Discovery Corps Senior Fellowship: Initiating Undergraduate Research Experiences at San Antonio College

Linette Watkins，德克萨斯州立大学圣马科斯分校，2006-2007学年探索队高级研究员。沃特金斯的项目将在圣安东尼奥学院（SAC）发起并支持一个全年的本科生研究社区。圣安东尼奥学院是一所两年制学院，学生群体非常多样化。项目将由SAC和德克萨斯州立大学的教师合作开发。来自德克萨斯州立大学的研究生将接受培训，与本科生一起完成自己的研究项目，监督SAC的本科生研究。研究主题包括确定C-S键解理的酶促机制，用于特种材料的含硼聚合物的合成和表征，以及表面改性粘土薄片的合成。该项目旨在加强社区学院的研究基础设施，增加两年制大学生获得研究经验的机会，并提高两个校区之间互动的质量。这个探索队高级奖学金是由化学司和多学科活动办公室支持的。探索队奖学金计划是一个试点项目，旨在寻求新的博士后和专业发展模式，将研究专长与专业服务相结合。探索队成员通过解决国家需要领域的项目利用他们的研究专长。他们的项目提高了研究能力和基础设施，有助于劳动力发展和创造就业机会。探索队项目同时支持博士后和高级研究员。

Linette Watkins, Texas State University-San Marcos, is a Discovery Corps Senior Fellow for the 2006-2007 academic year. Watkins' project will initiate and support a year-round undergraduate research community at San Antonio College (SAC), a two-year college with a strongly diverse student population. Projects will be developed by collaboration between SAC and Texas State faculty. Graduate students from Texas State will be trained to supervise undergraduate research at SAC as they complete their own research projects alongside the undergraduates. Research themes include determining the enzymatic mechanism of C-S bond cleavage, synthesizing and characterizing boron-containing polymers for specialty materials applications and synthesizing surface-modified clay platelets. The project seeks to strengthen the research infrastructure at the community college, increase two-year college students access to research experiences and increase the quality of interactions between the two campuses. This Discovery Corps Senior Fellowship is supported by the Division of Chemistry and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities. The Discovery Corps Fellowship Program is a pilot program seeking new postdoctoral and professional development models that combine research expertise with professional service. Discovery Corps Fellows leverage their research expertise through projects that address areas of national need. Their projects enhance research capacity and infrastructure and contribute to workforce development and job creation. The Discovery Corps Program supports both Postdoctoral Fellows and Senior Fellows.