A National Urban Model for Minority Undergraduate Biome*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of the proposed initiative is to increase the number of minority undergraduate students trained in biomedical engineering by building on an existing partnership between a publicly funded minority-serving institution with limited resources and preeminent private medical research institutions. This initiative will also serve as a national urban model for multi-institutional cooperation in educating minority students in the biomedical sciences. This effort will build upon two Special Opportunity Awards from the Whitaker Foundation - one to establish a New York Center for Biomedical Engineering (NYCBE) at the college (1994-97) and the other to create a new doctoral program in this field (1997-2000) - and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to form a consortium that will greatly enhance the production of minority Ph.D.'s in this field (1997-2001). The program will offer an integrated biomedical engineering training based on coursework and research. Course requirements will include the completion of a 15-credit concentration in biomedical engineering or the completion of a newly proposed baccalaureate degree program in biomedical engineering. Participating students will be assigned to a laboratory. They will become part of a team of scientists, engineers and physicians and will participate in the multidisciplinary aspects of teamwork, communication and management, critical skills which the graduate biomedical engineer will need as a professional. Students will be offered research projects that are an integral part of the ongoing research efforts in areas such as implant/tissue interfaces, orthopaedic biomechanics of soft tissue, biornineralization processes, absorbable implant systems, biomedical imaging, blosignal processing and instrumentation, biomembrane phenomena, and controlled drug release. Finally, students will participate in activities designed to improve their leadership skills and prepare them for graduate school. To achieve our overall goal, we propose the following five specific objectives: 1. Develop a comprehensive undergraduate degree program in biomedical engineering at a minority-serving institution. 2. Significantly increase the number of undergraduate research experiences for minority students. 3. Enhance our existing highly successful Sloan Program to encourage and prepare minority students to pursue the Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. 4. Greatly expand our existing summer outreach program to inner-city high schools. 5. Develop internships and cooperative education opportunities with local biomedical industry.