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We have established this collaborative effort between Riverside Community College (RCC) and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) - both Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) - with the overarching goal introduce underrepresented students to high-level research in USDA priority areas to enhance protection and safety of the Nation's agriculture and food supply and to protect and enhance the Nation's natural resource base and environment. The activities will not only introduce students to these critical areas, but also have been designed to foster an environment conducive for them to continue their studies and become the future skilled USDA workforce. <P>
The specific objectives of the efforts are as follows:<OL> <LI> To recruit and retain RCC students through research and mentoring by two direct mechanisms: 1) Providing experiential learning opportunities for six students from RCC (two per year) who, over the course of the grant, will have the opportunity to be directly involved in USDA mission-critical research at UCR; and 2) Providing mentoring for these students not only in laboratory and professional development activities, but also through the transfer process to UCR or another accredited 4-year institution for completion of their bachelor's degrees. The faculty, PhD students, and USDA partner will provide the mentoring. <LI> To recruit RCC students into USDA-related fields through various exposure mechanisms including the Bridges seminar series, the nanotechnology-themed day at UCR, support of RCC chapters of WISE and SHPE, and the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program at RCC. <LI> To recruit K12 students into USDA-related fields through the hands-on exposure via the USDA environmental award at the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Science Fair and the follow-up "Day at the Lab" event at UCR for winners of the award and their families. </ol> The primary product of the program will be the students from RCC who, over the course of the grant, will have the opportunity to be directly involved in research at UCR and mentored through the transfer process. Additionally, the program will host a nanotechnology-themed day at UCR each year to introduce RCC students to the exciting opportunities in applied nanotechnology and environmental research. <P>
The program will also continue its tradition of providing judges and a USDA-themed award at the RUSD Science Fair annually, and a follow-up "Day at the Lab" event for winners of the award and their families. The program will also provide support for critical retention activities at RCC including the SI program and professional development activities for the SHPE and WISE clubs on the RCC campus. These ongoing mentorship and outreach programs at both UCR and RCC have been developed to facilitate recruitment and ensure retention of participants in USDA-related fields. This is directly in line with the USDA's strategic goal "to enhance and diversify the Nation's scientific and professional workforce" in agricultural sciences. The results of this program will be assessed by the PDs and the assessment team.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The purpose of the Building Bridges Across Riverside through Nano-Water Research program is to build collaboration between Riverside Community College (RCC) and the University of California, Riverside (UCR), both Hispanic Serving Institutions, to (1) provide RCC students experiential learning opportunities in applied nanotechnology research occurring at UCR; and (2) to motivate and facilitate RCC student transfer to a four-year institution in USDA-related fields. This project will introduce RCC students to nanotechnology research, with direct water quality applications. The RCC students will also have informal mentoring from a full-time USDA researcher at the Salinity Lab in Riverside, CA. The program also involves ongoing retention efforts at RCC including supplemental instruction in agriculturally themed courses, professional development activities in RCC chapters of Society of Women Engineers and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, an ongoing science and engineering-themed lecture series, and an annual "NanoTech Day" at UCR to introduce RCC students to the exciting opportunities in science and engineering. Engagement of K12 students will be achieved through the Riverside Unified School District Science Fair and subsequent "Day in the Lab" program at UCR for science fair winners and their families. The overall program has the ultimate goal of introducing underrepresented students to high-level research in USDA priority areas to enhance protection and safety of the Nation's agriculture and food supply and to protect and enhance the Nation's natural resource base and environment. The activities will not only introduce students to these critical areas, but also have been designed to foster an environment conducive for them to continue their studies and become the future skilled USDA workforce.
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APPROACH: The successful completion of the project will involve the following tasks: 1. Recruitment of RCC Students: A series of informational seminars will be hosted on the RCC campus at which the PDs will introduce the program. Each applicant will be required to have completed core science courses, write a personal statement, and submit two letters of recommendations from previous science instructors. 2. RCC Student Summer Research Experience: RCC students will be invited for an 8-week summer research experience at UCR. The RCC students will work with one of two research mentors, Walker and Cwiertny. Two UCR PhD students working with Walker and Cwiertny will serve as additional research supervisors. Smith will also participate in frequent meetings and assist in the advisement and mentoring. The RCC students will also have informal meetings with Scott Bradford, a full-time researcher at the USDA Salinity Lab. During the summer program, the students will live in the dormitories and participate in UCR's Graduate Division program aimed at student preparation and success, which involves professional development workshops, graduate school preparation and application seminars, and social activities to help students develop a cohort. This experience will provide additional opportunities for the RCC students to gain a sense of community, while also being exposed to a range of intellectual activities and resources available on campus. After the summer research experience the RCC students will continue their research up to 10 hours per week during the following academic year. 3. Ongoing Academic encouragement: The Building Bridges Seminar Series, which introduces students to opportunities in science and engineering through UCR faculty lectures, will be continued. PDs will make themselves available for bi-weekly mentoring appointments with the RCC research participants. RCC student researchers will participate in the Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research and an appropriate annual professional meeting. UCR will host an event for RCC students entitled "NanoTech Day" which will be comprised of hands-on activities and talks on the theme of "Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology". Funds will support professional development activities for the newly formed Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapters at RCC. The project will support the Supplemental Instructor (SI) program at RCC by providing student leaders to assist faculty teaching agricultural related courses. The SI student leaders will hold sessions outside of class to facilitate interactive learning activities. The PDs and PhD students will serve as judges at the district fair and present the USDA Future Environmental Scientists and Engineers Award. Winners and their families will be invited to the subsequent "Day in the Lab" at UCR. This event will introduce participants to water quality issues, as well as provide tours of labs at UCR and the USDA Salinity Laboratory (adjacent to UCR).