It has been a summer of firsts for Georgia State University Perimeter College student Devin Jordan: his first time on a boat, his first time to see dolphins and sharks in the wild and his first onsite research experience.
Jordan is one of 10 college students in the nation selected for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in Sarasota, Fla.
A biology student, Jordan is tracking and photographing dolphins for the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. The eight-week program, in collaboration with the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, studies dolphin behavior and health. It’s now in its 50th year of research and sixth generation of dolphins in the Sarasota Bay area. Jordan’s research experience is funded by the National Science Foundation through Mote.
Jordan is studying the prey/predator relationship between bottlenose dolphins and sharks by identifying shark bites on the bodies of the dolphins. The distinctive white bite marks give scientists an idea of the frequency and severity of the shark encounters, he said.
“I really was attracted to this program because it’s the longest running study of wild dolphin populations in the world,” Jordan said.
REU programs offer opportunities for undergraduate students to get research experience in their chosen field. For Jordan, 23, the REU is a dream come true. The Newton County resident, a member of the U.S. Marine Reserves, said he always wanted to be involved in scientific research with animals.
“From an early age, I was pretty much set on dealing with science in some form or fashion and enjoyed watching nature documentaries,” Jordan said. “My uncle is a wildlife biologist, and every summer he would visit, and he would point out different birds to me. I loved it and knew I couldn’t wait to do something with animals.”
Jordan’s work is divided between taking photos of the dolphins in the bay and poring through thousands of existing photos in the facility’s lab.
“We are graphing these data to determine if there are any trends in the number of shark bites each year,” Jordan said. “If we find there is a trend, we will investigate whether other events, such as red algae tides or dolphin population changes or human interaction, could be correlated to any changes in the frequency of shark bites.”
Jordan appreciates working with seasoned researchers in the program.
“The program not only shows you the process of how to be a scientist, but it’s structured to mentor you as well,” he said. “I’ve learned what is expected as an assistant when you are in the lab, and to understand guidelines and rules, both in a university and a professional lab. It’s been amazing.”
Because the program has been during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants have worn masks and socially distanced, traveling in three separate boats to gather their data, he said.
The last day of the summer program is Aug. 7.
After graduating from Perimeter College in December, Jordan plans to transition to Georgia State’s Atlanta Campus and study biology, eventually focusing on morphology — the study of animal body structures and their relationship to movement and function. He hopes one day to apply for an internship at the Georgia Aquarium to continue his marine animal studies.
Research by Embry-Riddle senior Haleema Irfan will help create a sensor for detection of a serious problem encountered by astronauts on long-term spaceflights: hydrocephalus, or an accumulation of fluid in the brain.
“Studying hydrocephalus and its involvement in gravitational stress will allow scientists to better understand cerebral spinal fluid disorders,” said Irfan, who is majoring in Aersospace Physiology and Human Factors Psychology. “However, before exploring this condition, a rapid detection method should be created.”
As space explorers contemplate longer trips in space, such as manned missions to Mars, hydrocephalus associated with long-term spaceflight (HALS) poses a significant challenge. Provoked by shifts in the cephalic fluid that occur in a microgravity environment, the condition can cause symptoms including impaired functioning.
Irfan’s proposed sensor would work by detecting certain metabolites that are present specifically with hydrocephalus, whether associated with spaceflight or in patients with, for example, brain injuries that have provoked the accumulation of fluid.
Irfan’s research is being funded by a Student Internal Grant for the 2020-’21 academic year from the Embry-Riddle Office of Undergraduate Research.
Many other grants, totaling $85,000, were also awarded. One — an assessment of techniques to minimize anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female soccer players — is being conducted by Mechanical Engineering senior Aspen Taylor, through the Ignite Grant program. Another, through the Student Internal Grant program, will fund the development of a composite material made of silicone rubber and phase change material, which has a unique capability to keep temperatures within a desired range, and is led by Madison Lilly, a senior in Mechanical Engineering.
A continuation of a 2019 Ignite grant to study the total solar eclipse in Chile in December 2020 and its effect on satellite communications was awarded to Daniel Koshy, a sophomore in Aerospace Engineering. Last year’s grant recipients, Lucas Tijerina and Daniel Nigro, presented their work in a poster at the 2019 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union and won the Outstanding Student Research Award.
Student Internal Grants, which are awarded up to $7,500, fund long-term research for undergraduate and master’s degree students. Ignite Grants, which reach as high as $10,000, are designed for undergraduate-led groups, also to finance long-term research. Both types of grants are generally awarded at $5,000 or less.
Wesley Lewis, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, said the 21 grants awarded represent an excellent effort by Embry-Riddle students.
“The grant review committees were impressed by the scope and caliber of this year’s research proposals,” Lewis said. “Students showed their passion for the research enterprise and for solving unique challenges facing our society.”
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the reviewers requested students present their proposals via Zoom, “which students adapted to in order to articulate their research goals during these challenging times,” Lewis said.
“I look forward to a great year of research and scholarly activity from these research projects,” he said.
Another project funded by an Ignite Grant involves the study of inflammation, particularly of the mouth, that often occurs with radiation treatment administered to cancer patients. Aerospace Physiology junior Amelia Hartnett is exploring the biological processes behind the condition, known as oral mucositis, and a potential remedy. Finding ways to mitigate and treat mucositis also has ramifications for travel in space, where radiation levels are higher than on the Earth’s surface. Irfan, the HALS researcher, is Hartnett’s peer mentor on the study.
The grant, Hartnett said, has made her research possible.
“The grant plays a vital role, because it enables us to have a location to perform the project [the Nanomaterials Laboratory in the Embry-Riddle College of Arts and Sciences], to purchase all the equipment, and it also gives us the opportunity to share our findings at several different conferences,” she said.
St. Olaf College’s Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program has gone virtual this summer. But the online setting hasn’t stopped students from diving into their research with the same eagerness and drive that has characterized past on-campus CURI programs.
A total of 27 faculty have quickly adapted to provide 77 students with expert guidance on research projects throughout the summer. Eighteen of these students are conducting their work as part of the St. Olaf TRIO McNair Scholars graduate school preparatory program, and are also enrolled in a research writing course taught by Associate Professor of Biology Jean Porterfield. Even without lab spaces and physical resources to gather data, faculty members and students are committed to meaningful research and inquiry projects. Spanning topics in the humanities, arts, and sciences, all projects except two are virtual, with students conducting research in their own homes.
“Our goals this summer remain the same: we want teams of students and faculty to pursue meaningful research projects relying on robust methods and practices as appropriate for their field,” says Associate Professor of Political Science and Asian Studies and Director of CURI Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak. “We still have summer programming underway for researchers, including a series of events that support students in learning how to effectively present their work, as well as our opening and closing symposia.”
The change to a virtual summer program has altered individual projects in different ways. Some groups can pursue the same goals with the same research methods, adapting only to remote communication; others have kept their goals while creating new ways to pursue their answers. Still other projects that relied on lab space and field experience have required more radical shifts, with some deciding to analyze prior data as opposed to conducting novel experiments.
The opening and closing symposia, though still taking place, have also changed. These usually in-person events, in which students give an overview of their research before and after completing their projects, have moved completely online. A virtual closing symposium will allow students to present their research findings live on July 31, and Tegtmeyer Pak hopes that conditions during spring 2021 will allow for a full in-person symposium to honor this summer’s research projects.
“Most of all, I want to emphasize how flexible and creative my faculty colleagues are. They pivoted their projects on very short notice, while still in the midst of the unprecedented teaching practices last spring,” Tegtmeyer Pak says. “I am so glad to work alongside them to ensure our students have access to this meaningful opportunity to do undergraduate research.”
(In the image above: DeA Brown ’21 and Wei Ting Hsieh ’22 meet virtually with Associate Professor of Psychology and Department Chair Grace Cho as they work together on a CURI project on “Variations in Life Narratives and Emotional Well-Being Among Young Adults.”)
Two students in Mississippi State’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College are receiving an out-of-this-world opportunity from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
Zoe M. Fowler, a senior electrical engineering major from Columbus, and Hannah L. Scheaffer, a junior biochemistry major from Ruston, Louisiana, are receiving two of 56 scholarships being presented to the ASF’s 2020 Astronaut Scholars Class, which includes students from 41 universities across the nation. Both were nominated by MSU faculty members and will be formally recognized in August at the ASF’s annual Innovators Gala in Washington, D.C.
Recipients earn a merit-based scholarship of up to $10,000 and may participate in the ASF’s Innovative Leadership Mentor Program, which provides access to a lifelong network of astronauts, Astronaut Scholar alumni, and leaders in academia, technical research and corporate leadership. In addition to being in their junior or senior years of college study in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, scholarship recipients must express intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their degree. Among other application materials, they are required to submit a curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
“I had never written a personal statement before, so it was fun to do that for this application because I learned more about myself and what I enjoy about particular aspects of research,” Scheaffer said. “It also was good practice for graduate school since a personal statement is typically required when you apply.”
“It would be an amazing opportunity to meet an astronaut and converse about what’s happening space-wise, especially the SpaceX launch that just happened,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to getting to know Zoe and learning more about her research in electrical engineering. I think experiences like this are even better when they’re shared with somebody, and I’m excited that it’s somebody else from Mississippi State.”
Fowler said she couldn’t wait to apply after learning of her nomination via email.
“I was really drawn in when I saw the foundation offered a lot of opportunities for mentorship by Astronaut Scholar alumni, C-suite executives, and astronauts,” she said. “That seemed really ideal for me because I want to get a lot of opinions on what I could be doing research-wise to benefit society or what my next life steps could be in general.”
This summer, Fowler plans to focus on writing her first formal research paper, which focuses on foreground extraction in a video sequence. She has been working since freshman year on this research project under the guidance of her father, MSU William L. Giles Distinguished Professor James Fowler. He holds the Billie J. Ball Professorship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, of which he also serves as interim department head.
“Snow leopards are going extinct and highly camouflaged, and our research could contribute to the development of a program or algorithm to help make snow leopards in the wild more distinguishable in video footage,” Zoe Fowler explained.
A two-time recipient of the MSU Dean of Engineering Undergraduate Research Stipend, Fowler serves as vice chair of the ECE department’s ambassador group. She enjoys giving departmental tours to incoming students and organizing events that encourage involvement and camaraderie among current majors.
“There are so many benefits to research, and there’s always a need for new technology and information,” she said. “I would definitely like to go to graduate school and see where that takes me.”
Scheaffer, also recognized this year as the university’s 18th Barry Goldwater Scholarship honoree, said she too looks forward to pursuing graduate studies, particularly in cancer research. She is the recipient of MSU’s 2020 CVM Undergraduate Research Award and has worked for two years with Dr. Matthew Ross in the College of Veterinary Medicine, studying inflammation, prostaglandins, and the polarization of macrophages by inflammatory stimuli. Among last year’s inaugural MSU Phi Beta Kappa inductees, Scheaffer has won awards for her research presentations at the past two meetings of the South Central Conference of the Society of Toxicology.
In addition to her research and academic accomplishments, Scheaffer is a member of the Famous Maroon Band and Mississippi State Wind Ensemble and an intern at the Wesley Foundation.
Tommy Anderson, an MSU English professor and the Shackouls Honors College’s director of fellowships, said Fowler and Scheaffer “are outstanding students whose undergraduate research makes significant contributions in their fields of study.” Anderson also serves as the College of Arts and Sciences’ associate dean for academic affairs.
“Zoe and Hannah have participated in meaningful research experiences since arriving at Mississippi State, and their selection as Astronaut Scholars reflects their willingness to immerse themselves in deep learning opportunities that add value to the traditional classroom experience,” he said. “I am proud that they have been selected to be part of a cohort of the very best undergraduate STEM scholars in the nation as Astronaut Scholars.”
Words cannot describe our grief and outrage at the inhumane death of George Floyd, one of many black lives lost to senseless police brutality. We mourn with and support our black colleagues, students, within and beyond CUR, who are hurting right now and who, like all people, are entitled to feel safe within and outside their own communities. Their rights as citizens should be protected. The continued instances of institutional and structural violence against people of color in our nation as a whole are shameful. Being silent is not an option.
CUR leadership reminded us of the organization’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion in its recent statement against social injustice. This is indeed a prime time and opportunity for us to collectively build momentum on the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by doing the work that helps us to successfully achieve our diversity and strategic goals:
“Diversity and Inclusion in Undergraduate Research: Offers undergraduate research to a wider audience of undergraduates, faculty, and institutions to increase the diversity of participants, particularly from underrepresented groups and institutions.”
As members of the CUR Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we stand with the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community against systemic racism and social injustice. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are our core values, and we reaffirm our commitment to broadening participation in higher education and to being the change agents needed to create an equitable and just society.
We condemn the shocking death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. Our nation mourns this injustice today, and we stand with our African American community and all other groups committed to work for justice and against the institutionalized racism that is at the core of this and similar, all too familiar, acts; too many in our society are denied basic human rights and the rights guaranteed under the US Constitution. CUR reaffirms its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its work today and urges its partners, colleagues, and others to join in this effort, knowing that it will create a path to a better society and future for all. We remain steadfast in our determination to work against racial injustice in our work and lives.
For centuries in the western world, the study of science has been dominated by a specific demographic – those with economic and cultural advantages necessary to advance in academics and research careers. Likely white, likely male.
In 2018, a National Institutes of Health study found that, over the previous seven years, only 1% of NIH grants for experienced investigators went to underrepresented minorities. The percentages for early stage and new investigator funding were only slightly higher.
Diversifying research is crucial, not only for the benefit of the young scholars entering various fields, but for the disciplines themselves, says Dr. Lee Phillips, director of UNC Greensboro’s Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office.
“A diverse set of researchers can more effectively identify and address problems, particularly in a country like America where our professional workforce doesn’t reflect our diverse demographics.”
But to shake up the scientific workforce, Phillips and his colleagues say, you have to start at the beginning.
Most students enter college unprepared for research careers. They don’t know how to ask questions, conduct projects, or present their results.
What takes undergraduates to the next level? What gets them to the point where they may consider graduate school and a scientific career?
Phillips says mentorship from a faculty member is proven to help students succeed in college and then advance to graduate school. Students also thrive with exposure to the professional research world.
But a student needs economic freedom to spend time doing that. They need peers, mentors, or educational experiences to introduce the idea of conducting research – both the reasons and the processes. Much of this depends on socioeconomic circumstances. And that undeniably keeps students and universities, as well as fields of study and industry, locked within systematic racism.
Two years ago, nanoscience professor Dan Herr, Phillips, and their colleagues won NIH funding to launch a MARC U-STAR program. Through the two-year program, promising underrepresented students receive financial support, targeted mentoring, hands-on experience, and exposure to the professional world of research.
The program has opened up new possibilities for the recruitment of students of color and women, giving new structure to the pipeline.
Dr. Joseph Graves, an NC A&T State University professor at the UNCG-NC A&T Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, is another principal investigator, or PI, on the project. He also teaches courses, such as “Genes, Race, and Society,” at UNCG.
Graves has worked with MARC U-STAR programs and similar initiatives since 1985. As the first African American to have earned a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology, he believes the most effective mentorship for minority students comes from minority scientists. Throughout his career he has made a point of seeking out these students to mentor them. Graduate and postdoctoral researchers in his lab are encouraged to provide similar mentorship to the next generation of researchers.
“It creates an atmosphere where students feel at home,” he explains. “Universities have traditionally not been accommodating to underrepresented minorities, so within these institutions we create an environment where students feel supported by people who look like them.”
Associate Professor of Chemistry Kim Petersen mentored MARC fellows when the project launched, and recently joined the PI team. Another critical student relationship, she says, is with academic enhancement coordinator Traci Miller, who tracks their progress, advises them, and plans professional development opportunities.
“We’re giving students these big experiences. Then we build in mentoring activities,” says Petersen. “This is taking undergraduate research to the next level, especially with the amazing conferences.”
The team plans to follow the careers of successive cohorts of MARC students for a minimum of 15 years, to study program impacts. Herr says the program is a long-term commitment, not just in terms of charting student progress, but in maintaining a connection and continuing to provide mentorship.
“It feels more like an extended family,” he says. “I tell the MARC students: ‘wherever we are, call me anytime.’”
Chris Roberts is a junior at UNCG and a first-year MARC fellow.
He began working in Sullivan Distinguished Professor Nicholas Oberlies’ natural products lab as a sophomore, but his admission to MARC has allowed him to increase his lab time considerably.
During his on-campus research experience this past summer, he learned to work through many different phases of research, with the ultimate goal of identifying anticancer drug leads from different fungi.
He began by mastering the extraction of fungal cultures and quickly advanced to techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, for purifying drug leads. Once compounds are isolated, he analyzes their structures via nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, gaining valuable skills on UNCG’s highly precise research instruments.
Roberts knew he could succeed in the classroom, but he says he couldn’t have learned how things work in the lab without hands-on research experience – and his mentor agrees.
“There’s something about chemistry that’s very tactile. You just have to do it,” says Oberlies.
In the natural products chemistry lab, Roberts has also found new motivation.
“What drives me is finding ways to cure different diseases. It interests me how different medicines are produced. There are around 5 million species of fungi and only around 130,000 have been investigated.”
Roberts knows that more than half the drugs that treat cancer are derived from a natural source, and, like everyone in Oberlies’ lab, Roberts is eager to test as many new fungal compounds as possible against human cancers. With funding from the National Cancer Institute, they test up to 500 species a year.
“1,500 people will die from cancer today. Our goal is to find a compound to minimize that number in the future,” says Oberlies. “Could that discovery come from an undergraduate? Absolutely.”
Doctoral student Sonja Knowles has served as another mentor for Roberts. “In the beginning, I would be with Chris through every step, to train him on techniques as well as the rationale behind them,” recalls Knowles. “But he has grown tremendously and now works independently, including troubleshooting when a problem arises.”
Now, Roberts is training other student assistants. “Chris has been an asset to not only me but the whole lab,” says Knowles. “He has become a great example for new students.”
As a MARC scholar, Roberts will next complete a summer experience at an external doctoral institution. While positions in every university lab are highly coveted, Oberlies says Roberts is much more likely to be able to find one as a MARC fellow. As a funded student who already has experience in the lab, he is an asset.
Rubén R. Dupertuis, associate professor and department chair of religion at Trinity University in Texas, has been selected as a 2020 CUR–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awardee. The award consists of a plaque and $1,000 for the recipient’s work with undergraduate researchers.
Dr. Dupertuis earned his BA in English literature from University of Michigan, his MA in theological studies from the Claremont School of Theology, and his PhD in New Testament studies from Claremont Graduate University. He served as the first director of Trinity’s Mellon Initiative for Undergraduate Research in the Arts and Humanities, which facilitates summer research fellowships for students, provides professional development for faculty, and fosters the infusion of research into undergraduate curricula. He is a councilor in CUR’s Arts and Humanities Division and previously was a member of CUR’s Posters on the Hill Review Committee.
Established by Dr. Dupertuis and Classical studies colleague Timothy O’Sullivan, the Roman World Lab has teamed more than 15 students with faculty members in projects involving ancient Roman religious culture and Latin literature. Projects range from the creation of interpretative guides to ancient Greek texts that can be used in classrooms to the preparation of web-based resources on the noncanonical Gospel of Peter. The lab has served as a model for other humanities labs on campus.
Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Dupertuis embodies the qualities of exemplary arts and humanities mentors who work with undergraduate researchers: a commitment to cross-disciplinary work and inclusion of diverse students and faculty, as well as a dedication to advancing the essential role of the humanities in undergraduate education. He values the enrichment of teaching and research that collaboration with undergraduate students has provided.”
Said Deneese Jones, vice president for academic affairs at Trinity University, “It is rare when one can identify a faculty member with not only the knowledge, skills, and attitude to spearhead the essential role of the humanities in undergraduate education, but one who also applies this in a way that demonstrates inclusive excellence by empowering—not assimilating—a diverse group of young people in preparation for their future and for a world in which they will live and work. These are undisputed indicators of a strong educator, and we see all of these attributes in Dr. Dupertuis!”
The CUR-Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awards were established in 2018 through an endowment by 2012 CUR Fellow Joyce Kinkead (Utah State University) to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry in arts and humanities disciplines.
Charles Parrott, associate professor in the Department of Theater & Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, has been selected as a 2020 CUR–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awardee. The award consists of a plaque and $1,000 for the recipient’s work with undergraduate researchers.
Dr. Parrott earned BA degrees in sociology and speech communications from Hastings College, an MA in communication studies from Ball State University, and a PhD in speech communication from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is director of the KSU Tellers, a storytelling troupe that has appeared at nearly 100 public events and presented original solo and group performances that are rooted in research. One project involved the development of a storytelling curriculum at the Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls in Decatur, GA.
Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Parrott’s innovative work has involved undergraduate researchers in new interpretations of folktales, fairy tales, literary works, personal narratives, and other story forms, as well as empowered diverse students, faculty, and communities. His support of projects focusing on subjects such as LGBTQ representation and the situation of military veterans transitioning to civilian life shows a commitment to wide-ranging student research and better understanding of the experiences of these individuals.”
Said Ivan Pulinkala, dean of the KSU College of the Arts, “Congratulations to Dr. Charlie Parrott on receiving this meritorious national recognition for his work with the KSU Tellers. ArtsKSU is distinguished by our community-based practices that this award recognizes.”
The CUR–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awards were established in 2018 through an endowment by 2012 CUR Fellow Joyce Kinkead (Utah State University) to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry in arts and humanities disciplines.
California State University, Chico is working to transform the undergraduate experience and enhance student success with a new program to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets and research opportunities right within the everyday classroom.
This month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded CSU, Chico a $2.2 million grant for “STEM Course Transformation,” a collaborative vision by the Chico STEM Connections Collaborative (CSC2) team, faculty from the College of Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management (ECC), and Chico State Enterprises.
The funds will support a program that trains faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses to launch the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) model into University classrooms over the next five years. Faculty training will begin this summer, with deployment into three classrooms in fall 2020.
“We really hope this is a game-changer for us to increase retention for first- and second-year students,” said co-principal investigator Lorena Navarro. “Besides just going to class and listening to lectures, if students can get interested in research and entrepreneurship, we hope they will want to stay in their major. We want them to think about research but also what can they do with it.”
After starting with classes in biology, computer science and math, the CURE program will continue to add trained faculty and three classes each year, focusing on lower-division classes with high enrollment and significant rates of students who drop, fail or withdraw from the courses. Ultimately, they hope to target more than 8,100 students with help from 63 faculty.
“Part of the process for us was identifying what the needs are on campus, what students need, and what is specific to Chico State,” said JoAna Brooks, the project’s director and mentor coordinator for CSC2. “We were really diligent in looking at what students were doing in their STEM courses and if there was a point where they choose to leave their STEM major. … With this project, we are able to make sure we are supporting, encouraging and offering something to get them to move to the next level. This just opens up the doors to so many more students to have that opportunity.”
Navarro knows the experience firsthand. As an undergraduate who was raised in a small town, she said the chance to do research as an undergraduate was “a gamechanger” that inspired her to pursue a PhD. As the community college liaison and coordinator for CSC2 for the College of Natural Sciences, she’s seen a similar outcome in CSU, Chico students. One student, she said, did research on a project related to salmon one summer instead of working retail, which led to an off-campus research opportunity at University of California, Santa Barbara, and seven interviews for research programs at top schools. He recently accepted an offer at UC San Francisco, one of the most prestigious PhD programs in the nation.
While the CURE model is growing in popularity in higher education, Navarro said, CSU, Chico distinguished itself by adding an entrepreneurial component. While such endeavors may be common in engineering, the program team hopes to create a spotlight for students in the natural sciences and agriculture disciplines that they also have room for creative business ventures and solutions.
The University was able to secure this prominent grant due to its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). As the NSF seeks to improve undergraduate education, it is awarding these funds to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at HSIs and increase the retention and graduation rates of students pursuing associate or baccalaureate degrees in STEM.
The CURE program will build off the existing success of CSC2, which was established by a five-year, $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2016 to support low-income students and students pursuing studies in the Colleges of Agriculture, Natural Sciences, and ECC. In the last four years, more than 600 students have annually participated in CSC2, gaining academic support, peer mentoring, financial literacy, undergraduate research opportunities and community college transfer student support.
“When we got that grant, one of the things we looked at and discussed as a team was to parlay that success into other opportunities,” said Paul Villegas, director of CSC2. “This is the first of a couple of attempts the team members have worked on and have been successful at it. Their hard work has paid off.”
One of the University’s goals is to create an undergraduate research center that represents multiple disciplines. This grant and resulting project will go a long way toward making that a reality, Villegas said.
The grant is led by Principal Investigator David Alexander, vice chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Sustainable Manufacturing, and Co-Principal Investigators Navarro; Brooks; Debra Larson, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; and Kate McCarthy, dean of Undergraduate Education.
