The Appalachian High Achievers in STEM

在美国国家科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目的资助下，“阿巴拉契亚科技、工程和数学高等学子”项目将支持在阿巴拉契亚州立大学取得优异成绩、有经济需求的低收入学生。在整个五年中，该项目将为42名正在攻读化学、计算机科学、地质学、数学或物理学位的本科生和研究生提供奖学金。S-STEM Track 2项目将为参与学科之间的跨学科合作建立一个以模拟和可视化为重点的框架。模拟和可视化对于理解STEM和其他领域目前可用的海量数据至关重要。来自所有STEM学科的学生将使用计算机应用程序来模拟系统的抽象模型或可视化数字信息数学模型。学者们将沉浸在一个支持他们的社区中，因为他们在教师的指导下从事跨学科的研究项目。研究项目将来自多个STEM地区。阿巴拉契亚高等学府项目旨在增加对这些活动如何产生社会和学术利益的了解，并增加专业和劳动力准备。它还具有为阿巴拉契亚地区的技术行业的学生做准备的潜力。该项目旨在为学生在数据丰富的环境中未来的职业生涯做好准备。招生工作将强调来自该大学周围阿巴拉契亚山区县的学生，那里的贫困率是北卡罗来纳州最高的之一。辅导组、STEM研讨会和同行主导的学习大厅将为学生的成功提供支持。将通过非正式活动加强群体凝聚力，如运动、参与模拟和可视化项目，以及努力培养跨越多个学科的技能集。将利用领导力培训和证书来激励参与项目活动。当地公司已承诺提供演讲者，让他们能够将学生与潜在的职业联系起来。这一演讲项目将与校友指导相结合，以加强学者与当地劳动力的联系。PI旨在建立一个模拟跨学科真实世界体验的学习环境。来自化学、计算机科学、地质学、数学和物理的学者团队将研究跨学科主题，并调查涉及模拟和可视化的研究问题。这一重点有可能增加学生为多个领域的工作或研究生学习做准备。该计划预计将产生广泛的影响，因为它产生了关于有效方法的知识，以改善其服务的学生的招生和留住，并为北卡罗来纳州和阿巴拉契亚地区的经济发展做出贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With funding from the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, the "Appalachian High Achievers in STEM" project will support high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Appalachian State University. Throughout its five years, this project will fund scholarships for 42 undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, or physics. This S-STEM Track 2 project will establish a simulation- and visualization-focused framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among the participating disciplines. Simulation and visualization are essential for understanding the vast amounts of data available now in STEM and other fields. Students from all STEM disciplines will use computer applications to simulate abstract models of systems or to visualize numerical information mathematical models. Scholars will be immersed in a supportive community as they engage in interdisciplinary research projects, mentored by faculty. The research projects will draw from multiple STEM areas. The Appalachian High Achievers project aims to increase understanding of how these activities produce social and academic benefits, and increase professional and workforce preparation. It also has the potential to prepare students for the technology industries in the Appalachian region.This project aims to prepare students for future careers in data rich environments. Recruiting efforts will emphasize students from the Appalachian Mountain counties that surround the university, where poverty rates are among the highest in North Carolina. Mentoring clusters, a STEM Seminar, and peer-led study halls will support student success. Cohort cohesion will be strengthened through informal activities such as sports, participation in a simulation and visualization project, and work to develop a skill set that spans multiple disciplines. Leadership training and certificates will be used to incentivize participation in project activities. Local companies have committed to provide speakers who can link students with potential careers. This speaker program will be coupled with alumni mentoring to strengthen the scholars' ties to the local workforce. The PIs aim to establish a learning environment that mimics an interdisciplinary real-world experience. Teams of scholars from chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, and physics will examine interdisciplinary topics and investigate research problems that involve simulation and visualization. This focus has the potential to increase student preparation for jobs or graduate studies in multiple fields. The program is expected to have a broad impact as it generates knowledge about effective approaches to improve the recruitment and retention of the students it serves, and to contribute to the economic development of North Carolina and the Appalachian region.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.