The Wisconsin Institute for Science Education and Community Engagement (WISCIENCE) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has been awarded $1 million over five years by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to develop stronger support systems for transfer students studying science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.
Janet Branchaw, director of WISCIENCE and a professor of kinesiology, will lead a multi-institutional team of faculty and staff at UW–Madison, Madison College and UW–Whitewater to develop, implement and evaluate a model transfer program. The model program will provide professional development training for faculty and staff on pre- and post-transfer support for students. And it will create a Stem Transfer Transition Program for students that includes tailored advising and academic and social support to ease their transition and improve their integration into the four-year school.