Research Partner Profile

University of Cincinnati

Principal Investigator
Neville Pinto
Vice Provost & Dean, Graduate School
(513) 556-4336
Neville.Pinto@uc.edu

Participating Programs (22)
College of Engineering:
        Aerospace Engineering
        Biomedical Engineering
        Chemical Engineering
        Civil Engineering
        Engineering Mechanics
        Environmental Engineering
        Environmental Sciences Engineering
        Industrial Engineering
        Material Science Engineering
        Mechanical Engineering
        Nuclear Engineering
College of Medicine:
        Cellular and Molecular Biology
        Environmental Health
        Molecular and Cellular Physiology
        Molecular and Developmental Biology
        Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Pharmacology
        Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology
        Neuroscience
        Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine
Criminal Justice
English
Psychology

Abstract
The University of Cincinnati’s project continues previous efforts aimed at new graduate students, including the Quantitative and Qualitative Longitudinal Study of Ph.D. Student Attitudes and Outcomes. The study collects detailed data about incoming students, to help identify and focus the development and fine-tuning of future interventions, and inform efforts to improve retention and completion rates in doctoral programs. The project also launches a series of initiatives focused on graduate students who have reached Ph.D. candidacy, particularly graduate student mentoring and graduate students’ timely progression to degree. The University of Cincinnati believes these efforts will positively impact mid and late attrition, and thus increase Ph.D. completion percentages.

Interventions

• Establish the Center for Graduate Student Development to provide offerings tailored to support success during their graduate school experience
• Develop an online Annual Progress report. Information will include evaluative comments on the achievements towards the goals of the previous year, and the setting of goals for the next year.
• Establish an electronic portfolio for all graduate students that can include coursework, annual reviews, teaching materials, thesis or dissertation proposal, research products of any kind, and other relevant items.
• Collaborate with the Center for Teaching and Learning to enhance faculty programming on mentoring. Find ways to “pair” mentors so junior professors with senior professors who are successfully mentoring students.
• Discuss characteristics of outstanding dissertations to provide a transparency that helps students know what is required. Provide departmental and university-level recognition for one or two “superior” dissertations each year.