Research has shown that over 50% of students from PEER (Persons Excluded because of their Ethnicity or Race) backgrounds leave STEM fields within their first year of undergraduate education. The Pitt BIOSC PEER program is designed to combat this alarming disparity by 1) building a community that fosters increased sense of belonging, 2) increasing exposure to high-impact research experiences, and 3) increasing recruitment and retention of diverse student populations.

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The Promoting PEERs program was developed in 2020 at the Dept. of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. The overarching goals of the program are to increase recruitment and retention of undergraduate and graduate students from racially underrepresented identities in STEM and help students advance toward their professional development goals through a tiered mentorship program.

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