Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence

What is LSMRCE

The Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence (LSMRCE) for Broadening Participation in STEM is a partnership of Chicago State University (CSU) and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). As co-founders of the pilot, Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence (LSMCE), CSU and IUPUI extend the partnership to include the Ohio State University (OSU) and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in order to deepen collaborations with 6 Midwestern LSAMPs (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation) while strengthening existing partnerships with non-LSAMP institutions that are LSMCE collaborators.

The LSMRCE also aims to become a regional backbone support organization for information dissemination that contributes to the development of the NSF INCLUDES National Network. The LSMRCE will develop, house, and distribute results of regional efforts in the collection, analysis, and assessment of best practices as recommended in the LSAMP model. It will also contribute to fundamental research in the science of broadening participation (BP).

The project team will implement four strategic plans:

Organize annual Broadening Participation conferences with BP professional development opportunities for students, faculty, and program administrators of both LSAMP and non-LSAMP institutions;
Provide social science research guidance and support to promote BP research collaborations among STEM faculty on LSAMP and non-LSAMP campuses; and further investigate the contributing factors that facilitate sustainable partnerships/research collaborations for improving URM academic success;
Demonstrate tangible outcomes of key characteristics of the LSAMP model by providing URMs at LSAMP and non-LSAMP institutions with research skill development, mentoring, and professionalization activities; and
Develop a virtual BP resource center using features of the LSMCE website to disseminate current program information as well as evidence-based, high-impact BP practices.

Our Goal

The LSMRCE will obtain significant new knowledge on factors that sustain institutional collaborations that advance URM student achievement in STEM majors at Midwestern non-LSAMP campuses. The engagement in BP research collaborations of the faculty will help generate the needed data to assess STEM education efficacy that reaches across all communities of learners who will graduate and advance their education in STEM. The LSMRCE will become a national model for fostering connections that are essential for expanding the INCLUDES Network (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering & Science). The annual BP conferences, available on-line resources about LSAMP programming, and other analytics on high-impact practices in STEM teaching and learning will enable practitioners and researchers to design effective strategies for increasing the number of URMs who graduate with STEM degrees. LSMRCE summer research interns at Fermilab will be tracked and the impacts of collaborative mentoring on student persistence and advancement in STEM will be studied.

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LSMRCE Recognizes the Impacts of Dr. Anthony Quinn in Celebration of Black History Month

Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence (LSMRCE) posthumously recognizes the work of the late Anthony Quinn (1958-2018). Among his many roles on this earth, Dr. Quinn served as a researcher, professor, faculty mentor, and champion of broadening participation of underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at The University of Toledo (UT).

"Tony poured his heart and considerable energy into providing meaningful support for so many of our students. He did this through multiple avenues, including co-developing a summer bridge program for incoming students, to get them off to a strong start at college; mentoring many individual students; supporting the We are STEMM initiative; and being involved with Brothers on the Rise, among other groups. Because of his efforts, many of these students are now well on their way to success." - Karen Bjorkman, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Toledo.

John Plenefisch, Interim Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Toledo remembers Dr. Quinn, "[Tony] was a tireless advocate for inclusivity here on campus, and I can recall many long conversations with him on how we could improve the success of students of color in not only our undergraduate programs but in graduate programs as well. What also should not be overlooked is that his involvement in the Strategic Plan is apparent through the goals pertaining to student success and retention.”

Chris Botanga, Executive Director for the Center for STEM Education and Research at Chicago State University (CSU) and one of the PIs and Co-Director for the LSMRCE states, "Dr. Quinn was a champion who passionately embraced the vision of the NSF to broaden the participation of URM in STEM, and was committed to do whatever was necessary to make this happen. He was tireless in his contributions to the LSMCE, and as the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UT, he drove to Chicago on March 16, 2016, for a meeting at CSU aimed at establishing a pipeline for CSU students to matriculate into STEMM Ph.D. programs at UT."

Today, his legacy lives on through the Tony Quinn We Are STEMM Initiative at the University of Toledo. The program strives to recruit and retain underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine through student fellowships, professional education, and mentoring programs. If you would like to contribute to the Tony Quinn We Are STEMM fellowship fund, please visit the website:

DR. TONY QUINN WE ARE STEMM FELLOWSHIP FUND Dr. Quinn and his contributions and impacts

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Spotlight Story

THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION: A SCHOLAR’S ADVICE FOR MAKING THE MOST OF A REU

This philosophy is why IN LSAMP supports and invests in scholars along their STEM Career path. Mentoring is provided from the beginning of the journey to the finish line preparing students to reach goals today and dreams tomorrow.

Salvador Valle Rodriguez (pictured left), a pre-engineering student at Ivy Tech Community College, serves as an IN LSAMP Scholar. Through participation in the program, he discovered an opportunity to journey to Southern Illinois University to accomplish one of his goals of participating in undergraduate research. Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) supports active research participation by undergraduate students in areas funded by the National Science Foundation.

This program supports students in ongoing research early in their education and is key to preparing students for the workforce. IN LSAMP builds on academic, social, and professional preparation so students feel confident participating in research outside of their home campus. Read More...

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Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence

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