Implementation Project: Training of Undergraduates in Genome Engineering and Computational Data Sciences Programs at FVSU

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Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program provide support to design, implement, study and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research. The Implementation project at Fort Valley State University seeks to build on the successes of the former two Implementation projects and other awards from the National Science Foundation. Furthermore, the proposed project will focus its efforts on broadening participation in specified emerging areas, using successful techniques in recruiting, retaining and graduating African-American undergraduates in STEM. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation. Fort Valley State University is proposing a holistic undergraduate academic preparedness and career readiness in Genome Editing/Genome Engineering (GE) and Computational Data Science (CDS) applications through curricular development, structured student engagement and mentoring, faculty development, and URM student exposure to research and study abroad experiences. The goal of this integrated, interdisciplinary undergraduate program is to use GE-CDS to create an incubator for engaging underrepresented minority (URM) students in intensive training, to improve critical-thinking skills development, and expand global research and education experiences. Further, this project will transform institutional teaching and learning through evidence-based GE-CDS courses via reform assessment and intervention. The primary objectives of this program are: (1) to develop an integrated education and research skills-based curriculum alignment with technology for student learning; (2) to increase faculty competitiveness in scholarly inquiries in research, teaching, and learning in GE-CDS; (3) to provide an intense student research program utilizing resources on- and off-campus, at international sites, and in national laboratories to prepare globally competitive students; and (4) To engage in the holistic approach of student recruitment, mentoring, and transition to success in graduate schools and the STEM workforce. A Genome Engineering tool, Clustered Regulated Interspaced Palindromic Repeats, and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/ Cas 9) allows us to perform the deletion, insertion, or modification of specific DNA sequences in the genome, which lead to gene therapy that could potentially result in treatment for genetic disorders that remain an enigma for mankind until today. The intersection of Computational Data Science and Genome Editing will advance our knowledge in data analytics, which is going to be at the core of future advances in the medical field. The proposed model involves curricular development in GE-CDS, and year-round interventions, including a study abroad component that are well aligned with research findings on broadening participation of minority students in STEM.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.