The goals of the RISE to the Challenge Bridge between EPCC, UTEP, and NMSU are: 1) to continue providing talented EPCC students with the tools to succeed and excel in their freshman and sophomore-level biology, chemistry, and math courses; 2) to continue strengthening the research knowledge and skills of EPCC students and faculty; and 3) to increase the number of minority and disadvantaged students that transfer to a four-year institution with the skills necessary to graduate with a baccalaureate degree and eventually a Ph.D. in biomedical fields. The program provides year-round research internships for twelve students and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) projects and Supplemental Instruction. During the Spring 2020 semester, students were at various stages of completion of CURE projects when the College closed because of the COVID19 pandemic. Most students were able to process data and present their CURE projects in various formats. But the need to prepare for the possibility of another wave of the disease and students being unable to return to labs is evident. Students participating in year-round research internships were affected as well. EPCC?s administration continues to monitor state and local orders as well as CDC and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board guidelines to determine how classes will be offered in Fall 2020. The most likely option is that science courses will be offered in a hybrid modality, trying to front load the most critical face-to-face laboratory activities early in the semester. For this reason, it is critical to develop virtual curriculum modules that can expedite (or replace if needed) the completion of face-to-face critical aspects of CURE projects as well as enhance and complement research training activities for students in CURE courses and the individual research trainees. Importantly, efforts must be made to reduce the anxiety some students and faculty may experience with the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 upon their return to campus. In order to ease this transition and make sure faculty and students stay motivated to participate in research projects, we must implement procedures that reduce the risk of transmission. This includes training in the proper use of PPE, social distancing, disinfection procedures, and improving air quality using technologies that can reduce the viral load of circulating air in laboratories. In addition, and although participation in CUREs results in increases in students? science identity development, CURE projects are often disconnected from the communities in which the students live and current events affecting the world such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms. EPCC proposes to 1) Create, implement, and evaluate a series of innovative online CURE modules that are focused on the scientific and societal impacts of COVID-19 and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, 2) Generate a repository of field-tested modules, and 3) Install Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization/uv air purification units in laboratories where CURE research takes place to reduce viral particles in circulated air. Activities are designed to (a) provide students with foundational research skills (scientific method, safety, statistics, and research techniques); (b) engage students in applying these skills to perform research using both quantitative/computational (e.g., bioinformatics) and qualitative (e.g., social sciences and public health) approaches; and (c) empower students to connect their scientific findings to broader societal outcomes in the southwest border region. Given the tangible and direct personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the emergence of multidrug resistant organisms, we will use these overarching topics to frame our proposed curricular and co-curricular activities.
Rise Bridge Supplement Project Narrative The Project Narrative attachment is not required for this supplemental application. Required Research Strategy Plan is provided in the PHS 398 Research Plan form.
