90-11 Preliminary Results of the Building Emerging STEM Scholars of Tomorrow (BESST) Program: A New Undergraduate Research and Professional Development Training Program at the University of Kansas

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part I

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Abstract:

The Building Emerging STEM Scholars of Tomorrow (BESST) program is an NSF EPSCoR funded program at the University of Kansas that was initially established in fall of 2022. The program is designed to combat the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on undergraduate students' experiences, such as limiting access to research opportunities, constraining professional networks, reducing preparedness to be competitive for graduate school, and reducing experience for undergraduates seeking to directly enter the workforce after graduation. To promote success before and after graduation, students need access to networks and resources that build career readiness and transparency around the hidden curriculum to enter graduate school. They also benefit significantly from enhanced research experiences with mentors; however the benefits of this experience depend greatly on the quality of their interactions with their mentor. 

The BESST program combats these challenges by providing professional development for both students and mentors that are centered around building positive research experiences. The program recently celebrated it's first round of program graduates in May 2025. To date, a total of 41 faculty and staff have already completed the mentor training provided by BESST leadership and 8 students have completed the program. There are 25 students currently enrolled in the program for AY25-26. Students represent a variety of different STEM majors, including geology, environmental studies, biology, chemistry, anthropology, and engineering. This presentation will outline the different programmatic elements of BESST, including student curriculum development, mentor training results and the development of a mentor community of practice, and preliminary results of the first cohorts experience.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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