Catalyst Project: Transforming the Chemistry and Physics Programs at South Carolina State University

Catalyst项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）提供支持，以建立教师的研究能力，以加强科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，提高学院的研究和教学水平，并让本科生参与研究经验。南卡罗来纳州立大学旨在通过增加教学和研究材料的交付，提高化学和物理专业本科学生的STEM教育质量。具体而言，该提案概述了实施网络学习教学视频的策略，以系内教师试点的成功模式为基础。这些努力还将与当地奥兰治堡乡村学区的合作伙伴关系相结合，以加强教师和学生对特定学科研究的参与。该项目旨在加强对代表性不足的学生的招聘、保留和坚持，这些学生最终可能进入STEM劳动力市场或攻读STEM研究生学位。本项目的目标包括：(1)化学和物理课程的教学方式和内容的转变；(2)为两个专业的招生增长做好准备。目标1将改变许多化学和物理课程的教学方法，同时创建一个重要的在线材料图书馆，供南卡罗来纳州立大学使用，并向更广泛的学术团体分发。目标2将采用多方面的方法来解决认识、招聘、保留和持久性问题。活动包括扩大社交媒体的使用，新生沉浸在小型研究项目中，以及参与高中师生对进行校园研究。总体而言，该项目旨在制定化学和物理的招聘和保留框架，这有可能导致每个项目的入学率增长，增加学生对STEM的长期坚持，并作为其他机构背景的典范。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. South Carolina State University seeks to enhance the quality of STEM education for undergraduate students enrolled in the chemistry and physics programs by augmenting the delivery of instructional and research materials. Specifically, the proposal outlines strategies to implement cyberlearning instructional videos, building on a successful model piloted by departmental faculty. These efforts will also be coupled with a partnership with the local Orangeburg Country School District to bolster teacher-student engagement in discipline-specific research. The project aims to enhance the recruitment, retention, and persistence of underrepresented students, who may ultimately enter the STEM workforce or pursue graduate STEM degrees. The goals of this project include (1): transformation of the chemistry and physics curriculum delivery methods and content; and (2): setting the stage for enrollment growth in the two majors. Goal 1 will transform the method of delivery in many chemistry and physics courses while also creating a significant library of online material for use at South Carolina State University, as well as for distribution to a wider academic community. Goal 2 will use a multifaceted approach to address awareness, recruitment, retention, and persistence. Activities include expanded use of social media, freshmen immersion in small research projects, and engagement of high school teacher-student pairs in conducting on-campus research. Overall, the project aims to develop a recruitment and retention framework in chemistry and physics, that has the potential to result in enrollment growth in each program, increases student long-term persistence in STEM, and serve as a model for other institutional contexts.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.