35: Navigating the changing STEMM tides with SEA Change. An evaluation of an initiative that builds capacity and catalyzes change in access and success for all at university STEMM departments.

This is about the evaluation of SEA Change, an initiative aiming to enhance institutions of higher education (IHE) to ensure that all talented individuals in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) can thrive at the student, faculty, and administrative levels. The evaluation employs a mixed-method approach that includes both formative and summative assessments, adapting to the evolving landscape of IHE regarding systemic change, data collection, and personnel turnover. The evaluation examines the cohort meetings, tracks the progress of members, assesses webinar courses, and evaluates the implementation of strategies at participating institutions. The American Association for the Advancement of Science is using its internal evaluation team to ensure empirical-based practices designed to affect systemic institutional change is improving the scientific enterprise in American IHE’s.