UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE
Grant: $164,171 - National Institutes of Health - Jul. 31, 2009
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Award Description: Science Education Partnership Award The funding supports student development activities that address MBRS RISE student needs in critical thinking, reading, communication and mathematics skills to enhance preparation to apply to and enter PhD programs. Additionally, the funding will support improvement in data collection methods and evaluation of the MBRS RISE Program at UTB by improving the evaluation criteria for learning outcomes, application and relevance to the program’s development plan. The purpose of the funding is to improve evaluation of program outcomes, identify gaps in student readiness and preparation and to use this information to improve program delivery and planning. The supplement will also support a web designer to redesign the webpage to be more useful through improved access for students, online application, sampling of personal statements, resources and other tools. This funding will also provide for continuation of workshops for MBRS RISE students to improve critical thinking, writing and humanities, mathematics and interview skills. Activities will provide jobs to create the website, and provide workshops and increased time dedicated to evaluation and training. New equipment will continue training of students in the use of scientific equipment, application and scientific methods in research.
Project Description: Workshops have begun that include: writing, critical thinking, humanities, and communications, as well as mathematics to enhance student preparation to apply to and enter PhD programs. These 3-hour Saturday workshops began September 19 with a math tutorial and the first humanities workshop on September 26. Students will participate in awareness activities directed at broadening their exposure and interaction with research intensive programs through the award funding by bring faculty and scientists to the UTB campus. Arrangements such as airfare, hotel and transportation have been secured for Dr. Philipp Scherer, from the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas to present on November 20 and Dr. Esteban Parra, from the University of Toronto at Mississauga presenting on December 4. The funding has provided support for a web designer which has improved the UTB MBRS RISE website and now includes online submission of the program application and student and mentor evaluations. The website includes timely information regarding the program and provides links to organizations such as ABRCMS and SACNAS as well as research intensive institutions. Equipment has been purchased to further train students in the use of scientific equipment, methods and technical skills in the laboratory setting. The new purchases will provide students the opportunity to be trained under the supervision of experienced mentors in cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art equipment. The student e-Portfolio is in the design stage and it is anticipated to be operational by November of this year. The process is designed to improve the evaluation process by providing more qualitative measures of student learning that will be monitored by the data analyst.
Jobs Summary: As a direct result of the Recovery Act the part time employee working with the program for the last two years has been elevated to a full time, benefits eligible position as the Data Analyst for the MBRS RISE Program. This person now receives health insurance and life insurance with options for dental and vision insurance for her and her daughter. She is now able to accrue eight hours of sick leave each month rather than a diminished pay remittance in the event of illness for her or her young child. She will also receive ten hours of vacation each month in addition to paid holidays that total 112 hours or fourteen days for the 2009/2010 calendar year. The Data Analyst is now qualified to receive college tuition assistance as a full time employee and plans to resume her educational goal toward a Master’s degree in Educational Technology at UTB which will enhance her ability to evaluate the collected data and determine alternate paths to success for the MBRS RISE Program students. We have been able to retain our workshop instructors for the 2009/2010 academic year through the Recovery Act funding. Working at a rate of .075 FTE, our writing, critical thinking, humanities, and communication instructor supplements his income as an adjunct faculty for the English Department at UTB. Our mathematics tutor makes up .009 FTE support for the sessions he provides. The web designer has been secured for .25 FTE for the 2009/2010 academic year and will maintain the site and update information as needed throughout the assignment. The additional funding provided the opportunity to support a professional web designer that has used technological advances in design to the UTB MBRS RISE Program site. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jul. 31, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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