Academic Support, Mentoring, STEM Research, and the NexSTEM Community

• Academic support takes place in a variety of ways in the NexSTEM Program. 

• NexSTEM Scholars participate in orientation, workshops, and other periodic activities to form community with one another and with STEM faculty.

• Every NexSTEM Scholar is matched with a faculty mentor. The faculty mentor serves as a resource during scholars' college experience and through degree completion and works with them on professional development activities such as resume development, undergraduate research, and other important activities.

• NexSTEM Scholars are also supported through regular meetings with their Campus's NexSTEM Coordinator. These meetings support our scholars' success through goal-setting, matching scholars with tutoring and other student-specific academic and socioemotional activities as needed. 

• Studies have demonstrated the value of undergraduate research involvement for students. 

• Our NexSTEM Scholars who entered the program during academic years 2019, 2020, and 2021 began their college careers engaged in multi-semester research projects mentored by faculty at IWU, ISU, or HCC. Student/Faculty research teams met regularly to work on their projects. Students gained early, practical experience and earned academic credit for their efforts.

• Our Scholars accepted into the NexSTEM Program for the 2023-24 academic year and later are strongly encouraged to pursue STEM research opportunities in their discipline but are not required to do so.

• View Spring 2022 NexSTEM Research Poster Symposium 

• View Fall 2020 NexSTEM Research Symposium Presentations

Our 2020 and 2021 NexSTEM cohorts from across our three schools joined us in our orientation program this year!

These are some of our wonderful NexSTEM Peer Mentors who supported our 1st and 2nd year NexSTEM Scholars. Some of these Peer Mentors are also NexSTEM Scholars, themselves!

Our first cohort of NexSTEM Scholars at their orientation program 

Faculty mentors at ISU, IWU, and HCC worked with our Scholars on research during their 1st and 2nd years and then served as professional development mentors during Scholars' 3rd and 4th years. 

NexSTEM Scholars join a supportive community of students and faculty committed to the pursuit of academic excellence and explorations in STEM.