TARGETED INFUSION GRANT: Enhancement of the Undergraduate Physics Program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Howard University

该项目名为“加强霍华德大学物理与天文系本科物理课程”，其总体目标是扩大和提高霍华德大学物理与天文系本科物理课程的学习经验。预期通过以下四项活动将改善学习环境：开设大气物理辅修课程；将现有的普通天文学课程转变为在线/实验混合课程；霍华大学天文馆及天文台升级工程；为本科物理专业的学生制定招聘和奖学金计划以及同伴支持计划。拟议的活动利用了该系在物理和大气科学教育和研究方面建立的良好记录。这种方法可以被其他面临类似挑战的物理系效仿。从这些努力中吸取的经验教训有可能改善和加强与低入学率问题作斗争的小型物理课程。这些活动集中在一个少数民族学生几乎占本科生总数100%的部门，从而保证了这些群体成员的参与。改善本署的设施，有助加强向广大市民推广服务的工作。项目活动的结果将通过在专业物理教育者会议上的报告向更广泛的物理界传播。

The project entitled - Enhancement of the Undergraduate Physics Program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Howard University - has the overall goal to expand and enhance the learning experiences of undergraduate students taking targeted Physics courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Howard University. It is expected that there will be an improved learning environment driven by four activities: implementation of an Atmospheric Physics minor; conversion of the existing General Astronomy course into a hybrid on-line/laboratory class; upgrade of the Howard University Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory; and development of a recruitment and scholarship program and a peer support program for undergraduate Physics majors.The proposed activities take advantage of the well-established track record that the department has developed in Physics and Atmospheric Science education and research. This approach can be modeled by other Physics Departments that face similar challenges. The lessons learned from these efforts have the potential to improve and enhance smaller Physics programs that struggle with issues of low enrollment. The activities are centered in a department where minority students compose nearly 100% of the undergraduate population, thus assuring participation of members of such groups. The improvement of the department's facilities will strengthen outreach efforts to the public at large. The results of the project activities will be disseminated to the broader Physics community through presentations at meetings of professional Physics educators.