The Arizona Biology Network (ABN)

描述（由申请人提供）：亚利桑那州生物网络（ABN）的主要目标是增加在亚利桑那州获得生物医学和行为科学学士学位的少数族裔学生的数量。在其存在的10年中，该项目已经发展成为亚利桑那州的3所州立大学和20所社区学院以及新墨西哥州的一所位于Dine保留地的大学之间的合作努力。社区学院的学生和教师将参加亚利桑那大学实验室的暑期研究项目。统计数据显示，有机会进行研究的本科生更有可能追求并完成研究生学习，希望ABN的学生参与者将成为科学领域的领导者，并为缩小该州种族群体之间的健康差距而努力。在学年期间，这些学生将有机会在当地社区大学担任导师。作为导师，他们将成为其他少数族裔学生的榜样和同伴导师，这些学生可能成为荷兰银行的潜在员工。这些导师也将有助于改善社区学院的整体学习环境。每个学生将被分配到他或她的社区学院或他们转到的大学的教师导师。ABN计划将在以下方面进行改进：进入和完成计划的学生的数量和质量；暑期实验室经验的有效性；指导和建议；社区大学的学习环境；评估工具和过程的范围和质量。上述目标一旦实现，将为到2005年实现90%的转学率和70%的完成率的国家文凭目标带来重大进展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The primary goal of the Arizona Biology Network (ABN) is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who obtain Baccalaureate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences in the State of Arizona. Over the 10 years of its existence, the program has grown into a cooperative effort between the 3 State universities and 20 community colleges in Arizona and one college in New Mexico that is on the Dine reservation. Community College students and faculty will participate in summer research projects in the laboratories at the University of Arizona. Statistics show that undergraduates who have the opportunity to conduct research are more likely to pursue and complete graduate studies, and it is hoped that the student participants in the ABN will emerge as leaders in science and work toward lessening health disparities between ethnic groups in this State. During the academic year, these students will have the opportunity to tutor at their local community college. As tutors, they will serve as role models and peer mentors to other minority students who may be potential recruits to the ABN. The tutors will also contribute to the enhancement of the overall learning environment at the community colleges. Each student will be assigned to a faculty mentor at his or her community college or at the university to which they transfer. Improvements in the ABN program will be made in the following areas: the number and quality of students who enter and complete the program; the effectiveness of the summer lab experience; mentoring and advising; the learning environment at the community colleges; and the scope and quality of evaluation instruments and processes. The aforementioned objectives, when achieved, will bring about significant progress toward the National Bridges to the Baccalaureate goal of a 90% transfer rate and 70% completion rate by the year 2005.