+ Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Program/Activity Catalog 2013-2014 Program and Activity Catalog of Education, Outreach and Diversity initiatives in EPSCoR States & Territories (Published: 2/10/14) Edited by Marta Collier
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States/Territories With Featured Programs
Alabama
Kentucky
Rhode Island
Alaska
Montana
Tennessee
Arkansas
Nevada
Utah
Delaware
New Mexico
Wyoming
Hawaii
North Dakota
Kansas
Oklahoma
EPSCoR is the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
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Alabama
Program Name: Rural Entrepreneurial Internship Program
Date: 6/29/2014
Location: Hale County, The Green Box
Target Audience(s): 9th Grade - 12th Grade, Undergraduate, Graduate, Post-doc, Junior Faculty, Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: The mission of the Alabama Entrepreneur Internship program is to spur new business creation in the Black Belt region of West Alabama.
Program Contact: Dr. Karen Boykin, kboykin@as.ua.edu, http://eip.ua.edu
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Alaska
Program Name: Professional Development Workshop for K-12 Teachers
Date: 6/9/2014
Location: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
Target Audience(s): Junior Faculty, Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: We are conducting a one-week professional development workshop for K-12 teachers using a systems approach in engaging them and their students in studies of humans, the environment, ecosystem and earth science; best teaching practices; science content; measurement protocols; inquiry-based learning activities, and a student model for scientific investigations. Teaching and learning occurs inside and outside the classroom. The workshop also provides a training ground for early career scientists in sharing their expertise and working with teachers who are enthused about interacting with scientists. Measurement protocols and learning activities are adopted/adapted from the GLOBE, MapTEACH and Seasons and Biomes programs.
Program Contact: 907-474-7699, ebsparrow@alaska.edu
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Arkansas
Program Name: ASSET Initiative Summer Research Exchange Program
Date: 5/19/2014
Location: Multiple Campuses
Target Audience(s): Undergraduate, Diversity & Inclusion
Program Summary: Student undergraduate research opportunities provide Arkansas students with practical, hands-on experience guided by the top researchers in our state. Each year, ASSET Initiative partners with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to support the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. Our program is unique in that it allows students to transfer between 2- and 4-year institutions in Arkansas to work with a particular faculty member/lab team. ASSET strives to support applications that align with the research areas of our three centers: Plant Powered Production, the Vertically-Integrated Center for Transformative Energy Research and the Arkansas GREEN Solar Cells Research Center.
Program Contact: Marta Collier, Marta.Collier@Arkansas.gov, www.arepscor.org
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Arkansas
Program Name: Go GREEN! Summer Academy
Date: 6/23/2014
Location: University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Target Audience(s): 7th Grade - 8th Grade, Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: The lack of STEM initiatives for young women in the Arkansas River Valley, and the need to train teachers to present STEM concepts in a more engaging manner will both be addressed in the 2014 Go GREEN! Summer Academy for 8th grade female students centered around renewable energy. Participants will be exposed to science with practical applications in their local communities before entering high school and engage young women to think about STEM in a manner that they may not have considered before. Activities will include topics in biofuels, DNA analysis, solar energy and more.
Program Contact: Sabrina Gomez, (479)788-7586, Sabrina.Gomez@uafs.edu
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Arkansas
Program Name: eSTEMA Summer Enrichment Academy (elementary STEM Academy @ SAU)
Date: 7/8/2014
Location: Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, Arkansas
Target Audience(s): 4th Grade Students, Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: The Academy will provide hands on enrichment activities designed to increase the 21st century skills of Arkansas’s students and teachers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Fourth grade students from Southwest Arkansas area schools and their parents will be recruited to participate along with Arkansas-based, STEM teacher professionals for a three day, project-based learning experience in Summer 2014.
Program Contact: Dr. Roger Guevara, (870)235-5014, rcguevara@saumag.edu
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Delaware
Program Name: Graduate Policy Internships in a State Environmental Agency
Date: 6/9/2014
Location: Delaware
Target Audience: Graduate
Program Summary: In 2011 we established an impactful internship program with Delaware's environmental agency. Graduate students work on a problem identified by the agency, and make recommendations to top leadership. In 2013, Delaware Governor Markell signed a new bill into law, based on the work of a student. The law now lifts oil spill liability limits off our coast, and will save the citizens of Delaware millions of dollars in oil spill clean up costs in the future. The program continues in 2014.
Program Contact: Jeanette Miller, (302) 831-4167; jeanette@udel.edu; http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2013/jun/oil-spillliability-061213.html; http://www.epscor.udel.edu/about-epscor
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Hawaii
Program Name: Manowai O Hanakahi
Date: 7/15/2014
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Target Audience: 9th Grade - 12th Grade
Program Summary: Mānowai o Hanakahi is a program for middle and high school students to gain exposure and skill development in natural science research areas. A place-based culturally grounded and hands-on learning experience that links students to Hawaii's unique ecosystems and the people managing and studying those resources.
Program Contact: Erika Perry, 808-933-0705, hperry@hawaii.edu, https://www.facebook.com/ManowaiOHanakahi
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Hawaii
Program Name: Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES)
Date: 5/27/2014
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Target Audience: Undergraduate
Program Summary: PIPES is a collaborative summer internship program with over 30 partner agencies and organzations to provide project-based summer internships to over 40 local students. The program emphasizes and explores the linkages of culture, place and science throughout its program.
Program Contact: Ulu Ching, moanac@hawaii.edu, http://hilo.hawaii.edu/uhintern
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Kansas
Program Name: Energy-Related Education Programs
Date: 1/22/2014
Location: University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, KS
Target Audience(s): 3rd Grade - 6th Grade
Program Summary: Informal science opportunities such as museum visits offer youth and their adult chaperons an opportunity to experience science in an engaging, hands-on manner that promotes interest and supports life-long learning. The goals of creating these opportunities were to provide challenging and engaging science education experiences through hands-on programming and extensive online material that introduce core ideas about nanoscale, matter and energy. The diverse activities developed to meet these goals have successfully reached out to youth, teachers and parents, as well as the broader general public, and their audience continues to grow.
Program Contact: Teresa MacDonald: 785 864 2371, tmacd@ku.edu, or Doug Byers, dbyers@ku.edu, http://kansas-nsf-epscor.blogspot.com/2013/09/energy-relatededucation-programs.html
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Kentucky
Program Name: Kentucky Travel Support Program for Hosting Minorities Applying for Graduate Education (KYTS-MAGE)
Date: 12/8/2014
Location: University of Kentucky and University of Louisville
Target Audience(s): Graduate, Graduating Senior in College
Program Summary: The program will pay for the applicant’s complete travel for visitation and application to a Kentucky College or University with the Concentration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at the graduate level. Each applicant must complete a Travel Assistance Application and adhere to all program requirements. “Exploring Options for a Solid STEM Future” program provides an opportunity for potential graduate students to visit the University of Louisville or the University of Kentucky and learn firsthand about the wonderful programs and opportunities for advanced study in the Bluegrass.
Program Contact: Katrisha Waldridge, (859)257-0352, http://www.kynsfepscor.org/Diversity/default.aspx
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Kentucky
Program Name: Research Scholars Program (RSP)
Date: 6/1/2014
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Target Audience(s): Undergraduate, Graduate
Program Summary: Since 2006, KY NSF EPSCoR has awarded a total of 52 ($5,000) scholarships to talented postsecondary students in Kentucky working on research projects with their faculty mentors. The RSP is an academic honors program that emphasizes supporting students who are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.
Program Contact: Jeff Mossey, (859)257-0351, http://www.kynsfepscor.org/Initiatives/default.aspx
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Montana
Program Name: Living Colors: Microbes of Yellowstone National Park
Date: 12/18/2013
Location: Yellowstone National Park / Online
Target Audience(s): 9th Grade - 12th Grade, Undergraduate, Teachers (K-12), Visitors to and fans of Yellowstone National Park
Program Summary: Montana EPSCoR’s flagship research program, the Institute on Ecosystems, partnered with the Yellowstone Association to create a nature guide and identification wheel on Yellowstone’s tiniest residents. “Living Colors” helps Yellowstone’s 3 million annual visitors understand the Park’s microbes and their role in the ecosystem. The guide and wheel are available in the Park’s 11 bookstores and online at https://www.yellowstoneassocation.org. Accompanying videos are on YouTube. Living Colors is a finalist in the Media & Partnership awards of the Association of Partners for Public Lands, recognizing contributions made by nonprofit partners to engage the public with our nation's parks.
Program Contact: Jamie Cornish, Montana State University, jcornish@montana.edu, (406) 994-6005, http://www.montana.edu/news/12336/new-guide-color-wheel-help-yellowstonevisitors-identify-microbes-in-hot-springs
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Montana
Program Name: Elk Grazing Citizen Science Project
Date: 9/14/2014
Location: Emigrant, Montana
Target Audience(s): 3rd Grade - 6th Grade, 7th Grade - 8th Grade, Graduate, Adults
Program Summary: Montana citizen scientists braved rain and wind on an early Saturday morning to learn about the impact of climate change on elk in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin. Volunteers picked up elk scat at the Dome Mountain Wildlife Management Area to help Montana State University student Erica Garroutte gather data on how climate change may affect the timing of grassland greenup and, in turn, elk foraging patterns. Garroutte and her faculty advisor Andy Hansen analyze the scat samples for chlorophyll levels. The data will help determine whether elk are changing migration and grazing patterns and allows Garroutte to check the reliability of satellite reflectance photos to predict elk movements.
Program Contact: http://montanaioe.org/article/citizen-scientists-help-study-effects-climateelk-foraging-patterns
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Montana
Program Name: Climate In My Backyard (CLIMB) Camp
Date: 6/17/2014
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Target Audience(s): 3rd Grade - 6th Grade, 7th Grade - 8th Grade
Program Summary: Whether you ski, float, farm or fish, the climate affects you and your ecosystem – from microbes to entire watersheds. That was the message conveyed to participants in a session of Montana State University’s weeklong Peaks & Potentials camp for high-ability kids entering grades 5, 6 and 7. EPSCoR-affiliated researchers and university students helped youth learn about the carbon cycle, greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide sampling robots; mosquitoes as vectors for infectious diseases and their potential responses to climate change; phenology and its impact on elk; and pine beetles, the fungus they eat, and their role in Montana’s ecosystems.
Program Contact: http://montanaioe.org/article/climate-my-backyard-summer-campsession-immerses-kids-grades-5-7-climate-and-ecosystem
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Nevada
Program Name: Undergraduate Visualization & Modeling Program
Date: 5/31/2014
Location: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Target Audience(s): Undergraduate, PUI Instructors
Program Summary: UVMN will provide professional development for instructors and students from Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the three consortium states - ID, NM and NV. The UVMN provides an opportunity to engage diverse students in undergraduate research and CIenabled education. The program has 3 basic components: Summer Workshops (2014/2015); Module Development/Implementation; and an Ongoing Virtual Community. The goals are to integrate visualization and/or modeling tools and strategies into undergraduate STEM courses at PUIs; build relationships between faculty from PUIs and faculty from research institutions; and to extend elements of the WC-WAVE Western Tri-State Track 2 research activities to undergraduate institutions.
Program Contact: Michele Casella, NV EPSCOR, (702) 522-7076, michele_casella@nshe.nevada.edu; Selena Connealy, NM EPSCoR, (505)217-5605, connealy@epscor.unm.edu; Sarah Penney, ID EPSCoR, (208)885-2345, sarahp@uidaho.edu, www.westernconsortium.org
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Nevada
Program Name: Summer 2014 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Date: 6/2/2014
Location: Various NSHE Campuses
Target Audience(s): Undergraduate, At Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Program Summary: The 2014 Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity (S-UROP) is a program for undergraduates enrolled at Nevada institutions that do not grant doctoral degrees. Students interested in pursuing a career in any area of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) are encouraged to apply. Students who are working outside of STEM disciplines (e.g. economics, education, journalism, policy) are welcome to apply, but should propose projects that support the advancement of STEMrelated research and education. Research must be conducted during the summer of 2014 under the guidance of a NSHE faculty mentor that has an on-going and funded research program. Collaborations between the faculty from the non-doctoral granting and the doctoral granting institutions and DRI are strongly encouraged. Scholarships will provide $4,500 per student awardee and $750 to the faculty mentor overseeing the project for a 10-week research opportunity from June 2 – August 8, 2014.
Program Contact: Michele Casella, (702) 522-7076, michele_casella@nshe.nevada.edu
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New Mexico
Program Name: Energize NM Teacher Institute
Date: 6/9/2014
Location: Museums in Albuquerque
Target Audience: Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: In collaboration with NM EPSCoR, the NM Informal Science Education Network is presenting a teacher institute about energy for teachers of 3-6 grade. Topics to be covered include energy across the curriculum, NGSS, and ties to NM EPSCoR research.
Program Contact: Selena Connealy, (505)217-5605, connealy@epscor.unm.edu
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North Dakota
Program Name: Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education (NATURE)
Date: 6/2/2014
Location: 7 sites in North Dakota
Target Audience(s): 9th Grade - 12th Grade, Undergraduate
Program Summary: The ND EPSCoR Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education (NATURE) Summer Camp program is designed to build new and strengthen existing pathways for American Indian students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Participants of the program include students and faculty from all five tribal colleges in North Dakota, high schools students and teachers from the four North Dakota Indian reservations, and faculty from research universities of North Dakota, North Dakota State University (NDSU) and University of North Dakota (UND). The camps include a Tribal College Summer Camp (held at the five tribal colleges) and a University Summer Camp (held at NDSU and UND).
Program Contact: Dr. Eakalak Khan, (701) 231-7717, eakalak.khan@ndsu.edu, http://www.ndepscor.nodak.edu/NATURE/
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Oklahoma
Program Name: Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma/Oklahoma EPSCoR Partnership
Date: 3/1/2014
Location: 39 western Oklahoma counties
Target Audience(s): PreK-2, 3rd Grade - 6th Grade, 7th Grade - 8th Grade, 9th Grade - 12th Grade, Girl Scouts in six different age groups (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador
Program Summary: Oklahoma EPSCoR has funded a new Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma STEM coordinator position and graduate student interns for the youth organization, reaching more than 12,000 Oklahoma girls in 39 counties. The coordinator, who is a licensed educator, will mentor and train a network of GSWO community service teams across the state to effectively utilize newly developed “environmental science STEM kits in a box” that are being developed under the guidance of EPSCoR researchers. Service team volunteers will receive ongoing support through on-site and virtual mentorship by the STEM coordinator. Scouts will earn EPSCoR/STEM patches to place on their uniforms after completing the projects. The position will be sustained by GSWO at the end of the 2013-2018 project.
Program Contact: Gina Miller gmiller@okepscor.org; www.okepscor.org
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Rhode Island
Program Name: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program
Date: 5/27/2014
Location: Rhode Island EPSCoR partner institutions
Target Audience: Undergraduate
Program Summary: The highly competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program provides a 10-week undergraduate research experience in the laboratory of a faculty mentor. SURF provides workshops on leadership and communication to build professional skills. Students complete the Responsible Conduct of Research module through the CITI program and showcase their accomplishments at a final poster conference. The intensified program breeds a deeper involvement in the science, advances technical and cognitive skills, broadens diversity and improves retention and graduation rates. SURF also enhances the teaching and research experience for faculty, who report significant professional and personal rewards from mentoring.
Program Contact: Jim Lemire,Department of Biology Roger Williams University Bristol, RI 02809 jlemire@rwu.edu 401-254-5718 Our Summer 2013 SURF — http://issuu.com/ amydunkle/docs/surf_2013; 2014 info: http://web.uri.edu/rinsfepscor/2014-surf/
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Rhode Island
Program Name: Summer Hands-on Science Experiences
Date: 6/30/2014
Location: Bay Campus, Narragansett; Jamestown getty
Target Audience(s): 7th Grade - 8th Grade
Program Summary: Middle school students identified by the state Educational Talent Search as low income and first generation college spend a day literally getting their feet wet in the science of salt marshes and rocky intertidal zones. The program joins with the URI Office of Marine Programs and NOAA — OMP students teach and gain outreach experience, and NOAA provides a unique experience in a tour of URI GSO’s Inner Space Center. The collaboration provides an opportunity that for most inner city students is the first time to visit the shore and experience science in a hands-on format.
Program Contact: Tim Pelletier, 401.825.2136, tepelletier@ccri.edu, http://web.uri.edu/rinsfepscor/diversity-inclusion/, http://web.uri.edu/rinsfepscor/the-academy/
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Tennessee
Program Name: Green Girls
Date: 7/31/2014
Location: Nashville, TN
Target Audience(s): 7th Grade - 8th Grade
Program Summary: TN-SCORE is working to increase the number the female scientists. Working with a dedicated chemist at Middle Tennessee State University, Judith IriateGross, TN-SCORE has been a supporter of the Girls Raised in Tennessee Science collaborative or GRITS. GRITS goal is to disseminate information about science, technology, engineering and math education and careers to young women in middle and high school, parents, teachers and guidance counselors. To highlight the research and career opportunities related to energy, TN-SCORE has collaborated with GRITS to create “Green Girls.” This program run during the spring and summer allows female college students the opportunity to venture to schools and community centers in middle Tennessee to mentor middle school schools while implementing hands-on energy modules. Girls learning from other females about science have had a lasting impact on the future career and major interests.
Program Contact: Joshua Francois, (865)974-8085, jfranco3@tennessee.edu, www.tnepscor.org
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Utah
Program Name: iUTAH Summer Research Institute
Date: 7/7/2014
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Target Audience(s): 9th Grade - 12th Grade, Undergraduate, Teachers (K-12)
Program Summary: The iUTAH Summer Research Institute was designed to engage teams of high school students and teachers and undergraduate students with Utah EPSCoR’s iUTAH project. Participants interact directly with iUTAH graduate students and researchers for one week of research, near-peer mentoring, and lesson plan development. Each summer, the program focuses on one of the iUTAH studied watersheds in the state. Participants work with graduate students throughout the week to create research posters that are presented at the end of the week as part of iUTAH’s Annual Symposium poster session.
Program Contact: Ellen Burns, (801) 587-8121, ellen.burns@usu.edu, http://iutahepscor.org/education/summer_institute.html
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Wyoming
Program Name: Summer Research Apprentice Program
Date: 6/8/2014
Location: University of Wyoming
Target Audience(s): University of Wyoming
Program Summary: The Summer Research Apprentice Program (SRAP) is an intensive, six week, paid summer program held at the University of Wyoming. SRAP has been successfully running since 1985. We provide a meaningful, hands-on experience in STEM fields. Our goal is to stimulate interest within these fields for a college major and ultimately as a career choice. Preferences is given to ethnic, racial and gender minority high school students whose numbers are underrepresented in the sciences, as well as to first generation college bound students (whose parents did not complete a four-year undergraduate degree). Funding is provided by Wyoming NSF EPSCoR.
Program Contact: Lisa Abeyta, 307-766-6059, labeyta1@uwyo.edu, www.uwyo.edu/SRAP