Targeted Infusion Project: Development and Implementation of Computational Chemistry and Biology Courses with Research Integration.

[No authors listed]

UIID-NSF: 178

Abstract

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue STEM graduate programs and/or careers. The project at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) seeks to increase the number of underrepresented minorities receiving undergraduate degrees in STEM through the targeted infusion of curriculum improvements and faculty engagement of undergraduate research. The development and implementation of two new courses in Computational Chemistry and Computational Biology through an interdisciplinary teaching and learning approach will be a model for other schools to enhance their curriculum in STEM education. CAU's undergraduate students, who will enroll in these courses, will work with supercomputers through the NSF supported Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). These courses will be essential for underrepresented minority students at CAU to graduate with "Interdisciplinary Computational Chemistry and Biology Certification" and compete nationally with contemporary skill sets.

The overall goals of the project are to update the chemistry and biology curriculums and to educate undergraduate students in both computational chemistry and computational biology. To achieve these goals, the PIs plan to: 1) Develop, pilot-test, and implement two new undergraduate courses in the Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences and to educate twenty eight students with interdisciplinary computational skills; and 2) Enhance the academic cyberinfrastructure for computational chemistry and biology education integrated with research for undergraduate students. Achieving the goals will benefit CAU in moving to the next level to initiate a Computational Science "Minor" program for STEM undergraduates.

Other Details

• Award Instrument: Standard Grant
• Email: [email protected]
• Organization: Clark Atlanta University
• Other Investigators: Eric Mintz, Jaideep Chaudhary, Nathan Bowen
• Primary Investigator: Dinadayalane Tandabany
• Program(s): HIST BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIV
• Start Date: 09/01/2016