A focus on student success

Each academic year, the nearly 100 undergraduate students who are part of the RISE program have access to opportunities designed to help them succeed, both during their academic journeys as well as in their future careers. These opportunities include regular professional development workshops, alumni networking events, access to peer mentoring programs, scholarships and unique research and internship opportunities, personalized academic advisement, and a plethora of other activities such as study groups and social events. 

Earlier this fall, more than 20 RISE students had the opportunity to attend the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) research symposium and mentoring conference in Philadelphia, where students were able to hear from keynote speakers, attend professional development workshops, and showcase their own research during a poster presentation. 

Oviyanna Umoh, a sophomore honors student from Dover double majoring in neuroscience and psychology, said that attending the LSAMP symposium provided her with insights on potential career paths as well as future study abroad and research opportunities. Umoh, who worked as an Empower Fellow at the Fox Chase Cancer Center this past summer, received first place in the Life/Biological Sciences category for her poster about her ALS research.

“This symposium really helped me recognize my passion for communicating research findings to broad audiences. This was also my first time creating a research poster, and the experience provided me with many necessary skills I plan on utilizing in the future,” she said. “I was also able to network and connect with others in my field of research. There were several UD alumni there who graduated in my same majors that I am still connected with today. Overall, I am very glad for this experience and how it’s guided me to more mentors.”

Representatives from UD, COE and RISE also attended the annual conference and gala of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), an organization that provides support for national efforts to increase representation of minority students in STEM. UD was invited to become a NACME partner this year, and three RISE students also attended a hackathon event as part of the annual conference. 

This summer, RISE also revamped the RISE Academy, a five-week residential summer acclimation program. Successful applicants who are incoming first-year RISE students complete a math course required for their major, participate in workshops and social activities, and live on campus before the fall semester, all with tuition and room and board covered by the College. 

Marcus Briceno, a first-year engineering student planning to major in electrical engineering from Dover, New Jersey, was able to take pre-calculus this summer through the RISE academy program. This allowed him to be able to take calculus in the fall and stay on track for the rest of the math classes required for his major, he said. 

“I knew that I didn't want to fall behind my peers in the electrical engineering program, and as soon as I learned about the RISE Academy I applied for it,” Briceno said. “The RISE Academy program also helped me with getting accustomed to the campus and making friends.”

AJ Olivo, a first-year construction engineering and management program major from Maywood, New Jersey, said that the RISE Academy was akin to “a boot camp to get ready for freshman year,” and he enjoyed being able to get ahead in his math classes for this academic year. 

“The RISE Academy prepared me for Calc 2, because I had all the knowledge fresh in my mind from the summer and it really helped me get ready for freshman year,” Olivo said. 

RISE Academy participants also had the opportunity to participate in a summer internship. Briceno completed his internship with Fortress Power, a solar panel and battery manufacturing company. Working with Michael Gibson, a RISE alumnus, he spent six weeks developing a new software user interface guide that is now being used by the Fortress Power employees. Briceno said that the internship experience was “something I wouldn't be able to experience anywhere else at such an early stage in my academic career.” 

Olivo completed his summer internship with Whiting Turner, where he was able to experience the ins and outs of construction management thanks to time spent working in the office as well as visiting their Building X construction site. 

“The internship was amazing, and it’s definitely something I'm going to use in the future because I learned so much from it,” Olivo said. “I was able to look at blueprints, sit in on meetings, and see both how the office runs and how sites are managed — and it’s also a building I’ll be able to walk inside of by the time I graduate.”

RISE on the rise

This spring semester is already shaping up to be busy and productive for RISE, with additional alumni panels, potential industrial site visits and other community group activities designed to provide peer support to RISE students.    

RISE’s new director Romero has devoted much of her career to helping women and underrepresented students overcome barriers in academia through teaching and mentorship programs since graduate school. 

“I love working with students, building community and supporting their academic success,” she said about what she looks forward to working on now that she is part of the RISE program.

While on a day-to-day basis Romero is focused on student coaching, mentorship and building programs for students focused on bolstering their professional development and academic success, she is also looking ahead to what the next 50 years of RISE will look like. This vision includes more intentionality and personalization of their offerings, increased visibility across campus, and providing more scholarship, research and internship opportunities.  

“UD is a fantastic place, and the support from different departments has shown that the RISE program is a way to increase support and success not just for our underrepresented students, but all students in general,” Romero said. “It also demonstrates a commitment from our faculty on the importance of education and professional development for our students.”

For Briceno, one of the biggest things he’s learned about being part of RISE is that “the best collaborations come from diversity,” he said. “Whether it’s while working, studying, or just bouncing ideas off of other people, I’ve discovered that diversity is really important. I also don't feel like I skipped a beat when it comes to making friends and fitting in. I'm so happy to be here at UD and I’m grateful for the RISE program in helping make that transition easier.”

“At first, when I applied for the RISE Academy, I was looking at the program as something that was going to help me in the fall semester,” Olivo said. “But now I see it as something that’s going to help me in the spring and in the future throughout my time here at UD because of all of the insights and experience it’s given me that have set me up to be more successful.”