Guoqiang Li, Ph.D. - US grants

This HBCU-RISE proposal will develop improvements in the advanced infrastructure composites (AIC) research capacity at Southern University. Project goals include enhancing faculty and student competitiveness through increased collaborations, integration of research and education, and advancing the knowledge base in the area of infrastructure composites.

Proposal Title A Self-Healing Smart Syntactic Foam

Self-healing of wounds in biological systems involves multiple-step healing solutions. For example, the healing of human skin relies on fast forming blood platelet to seal the wound before the slow regeneration of the final repair tissues. This project aims to understand a novel two-step healing process via a shape memory polymer (SMP) based syntactic foam for impact mitigation. The two-step (seal then heal) scheme will work in such a way that the thermoset SMP matrix will first close or significantly narrow the crack opening by confined shape recovery (Step 1) and then the thermoplastic particles, which are uniformly dispersed in the SMP matrix, will melt, diffuse, and glue the two sides of the crack by physical entanglement of thermoplastic/SMP molecules (Step 2). The effect of various design parameters such as programming or training of the foam on impact response and self-healing efficiency will be investigated through theoretical modeling and experimental testing.

Syntactic foam, hollow microspheres dispersed in a polymer matrix, has been widely used in many lightweight engineering structures such as aircraft, ship, auto, train, tank, offshore oil platform, bridge deck, etc. This project will provide syntactic foams with self-healing capabilities so that these structures can repair their internal damage autonomously, repeatedly, efficiently, and at molecular-length scale. This project will also contribute to graduate and undergraduate education by directly involving them, including minority students, in this research. It will also be disseminated to high school students and general public through a project website and scholarly publications.

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."

The objective of this EAGER project is to explore a novel concept - shape memory alloy (SMA) z-pinned sandwich with an integrated, grid stiffened shape memory polymer (SMP) based syntactic foam core for healing impact damage autonomously, repeatedly, and efficiently. In this study, SMA z-pins will be used to achieve autonomous programming and transverse confinement of the SMP foam core. The following will be conducted: (1) select a compatible SMA and SMP pair so that the designed functionality can be achieved; (2) fabricate SMA z-pinned hybrid smart sandwich panel; (3) conduct programming; (4) conduct repeated low-strain rate impact test and self-healing test; and (5) determine the residual strength and self-healing efficiency.

This project will contribute to the integration of research results into education, graduate student mentoring, involvement of student in lab experiments and curriculum development at both Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University (SU). It will enhance the research and education infrastructure by reforming syllabi of composite materials classes. One graduate student will be directly involved in this project. The opportunities for under-represented minorities will be promoted by directly exposing minority students to this research through seminars and class teaching.

The ?Integration of Education and Mentoring Programs at Louisiana State University? is an
institutional effort designed to integrate a large number of on-going programs at LSU, especially those led by the newly established Louisiana State University (LSU) Office of Strategic Initiatives and LSU?s Gordon A. Cain Center for Scientific, Technological, Engineering and Mathematical Literacy. The PI/Co-PIs have altogether 50 on-going education/mentoring/research grants; the majority of those are funded by NSF. These projects are currently supporting over 50 Ph.D. students, 300 undergraduate students, hundreds of high school teachers, and thousands of K-12 students. Therefore, an integration of those programs under the umbrella of NSF/Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) is appropriate. While all other projects on campus will be invited to participate, we will ensure that, under the overall leadership of OSI, the integration and coordination of a critical pool of core projects will be made through their PI/Co-PIs.

Integration of the various projects will be a challenging bureaucratic, cultural and programmatic enterprise. It will be necessary to cross department and college boundaries, address different academic cultures and norms, and ensure the integrity of the programs, especially with regard to adding to and not diluting their impact. To accomplish this, the integration efforts will be coordinated by OSI and led by the PIs/Co-PIs of the various projects. The I3 project will focus on the following: (1) Consolidation of Summer Workshops and Camps for Students, Teachers and Faculty Members; (2) Leadership Training in Academics through a Student-Governing Organization; (3) High School Math Tutoring Program by College Students; (4) Mentoring High School Louisiana Science and Engineering Fair Projects by College Students; and (5) Integration of Research into Education in Materials Engineering and Science.

Proposal Title: Next Generation Composites CREST Center, NextGenC3
Institution: Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge (SUBR)
Abstract Date: 7/27/09

With NSF support, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge (SUBR) will undergo the development of strong collaborative, innovative, and self-sustaining research and education in the establishment of the proposed Next Generation Composites CREST Center (NextGenC3). This Center will be a leading entity that promotes the creation of new knowledge in collaboration with scientists and researchers in institutions, research centers, national labs, and industry, and will serve as a beacon for the education of future scientists and engineers with diverse, competitive, and well-trained populace in the area of next generation composite materials and technology. The major objectives of the CREST Center will be to provide excellent educational opportunities to traditionally underrepresented students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and to produce synergistic understanding of next generation composites through the development of integrated and pioneering research. The NextGenC3 CREST Center will investigate three research focus areas: Development of Multifunctional Composites and Structures: Sensing, Damage Tolerance, and Vibration Damping; Grid Confined Shape Memory Particulate Composites for Impact Mitigation and Self-Healing; and Synthesis of the Next Generation Composites: Cure-On Demand Coatings, Self-healing, and Sensing Polymers. The development of NextGenC3 will yield new opportunities by providing researchers at SUBR with infrastructure and resources that will immeasurably enhance their research capabilities. The NextGenC3 will play an important role in the training of minority students to become future Materials Scientists and Engineers. The research and educational activities of the center includes stress-strain analysis, optimization, and failure criterion of multifunctional composites; kinetics of new resin systems, interfacial bonding strength development and evaluation, damage mechanics based structural analysis, integration of sensing and healing ability to composites, failure criterion, development of high damage tolerance; and thermo-electro-mechanical response of polymer composites, and design and modeling for optimum properties.

The proposed NSF CREST Center will have broader impacts on research, research productivity and capabilities, and education in material sciences & engineering at Southern University. The development of cutting edge interdisciplinary research based on next generation composites and educational activities through this Center will provide students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines with more meaningful research experiences at a readily accessible advanced research facility. The Center will help develop the necessary technical knowledge and skills so that qualified minority students will be produced to fill positions in the field of materials science and engineering. The increasing use of composites in applications, such as automotive, naval, aerospace, energy generation, and transportation structures, where light weight, damage tolerance, and multifunctionality are major factors, has highlighted the need for better materials research. The innovation and research at this Center will provide new and more durable multifunctional materials to advance the infrastructure of our nation.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Acquisition speed of light microscopy is very critical for live cell imaging, which greatly enhance our ability to understand the dynamic cellular processes. The overall goal of this study is to develop a novel parallel 3D confocal/fluorescence optical imaging system equipped with an electro-optic varifocal lens for rapid depth scanning and digital micromirror device for transverse confocal scanning and hence fast image acquisition. The system provides a new tool to assess tissue and cell function and morphology in real time. This is the first demonstration system using varifocal optical lens for high-resolution imaging of biomedical tissues. Both longitudinal and transverse scanning are performed electro-optically without translational components and the moving effect of the sample due to mechanic vibration of the conventional imaging system can be avoided. The response time of the varifocal lens can be in the order of millisecond. With correct matching CCD camera and electronics, it is feasible to achieve an acquisition speed of a few hundred frames per second. The pixel dwell time is three orders of magnitude higher than the conventional raster scanning confocal imaging. It allows lower laser power and high sensitivity. The proposed system has potential advantages such as high resolution, high sensitivity, large dynamic range, minimized photo bleaching, cost-effective, and flexibility of imaging at different wavelengths. The system has versatile functions, including widefield, confocal, and fluorescence imaging. In the proposed exploratory phase of this technology-driven project, we will evaluate the performance of our novel imaging system on tissue phantoms and live cells. Specifically, we will study live cells (CHO cells expressing specific surface receptors;e.g.,-opioid receptor) that are incubated with quantum dots coated ligand and we will also study uptake and intracellular distribution of antiviral compounds into human keratinocytes and related cell lines. The high performance of the system will be attractive for live cell imaging, tissue imaging, and diagnosis of diseases. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed parallel confocal/fluorescence imaging system using varifocal lens and reconfigurable DMD allows high frame rate, high-resolution 3D live cell imaging without any mechanical translation components. The system has versatile functions, including wide field, confocal, and fluorescence imaging. It has many advantages in comparison with the conventional 3D microscope imaging systems. The pixel dwell time is significantly increased. It allows lower excitation laser power, higher sensitivity, and less thermal damage. Such a system is very promising for live cell imaging and it will significantly improve our ability to understand the dynamic interactions inside the cells and control diseases. Applications of the varifocal lens can be extended to broad fields where adaptive change of focusing power with large aperture, low voltage and low power dissipation is desirable.

Electro-optic adaptive eyeglass for correction of presbyopia Abstract Presbyopia is an age-related loss of accommodation of the human eye that manifests itself as inability to shift focus from distant to near objects. More than 90% of the people over 45 need correction of presbyopia. The conventional corrective lenses (bifocal, trifocal) have been around for more than 200 years and have some drawbacks. They have a limited field of view for each vision task, requiring user to gaze down to accomplish near vision and in some cases causing dizziness and discomfort. Some users need three different eyeglasses for reading, computer, and driving. Progressive lenses cause some distortion. Recently we have demonstrated switchable diffractive liquid crystal (LC) lens with binary ON and OFF states. In the proposed project, our goal is to develop a tunable, low-cost electro-optic lens with continuous focusing powers and high optical performance for near-, intermediate-, and distance vision. The whole aperture with the same power is used for each vision task. Such a device may have revolutionary impact on the field of vision care. Existing LC lenses have an aperture of 10-15 mm, and the power can only be switched between plano and 1 diopter (D) (or 2D). The driver box is 4¿4¿2 cm3, which is bulky. They are not suitable for practical ophthalmic applications. In this study, we will develop a novel, high performance, cost-effective varifocal LC lens with a compact electronic driver and controller. The focusing power of the lens can be continuously tuned from plano to +4D by applied voltages. This range covers the typical add powers needed for presbyopes, and it allows almost all patients to use the same lens. We will fabricate lenses with an aperture around 40mm, which satisfies the requirement for practical applications. The light efficiency will be close to 100%. These three specifications have not been met before. We will design a novel closed-loop driver circuit with good reliability and high power efficiency. In addition, we will develop a minicontroller that allows change of the focus power by simply pressing a button, which is practical and reliable; in the second phase of this project, we will develop a prototype of the eyeglass that allows autofocus function. The size of the driver will be only 5¿5¿2 mm3. Clinical studies will be performed to assess how the wearers function and perceive the new spectacles. This kind of lens is promising to become an alternative of conventional area division multi-focal spectacle lenses used by presbyopes. They may have the potential of revolutionizing the field of presbyopia correction. The new eyeglass will significantly improve the quality of life for a large population. Applications can be extended to fields where varifocal lens elements with low operation voltages, relatively large diameters and fast response time are desirable. For example, a single lens of this kind can be used as a new phoropter to measure the refractive errors and visual acuity and for rapid depth scanning in three-dimensional biomedical imaging. Correction of low vision with high quality optics in the periphery will also have high impact. This would be our next focus of research.

0959105
Walker
Southern University

Technical Summary:
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

In recent years, conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has evolved into an exquisite technique capable of providing direct information on the structure of materials not adequately handled by x-ray analysis or, more important, on local structure rather than the average structure determined by x-ray or neutron diffraction analysis. With the advent of high-resolution TEM, techniques now exist to probe the local structure of complex systems. TEM has become an important research tool in the life, physical, material, and environmental sciences. It is especially essential to the study of complex systems such as tissue, polymers, gels, multi metal oxides, etc. Accordingly, this award is for the acquisition of a high-resolution TEM instrument to enhance the TEM capabilities, to allow us to use these advance techniques to solve specific research problems, and to integrate our research with education and student training at Southern University and A & M College, the largest Historical Black College/University (HBCU) and research undergraduate institution (RUI).


Layman Summary:
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

The goal of the 200 kV TEM instrument is to strengthen and increase research, research education, and training of students from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering at Southern University. Additionally, this instrument will afford us high-resolution TEM capabilities and provide a user friendly and efficient TEM instrument for routine and state-of-the-art high-resolution TEM. There are two specific objectives: The first objective is to enrich and enhance research with Transmission Electron Microscopy an indispensable research tool, and the second objective is to provide opportunities for students to become familiar and participate in TEM research.

The TEM facility will yield new insights by providing researchers at Southern University at Baton Rouge (SUBR) with a new state-of-the-art analytical tool that will immeasurably enhance the quality of their research. The TEM facility will foster a research atmosphere complimentary to undergraduate teaching, while continuing SUBR's mission to combine research and teaching in a highly productive manner for the training and development of young, highly talented engineers and scientists of the future. The TEM facility will play an important role in the training of minority scientists who will be better prepared to become future materials scientists, chemists, physicists, and/or engineers. In particular, this project will also have a significant impact on faculty and students at SUBR by exposing them to Transmission Electron Microscopy related research, a field where the number of minority students is very scarce. The high-resolution TEM at SUBR will catalyze the students' interest and encourage them to pursue graduate studies in engineering and the sciences.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Parallel en-face optical coherence microscopy with adaptive focus Abstract. We propose a novel parallel nonstralational optical coherence microscopy (OCM) with adaptive focus for general high-speed high-resolution en-face biomedical imaging. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an emerging imaging modality with high depth resolution. OCM is one kind of OCT imaging technique with better transverse and depth resolution by using confocal architecture in the object arm. Typical OCT systems generate B- scan cross section images. In clinic, the users are more familiar with C-scan (en face) images. Parallel OCT imaging has been studied, but not in the OCM architecture. Furthermore, in the conventional OCT/OCM imaging, good transverse resolution can be maintained only in the region close to the focal plane. Dynamic focusing can only be done by mechanic movement. To overcome these problems, here we propose to demonstrate, for the first time, a nontranslational parallel en-face OCM imaging instrument with adaptive focus. A programmable digital micromirror device is used for parallel confocal sampling, an electro-optic varifocal lens for fast depth scanning, and a rapid CMOS camera with more than 1000 frames/s rate for data collection. With adaptive focusing, the transverse resolution is constant across the depth of imaging. The spatial resolution can be around 2

The goal of this project is to construct an academic support program that meets the needs of financially disadvantaged students. Over the four-year grant period, 30 need-based scholarships are provided to qualified science, mathematics, and technology students at Louisiana State University. The students are participating in a variety of activities, including academic advising and mentoring, Individual Development Plans, academic and professional development activities, academic enhancement program, and research training activities provided by the faculty mentors in the sciences and math disciplines. The project increases the number of well-prepared undergraduates, including woman and minorities, entering graduate school or industry. The project also promotes inter-cultural participation among non-minority and minority students and faculty members.

The objective of this project is to design, synthesize, characterize, and model a spider silk like fiber for vibration control. The high damping synthetic fiber will mimic the microstructure of spider silk. In this project, the composition of existing melt-spin polyurethane fiber will be modified by tailoring the hard phase domain and soft phase domain, molecular chain rigidity, molecular weight and distribution, hydrogen bond, and cross-link density. The synthetic fiber will be strengthened and hardened by cold-stretching and by reducing fiber diameter during the melt-spinning process. Once the fiber is fabricated, its chemical, physical, and mechanical properties will be characterized and feed-back will be given to further refine its composition and polymerization, as well as cold-tension, until it is competitive with dragline spider silk. Its vibration damping capability will then be evaluated. Physics based multi-scale modeling of the synthetic fiber under dynamic loading will be developed. The model will link the microstructure of the fiber with its damping properties over a wide range of temperature and frequency. The result will provide guidance for further improvement in fiber design.

If successful, this project will create fundamental knowledge and provide basic understanding of a novel synthetic fiber mimicking dragline spider silk. It may eventually make it possible to manufacture a large amount of synthetic fibers that have mechanical and damping properties comparable to those of spider silks. It is expected that this project will open up new opportunities for application of polymeric fibers in lightweight load-bearing structures. The derived knowledge can also be extended to other materials such as fiber reinforced cement concrete for vibration damping in bridges and buildings. This project will support advanced training for undergraduate and graduate students, including minority students at Southern University, and high school students through hands on laboratory work and Science and Engineering Fair projects.

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the STEM workforce through their efforts at significantly increasing the numbers of students from historically underrepresented minority populations to successfully complete high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (LSAMP BD) activity provides two-year support at the post-baccalaureate level for students from historically underrepresented minority populations to matriculate in STEM graduate programs with the ultimate goal of earning a doctoral degree in a STEM discipline. Participants are selected from LSAMP institutions nationwide.

The Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-LAMP), under the leadership of the Louisiana Board of Regents and Southern University, has chosen Louisiana State University (LSU) as the site for the seventh cohort of LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate
participants during 2015-2017. This cohort of twelve LSAMP BD students will engage in STEM research, academics and professional development leading to acceptance and completion of the doctoral program. The LS-LAMP graduate BD program at LSU has the potential to promote systemic change in graduate education practices and policy in ways that will increase the success of individual students on the doctoral pathway and the effectiveness of STEM graduate programs with a goal of diversifying America's STEM workforce.

The BD program at LSU employs a proven program of systemic mentoring with components for innovative recruitment, engagement, retention, evaluation, student tracking and dissemination. The program includes collaborations and linkages with other STEM networks and resources, such as the Louisiana Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (Louisiana EPSCoR), other state fellowship
programs as well as institutional resources to ensure students successful completion of the STEM doctoral degree. The program will be
externally evaluated and students will be tracked throughout the program and into
STEM careers following completion of STEM doctoral degree programs.

Non-technical Description

The Louisiana Consortium for Innovation in Manufacturing and Materials (CIMM) will leverage existing and new statewide investments in experimental facilities, computational resources, and intellectual assets toward advanced manufacturing research, education, and workforce development. The project will yield technological advances in manufacturing by designing and maturing multiscale metal forming and feature replication technologies. CIMM will foster the design, fabrication, and marketing of new structures, devices, and systems. The program will improve education, training, and opportunities for industry in LA. The research is integrated with education and training to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce development for the advanced manufacturing industry. CIMM is aligned with the National Materials Genome Initiative (NMGI) and will establish partnerships with hubs in the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).

Technical Description

CIMM research will accelerate advanced manufacturing innovation with a focus on metal forming and replication and three-dimensional (3D) metal printing on multiple scales. Metal-forming processes that will be investigated include coating-substrate interfacial failures and mechanical size effects. Experimental results will be used to validate plasticity and interfacial fracture models and simulation tools to accelerate manufacturing innovation. The project will lead to improved understanding of how thermo-physical properties of metal and metal alloy liquids affect powder synthesis and selective laser melting (SLM) printing processes as well as improved microstructural advancement. Evolution in laser 3D printed metal structures will be advanced and hierarchical models and simulation tools for SLM processes will be created.

Center for Next Generation Multifunctional Composites

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.

With CREST program support, Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge will continue development of its Next Generation Multifunctional Composites Center in collaboration with Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge Community College and industrial partners. This work will have a significant impact on the design and synthesis of polymer based materials for biological and technical applications The increased use of composites in applications, such as automotive, naval, aerospace, energy generation, and transportation vehicles, where light weight, damage tolerance, and multifunctionality are major factors, highlights the need for materials research.

The Center will promote advancements in polymer matrix composite materials synthesis and characterization, modeling and simulation, and manufacturing for structural and environmental applications. Center research is divided into three subprojects. Subproject I will contribute to the understanding of 1) Design, synthesis, and characterization of high stiffness shape memory thermoset polymer with dynamic covalent bond exchange network for intrinsic crack healing; 2) Modeling and manufacturing of polymeric artificial muscles made of chemically cross-linked two-way shape memory polymers; and 3) Healing efficiency evaluation of composite panels. In Subproject 2, knowledge of a new and highly energy efficient method for large scale synthesis of carbon nanotubes will be created. The new synthesis method can be used for mass production of carbon nanotubes at much lower production cost than production by prevailing methods such as chemical vapor deposition. In Subproject 3, the focus is on creating knowledge via computational material design for the study of additive manufacturing of smart conductive polymer nanocomposites with multi-scale porosity.

The development of cutting edge interdisciplinary research based on next generation composites and educational activities through this Center will provide students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines with meaningful research experiences at a readily accessible advanced research facility and a pathway to Ph.D. programs. The Center will provide education and research integration and exposure to students from K-16 to the doctoral level, and to the general public, including persons with disabilities. Overall, each year the Center will directly support 3 postdoctoral fellows, 3 Ph.D. students, 9 Master's students, and 18 undergraduate students.

Professors Guogiang Li, Gloria Thomas, and colleagues at Louisiana State University host the REU site: Smart Polymer Composite Materials and Structures. This project is funded by the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the REU Sites Program of the Division of Chemistry. This is an interdisciplinary project that spans across science and engineering. The goals for this project are to provide exceptional research experiences for diverse undergraduates at the interface of materials and structures and to prepare participants for advanced study and research careers. The objectives of the REU site are three-fold: (i) attract and retain high-quality and diverse students in this new research paradigm of smart materials and structures; (ii) motivate and increase the number of students who enroll in graduate programs; and (iii) promote inclusivity through awareness and cultural interactions between students and faculty with various backgrounds. The recruitment plan leverages established relationships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and community colleges, and at least half of all participants are from underrepresented ethnic and racial groups.

The focus of this REU site is upon smart polymer composite materials and structures which have integrated multi-functionality, with capabilities including sensing, actuating, healing, and adapting in addition to classical tasks, such as load bearing tasks. Representative research projects include polymeric artificial muscles, self-healing under service conditions (e.g., freezing temperature and tensile stress), stress-sensing polymers for corrosion resistant coating, and ductile and self-healing adhesives for fiber reinforced polymer composite structures. Such smart composite materials and structures are changing the paradigm of structure design, and are research areas of great importance to the economic development of both Louisiana and the nation. Student participants receive scientific-training provided by faculty mentors from chemistry, mechanical engineering and civil engineering disciplines. Students advance their technological knowledge and skills, and they receive preparation for graduate study and future research careers. They also emerge from the program better prepared to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. This helps to promote inclusivity in science and engineering.

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the STEM workforce through the development of highly competitive students from populations underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. The goal of the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity is to increase the quantity and quality of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations, with emphasis on PhD matriculation and completion. BD programs implemented in the nation's institutions of higher education contribute to addressing one of the objectives in NSF's 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, namely to "foster the growth of a more capable and diverse research workforce and advance the scientific and innovation skills of the Nation." The vision of this grant is to provide a national model to produce underrepresented scientists and engineers with doctoral degrees in STEM.<br/><br/>The performance site for this LSAMP BD Activity is Louisiana State University (LSU), one of the 14 universities and colleges included in the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-LAMP) program. This project is designed to attract, retain, and graduate a cohort of underrepresented PhD students in STEM disciplines equipped with career readiness skills and self-efficacy to enter the STEM workforce. The program components integrate mentoring and research into recruitment and retention strategies alongside targeted activities such as retreats, workshops, monthly meetings, individual development plans, cultural events, summer writing experiences and community outreach. In addition, the project is guided by research questions that are designed to ignite best practices and generate new knowledge about the experiences of a critical graduate student populace. This LS-LAMP BD activity at LSU will positively impact the retention and graduation rates of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations in doctoral programs, thus producing a diverse workforce of STEM professionals.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.