Building Trojan STEM Infrastructure

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Virginia State University (VSU) will implement a comprehensive project which will result in an increase in the numbers of STEM graduates from an average of 70 to over 105 per year by the end of the five-year project. Project activities will attract and prepare high school students by giving them an opportunity to explore, learn and experience several STEM disciplines. Course and curriculum enhancement, and advance teaching technology especially for the gatekeeper courses, will improve student skills and retention in STEM. Students and faculty will have opportunities to enhance their knowledge and research skills through specially designed learning activities. The project will also support the smooth transition of STEM undergraduates into highly competitive graduate school programs. Intellectual Merit: This program will provide access to science and technology and opportunities by addressing some existing barriers for participation in all of the science arenas. Strategies will focus on (1) learning with technology, not about technology; (2) emphasizing content and pedagogy not just hardware; (3) providing professional development in technology, and (4) promoting interdisciplinary scientific research. The project will provide opportunities for undergraduate students to become engaged in the most challenging and exciting interdisciplinary scientific research projects.Broader Impact: The project will foster close interactions between faculty and students to encourage the academic potential of the minority students in the STEM fields at VSU. Students will have the opportunity to interact with students from Ivy League institutions in order to encourage their participation in the graduate programs at these institutions. The project will also expose students to modern teaching techniques and learning experience in gatekeeper courses. The project is also intended to improve the quality of science and mathematics education at VSU enhancing the institutional capability moving the University toward a higher institutional status.