: The primary goal of the Arizona Biology Network (ABN) is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who obtain Baccalaureate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences in the State of Arizona. Over the 10 years of its existence, the program has grown into a cooperative effort between the 3 State universities and 20 community colleges in Arizona and one college in New Mexico that is on the Dine reservation. Community College students and faculty will participate in summer research projects in the laboratories at the University of Arizona. Statistics show that undergraduates who have the opportunity to conduct research are more likely to pursue and complete graduate studies, and it is hoped that the student participants in the ABN will emerge as leaders in science and work toward lessening health disparities between ethnic groups in this State. During the academic year, these students will have the opportunity to tutor at their local community college. As tutors, they will serve as role models and peer mentors to other minority students who may be potential recruits to the ABN. The tutors will also contribute to the enhancement of the overall learning environment at the community colleges. Each student will be assigned to a faculty mentor at his or her community college or at the university to which they transfer. Improvements in the ABN program will be made in the following areas: the number and quality of students who enter and complete the program; the effectiveness of the summer lab experience; mentoring and advising; the learning environment at the community colleges; and the scope and quality of evaluation instruments and processes. The aforementioned objectives, when achieved, will bring about significant progress toward the National Bridges to the Baccalaureate goal of a 90% transfer rate and 70% completion rate by the year 2005.
| Kirschenbaum, S R; Higgins, M R; Tveten, M et al. (1995) 20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates proliferation of glial cells in the developing brain of the moth Manduca sexta. J Neurobiol 28:234-47 |
