Lessons Learned from Replicating a Graduate STEM Mental Health Initiative at an Urban HBCU

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/j249fq38

Keywords:

Graduate student mental health, STEM education, Resilience and well-being, Inclusive mentoring, Mixed-methods evaluation, and HBCU

Abstract

Graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students face significant mental health challenges, yet little research examines how well-being interventions transfer across institutional contexts. This study uses an implementation science lens to examine lessons learned from replicating the Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM (M-HOPES) initiative at an urban Historically Black University. Employing a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, baseline survey data from 24 STEM students and faculty were analyzed descriptively and thematically to assess contextual fit, engagement, and structural barriers. Findings indicate that financial precarity, institutional overload, and mentoring variability shape program feasibility and student resilience. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of replicating a graduate STEM mental health initiative within an urban HBCU, advancing implementation science by identifying structural and cultural conditions that influence intervention sustainability.

Author Biographies

  • Phronie Jackson, PhD, MPH, The University of the District of Columbia, USA

    Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the Community Health Sciences Program in the Health, Nursing, and Nutrition Department in the College of Agricultural, Environmental Sciences and Urban Sustainability at the University of the District of Columbia. Her research areas include Dissemination and Implementation and Health Equity. She received her formal training at Walden University.

  • Victoria Revelle, MPH, MHFA, Independent Public Health Practitioner, USA

    Ms. Victoria Revelle is Ronald McNair Scholar and an independent public health practitioner trained by a surgeon general. Her research areas include Public Health, Community Health as well as Maternal and Child Health. She received her MPH degree from Morehouse School of Medicine’s Master of Public Health Program and her formal training from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  • James Maiden, Ed.D., LPC, NCC, ACS, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, USA

    Dr. James Maiden is the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Nursing at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Maiden’s research is on factors promoting doctoral degree attainment in underrepresented groups, racial disparities in mental health, the inclusion of minorities in STEM, and confronting microaggressions.

References

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Additional Files

Published

2026-03-20

Issue

Vol. 20 (2026): American Journal of STEM Education

Section

STEM Education (regular)

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Phronie Jackson, PhD, MPH, Victoria Revelle, MPH, MHFA, James Maiden, Ed.D., LPC, NCC, ACS

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Jackson, P., Revelle, V. . . ., & Maiden, J. . (2026). Lessons Learned from Replicating a Graduate STEM Mental Health Initiative at an Urban HBCU. American Journal of STEM Education, 20, 135-146. https://doi.org/10.32674/j249fq38