Practice Briefs
These briefs distill presentations and discussions from ROPES Hub themed office hours, where invited experts and S-STEM practitioners explore strategies and lessons learned. They adapt session content into concise, practice-focused resources for S-STEM programs.
Smarter S-STEM Recruitment
Recruiting low-income students requires moving beyond passive advertising. This practice brief outlines how S-STEM programs can optimize their recruitment pipeline, from building trust through high-touch outreach to removing hidden barriers in the application and selection process.
Newcomer, J., Richardson, A. J., Work, A., & Knight, D. B. (2025). ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways—Lessons Learned in S-STEM Scholar Recruitment.
Building Industry Partnerships
This brief outlines actionable frameworks for S-STEM programs to build mutually beneficial industry partnerships that provide low-income students with crucial internships, mentorship, and career pathways.
Ott, R., Newcomer, J., Richardson, A. J., Work, A., & Knight, D. B. (2025). ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways-Lessons Learned in S-STEM Industry Partnerships.
Cultivating STEM Identity and Belonging.
This practice brief outlines how S-STEM programs can intentionally design peer cohorts, faculty mentoring, and inclusive environments to strengthen STEM identity and a sense of belonging among low-income students.
Rodriguez, S. L., Blaney, J. M., Richardson, A. J., & Knight, D. B. (2025). ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways-Lessons Learned in S-STEM Identity.
Maximizing Faculty and Peer Mentoring in S-STEM.
This practice brief explores how S-STEM programs can intentionally structure both faculty and peer mentoring networks to foster long-term academic success, community accountability, and STEM career preparation for low-income scholars.
Becerra Montano, J., Lehr, J. L., Richardson, A. J., & Knight, D. B. (2025). ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways: Lessons Learned in S-STEM Faculty & Peer Mentoring.
Understanding Low-Income Student Needs
This practice brief examines the complex intersections of financial strain and academic persistence, offering actionable frameworks to help institutions provide holistic, multi-dimensional support for low-income engineering and computing students.
Major, J., Richardson, A. J., & Rodriguez, S. (2026). ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways–Lessons Learned Supporting Low-Income S-STEM Students.
Cultivating Collaborative S-STEM Partnerships
This practice brief outlines how S-STEM programs can leverage cross-sector partnerships—uniting academia, industry, and government—to build sustainable, responsive workforce pathways for low-income engineering and computing students.
Moyer, S., Richardson, A. J., & Newcomer, J. (2026). Strengthening S-STEM Pathways: Lessons Learned From Cross-Sector Partnerships.
Supporting Working Scholars.
This practice brief explores the realities of S-STEM scholars who work while enrolled and outlines strategies for institutions to build flexible scheduling, on-campus employment, and structural supports that align with students’ financial needs.
Johnson, T., Richardson, A. J., Rodriguez, S. L., & Lee, W. C. (2026). Strengthening S-STEM Pathways: Lessons Learned from Working Engineering Students.