The Arizona Biology Network (ABN)

描述（由申请人提供）：亚利桑那州生物学网络（ABN）的主要目标是增加在亚利桑那州获得生物医学和行为科学学士学位的少数民族学生人数。在其存在的10年中，该计划已发展成为亚利桑那州的3所州立大学和20所社区学院以及新墨西哥州的一所学院之间的合作努力。社区学院的学生和教师将参加亚利桑那大学实验室的夏季研究项目。统计数据显示，有机会进行研究的本科生更有可能追求和完成研究生学业，希望ABN的学生参与者将成为科学界的领导者，并努力缩小该州各民族之间的健康差距。在学年期间，这些学生将有机会在当地的社区学院担任导师。作为导师，他们将成为其他少数民族学生的榜样和同伴导师，这些学生可能是ABN的潜在新兵。导师还将为改善社区学院的整体学习环境做出贡献。每个学生将被分配到他或她的社区学院或在他们转移到大学的教师导师。在ABN计划的改进将在以下方面：谁进入并完成该计划的学生的数量和质量;暑期实验室经验的有效性;指导和建议;在社区学院的学习环境;和评估工具和过程的范围和质量。上述目标一旦实现，将在实现全国通向学士学位桥梁的目标方面取得重大进展，即到2005年实现90%的转学率和70%的毕业率。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The primary goal of the Arizona Biology Network (ABN) is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who obtain Baccalaureate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences in the State of Arizona. Over the 10 years of its existence, the program has grown into a cooperative effort between the 3 State universities and 20 community colleges in Arizona and one college in New Mexico that is on the Dine reservation. Community College students and faculty will participate in summer research projects in the laboratories at the University of Arizona. Statistics show that undergraduates who have the opportunity to conduct research are more likely to pursue and complete graduate studies, and it is hoped that the student participants in the ABN will emerge as leaders in science and work toward lessening health disparities between ethnic groups in this State. During the academic year, these students will have the opportunity to tutor at their local community college. As tutors, they will serve as role models and peer mentors to other minority students who may be potential recruits to the ABN. The tutors will also contribute to the enhancement of the overall learning environment at the community colleges. Each student will be assigned to a faculty mentor at his or her community college or at the university to which they transfer. Improvements in the ABN program will be made in the following areas: the number and quality of students who enter and complete the program; the effectiveness of the summer lab experience; mentoring and advising; the learning environment at the community colleges; and the scope and quality of evaluation instruments and processes. The aforementioned objectives, when achieved, will bring about significant progress toward the National Bridges to the Baccalaureate goal of a 90% transfer rate and 70% completion rate by the year 2005.