VENTURES-Vision for Excellence at Navajo Technical University in Research and Education in STEM

纳瓦霍技术大学(NTU)是纳瓦霍民族首屈一指的高等教育机构之一，在科学、工程、技术、传统和植根于Dine教育哲学的身份之间提供独特的平衡：Nitsahakees、Nahata、Iina和Siihasin。这项名为《南大STEM研究与教育卓越愿景》(Ventures)的项目将在南大与哈佛大学NSF材料研究科学与工程中心(MRSEC)之间建立伙伴关系。通过提供材料科学方面的研究和教育机会，解决纳瓦霍民族对环境和健康的关切，该伙伴关系将为STEM中代表不足的美洲原住民学生(纳瓦霍人)，从K-12到本科生，以及从本科生到研究生课程，建立强有力的途径。这一伙伴关系的目标是：1)增加获得STEM领域本科学位的美洲原住民人数，2)增加南大的研究基础设施，以便学生和教职员工能够在自己的社区内进行研究，3)增加进入和完成材料科学及相关领域研究生课程的美洲原住民人数，以及4)包括美国原住民在材料科学研究方面的视角和研究方法。此外，该研究计划将为学生和教职员工提供充分的机会，通过与K-12学校和纳瓦霍分院的合作，与纳瓦霍社区进行交流，并从他们那里获得反馈。从哈佛大学到南大的技术转让将促进南大在材料科学和工程方面的研究活动的发展；与此同时，合作将利用纳瓦霍人的传统知识和学习方法来确定和实施研究和教育活动。与该伙伴关系联合编写的研究和教育成果也将在同行评议的期刊和会议上传播。该奖项中的两个材料研究领域涉及对纳瓦霍民族具有直接重要性的健康和环境问题。研究区1将侧重于检测低浓度污染物的材料和技术，其动机是纳瓦霍民族铀矿开采的悠久历史，以及最近的开采活动，如水力压裂。研究区域2将研究细胞膜的机械性能，将有助于解决纳瓦霍人日益关注的健康问题--高胆固醇和相关冠状动脉疾病的发病率不断上升。Thiagarajan Soundappan教授(纳瓦霍工业大学)和David Weitz教授(哈佛大学)将领导来自南大和哈佛的8-10名教员组成的合作团队。研究领域1的合作研究小组将开发和测试用于检测采矿污染物的电极，并开发基于微流体学的实验室模型，用于污染物在土壤中的流动和检测。研究领域2将研究植物甾醇作为胆固醇替代品的能力，以及它们如何改变哺乳动物细胞膜的甾醇分布，以及检查由此产生的膜的生物物理性质(使用毛细管微流控技术)。通过将每个研究领域与纳瓦霍人关心的问题联系起来，这个团队将能够实现南大STEM领域增加招生的目标，并将激励学生继续在材料和相关领域进行研究生研究。此外，非常容易获得的研究技术可以很容易地被改编成NTU的课程和纳瓦霍民族的外展活动，纳入文化知识和实践。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。

Navajo Technical University (NTU) is one of the premier institutions of higher education in the Navajo Nation, providing a unique balance among science, engineering, technology, tradition, and identity rooted in the Dine Philosophy of Education: Nitsahakees, Nahata, Iina, and Siihasin. The proposed project, Vision for Excellence at NTU in Research and Education in STEM (VENTURES), will develop a partnership between NTU and the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Harvard University. By providing research and educational opportunities in materials science that address environmental and health concerns of the Navajo Nation, the partnership will build robust pathways for under-represented Native American students (Navajo) in STEM, from K-12 to undergraduate, and from undergraduate to graduate programs. The goals of this partnership are to: 1) increase the number of Native Americans earning undergraduate degrees in STEM fields, 2) increase the research infrastructure at NTU so that students and faculty can perform research within their own community, 3) increase the number of Native Americans entering and completing graduate programs in materials science and related fields, and 4) include Native American perspectives and methods of inquiry in materials science research. Additionally, the research program will allow for ample opportunities for students and faculty to communicate back to and receive feedback from the Navajo community via work with K-12 schools, and the Navajo Chapter Houses. Technology transfer from Harvard to NTU will facilitate growth at NTU in research activities in materials science and engineering; concomitantly, the collaboration will draw upon Navajo traditional knowledge and ways of learning in defining and implementing the research and educational activities. Research and educational results with joint authorship from the partnership will also be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. The two materials research areas in this award are relevant to health and environmental issues that are of immediate importance to the Navajo Nation. Research area 1, which will focus on materials and techniques for detection of low concentrations of pollutants, is motivated by the long history of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation, as well as more recent extraction activities, such as fracking. Research area 2, which will study mechanical properties of cell membranes, will help to address a growing health concern for the Navajo people - a rising incidence of high cholesterol and associated coronary disease. Professor Thiagarajan Soundappan (Navajo Technical University), and Professor David Weitz (Harvard University) will lead collaborative teams of 8-10 faculty from NTU and Harvard. Collaborative research teams in research area 1 will develop and test electrodes for detection of mining contaminants, and develop microfluidics-based laboratory models for flow and detection of contaminants through soil. Research area 2 will investigate the ability of phytosterols to act as cholesterol surrogates and how they modify the sterol profile of mammalian cell membranes, as well as examine the resulting membrane biophysical properties (using capillary microfluidic techniques). By linking each research area to an issue of concern to the Navajo people, this team will be able to achieve the objectives of increasing enrollment in STEM fields at NTU, and will inspire students to continue to graduate research in materials and related fields. In addition, the highly accessible research techniques can be readily adapted into courses at NTU and outreach activities to the Navajo Nation, incorporating cultural knowledge and practices.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.