With the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), North Carolina Central University will enhance their STEM programs through a project entitled, Initiative for Transforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at North Carolina Central University. The goal of the program is to develop, implement, evaluate, and institutionalize a program that will achieve, and sustain, a high quality and competitive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). The project will increase in the number of students successfully completing gatekeeper science courses, completing baccalaureate degrees, and going on to graduate and professional schools in the STEM areas.
The program will consist of four major components: 1) The Undergraduate Training and Research Experience - A six-week residential summer enrichment program for 20 pre-freshmen post high school students each year. Participants in the program must have already sent in an intent to enroll form and declared a major in one of the STEM areas. The program curriculum will consist of modules from the science odyssey and mathematics core courses, reading and writing classes and field trips. Students who complete the program will join the Undergraduate Research Program, where they will be paired with faculty researchers and a research scientist. Students in the Undergraduate Research Program are encouraged to develop research skills, and present their results for publication in local, state, and national undergraduate research journals; 2) Curriculum Enhancement - The development of new courses in electronics, bioinformatics, mathematics, and environmental and earth sciences, will infuse research and technology in STEM courses, and align curricula across the STEM areas. A critical thinking model will be developed for involving students in strengthening their ability to transfer and apply knowledge from lectures to laboratory experiences, and from first year gatekeeper courses to upper level STEM courses; 3) Faculty Development - The future will require employees that are accomplished in moving easily among the many disciplines that will be applied in life-sciences companies and cutting-edge research laboratories. The faculty development component will focus on faculty exchanges, visiting scientists, an e-mentoring network, and a series of professional development workshops designed to promote scientific and intellectual exchanges between NCCU STEM faculty and their peers. The goals of this project are to enhance faculty research competitiveness and support innovations in teaching with emphasis on the transfer applications of knowledge across scientific disciplines; and 4) Partnerships - In order to assist students in developing research experiences partnerships for internships, fellowships and scholarships will be developed. These partnerships will better prepare students to navigate their way seamlessly from the university to the career markets of the future.
The broader impacts of this project includes better prepared students competitive for a biotechnology, bioinformatics workforce and establishing a pipeline of students into graduate and professional programs. The curriculum enhancements are based on the mission and strategic plan of the University and will have long-term impact for the institution. NCCU will become a producer of knowledge and best practices as part of the development of a model on transferring knowledge and skills. Science research support programs such as Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC), Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science and Math (LSAMP), and Minority Biomedical Research Sciences (MBRS) will be coordinated to provide a greater benefit to students.
The intellectual merits of this project will be the increased depth of knowledge students in bioinformatics and biotechnology as a result of exposure to state of the art scientific equipment and visiting scientists, and research internships and cooperatives.
Results and progress of the program will be regularly disseminated through newsletters, area newspapers, radio and television media, professional journals, and other student and faculty publications. Best practices will be shared with local universities at seminars and conferences.
