This proposal submitted by the University of New Mexico at Gallup (UNM-G) is an application for the Faculty Research Enhancement Support Program under the Extramural Associates Program at NIH. This application is for a ten-week summer internship for Dr. Kamala D. Sharma, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of New Mexico, Gallup Campus. Dr. Kamala D Sharma began her teaching career at UNM-G as an Adjunct Instructor in Chemistry in 1999. She was hired by UNM-G as a full-time tenure track Instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Sciences in 2000 and then was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2001. Dr. Sharma coordinates both the Bridges Program and the AMP program at UNM-G in addition to her teaching responsibilities at UNM-G. The University of New Mexico at Gallup is located in the northwestern part of New Mexico in McKinley County and is considered part of the Four Corners Area. The University of New Mexico at Gallup is one of the four independent branch colleges of University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The institution was established in 1968 to serve the needs for vocational education, technical certification, and transfer to baccalaureate programs for a region estimated to be some 5,449 square miles. UNM-G has a current enrollment of 3,182 students with 77.4% Native American, 12.2% Non-Hispanic White, 9.4% Hispanic, and 1% of other heritages and a female student population of 67.8%. According to the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education, UNM-G has the largest Native American enrollment of any public two-year college in the United States. The University of New Mexico at Gallup faculty demographics shows that out of a total of 63 full-time faculty, 73% are underrepresented minorities and women. Women comprise of 50% of the total full-time faculty at UNM-G. UNM-G plans to establish an Office of Research Initiative (ORI) and increase the participation of minority students in research related activities. An advisory committee will be established to oversee research projects. Faculty will receive research training and develop small research projects that will utilize student participation. A seminar series will also be developed and open to the public that will focus on research related topics.
