Catalyst Project: Transforming the Chemistry and Physics Programs at South Carolina State University

CATALYST项目支持历史悠久的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)致力于建立教职员工的研究能力，以加强科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教职员工的研究能力，改善学院的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。南卡罗来纳州立大学试图通过增加教学和研究材料的提供来提高化学和物理专业本科生的STEM教育质量。具体地说，该提案概述了实施网络学习教学视频的战略，建立在系级教员试点的成功模式的基础上。这些努力还将与当地奥兰治堡乡村学区的伙伴关系相结合，以加强师生对特定学科研究的参与。该项目旨在加强招收、留住和坚持代表人数不足的学生，这些学生最终可能进入STEM劳动力大军或攻读STEM研究生学位。该项目的目标包括(1)：改变化学和物理课程的教学方法和内容；(2)：为这两个专业的招生增长奠定基础。目标1将改变许多化学和物理课程的教学方法，同时还将创建一个重要的在线材料图书馆，供南卡罗来纳州立大学使用，并分发给更广泛的学术界。目标2将使用多方面的方法来解决意识、招聘、留住和持久性问题。活动包括扩大社交媒体的使用，新生沉浸在小型研究项目中，以及让高中师生对开展校园研究。总体而言，该项目旨在开发一个化学和物理领域的招聘和保留框架，该框架有可能导致每个项目的招生人数增加，提高学生在STEM中的长期坚持性，并作为其他机构背景的典范。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. South Carolina State University seeks to enhance the quality of STEM education for undergraduate students enrolled in the chemistry and physics programs by augmenting the delivery of instructional and research materials. Specifically, the proposal outlines strategies to implement cyberlearning instructional videos, building on a successful model piloted by departmental faculty. These efforts will also be coupled with a partnership with the local Orangeburg Country School District to bolster teacher-student engagement in discipline-specific research. The project aims to enhance the recruitment, retention, and persistence of underrepresented students, who may ultimately enter the STEM workforce or pursue graduate STEM degrees. The goals of this project include (1): transformation of the chemistry and physics curriculum delivery methods and content; and (2): setting the stage for enrollment growth in the two majors. Goal 1 will transform the method of delivery in many chemistry and physics courses while also creating a significant library of online material for use at South Carolina State University, as well as for distribution to a wider academic community. Goal 2 will use a multifaceted approach to address awareness, recruitment, retention, and persistence. Activities include expanded use of social media, freshmen immersion in small research projects, and engagement of high school teacher-student pairs in conducting on-campus research. Overall, the project aims to develop a recruitment and retention framework in chemistry and physics, that has the potential to result in enrollment growth in each program, increases student long-term persistence in STEM, and serve as a model for other institutional contexts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.