The Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center

化学部的这一奖项支持建立一个本科生研究中心(URC)，这是南达科他州大学、奥古斯塔纳学院、芒特马蒂学院、多尔特学院、布埃纳维斯塔大学、新格列斯卡大学和贝特霍德堡社区学院共同努力的结果。少年派是玛丽·贝瑞和科比斯·克里斯玛·德维特、加里·厄尔、保罗·梅和安德鲁·赛克斯。这项名为北部平原本科生研究中心(NPURC)的合作，其主要目标是将化学教育中本科生研究的角色转变为整个四年本科课程的组成部分，采用“将研究带给学生”的方法。作为牵头机构，南达科他大学将作为NPURC集体活动的中心，并将通过以下方式促进区域本科生研究能力和文化的发展：1)协调多机构课程改革，将研究经验带给大量一年级学生；2)作为多用户设施，提供获取主要仪器的途径，这在较小的机构可能缺乏；3)为建立和使用现代科学设备和方法提供技术专业知识和培训；4)赞助关于拨款编写和确定潜在资金来源的研讨会；5)赞助师生互动研讨会，6)通过企业、工业和政府实验室以及国际学生交换计划，为高级本科生提供继续研究和专业发展的机会，作为参与NPURC的后续行动；7)通过高中教师外展和培训计划，为早期本科生研究奠定基础。研究将被引入伙伴机构的第二学期普通化学实验室，第一年影响250名学生，并增加到每年600名学生。学生将有机会参加暑期研究工作坊，在他们的一般化学研究介绍后的夏天。研讨会将使学生为更传统的导师式研究机会做好准备。鼓励学生在三年级和四年级参加工业、政府实验室和学术实验室的研究实习。领导和管理计划规定了所有参与者的持续投入。一个由工业、政府和学术合作伙伴组成的外部顾问委员会已经就位，其人员将在该计划的发展过程中为其增长和质量做出贡献。将采用定性和定量工具对项目目标进行总结性和形成性评价。来自芒特马蒂学院的克里斯玛·德维特将指导这项评估。激励竞争性研究的实验计划(EPSCoR)和多学科活动办公室、数学和物理科学局共同资助了这一奖项。

This award from the Chemistry Division supports the establishment of an Undergraduate Research Center (URC) as a collaborative effort involving the University of South Dakota, Augustana College, Mount Marty College, Dordt College, Buena Vista University, Sinte Gleska University and Fort Berthold Community College. The PI is Mary Berry with coPIs Krisma DeWitt, Gary Earl, Paul May and Andrew Sykes. This collaboration, called the Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center (NPURC), has as its main objective, a regional transformation of the role of undergraduate research in chemical education into an integral part of the entire four years of the undergraduate curriculum, utilizing a "take research to the students" approach. As lead institution, the University of South Dakota will act as a hub for the collective activities of NPURC, and will facilitate the development of regional undergraduate research capacity and culture by 1) coordinating multi-institutional curricular reform to bring research experiences to large numbers of first-year students, 2) acting as a multi-user facility, providing access to major instrumentation, which may be lacking at the smaller institutions, 3) providing technical expertise and training for setting-up and using modern scientific equipment and methods, 4) sponsoring workshops on grant writing and identifying potential funding sources, 5) sponsoring symposia for faculty and student interactions, 6) providing continuing research and professional development opportunities for advanced undergraduates, as follow-up to participation in NPURC, through corporate, industrial, and government laboratories and international student exchange programs, and 7) building the foundation for early undergraduate research through high school teacher outreach and training programs. Research will be introduced into the second semester general chemistry laboratory at the partner institutions, impacting 250 students the first year, and increasing to 600 students/year. Students will be given the opportunity to enroll in summer research workshops the summer following their general chemistry research introduction. The workshops will prepare the students for more traditional mentoring-type research opportunities. Students will be encouraged to participate in research internships at industry, government laboratories and academic laboratories during their junior and senior years. The leadership and management plans provide for continuous input from all the participants. An external advisory board, with members from industrial, government and academic partners is in place with personnel that will contribute to the growth and quality of this program as it develops. Qualitative and quantitative tools will be employed to provide summative and formative evaluation of project goals. Krisma DeWitt from Mount Marty College will direct the assessment. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, Directorate of Mathematics and Physical Sciences co-fund this award.