*In this photo:* (L-r) Dr. Melissa Harrington, Dr. L. Germaine Cheatham-Hemphill and Dr. Xuanren (Sharon) Wang-Goodman are the co-investigators of a $1.46 million National Institutes of Health grant that will establish a Parent University to study how increased involvement of parents impacts greater persistence and retention of students majoring in biomedical-related disciplines.

On Campus, Grants and Donations

NIH $1.46M grant to fund Del State Parent University

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Delaware State University a four-year, $1.46 million grant that will fund an innovative program to increase the persistence success of new freshmen enrolled in the biomedical-related degree programs.

The co-Principal Investigators of the grant are Dr. L. Germaine Cheatham-Hemphill, Dr. Xuanren Wang-Goodman, and Dr. Melissa Harrington.

Dr. Cheatham-Hemphill notes that the first year is one of transition for both students and their parents.

“Parental engagement and support are crucial contributors toward the success of a student, especially during the first year of college,” Dr. Cheatham-Hemphill said. “The premise of this study is that if parents are informed, they will inform their students. In turn, this will increase the likelihood that students will persist and meet postsecondary expectations toward graduation.”

The grant will fund the creation of the Parent University (PU) Program, which will engage the parents of the students through strategically executed broadcasts and messaging, and thereby enable the parents to encourage their enrolled sons and daughters toward academic success more effectively.

Parents will receive special orientation sessions, PU-related text messages, and have access to mentors from various student services offices as well as to virtual forums that will cover a range of topics relative to students.

The researchers will use the collected data from the program to determine whether and how Parent University may increase the persistence and retention of the students.

“This program allows us to scientifically examine whether and to what extent parental support influences their children’s academic performance in college,” Dr. Wang-Goodman said. “We cannot wait to start the project and share the results obtained from the program. We hope the findings will inspire other universities and colleges to build similar programs, helping students nationwide.”

The study will involve participating students from the academic programs of College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology as well as the academic disciplines of Kinesiology, Nursing, Public Health and Psychology.