The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) STEM Center for Research and Development is continuing to build upon the successes of previous HBCU-UP funding and is introducing additional novel and effective programs to enhance the likelihood that more STEM students will complete their undergraduate education and enroll in graduate programs. After an extensive recruiting effort, the Center is fostering innovative activities that will retain and improve academic competencies of the STEM undergraduate students and provide the required confidence and basic research skills that will serve as the foundation to support the development of future STEM researchers. There will be an introduction of new and an enhancement of existing multidisciplinary course offerings (bioethics, computational biology, statistics, genomics). New enrichment activities will add to the success of the existing ones, such as a partnership with the new UDC Office of International Development specifically designed to facilitate experiences for its undergraduates interested in international summer research. For the first time, the Center has a major focus on increasing the pedagogical skills of STEM faculty.
There is also support for the plan to increase accommodating Students with Disabilities through partnership with the UDC Office of Disabilities that will support the Center students.
The STEM Center objectives are: (1) to provide support activities that will promote a seamless transition from high school or community college, to undergraduate school, to graduate school in STEM disciplines; (2) to provide opportunities for faculty to improve their research and teaching skills; and (3) to improve the STEM curriculum to include new and enhanced courses.
This project gives the University additional support to advance curricular reform, increase student training, and enhance faculty development. The UDC goal of institutional quality is consistent with the tangible goal and objectives of the STEM Center, specifically retaining high quality faculty actively conducting student-assisted research, improving teaching capabilities, and producing well qualified graduates.
