The Greater Philadelphia Region Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (Philadelphia AMP)

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Stephen R. Cox
 
Philadelphia AMP, now in its 17th year of operation, represents a diverse tri-state partnership of public and private, two- and four-year, research and non-research, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and majority institutions. Established with funding from the National Science Foundation in 1994, the Alliance’s mission is to substantially increase the quantity and quality of African American, Hispanic, and Native American students earning baccalaureate and advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The participating institutions include Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware State University, Drexel University, Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Temple University, the University of Delaware, and the University of Pennsylvania. Synergistic collaboration has been a unifying operational philosophy that informs practices across the Alliance with regard to minority undergraduate enrollment, retention, and the promotion of graduate study. As of June 2010, the Alliance has produced 8,400+ minority STEM B.S. degrees, 1,800+ minority STEM M.S. degrees, and 200+ minority STEM Ph.D. degrees since its inception. It has also moved six community college students to graduate study: two students have already received their Ph.D. degrees and have moved to post-doctoral appointments at the National Institute of Health and the University of Pennsylvania to continue their research in infectious diseases and neuroscience, respectively; two students have completed M.S. degrees and are employed in industry or educational research positions, and two students have attained Ph.D. degree candidacy status.