UC Davis Biology Education Program

描述（由申请人提供）：虽然过去二十年来已经看到 少数民族的本科入学率较高， 非裔美国人、土著美国人、西班牙裔美国人的代表性不足， 和太平洋岛民在生物医学研究事业。解决这个问题 包括增加攻读博士学位的学生人数 与生物医学相关的科学。在IMSD的资助下，我们开发了 一系列连贯、协调的浓缩活动， 鼓励少数民族学生的学术和财政从大一到 研究生院的第二年。我们培养了卓越的学术成就， 大一的本科生通过补充结构化的学术课程， 化学和数学课程，生物学成功的守门人，而 更多的高级本科生参加了一系列协调的 学术充实活动，旨在磨练他们的口头和书面 沟通技巧，以及提高他们对生物学的兴奋。 我们的本科IMSD计划的评估表明，研究经验， 是这些学生获得生物学学位毕业的关键因素 平均分3.0它还表明，开始这项研究的经验， 可能会让学生分心所以针对本 更新的建议，我们已经消除了在一项研究中的新生安置 实验室，取代夏季实验室技能课程，并提供研究 为大二的学生提供机会。这些活动 将在研究人员之间建立调查伙伴关系， 本科少数民族学生，培养学生的调查技能， 证明研究是一个可行的职业选择，并增加数量 少数民族学生有资格进入研究生院。我们还将继续 为少数民族学生提供经济，学术和个人支持， 研究生学习的前两年。进入博士生将 参加一个夏桥计划，包括7周的实验室轮换 有一个经验丰富的研究导师加上每周小组会议，旨在 提高口头和书面沟通技巧，并讨论当前的研究 来自校园专家的话题这些小组活动将持续到 研究生院的第一年，将有助于顺利的成功之路， 研究生院和生物医学研究事业。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although the past two decades have seen higher undergraduate enrollments of minorities, there remains significant underrepresentation of African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Pacific Islanders in biomedical research careers. Solving this problem involves increasing the number of these students who pursue doctoral programs in sciences related to biomedicine. With IMSD funding, we have developed a coherent, coordinated series of enrichment activities which support and encourage minority students academically and financially from freshman through the second year of graduate school. We have cultivated academic excellence in freshman undergraduates through a structured academic program of supplemental course work in chemistry and math, gate-keepers to success in biology, while more advanced undergraduates have participated in a series of coordinated academic enrichment activities designed to hone their oral and written communication skills as well as enhance their excitement about biology. Evaluation of our undergraduate IMSD program indicates that research experience is a critical factor for graduation of these students with a degree in Biology and a 3.0 average. It also suggests that beginning this research experience during the freshman year can be a distraction to the students. Thus, in this renewal proposal, we have eliminated the placement of freshmen in a research lab, substituting a summer lab skills course instead, and providing research opportunities for the students starting their sophomore year. These activities will create investigative partnerships between research faculty and undergraduate minority students, develop the students' investigative skills, demonstrate that research is a viable career option, and increase the number of minority students eligible for graduate school. We will also continue to provide financial, academic, and personal support to minority students during their first 2 years of graduate study. Entering doctoral students will participate in a summer bridge program involving a 7 week laboratory rotation with an experienced research mentor plus weekly group meetings designed to enhance oral and written communication skills and to discuss current research topics from campus experts. These group activities, which will continue through the first year of graduate school, will help smooth the way for success in graduate school and biomedical research careers.