Virginia Bridges to the Baccalaureate

说明(申请人提供)：满足国家在公共卫生部门的需求，特别是生物医学和行为科学研究领域的需求，将取决于进入该部门的劳动力的增长和多样化。社区大学教育了大量的学生，特别是少数族裔(种族、民族、第一代大学和经济上的弱势群体)。随着对他们独特需求的特别关注，这一群体中有更大比例的人有潜力完成四年制学位和研究生课程，并成为健康科学的研究人员。弗吉尼亚桥梁计划旨在增加在生物医学和行为科学领域寻求学位和研究职业道路的未被充分代表(UR)的弗吉尼亚州居民的数量。新河(NR)和北弗吉尼亚(NOVA)社区学院和弗吉尼亚理工大学(VT)之间的一座桥梁将激发UR学生对生物医学/行为科学的兴趣和技能，通过吸引研究经验开始他们在NR和NOVA的第一年。更多的研究机会与学术支持计划和指导相结合，将促进他们在学位过程中的坚持不懈、成就和及时进步。通过跨越所有四个本科学年的反思性和网络化实践，布里奇斯的学生将定义他们自己的学术道路，并与各机构的同行科学家建立联系。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Meeting national needs in the public health sector and particularly in research areas within the biomedical and behavioral science will depend on the growth and diversification of the workforce entering this sector. Community colleges educate large numbers of students, especially underrepresented minorities (racial, ethnic, first-generation college, and economically disadvantaged). With specific attention to their unique needs, a greater percentage of this population has the potential to complete four-year degrees and graduate programs and become researchers in the health sciences. The Virginia Bridges Program aims to increase the number of underrepresented (UR) Virginia residents pursuing degrees and research career paths in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. A bridge between New River (NR) and Northern Virginia (NOVA) Community Colleges and Virginia Tech (VT) will generate interest and skills in the biomedical/behavioral sciences among UR students, beginning their first year at NR and NOVA through engaging research experiences. Additional research opportunities combined with academic support programs and mentoring will promote persistence, achievement, and timely progress through their degrees. Through reflective and networked practices that span all four undergraduate years, Bridges students will define their own academic path and connect with peer scientists across institutions.