Methods to estimate the causal effects of interventions are increasingly used in clinical medicine, public policy and social science. Using observational data, researchers can obtain causal treatment effect estimates without the ethical risks and time constraints that typically burden randomized experiments. The three studies in this dissertation…

This quantitative study examines the outcomes of the Pre-Matriculation program at the University of Kansas Medical Center's School of Medicine, a pipeline initiative designed to equip students from historically underrepresented groups in medicine (HURM) with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in medical school. A student is considered…

The number of students choosing to study abroad has steadily increased over the past 25 years. Immediately prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, 10.9% of all undergraduates in the US studied abroad at some point while pursuing their degree. This rapid expansion has largely been welcomed on college campuses due to globalization and the sense that…

Marginalized students often feel a greater sense of detachment from their schools in comparison to non-marginalized peers (Bottiani et al., 2017). Mentorship programs provide positive experiences that enhance adolescents' social, behavioral, and academic development. These programs help disconnected students establish a stronger connection within…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation, engineering, is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018). Unfortunately, there is a disparity between enrollment and graduation rates (Chen, 2015; Lucas &…

Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography persist in the United States, even among students with the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to these inequities. We report on a large-scale experiment designed to increase…

Persistent racial inequities in the field of psychology have resulted in exclusion and marginalization of racially/ethnically minoritized (REM) students. This manuscript discusses the effectiveness of an endeavor to increase admission, recruitment, and retention of REM students, the Scholars Committed to Opportunities in Psychological Education…

Purpose: Jointly operated by school districts and postsecondary institutions, Early Colleges are either whole school program or programs within schools designed to serve students traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The Early College High School Initiative was established in 2002 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along…

This study examines the impact of an alternative to suspension program on second semester office discipline referrals for participating students. The study compares students who completed the intervention program with those who would have qualified during the school year prior to the program being available at the school district. The study was…

This study involved examination of the impact of Freshman Academy, a targeted support program for students at a predominantly White regional institution, on the academic success of 1st-year underrepresented minority students, as measured by 1st-year grade point average and retention. Vincent Tinto's interactionalist theory and student departure…

Purpose: This study examines the impact of participation in a STEM Enrichment Summer Bridge Program, funded by the NSF Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, on undergraduate student success outcomes, particularly for under-represented students. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses propensity score matching and logistic…

Initiatives across U.S. higher education institutions have championed diversity efforts as a top priority; however, effectiveness and overall benefits remain unclear, specifically of diversity support programs. Although universities' budgets have accommodated the costs of diversity initiatives, authentic motives and program executions remain…

In 2014, the national average for students identified as gifted was 6.8%, but in Pennsylvania, the average number of students identified as gifted was only 3.4%. Despite already being behind in average identification, a suburban district outside of Philadelphia continued to see numbers of gifted students decline (almost by 50% since 2015). Since…

The present investigation sought to explore whether meaningful relationships exist between underrepresented minority (URM) status, pipeline program participation, and student pursuit of physical therapy (PT) as a career. A total of 139 first-year post-Baccalaureate entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students participated in the research…

Benefits of summer bridge and early arrival experiences include the academic and social integration of incoming first-year students into their chosen institutions. The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities to re-imagine delivery of activities and engagement of incoming first-year students in summer bridge and early…