Increasing STEM Diversity through Engaging Undergraduate Student Research in Experiential and Innovative Forensic Science Contexts

通过让本科生参与体验式和创新法医学背景的研究来增加 STEM 多样性

• 批准号: 2310438
• 负责人: Michelle Rippy
• 金额: $ 34.99万
• 依托单位: California State University, East Bay Foundation, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2310438&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Increasing; STEM; Diversity; through; Engaging

This project aims to serve the national interest by utilizing experiential and innovative research in forensic science to increase student engagement and success in STEM. The Forensic Science Research Center at California State University East Bay is uniquely positioned to enable undergraduate students to gain experience, knowledge, and skills in forensic science required for most entry-level forensic science positions. California State University East Bay is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, where most students identify as first-generation college students. The project goals are to engage diverse undergraduate students in forensic science and investigations through research with faculty and practitioners while providing the skillsets and experience needed for entry-level positions in forensic science and STEM. The project will also enhance partnerships with local criminal justice agencies to allow practitioners to work with students on research and create mentorship and networking opportunities. To create a continued interest and empower youth to consider STEM careers, students will also complete outreach to K-12 and community colleges through science fairs and community events promoting forensic science with age-appropriate experiments and hands-on activities. Forensic science is a unique, intersectional field that requires background and education in multiple areas of sciences including criminal justice. Classroom-based training, alone, is often not enough to prepare students for entry-level careers, as research and experiential learning, if present, do not equate to a year of experience needed to be hired. This project will fill a current gap of practitioner-involved forensic science research by providing undergraduate student researchers with real case experience prior to graduation. Twelve undergraduate student researchers will be exposed to cold cases, forensic science related research, conference attendance, and academic publications to ensure they are well-prepared for future careers or graduate school, ultimately diversifying the forensic science workforce and reducing evidence backlog. Evaluation of the project will include student success and retention of undergraduate student researchers, the expansion of institutional capacity to provide STEM education, the improvement of qualifications for students when entering the workforce, and the impact of outreach on enrollment to STEM majors. Foundational forensic science coursework will be developed for K-12 students that will be provided open-source to educators, allowing schools nationwide to incorporate vetted forensic science material into their classrooms. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is also supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs.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.

该项目旨在通过利用法医学的体验和创新研究来提高学生参与度和STEM的成功来满足国家利益。加利福尼亚州立大学东湾的法医科学研究中心具有独特的位置，使本科生能够获得大多数入门级法医科学职位所需的法医学经验，知识和技能。加利福尼亚州立大学东湾是西班牙裔服务机构和亚裔美国人和美国太平洋岛民服务机构，大多数学生都将其视为第一代大学生。项目目标是通过与教师和从业人员进行研究，在法医学和从业人员的同时提供分法院科学和调查，同时提供法医学和STEM中入门级职位所需的技能和经验。该项目还将加强与当地刑事司法机构的合作伙伴关系，以允许从业人员与学生合作研究并创建指导和网络机会。为了引起持续的兴趣并赋予青年考虑STEM职业的能力，学生还将通过科学博览会和社区活动来完成与社区学院的宣传，并通过适合年龄的实验和动手活动来促进法医科学。法医科学是一个独特的交叉领域，需要在包括刑事司法在内的多个科学领域的背景和教育。仅基于课堂的培训通常不足以使学生为入门级职业做好准备，因为研究和体验式学习（如果存在）不等于需要雇用一年的经验。该项目将通过在毕业前为本科生研究人员提供实际案例经验，以填补当前涉及从业人员的法医科学研究的空白。十二名本科生研究人员将暴露于冷酷的病例，法医学相关研究，会议出勤和学术出版物中，以确保他们为未来的职业或研究生院做好准备，最终使法医科学劳动力多样化，并减少了证据。对该项目的评估将包括学生的成功并保留本科生研究人员的成功，提供STEM教育的机构能力的扩展，进入劳动力时学生的资格提高以及推广活动对STEM专业的入学影响的影响。将为K-12学生开发基础法医课程，这些课程将为教育工作者提供开源，允许全国的学校将经过审查的法医科学材料纳入其教室。 NSF IUSE：EDU计划支持研发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。 NSF改善了本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构计划，该计划还旨在增强本科STEM教育，扩大STEM的参与并在HSIS上建立能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法规任务，并认为通过使用基金会的知识优点和广泛的criter crietia进行评估。