Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey
Inform has served as external evaluator since 2019 for the PSEG ISS Green Teams program at Montclair State University. Currently, with support from the National Science Foundation, MSU is working to create and sustain psychologically safe and affirming internship and research experiences for all STEM undergraduates that take part in its Green Teams Internship Program or its College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) Summer Research Program. A central innovation of the program is its counseling component, which aims to foster emotional well-being, teamwork, and resilience among participants.
Inform is leading the evaluation of the five-year project. This evaluation concentrates on two areas: (1) promoting accountability and iterative improvement; and (2) perceived role of the counseling component within the internship and research programs. Methods include:
Participant surveys and focus groups
Faculty interviews
Implementation fidelity monitoring
Green Teams Program Evaluation (NSF)
With funding from the National Science Foundation’s S-STEM program, over the past five years Montclair State University has been re-imagining its Chemistry M.S. program. Inform Evaluation & Research is leading evaluation of this effort, concentrating on two areas: (1) front-end and formative evaluation to inform program design and iterative improvement; and (2) student experience and associated outcomes. Methods include:
Student and alumni surveys
Alumni interviews
Faculty interviews and focus groups
Implementation fidelity monitoring
Publication of results in peer-reviewed journals
S-STEM Project Evaluation (NSF)
With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Green Teams participants are taking part in internships focused on agriculture careers. The goal of this new program is to train well-rounded agriculturalists with expertise in sustainable agricultural practices applicable to different crops and environments. Inform’s evaluation of the five-year project is concentrating on two areas: (1) monitoring of the program to track activities and outputs; (2) outcomes for student participants as specified in the program logic model. Methods include:
Student surveys
Student focus groups