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584 CRAWFORD ET AL.

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian
Women Men

Figure 4. LA-STEM Research Scholars Programs participants by gender and race.

those who participated in the program for varying 4.0 cumulative grade point averages; seventeen as
durations but did not graduate as participants in LSU Distinguished Communicators, for completing
LA-STEM due to termination from the program, the required academic excellence program where
transition to a non-STEM major, or resignation. Evi- students develop and refine communication skills,
dence shows that the persistence in STEM within this demonstrating proficiency in verbal, spoken, visual,
group is also remarkable. and technological communication; and seven as LSU
LA-STEM Graduates have garnered a plethora of Tiger Twelve Recipients, which annually recognizes
national honors, including: twelve outstanding seniors for their contributions to
campus life and the surrounding community. Thirty-
• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships - 8 two LA-STEM Graduates finished with Upper Divi-
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowships - 18 sion College Honors and are among the thirty-six
• Fulbright Fellowships - 2 who completed a senior honors thesis within the
• HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities LSU Ogden Honors College.
Program (EXROP) Scholarships - 18
• National Defense Science and Engineering Forty-three percent of all LA-STEM gradu-
ates complete their undergraduate degrees with a
Graduate Fellowship - 1 3.7 cumulative GPA or higher, thereby achieving
• HHMI Gilliam Fellowship - 1 Latin honors (summa, magna, or cum laude). The
• Morris K. Udall Scholarships (the first and LA-STEM program has boasted an overall 89% six-
second in LSU’s history)
• Gates-Cambridge Scholarship (the first in LSU’s year graduation rate in STEM. Even more remarkably,
this program has been able to level the playing field.
history)
The achievement gap has been eliminated for women
At the university level, LA-STEM Graduates were (90%), and for all minorities, the STEM graduation
truly among the top students at LSU and have been rate is within 2% of all students. For African Amer-
honored for their academic success and leadership. ican students, the STEM graduation rate is within
Fourteen LA-STEM Graduates received recognition 5% of all students. LA-STEM has been successful in
as University Medalists, for graduating with perfect regard to achievements of minority students. In fact,