42: Sharing Leadership to Build Capacity and Community: Learning from a Peer Advisor Model

Using selected findings from an evaluation of university programs designed to increase student success and degree completion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, this gathering will exemplify ways to increase more immediate evaluation modes and participant engagement opportunities by highlighting the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement program (MESA). MESA provides networking, career development opportunities, and social activities to increase students’ sense of belonging and confidence. A key feature is its peer advisor program where upper division students develop leadership skills by supporting new students with academic guidance, career advice, and emotional support. Importantly, they also act as internal evaluators offering real-time feedback to program leaders based on student concerns. This shared leadership approach enriches program development. We hope to engage session participants in a dialogue about how to learn from this model and extract best practices that evaluators can use to make their work more effective and impactful.

Marisa Castellano; Andrew Grillo-Hill, Pai-rou Chen