Grand Challenges: Increasing Participation of Minorities and Women In STEM Through Sports Performance Analytics Research

Summary:

One of the current Grand Challenges our nation faces is the educational disparity present in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), wherein underrepresented minority students and women are significantly less likely to be retained in STEM majors. Due to under-privileged backgrounds, hardships caused by generations of discrimination, and current racial segregation patterns in schools, the pathways to STEM education are far fewer and more difficult for many of the nation's children. The project proposes to create an enrichment outreach course for secondary-school students (ages 14--18). To that end the project will create a mobile version of his existing mathematical sports performance research laboratory that can be easily transported to schools in the DMV area. The course will be offered after school hours in collaboration with the schools and will consist of a series of bimonthly experiential learning activities where students will learn hands-on about sports performance analytics and have the opportunity to interact with state-of-the-art software and equipment used and developed by the PI in his mathematical sports performance research laboratory. The course will showcase to these students the relevance of STEM to their lives, and the empowerment STEM offers in terms of attractive career paths they can relate to. The project will focus the project on secondary schools in the DMV area with disproportionate numbers of underrepresented minorities. Students will interact with the PI and diverse graduate and undergraduate researchers in his lab, that will serve as role models. The proposal details research studies in the STEM education and gender studies literatures that support the methodology as well as an assessment plan.

PI: Yanir Rubinstein (CMNS),
Professor, Mathematics