EPCC's RISE to the Challenge Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): El Paso Community College (EPCC), a Hispanic Serving Institution with an 88% Minority student enrollment submits this competing continuation application to the MBRS RISE Program. The overall goal is to develop EPCC into a gateway to biomedical professional research careers for minority and disadvantaged students that have been traditionally under-represented in the sciences. The RISE Program will continue developing a mutually supportive learning community by actively engaging our students, faculty and the community in appropriate enrichment, developmental and research activities. This will ultimately lead to an increase in the number of EPCC students transferring to four-year institutions and pursuing a biomedical research career. EPCC's RISE to the Challenge Program consists of Student, Faculty, Community and Institutional Development Activities. All activities are aimed at increasing the number of minority and disadvantaged students acquiring the tools necessary to succeed in college and pursue biomedical research careers. The goals and objectives of EPCC's RISE Program are consistent with the mission of the MBRS RISE Program to enhance the research environment at minority institutions. The program is divided into five components: I) The Biomedical Science Enrichment Program (BSEP). The Goals of the RISE-BSEP Program are to continue providing talented incoming freshmen with the tools to succeed and excel in their freshman and sophomore-level courses and to expose them to biomedical research. The objectives are: a) to provide a summer internship for ten incoming freshman who will participate in developmental activities including Mini-courses in Mathematics, English, College Survival Skills and developing and presenting a Mini-research project, b) to provide an extended internship for BSEP students throughout the academic year so that they can participate in tutoring, supplemental instruction and research. II) The No-Excuse Research Development Program (NRDP). The goal of the NRDP Program is to continue providing research internships, tutoring, mentoring and developmental activities for EPCC students to increase their success in college as well as their potential to transfer to a four-year university and pursue a Ph.D. degree. The objectives are a) to expose students to biomedical research by providing year-round research internships for fifteen sophomores and selected freshman, b) to provide them with tutoring, mentoring, scientific enhancement and research techniques mini-courses. III) The Faculty Development Component. The goal is to continue developing the research and teaching potential of RISE faculty so that they become effective advocates of the objectives of the RISE Program. The objectives are: a) to provide adequate release time and resources so that faculty can effectively participate in these activities, b) to provide training and research exposure to increase the ability of the faculty to become more independent researchers, c) to enhance collaborations between EPCC faculty and other institutions, and d) to increase the productivity of the faculty in terms of presentations, publications and grants. IV) The Community Development Component. The goal is to improve the science literacy of our community so that they become active supporters of the RISE Program. The objectives are: a) to increase the awareness and project a positive image of the importance of biomedical research among community members, and b) to actively engage the community and RISE students and faculty in a "Community of Science". V) The Institutional Development Component. The goal is to improve the research infrastructure of EPCC. The objectives are: a) to renovate a classroom to transform it into an analytical chemical instrumentation laboratory, and b) to provide state-of-the-art computers, multimedia, and small equipment items to enhance the teaching and research capabilities.