Passaic Today

Montclair State University has secured a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to enhance STEM internship experiences with mental health services. This five-year initiative, part of the NSF's Hispanic Serving Institution Institutional Transformation Project, aims to create a comprehensive STEM learning environment for students.

The project, titled "The Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Counseling in STEM Internship and Research Experiences," will be directed by an interdisciplinary team. The goals include increasing participation in quality STEM learning opportunities, embedding professional group counseling into internships for socio-emotional support, and generating knowledge on the counseling intervention's impact at a federally designated HSI.

Professor Nina Goodey will lead the project alongside co-principal investigators Amy Tuininga from the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, Associate Professor Michael Hannon, and Dean Lora Billings from Montclair’s College of Science and Mathematics.

Provost Junius Gonzales supports the project with his expertise in Hispanic students’ mental health. He emphasizes reducing equity gaps and expanding student internship opportunities. Milton Fuentes brings insights into Latinx psychology to further support this initiative.

Goodey highlighted that internships often lack necessary elements for students with diverse identities to feel belonging in STEM fields. She noted, “Mature scientists know that STEM projects often involve setbacks...can lead to persistence and unexpected scientific breakthroughs.” From 2022-2024, weekly psychoeducational group counseling sessions were added for interns in Montclair’s Green Teams program.

Tuininga expressed satisfaction with leading innovation in responsive internship practices: “The PSEG ISS is pleased to lead innovation in best practices...particularly after COVID.”

The project's success will see its expansion into CSAM’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Billings stated that mental health support is crucial for wellness and productivity: “This project will empower all students to persist in STEM.”

Hannon emphasized proactive student services: “The inclusion of counseling support...is exactly the kind of proactive, preventative services that all students deserve.”

This research is funded by NSF Grant No. 2345303 under their HSI Program which focuses on enhancing undergraduate STEM education and broadening participation at HSIs.