Project Mentors: Professor Eric Obeysekare, Computer Science and Engineering; Michelle Spada, Lehigh360 

Project Description:

Can high-impact practices level the playing field for underrepresented students and help all students find their purpose and make the most of their university experiences?

High-impact opportunities (research, internships, entrepreneurship, etc.) have proven positive outcomes for students, particularly underrepresented students. 

Research Questions: 

  • Why is every student not participating in high-impact opportunities? 

  • What are the barriers to participation? 

  • How can universities increase access to high-impact opportunities? 

  • How can technology help to overcome those barriers and increase student access to high-impact opportunities at Lehigh and other universities? 

We believe that a student's university experience is significantly enhanced when they are succeeding in their classes and out of classes by applying their knowledge to real-world problems. Our project focuses on understanding student motivations to engage with high-impact opportunities on campus and create solutions/interventions to increase access to those opportunities, while maximizing students' experience and learning outcomes. Currently, most students are unable to access these opportunities, for instance, a first generation student may face financial barriers to apply for a life-changing study-abroad program. Therefore, we are researching ways in which students can access those opportunities as soon as their first-year and continue to engage in high-impact opportunities until they graduate by eliminating those barriers. Currently, we are writing a paper on 76 student interviews we conducted in summer 2024, where we asked students the questions listed above. For the upcoming semester, we are planning to write more papers on interventions to support students looking for high-impact opportunities that universities can implement, conduct more student interviews, presenting at different national conferences, and brainstorming software solutions that we can create. The ImpactTrails team will be working with the software development team of Lehigh360 to create those software solutions. ImpactTrails is the "ThinkTank" of Lehigh360, doing research on students' experiences, understanding what challenges they face, and brainstorming solutions that Lehigh360 can implement and create.

More information: https://360.lehigh.edu/research