BRIDGE to the Baccalaureate Program at Morgan State University

SPECIFIC AIMS
The BRIDGE to the BS Program at Morgan State University (MSU) is a collaboration between Morgan State
University and Prince Georges Community College (PGCC). The long-term goal of this program is to increase
the numbers of underrepresented minorities who successfully complete the transition from PGCC to
completion of the Baccalaureate degree in psychology and STEM majors at MSU and who are then able to
successfully compete for positions in graduate or professional programs or gain entry in the workforce in
areas related to biomedical or behavioral sciences. The program, which will engage students from the start
of their first year in community college, utilizes a “wrap around” approach that offers continuous intensive,
individualized support and attention through the senior year at MSU. The goals center around three major
strategies: 1) pre-program initiatives to nurture a culture of research at PGCC and increase awareness of
undergraduate research and academic opportunities at MSU; 2) academic support that will foster successful
transition to MSU and persistence to completion of the baccalaureate degree; and 3) mentoring initiatives
(personal and professional) that continue throughout the academic career. Thus the “wrap around” approach
encompasses activities before, during, and after completion of the program. At the end of the funding period,
we will have trained and graduated 30 MSU BRIDGE scholars. We anticipate a much broader impact beyond
just the BRIDGE scholars that transfer to MSU given that some of the program activities at each institution
are open to all students. All students at PGCC within relevant majors will be encourages to participate in Pre-
BRIDGE activities. All transfer students at MSU within the psychology and STEM majors will be strongly
encouraged to participate in the MSU BRIDGE activities so that they will also persist towards completion of
their degree. To this end, we propose the following Goals and Objectives: GOAL 1. To strengthen the transfer
student pipeline between PGCC and MSU for students who are interested in completing a baccalaureate
degree in the STEM or psychology disciplines, with particular focus on career goals in biomedical or
behavioral sciences. GOAL 2. Create and facilitate transfer student academic success and persistence to
completion of the baccalaureate degree in STEM at MSU. GOAL 3. Nurture a culture of research and
academic achievement that will facilitate completion of the baccalaureate degree and subsequent careers in
the biomedical or behavioral sciences.

Grant Number: 5T34GM146603-04
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: LISA BROWN