departments of Medicine and Psychology. She earned a BS in Biology at DePaul University and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. During her graduate tenure, Loh was a graduate student coordinator for the INSPIRE program and student/postdoc representative for the graduate school's DEI task force.

Shella Blue, Rosalind Franklin University

Shella Blue is the senior director of corporate and foundation relations in the Division of Institutional Advancement at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Loyola University Chicago and is working towards a Master of Nonprofit Administration degree from North Park University, Chicago. Shella helped manage the INSPIRE program from 2012 – 2015 and has successfully sought and secured financial support for INSPIRE and other STEM-based educational pathway initiatives at RFU since 2012.

Rachael Lange, Rosalind Franklin University

Rachael Lange is the Director of Pathway Initiatives at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She earned her BS in Biology from Defiance College and her MS in Student Affairs and Higher Education at Miami University. Beginning in April 2023, Rachael oversees the day-to-day operations and strategic planning for INSPIRE, Science Saturdays, and future pathway programs. 

Jesus Ruiz, College of Lake County, Il

Jesus Ruiz received a bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University Chicago and a Master's in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. He is working on his Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Foundations: Equity, Inquiry, and Research at Illinois State University. He serves as the first Latino Dean at the College of Lake County and previously served as the Director of Community Relations and Pipeline Initiatives at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Eric Williams, Rosalind Franklin University

Eric G. Williams (he, him, his) is the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. He earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on African-American Community and Cultural Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a Master of Education from Kent State University. Eric earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (Higher Education) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).

Cecilia Pena-Rasgado, Rosalind Franklin University

Cecilia Pena-Rasgado, MS, is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Genetic Diseases at Rosalind Franklin University-Chicago Medical School. She was the first woman to graduate as a physicist from the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico. She also obtained an MS in Physics at the same University. Her scientific work is on cell membrane transport, high-throughput screening of potential Cystic Fibrosis therapeutic agents, and genetic modification of diseased cells. She has been pivotal in supporting the INSPIRE and Science Saturdays Programs and training students.   

 

Brian Kufner, Wayne State College

Brian E. Kufner is a Professor of human resource management in the School of Business and Technology at Wayne State College, Wayne, NE.  He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration, specializing in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, from Northcentral University and his MBA with a human resource management concentration from Dominican University (IL).  In addition to teaching, Dr. Kufner provides presentations to community members, professional associations, and business chambers of commerce on various topics, including DEI, organizational behavior, and organizational development.

Mytzy Rodriguez-Kufner, Leader Avenue, LLC.

Mytzy V. Rodriguez-Kufner is the Advisor/Recruitment Specialist at the University Center of Lake County and the Grow Your Own Coordinator. She received her BS in Biology and Anthropology from Loyola University Chicago, her MAT from Columbia College Chicago, her MA Ed. from Dominican University, and her Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning from Walden University. Dr. Rodriguez-Kufner also studied Podiatric Medicine for two years before deciding to focus on the field of education. Her varied background in rural and urban areas in education, entrepreneurship, data science, housing, medicine, philanthropy, photography, and research has provided her with a well-rounded worldview of STEAM in teaching and learning. Her love for science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math pushed her to pursue a data science certificate from Johns Hopkins and add an IT endorsement to her teaching licensure.  Her life goal is to pass an appreciation of STEAM to future generations and to create environmental and cultural stewards through her photography, publications, and future service learning projects to enrich her community.   

Reema Rashied, Rosalind Franklin University

Reema Rashied is a medical student at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science - Chicago Medical School, Class of 2025. She holds a BS in Physiology from the University of Arizona and an MS.
in Biomedical Science from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. As a second-year medical student, she was the INSPIRE and Science Saturday program's graduate student coordinator. She also played a pivotal role in the design of RFU's innovative Nursing INSPIRE pathway program.

Sarah Mustaly-Kalimi, Rosalind Franklin University

Sarah Mustaly-Kalimi is a Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science research associate. Her work primarily focuses on organelle calcium dysregulation in neurons in the early stages of neurodegeneration (Alzheimer's disease). She works in Dr. Grace Stutzmann's lab. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She earned a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Benedictine University, Illinois. 

Margaret Gonzales, Rosalind Franklin University

Margaret Gonzales is the Faculty Academic Writing Advisor in the Nexus for Faculty Success at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She earned her BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her MA and Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Rhetoric. After ten years as a tenured faculty member in English and Director of Composition at Texas Lutheran University, she joined the Nexus team in 2023 to help support faculty writers in their work on manuscripts and grants. 

Bernadette Sanchez, University of Illinois Chicago

Bernadette Sanchez, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is an expert on the role of mentoring in the developmental outcomes of adolescents of color from urban, low-income communities. She has received external grant awards to examine STEM mentoring. She received her BA from Fairfield University and MA and PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Maria Colunga, Round LAke (IL) School District

Maria Colunga is a Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist at Round Lake Schools, Il. She has been instrumental in engaging Latinx parents with their children's education. She has also promoted the participation of Latinx parents and students in the Science Saturdays and INSPIRE Programs.