STEM Infrastructure Improvements Funded by NSF and NASA through the National MIE Initiative Elaine D

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STEM Infrastructure ImprovementsFunded by NSF
and NASAthrough the National MIE
InitiativeElaine Davis and Benjamin Flores
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Context

• Remarkably different socio-economic scenarios
• Tribal Colleges
• HBCUs
• HSIs
• Dealing with pressing issues
• Recruiting
• Retention
• Success
• Looking into the future Increasing STEM
  education capacity
• Diversity
• State of the Art
• Excellence

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Infrastructure Focus

• Redesigning classrooms
• Active learning
• Distance learning
• Redesigning and equipping laboratories
• State-of-the-art equipment
• Creating learner centered environments
• Study and tutoring centers
• Research facilities
• Implementing IT
• Computer laboratories
• Internet networks
• Creating undergraduate centers
• One stop shops for information
• Financial support

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• UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
• Benjamin C. Flores

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Enrollment of Hispanics has steadily increased
since the late 70s. UTEP is now the largest
Mexican-American university in the nation.
SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS
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Infrastructure Improvements

• Study center to support a large STEM commuter
  student population
• Office to conduct STEM education formative
  assessment and evaluation
• Center to promote effective teaching and learning
• Office to support the STEM entering student
  program

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Infrastructure Improvements

• Laboratory spaces
• Chemistry Teaching laboratories
• Biology Aquatics laboratory
• Physics Teaching laboratory
• Electrical Engineering Senior Design laboratory
• Engineering Computer Center
• Classroom Building
• Cooperative learning
• Multimedia equipment
• Wireless network

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Infrastructure Improvements

• BioSciences Building (UT System)
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Engineering Annex (UT System)
• Academic Services (UT System)
• University College
• Graduate School

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Impact

• University College
• Student Support Centers
• College of Business
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Health Sciences
• College of Education
• Leverage of Grants
• CISE MII (pipeline to doctorate)
• MSP (2ns largest in the nation)
• REU (Biology and Geosciences)
• AGEP (alliance with Howard University)
• Accreditation
• 4 Engineering Programs
• CS Program

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Academic Center for Engineers and Scientists

• Built as a multi-functional, state-of-the-art
  facility
• Group and individual study areas
• Desk top PCs and wireless lap tops
• STEM tutoring
• Student organization meeting rooms
• Internship and job market information
• Undergraduate research events

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ACES Location

• Distributed among four sites in the
  engineering/science complex
• Original ACES 5,500 sq ft
• Physical Sciences ACES 4,200 sq ft
• Biology ACES 5,500 sq ft
• Math ACES 3,500 sq ft

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ACES Services

• Room Usage (AY 03-04)
• Over 500 events workshops hosted
• Over 60 classes scheduled in ACES facilities
• Group Study Rooms 60 time usage

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ACES Resources

• All sites offer similar resources

• Wireless laptop computers
• for use within center
• Networked computer stations
• Reference and study
• materials
• Multimedia equipment
• Fax machine, scanner, and
• office supplies

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ACES Average Daily Head Count
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Institutionalization

• Support from College of Science and College of
  Engineering
• Major fees
• Tech fees
• Equipment
• 3 year replacement plan
• Staff
• Coordinator
• Tutors
• Management Team

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• XAVIER UNIVERSITY
• Tujuanda Jordan

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Xavier University Infrastructure Impact

• Opened Computer Labs and Mentoring Centers (3)
• Completely wired campus (all academic,
  administrative, and support buildings)
• All dormitories wired with voice/video/data
  capability
• Provided computers for all faculty and staff
• Web-based Library catalog
• Implemented BlackBoard Course Management system

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XU Infrastructure Impact

• Established Center for Undergraduate Research
• Professional poster printing capability
• Houses the office for XULAneXUS (electronic
  journal for publicationof original undergraduate
  research)
• Website linked to sites for
• summer research opportunities
• scholarship and fellowship support
• Video conferencing capability (2)
• Electronic/multimedia classrooms (15)

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XU Infrastructure Impact

• New science building renovation
• 24 new teaching labs
• 9 research labs resulting in an average research
  space increase of 80 across the STEM
  departments
• Two new stockrooms (Biology and Chemistry)
• State-of-the-art equipment purchases that have
  enhanced both research efforts and instruction in
  virtually every laboratory course

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XU Infrastructure ImpactSTEM Student
Matriculation
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XU Infrastructure Impact Leveraging

• BIOLOGY
• Keck Foundation (500K for greenhouse on top of
  NCF Annex)
• COMPUTER SCIENCE COMPUTER ENGINEERING
• Conrad Hilton Foundation and LA State BoR (1M,
  endowed chair)
• NSF Gender in Science (research)
• NSF CISE (infrastructure to improve undergraduate
  research and high school recruitment)
• PHYSICS DUAL DEGREE ENGINEERING
• LA State BoR curricular and research enhancement
  grants
• MATHEMATICS
• LA State BoR grants curricular and research
  enhancement grants

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XU Infrastructure Impact Leveraging

• CHEMISTRY
• LA State BoR grants curricular and research
  enhancement grants
• INTERDISCIPLINARY
• Packard Foundation (Curricula enhancement and
  support of Computer Engineering program)
• Sherman Fairchild Foundation (500K for Molecular
  Biology Core Facility in NCF Annex)
• NIH (3.6M for vivarium in NCF Annex)
• NSF HBCU UP (2.5M for Curriculum development and
  recruiting)
• NSF CSEMS (Student scholarships)
• NIH MBRS RISE grant (Undergraduate research
  training and graduate preparation)

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XU Infrastructure Impact The Entire Campus

• Infrastructure
• The entire campus has been transformed by the
  electronic enhancements
• Center for Undergraduate Research (XU CUR)
• Initially centered on the STEM departments and
  housed in the NCF Annex now housed in a
  free-standing structure in the center of campus
• Serves students seminars, workshops,
  presentation skills, travel support,
  identification of research opportunities, mentor
  identification, etc.
• Serves faculty research student identification,
  identification of funding opportunities, grant
  writing assistance, travel support
• Has helped change the campus culture

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XU Infrastructure Institutionalization

• The University has assumed responsibility for
• Hardware and software purchases
• Maintenance for the internet network
• Maintenance contracts for purchased scientific
  equipment
• The Information Technology Center (ITC)
  transformed into the Office of Technology
  Administration (OTA)
• OTA is now lead by an Associate VP (ITC was
  headed by a Director)
• OTA staff, now fully supported by the University,
  has grown from five in 1995 to 35 in 2005
• The Resource Mentoring Center (RMC) and open
  Computer Labs fall under the purview of the OTA
• The RMC and open Computer Labs are run by a
  manager and two assistant managers, all of whom
  are now supported by the University

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• Universidad Metropolitana
• Juan Arratia

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• 11M Invested in Physical Infrastructure
• Laboratory Remodeling (NSF)
• Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer
  Science, Environmental Science
• New Laboratories (NSF)
• Computational Chemistry, Environmental Science,
  Cellular Molecular Biology
• New STEM Faculty Office Building (UMET)
• New Amphitheater (UMET)
• Library Renovation (UMET)

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STEM Laboratory Building
STEM Faculty Office Building
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• OYATE CONSORTIUM
• Stacy Phelps

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Physical Infrastructure - Oyate

• Lack of physical infrastructure created a severe
  disadvantage for Oyate Consortium students and
  faculty in terms of engaging in and incorporating
  STEM into curriculum
• The Tribal college movement began less then 35
  years ago and serve mostly a non-traditional
  student base
• Challenge to offer quality STEM coursework with
  antiquated or unavailable facilities
• Many of our students could not participate in
  undergraduate research programs or internships
  that would take them away from their family
  obligations
• Students have very little concept or
  visualization of what science is or what
  scientists do
• Faculty were unable to incorporate real world,
  relevant research or analytical techniques into
  their everyday course work to motivate or recruit
  students in STEM areas.

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Physical Infrastructure - Oyate
Example of Old Instructional Facility (OLC)
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Physical Infrastructure - Oyate

• OLC
• 3 new Chem/Bio labs
• 11 new Computer labs
• 12 Distance Learning classrooms
• Mobile Geoprobe and analytic lab
• EPA Certified Analytical testing labs
• Remote Sensing and GIS Lab

• SBC
• Computer lab
• Renovated Chem/Bio lab
• New Construction of Chem/Bio labs on new campus
• SWC
• Computer lab
• Renovated Chem/Bio lab
• Smart Classroom
• New IT Classrooms

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Physical Infrastructure - Oyate

• Lakota Center for Science and Technology

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Physical Infrastructure Outcomes - Oyate

• The creation of state of the art, EPA certified
  analytical labs to support STEM research and
  instructional has increased the participation of
  students in STEM coursework and faculty and
  student research
• The availability of quality STEM facilities
  permits our non traditional students and faculty
  to engage in actual STEM research that impacts
  their academic experience and broadens their
  experience base
• Resources leveraged by the MIE Program has
  created a research and instructional physical
  infrastructure that has enhanced the educational
  experience of our students and has increased
  retention of faculty.

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BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY Elaine Davis
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• Recently opened, the new state-of-the-art
  Computer Science Building.
• Houses
• Open computer labs
• Computer research
• labs
• Technology smart
• lecture rooms
• MIE Offices and Tutoring Center
• BSOCC (Bowie State Satellite Operations and
  Control Center)

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• Played a pivotal role in the following
• Establishment of an Office of Information
  Technology
• Wiring of the SEM Domain for internet access, as
  well as providing wireless connections
• Established a Multimedia Visualization Lab

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Establishment of the BSOCC facility through a
partnership with NASA and Honeywell

• First HBCU in US to have
• such a facility
• Over 60 mission control certifications awarded to
  BSOCC student trainees
• Another 20 awarded to BSOCC alumni working at
  NASA Goddard.
• 50 of BSOCC graduates have been placed with NASA
  or aerospace contractors.

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• Supported
• Establishment of a super computing facility at a
  cost of 1 million.
• Bowie State University super computer is ranked
  among the worlds top 100 most powerful
  supercomputers.
• A partnership with Apple Computer, Inc. led to
• The XSEED, a 224-node cluster based on Apples
  Xserve G5
• Uses an Apples Mac OS X Server interface and
  each is equipped with dual 2GHz G5 processors and
  interconnected with a Myrinet 4 Gibit/sec switch
• XSEED is housed in the Center for Learning and
  Technology

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• Spelman College
• Al Thompson

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Albro Falconer Manley Science Center
Dedicated, April 2002
Spelman College Science Center
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• Project Background History
• Building Connections
• Setting the Stage for Science
• Challenges to overcome (existing spaces)

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• Research and Learning Support
• Planning/Systems - flexibility and convenience
• Predictable, repetitive modular layout
• Easy access to MEP controls, breakers, cut-offs
• Community of Learners- Gathering spaces
• Central Pavilion- Center of activity
• Hall of Science
• Special Classrooms - 150 , 98, 80 seats
• 24/7 student use spaces

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• Building Design Public Spaces

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• Community of Learners- Distance Learning

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• Community of Learners- Laboratories
• Sixteen Flexible Teaching Laboratories
• Research Laboratories for 30 faculty/student
  teams
• Systems for flexibility and convenience
• Student clusters/ Informal gathering spaces
• Distributed Faculty Offices

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• Community of Learners
• Flexible General Laboratories on First Floor

Chemistry
Physics
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• Community of Learners
• Biology - Movable Tables

General Biology
Cell Biology/Immunology
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• Community of Learners
• Biology Computer rich learning

Physiology
Physiology
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• Community of Learners
• Updating Chemistry Instruction

Before
After
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• Community of Learners
• Faculty/Student Research

Community of Learners Laboratory Support
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• Lessons learned
• Have all users participate in the design and
  review process
• Be flexible on program or budget until the design
  is approved
• Evaluate technology carefully, be certain that
  expectations are clear
• Students and Faculty will actively use the
  informal spaces and
• the communications technology if they are
  available

Photo Courtesy of Spelman College Archives,
Atlanta Georgia