Promoting Undergraduate Education Now Through Experimental Sciences (PUENTES)

描述(由申请人提供)：德克萨斯农工国际大学(TAMIU)与拉雷多社区学院(LCC)合作，提议建立一个通向文凭课程的桥梁项目，以服务于来自南得克萨斯州边境地区的少数族裔学生。该项目的主要目标是增加那些从LCC成功过渡到TAMU或其他四年制大学获得生物医学学士学位的少数族裔学生的数量。为了实现这一目标，已经制定了促进生物医学教育和研究的具体目标，包括：1)提高拉雷多社区学院学生对生物医学研究的兴趣和认识；2)提高拉雷多社区学院学生到四年制院校完成理科学位课程的转化率；3)提高拉雷多社区学院学生的学术竞争力；以及4)增加在生物医学领域从事研究工作的少数族裔学生的数量。拟议的目标将通过合作研讨会、暑期研究经验、春季学期课程“科学是一种认识的方式”、为期一年的指导和培训以及写作讲习班来实现。LCC和TAMU在转学/衔接协议中分享的现有合作努力将促进学生和教师之间的互动。通过增加LCC学生成功转到四年制院校的可能性，我们将把这个未被充分代表的少数群体的智力人才带到国家的生物医学研究事业中。德克萨斯州-墨西哥边境是联邦指定的卫生专业人员短缺地区，也是州指定的医疗服务不足地区，人口约为176,576人，其中94.1%是西班牙裔。培养对该地区的健康问题有既得利益的新一代生物医学研究人员，将有助于缓解当地和全国的这一问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In partnership with Laredo Community College (LCC), Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) proposes to establish a Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program to serve minority students from the South Texas border region. The project's primary goal is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who successfully transition from LCC to TAMIU or other 4-year universities to obtain a baccalaureate degree in the biomedical sciences. To achieve this goal, specific aims have been developed to foster biomedical education and research to include: 1) Increasing the interest and awareness of Laredo Community College students in Biomedical research; 2) Increasing the transfer rate of Laredo Community College students to a four year institution to complete a degree program in science; 3) Enhancing the academic competitiveness of Laredo Community College students; and 4) Increasing the number of underrepresented minority students who pursue research careers in biomedical fields. The proposed aims will be accomplished through collaborative seminars, summer research experience, a spring semester course "Science as a Way of Knowing", year long mentoring and training, and writing workshops. The existing collaborative efforts shared between LCC and TAMIU in the transfer/articulation agreement will facilitate the interaction of students and faculty. By enhancing the likelihood of LCC students successfully transferring to a four year institution, we will be bringing the intellectual talents of this underrepresented minority group to the biomedical research enterprise of the nation. The Texas-Mexico border is a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area and a state designated Medically Underserved Area with a population of approximately 176,576 inhabitants, of which 94.1% are Hispanic. Preparing a new generation of biomedical researchers who have a vested interest in this region's health issues, will contribute to the alleviation of this problem locally and nationwide.