Linda S. Larrivee
Dean, School of Education, Health, and Natural Sciences

Daron Barnard
Center Director and Professor of Biology

Aleel Grennan
Assistant Professor of Biology

Jeremy Andreatta
Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Elena Braynova
Professor of Computer Science

Douglas Kowalewski
Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Science

Nabin Malakar
Assistant Professor of Physics

We are using the model of course-based Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) to provide academic support to students in key STEM courses. PAL sessions are student-led, instructor-supported group study, and review sessions are run by trained student facilitators who were highly successful in the courses.

Departments supported by PAL- Fall 2019

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Physics

Courses Covered by PAL- Fall 2019

• BI-203 Genetics
• BI-204 Microbiology
• CH-120 General Chemistry I
• CH-121 General Chemistry II
• CH-201 Organic Chemistry I
• CS-225 Discrete Structures I
• CS-242 Data Structures
• PY-221 General Physics I

PAL Session Schedule

Add PAL Session Schedule to your Calendar

PAL is an activity of the Aisiku STEM Center. The Workforce Preparation Support Program is generously funded by the philanthropic support from the Fairlawn Foundation Fund at Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

The aim of program, when it launches, is to enhance undergraduate research in the STEM fields through the support of interdisciplinary research teams. It will provide a one-year opportunity for students to work closely with faculty mentors from several disciplines. Students will be granted the mental space to focus a year of their lives to a pre-graduate school research experience and the opportunity to work collaboratively on a research problem.

• Students from multiple departments will work as part of a research team to address a STEM-related problem using an interdisciplinary approach.
• Teams will include faculty and students from at least 3 of the STEM fields and will tie together the expertise of these departments.
• Unique collaborations with non-STEM disciplines will also be considered, but the majority of the collaborators must be in STEM fields.
• Teams will consist of faculty mentors from the disciplines (minimum of 3) involved in the project and will develop and propose a research focus.
• The lead principal investigator will be responsible for the general oversight of the project, coordinating activities, and reporting out.
• Students will be recruited from the disciplines during their second year.

The Brigham-WSU Bridge to Excellence Program is a unique initiative that aims to enhance undergraduate mentoring and education in the STEM fields through the support of collaborative mentoring relationships with the diverse faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Brigham and Women’s faculty will serve as virtual mentors and guest lecturers, and participate as faculty sponsors of a summer externship program.

Virtual remote mentoring

Students and faculty may form career mentorship partners. Mentoring is voluntary by the student and faculty and encourages remote support to students from faculty. The mentor-mentee relationship is an individual experience and the depth of the mentorship may vary.

Educational lecturers

WSU STEM faculty may invite Brigham and Women’s emergency medicine faculty to participate and give lectures at the mutual convenience of the faculty from both institutions.

Summer externship

One disadvantaged student will be chosen to spend the summer shadowing a Brigham and Women’s emergency medicine faculty to further their experience in the health-related fields. This program will be a competitive application process with defined goals for the summer externship. The goal of this initiative includes increasing exposure and opportunities to disadvantaged students through an open and competitive process.