The NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program has awarded UDC Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Afiya Fredericks, nearly $1.6 million for her project “Exploring the Role of STEM Faculty Beliefs and Classroom Culture on Undergraduate Minoritized Students Experiences, Achievement, and Persistence in STEM.” Dr. Fredericks is the University’s first recipient of this significant grant award, which will sponsor three years of research.
“I am both humbled and excited to be a recipient of this prestigious award,” said Fredericks.
“My passion for utilizing my expertise and research to support others in reaching their unlimited and unknowable potential fueled my drive and persistence to apply.”
CAREER is a foundation-wide activity that offers the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
“UDC is extremely grateful for this grant from the National Science Foundation awarded to Dr. Afiya Fredericks to fund her groundbreaking research on the impact of a teacher’s beliefs in teaching STEM disciplines to people of color,” said UDC Vice President for Research, Dr. Victor R. McCrary. “As America faces a ‘Sputnik II moment’ in terms of global competition, Dr. Fredericks’ research is of strategic importance to the nation, as America must develop a diverse, domestic STEM workforce to address the critical challenges we face as a country for the sake of our science and engineering enterprise and future generations.”
Dr. Fredericks works in the social and behavioral sciences division in the college of arts and sciences. Her research interests include understanding the impact of growth mindset —the belief in the malleability of our intelligence and abilities — and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) on achievement and motivation, and best strategies in teaching and implementing growth mindset and SEL in various contexts.
“Ultimately, I look forward to leveraging this award to learn from HBCU STEM professors and their students about evidence-based strategies, to support myself and so many others, cultivate more growth mindset learning environments, supporting minoritized students to persist and thrive in STEM careers,” said Fredericks.