Moravian University

MORAVIAN COLLEGE - HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - INSTITUTION

HEERF - EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO MORAVIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

CELEBRATING HERITAGE: A CAMPUSWIDE APPROACH TO SUPPORTING RETENTION OF LOW-INCOME SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS, THROUGH COMMUNITY-FOCUSED RESEARCH -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY. MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY IS A PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION WHICH SEEKS TO INTEGRATE LIBERAL EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. OVER ITS SIX-YEAR DURATION, THIS TRACK 2 PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO 24 UNIQUE FULL-TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, COMPUTER AND DATA SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND NEUROSCIENCE. DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR, SCHOLARS WILL TAKE TWO GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES DESIGNED TO RETAIN STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS BY FOCUSING ON QUANTITATIVE SKILLS AND REAL-WORLD ISSUES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH PROJECT FOCUSED ON A MATTER OF PERSONAL IMPORTANCE. IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING THIS NEW GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM, SCHOLARS WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AND PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH AT STEM CONFERENCES. THE CONNECTION OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT WITH THE SCHOLARS' PERSONAL LIVES IS A DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF THE PROJECT. THE PROJECT TARGETS NOT ONLY STUDENTS BUT ALSO FACULTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SEEKING TO BROADEN THE IMPACT ACROSS THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY. CONSEQUENTIALLY, THESE EFFORTS WILL ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR STEM STUDENTS AND IMPROVE STUDENTS' QUANTITATIVE AND RESEARCH SKILLS LEADING TO ENHANCED RETENTION IN THE MAJOR. THE OVERALL GOAL AND SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. THERE ARE THREE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE PROJECT: 1) RECRUIT AND RETAIN HIGH-ACHIEVING STEM STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED AND PREPARE STUDENTS FOR A REFLECTIVE LIFE, FULFILLING CAREERS, AND TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF CHANGE, 2) ENHANCE TRAINING AND SERVICES FOR FACULTY WORKING WITH UNDERSERVED STUDENT POPULATIONS, AND 3) EVALUATE AND IMPROVE EXISTING CAMPUS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. ATTRITION FROM STEM FIELDS BY UNDERSERVED STUDENTS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM, AND THIS PROJECT IS INTENDED TO GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE OF VALUE TO MORAVIAN, COMPARABLE UNIVERSITIES TO MORAVIAN, AND TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN GENERAL TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM. AMONG THE EXPECTED STUDENT OUTCOMES ARE THE ABILITY TO CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ADDRESSING REAL-WORLD ISSUES RELATED TO SCHOLARS' HOME COMMUNITIES, FEELING CONFIDENCE IN STEM, CREATION OF EDUCATIONAL CULTURES THAT ARE WELCOMING AND CONDUCIVE TO ALL STUDENTS, AND DEVELOPING BETTER SERVICE AND SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY. THE EVALUATION PLAN, WITH BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPONENTS, WILL CONSIDER THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES, AND POSTGRADUATE PLACEMENTS OF S-STEM SCHOLARS; THE RESULTS OF ANNUAL SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS OF SCHOLARS, FACULTY, AND STAFF; AND A COMPARISON CONFIDENCE AND RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES FOR SCHOLARS AND NON-SCHOLARS AT THE UNIVERSITY. RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED INTERNALLY AT MORAVIAN AS WELL AS THROUGH PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS ATTENDED BY ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY AT PEER INSTITUTIONS AND IN THEIR DISCIPLINARY FIELDS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF'S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SHAPING INNOVATIVE NEW EDUCATORS IN STEM THROUGH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, SUSTAINING, AND ECOLOGICALLY GROUNDED HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY-QUALIFIED STEM EDUCATORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SERVING STUDENTS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS. THE PROJECT WILL RECRUIT PROSPECTIVE STEM MAJORS AND STEM PROFESSIONALS AND PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT BEGINNING IN THEIR JUNIOR YEAR OR STIPEND SUPPORT FOR POST-BACCALAUREATE TEACHER CERTIFICATION. SCHOLARS WILL BE IMMERSED IN A COMBINATION OF SPECIALIZED COURSEWORK, FIELD EXPERIENCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORING, EDUCATIONAL NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS, AND SUMMER PRE-TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES. THE EXPERIENCES AND PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS ARE DESIGNED TO PREPARE TEACHERS FOR SUCCESS WITH YOUTH WHO ARE MOST IN NEED OF HIGHLY-QUALIFIED AND COMMITTED STEM EDUCATORS. SCHOLARS WILL DEVELOP RIGOROUS AND EQUITABLE PRACTICES THAT ADDRESS THEIR STUDENTS? ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS BY WORKING WITH A TEAM OF FACULTY IN STEM, EDUCATION, AND PSYCHOLOGY. THE PROJECT AT MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT, BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AND LEHIGH VALLEY SUMMERBRIDGE. THREE PROJECT GOALS PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS WORK. FIRST IS TO RECRUIT AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND DIVERSE STEM PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS ENROLLED AT MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY. SECOND IS TO PREPARE STEM TEACHERS WITH INNOVATIVE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES AND HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICES THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SKILLS TO BECOME CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE EDUCATORS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIRD AND FINALLY IS TO RETAIN TEACHERS BY ENHANCING THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM OF STEM EDUCATORS TO INCREASE SUCCESS AS INNOVATIVE, HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, LONG-TERM PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS. THE PROGRAM IS GUIDED BY AN ECOLOGICALLY GROUNDED PERSPECTIVE ON STEM TEACHING AND LEARNING. BY EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING, THIS PROJECT HAS STRONG POTENTIAL TO PREPARE FUTURE EDUCATORS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS AS STEM EDUCATORS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS. THE PROJECT AIMS TO RECRUIT AND SUPPORT A TOTAL OF 28 UNDERGRADUATE AND POST-BACCALAUREATE SCHOLARS IN BIOLOGY, GENERAL SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND MATHEMATICS. BY MODELING STEM EXCELLENCE IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOLS, THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PREPARE STEM TEACHERS WHO WILL TEACH AND INSPIRE STUDENTS TO PURSUE CAREERS IN STEM. PROJECT EVALUATION WILL ASSESS THE IMPACT OF SUPPORT SYSTEM ON TEACHER SUCCESS AND RETENTION. RESULTS FROM THE PROJECTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH VARIOUS STEM TEACHER EDUCATION CONFERENCES AND JOURNALS SUCH AS THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND THE ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THIS TRACK 1: SCHOLARSHIP AND STIPENDS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K-12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETENTION OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

15.904 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION, AND PROTECTION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES BY SUCH MEANS AS EDUCATION, SURVEY, PLANNING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PRESERVATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES LIKE GRANTS AND TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES. OPPORTUNITY P24AS00546 THE SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL GRANT PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE PHYSICAL PRESERVATION OF A BROAD VARIETY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA AS A NATION IN COMMEMORATION OF THE COUNTRY S SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL (250TH ANNIVERSARY). BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATES, TRIBES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS RELATED TO STATE-OWNED PROPERTIES. THESE GRANTS FUND PHYSICAL PRESERVATION FOR NATIONAL REGISTER LISTED, STATE OWNED, CULTURAL RESOURCES RELATED TO THE FOUNDING OF THE NATION. THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO THE MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY FOR REPLACEMENT OF FAILING WINDOWS INSTALLED IN THE 1970S.

MORAVIAN COLLEGE SCHOLARS IN MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAM

CAREER: INVESTIGATING BIOGEOGRAPHIC HYPOTHESES AND DRIVERS OF DIVERSIFICATION IN NEOTROPICAL HARVESTMEN (OPILIONES: LANIATORES) USING ULTRACONSERVED ELEMENTS -UNDERSTANDING PROCESSES THAT GENERATE BIODIVERSITY, AND EXPLAINING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES ON EARTH, ARE FUNDAMENTAL GOALS IN STUDIES OF EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY. THE ARACHNID ORDER OPILIONES, KNOWN AS HARVESTMEN OR DADDY LONG-LEGS, PROVIDES A POWERFUL MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES. THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE OUR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF HOW SPECIES DIVERSITY HAS BEEN SHAPED BY EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES LINKED TO COMPLEX GEOLOGICAL AND CLIMATIC HISTORIES. THE RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON HARVESTMEN IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. THE DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES WILL PROMOTE CONSERVATION EFFORTS OF CRITICAL HABITATS AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE. A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER AND MANY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN MENTORED RESEARCH. THEY WILL BE TRAINED TO USE POWERFUL BIOINFORMATIC TOOLS, CUTTING-EDGE MOLECULAR APPROACHES, AND ADVANCED MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES. ADDITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, INCLUDING NON-SCIENCE MAJORS, WILL ENGAGE IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND RESEARCH THROUGH A NEW COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. PUBLIC FACING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT HARVESTMEN AND OTHER ARACHNIDS WILL BE DEVELOPED, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, FOR DISTRIBUTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN COMMUNITIES WHERE FIELD WORK TAKES PLACE. THE GLOBAL DIMENSIONS OF THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE PUBLIC SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AND BUILD STRONG COLLABORATIONS WITHIN A GLOBAL NETWORK OF ARACHNOLOGISTS. RESEARCHERS WILL CONSTRUCT A PHYLOGENOMIC FRAMEWORK BASED ON UCES (ULTRACONSERVED ELEMENTS) FOR TWO CLADES OF NEOTROPICAL HARVESTMEN. A ROBUST TAXON SAMPLE WILL BE ASSEMBLED BY LEVERAGING THE TAXONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHIC STRENGTHS OF SEVERAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM COLLECTIONS COMBINED WITH FIELD EXPEDITIONS. THE PHYLOGENOMIC FRAMEWORK WILL BE USED TO TEST BIOGEOGRAPHIC HYPOTHESES, INVESTIGATE PATTERNS OF RICHNESS AND DIVERSIFICATION, AND FACILITATE A MODERN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO SYSTEMATICS. ESTIMATING TIME-CALIBRATED PHYLOGENIES AND TESTING BIOGEOGRAPHIC HYPOTHESES WILL ELUCIDATE THE RELATIVE ROLE OF VICARIANCE AND DISPERSAL IN PRODUCING PRESENT-DAY SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. SPATIAL, CLADE-BASED, AND TRAIT-BASED PATTERNS OF SPECIES RICHNESS WILL BE EXPLORED BY COMPARING THE TIMING AND TEMPO OF DIVERSIFICATION BETWEEN MULTIPLE LINEAGES IN DIFFERENT LANDSCAPES (ISLANDS AND CONTINENTS). A MODERN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO HARVESTMEN SYSTEMATICS WILL USE PHYLOGENETICALLY INFORMATIVE CHARACTERS TO DELIMIT TAXA AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE INVENTORY OF GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY. THE PHYLOGENOMIC FRAMEWORK REPRESENTS A TRANSFORMATIVE STEP TOWARDS ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE OF HARVESTMEN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AND WILL ENABLE FUTURE STUDIES TO ADDRESS SPECIES- OR CLADE-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. CURATION OF CITIZEN SCIENCE DATA IN INATURALIST AND DIGITIZATION OF TYPES AND VOUCHERS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS WILL IMPROVE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATABASES. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE AND PROVIDE NOVEL INSIGHT INTO THE ORIGINS AND DIVERSIFICATION OF A FASCINATING GROUP OF NEOTROPICAL ARACHNIDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

BRC-BIO: DIVERSE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS IN ECOLOGY (DURSIE) -BARRIER ISLANDS ARE VULNERABLE TO STORM EROSION, SEDIMENT LOSS, AND SEA LEVEL RISE, WHICH HAVE ALL INCREASED DURING THE PAST DECADES. SAND NATURALLY MOVES ON ISLANDS FROM WIND, WAVES, AND TIDES, WHILE PLANTS HOLD SAND IN PLACE. TYPICALLY, GRASSES HAVE HIGHER TOLERANCE TO SALT AND SAND BURIAL WHEREAS MANY TREES AND SHRUBS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE WITH EXPOSURE. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, SALT SENSITIVE SHRUBS HAVE EXPANDED INTO COASTAL GRASSLANDS AND MAY BE BENEFITING FROM A RELATIONSHIP WITH A FUNGUS THAT MINIMIZES SALT UPTAKE IN SOME CONDITIONS. ISLANDS BECOME MORE VULNERABLE WHEN SHRUBS REPLACE GRASSES BECAUSE SHRUBS RESIST EROSION AND THUS IMPEDE THE NATURAL MIGRATION OF ISLANDS LEADING TO ISLAND FRAGMENTATION. WITHOUT BARRIER ISLANDS, THE MAINLAND WOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF COASTAL STORMS POTENTIALLY LEADING TO GREATER LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. IN THIS STUDY, STORM EVENTS WILL BE SIMULATED THROUGH EXPOSING SHRUBS TO SALTY CONDITIONS AND BURIAL. SHRUB ROOTS WILL BE ANALYZED FOR THE PRESENCE AND EXTENT OF FUNGUS INFECTION AND ROOT AND SHOOT GROWTH WILL BE MEASURED. DETERMINING THE CONSTRAINTS ON SHRUB EXPANSION INTO GRASSLANDS IS NECESSARY TO PREDICT AND MANAGE THE FUTURE OF BARRIER ISLANDS. BROADER IMPACTS OF THE RESEARCH INCLUDE TRAINING A DIVERSE CADRE OF STUDENTS VIA FIELD RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AND THROUGH COURSE-BASED RESEARCH IN A BOTANY COURSE. RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL ALSO SERVE AS ROLE MODELS WHILE ENGAGING YOUNGER STUDENTS AT LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN PENNSYLVANIA TO LEARN ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. WOODY PLANT ENCROACHMENT INTO GRASSLANDS HAS RAPIDLY INCREASED WORLDWIDE; HOWEVER, THIS IS PARTICULARLY DETRIMENTAL ON BARRIER ISLANDS, WHERE VEGETATION TYPE CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE ECOSYSTEM. ON VIRGINIA BARRIER ISLANDS, THE NATIVE SHRUB, MORELLA CERIFERA IS ENCROACHING INTO GRASSLANDS DUE IN PART TO CHANGES IN THE ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT. A KNOWLEDGE GAP REMAINS ABOUT HOW PLANT COMPOSITION, FUNCTIONAL TRAITS OF GRASSES AND SHRUBS, AND MYCORRHIZAL RELATIONSHIPS CHANGE WITH DISTURBANCE. THIS PROJECT WILL COMBINE FIELD SURVEYS, FIELD EXPERIMENTS, AND GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTS TO INVESTIGATE 1) THE DISTRIBUTION OF M. CERIFERA AND GRASSES CHANGE ALONG A TRANSITIONAL GRADIENT, 2) THE IMPACT OF ACCELERATED DISTURBANCE ON THE FUNCTIONAL TRAITS OF GRASSES AND M. CERIFERA, AND 3) THE IMPACT OF ACCELERATED DISTURBANCE ON MYCORRHIZAL COLONIZATION OF GRASSES AND M. CERIFERA. BY BETTER UNDERSTANDING HOW ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES WILL RESPOND TO AND DRIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, THIS PROJECT CAN HELP COASTAL LAND MANAGERS BETTER PREDICT AND MANAGE THE FUTURE OF BARRIER ISLANDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

BRC-BIO: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATING THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPLASTICS -HUMANS ARE INFLUENCING THE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH ANIMALS LIVE IN MANY RESPECTS. AS WE ARE FACING A MAJOR BIODIVERSITY CRISIS, UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN INDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT. ONE SUCH CHANGE WHICH IS PARTICULARLY WIDESPREAD IS THE PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN NEARLY ALL ENVIRONMENTS. THAT THESE PARTICLES ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO ANIMAL TISSUES IS NOW WIDELY DOCUMENTED BUT THEIR EFFECTS ON ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT ARE MUCH LESS STUDIED. THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON CHARACTERIZING HOW EXPOSURE TO CONCENTRATIONS OF MICROPLASTICS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AFFECT PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN AN AMPHIBIAN MODEL. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CALL FROM THE UN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM FOR MORE RESEARCH ON THESE EFFECTS. THIS WORK WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE DIVERSE AND COMPETITIVE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE IN THE COUNTRY BY EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO CONDUCT AUTHENTIC RESEARCH THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED RESEARCH PROJECTS AND COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN SERVICE-LEARNING AT LOCAL MINORITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BECOME ROLE MODELS AND INCREASE SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN OUR COUNTRY?S MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. MICROPLASTIC EXPOSURE HAS BEEN MOST STUDIED IN MARINE INVERTEBRATES AND FISH WITH LITTLE WORK DONE ON FRESHWATER AND TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT MICROPLASTICS CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE GILLS, DIGESTIVE TRACT, LIVER, AND TO SOME CELLULAR STRUCTURES. YET, MANY OF THESE STUDIES USED UNREALISTICALLY HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF MICROPLASTICS FOR MOST ENVIRONMENTS (MICROPLASTICS EXIST IN NATURE AT A RANGE OF CONCENTRATIONS, WITH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS FOUND IN MARINE AREAS WHERE MICROPLASTICS ACCUMULATE DUE TO OCEANIC CURRENTS). FURTHER, MOST OF THE RESEARCH ON MICROPLASTICS RELIES ON ACUTE EXPOSURES (GENERALLY LIMITED TO ONE DAY, UP TO A WEEK), MAKING THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC EXPOSURES UNCLEAR. THE RESEARCH PROPOSED IN THIS STUDY WILL FILL THESE KNOWLEDGE GAPS BY HAVING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS CONDUCT MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECTS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTALLY REALISTIC CONCENTRATIONS OF MICROPLASTICS IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS. PROJECT AIMS INCLUDE DETERMINING THE FATE OF MICROPLASTICS ONCE THEY ENTER THE BODY, ASSESSING DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES TO THE DIGESTIVE TRACT, AND ANALYZING EFFECTS OF MICROPLASTICS ON NEURODEVELOPMENT (BEHAVIOR AND BRAIN STRUCTURE). A SERIES OF CONTROLLED LABORATORY AND MESOCOSM (ARTIFICIAL POND) EXPERIMENTS WILL BE USED TO CHRONICALLY (WEEKS TO MONTHS) EXPOSE LARVAL AMPHIBIANS TO WATER CONTAMINATED WITH MICROPLASTICS AT A LOW CONCENTRATION (<200 ?G/L). AMPHIBIANS HAVE LONG BEEN USED AS VERTEBRATE MODEL ORGANISMS DUE TO THEIR SHARED PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAYS, ENABLING THIS STUDY TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO HOW MICROPLASTICS ARE AFFECTING A RANGE OF VERTEBRATES, INCLUDING HUMANS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CONNEXIN 43 PHOSPHORYLATION AS A REGULATORY MECHANISM OF SRC ACTIVITY - PROJECT SUMMARY CONNEXIN 43 (CX43) IS A PROTEIN CONSTITUENT OF VERTEBRATE GAP JUNCTIONS (GJS) - CELLULAR STRUCTURES KEY TO DIRECT CELL-CELL COMMUNICATION. CX43-BASED GJS ARE KNOWN TO BE REGULATED THROUGH PHOSPHORYLATION BY SEVERAL KINASES ON THE CYTOPLASMIC C-TERMINAL TAIL (CT) OF CX43. RECENT STUDIES BY THE PI AND OTHERS HAVE INDICATED THAT CX43-CT FUNCTIONS AS A CELL-SIGNALING HUB THAT INTERACTS WITH AND REGULATES A LARGE NUMBER OF KINASES, PHOSPHATASES, SCAFFOLDING PROTEINS, AND CYTOSKELETAL COMPONENTS. ONE OF THE KINASES THAT INTERACTS WITH AND PHOSPHORYLATES CX43 IS THE PROTO-ONCOGENIC TYROSINE KINASE, SRC. INTERESTINGLY, ECTOPIC EXPRESSION OF CX43 IN CANCER CELLS WITH OVERACTIVE SRC LEADS TO INHIBITION OF SRC ACTIVITY AND A DECREASE IN CELLULAR PROLIFERATION. WHILE IT IS KNOWN THAT SRC INHIBITION IS DUE TO ITS BINDING TO CX43-CT, ALONG WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF TWO SRC INHIBITORS (THE PHOSPHATASE PTEN AND C-TERMINAL SRC KINASE, CSK), THE PRECISE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS THAT REGULATE THESE PROCESSES ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT CX43’S ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND INHIBIT SRC IS DRIVEN AND REGULATED BY A SERIES OF SPECIFIC AND SEQUENTIAL PHOSPHORYLATION EVENTS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT CX43-CT. HERE, WE PROPOSE THREE INTERCONNECTED, BUT NON-OVERLAPPING, SPECIFIC AIMS, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOALS OF (1) DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC SEQUENCE OF PHOSPHORYLATION EVENTS ON CX43 THAT REGULATE CX43/SRC INTERACTION, AND (2) DEVELOPING CX43-BASED PEPTIDES FOR USE AS SRC INHIBITORS IN CANCER CELLS. IN THE FIRST TWO AIMS, WE WILL IDENTIFY AND INTERROGATE PARTICULAR PHOSPHORYLATION SITES AS TOGGLE SWITCHES THAT REGULATE THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CX43 AND BINDING PARTNERS (E.G., SRC, PTEN, CSK), WITH SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS ON SIGNALING PATHWAYS AND CELL PHENOTYPES. IN THE THIRD AIM, WE WILL DEVELOP CX43-BASED PEPTIDES AND TEST THEIR ABILITY TO MODULATE THE CX43/SRC INTERACTION AND SRC ACTIVITY IN LIVING CELLS. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, WE WILL COMBINE EXPERTISE IN PROTEIN BIOCHEMISTRY, KINASE-SUBSTRATE INTERACTIONS (BOTH IN VITRO AND IN CELLS), PHOSPHOPROTEOMICS AND MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSES OF COMPLEX SAMPLE MIXTURES, AND SPECIFIC DELIVERY OF AGENTS TO CANCER CELLS. THESE STUDIES WILL SUBSTANTIALLY ADVANCE OUR MOLECULAR UNDERSTANDING OF SRC-MEDIATED CELL SIGNALING, WITH A FOCUS ON THE SPECIFIC ROLE OF CX43 AS AN INTERACTING HUB. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO DELINEATE MULTIPLE SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN BOTH HEALTHY AND CANCER CELLS. THE CX43-BASED PEPTIDES THAT WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP WILL REPRESENT A NOVEL WAY NOT ONLY TO TEASE OUT CX43/SRC REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN LIVE CELLS BUT ALSO TO TARGET THE ABERRANT ACTIVITY OF SRC IN CANCERS. WE EXPECT THAT THE BASIC FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED HERE FOR CX43 CAN BE EXTENDED TO OTHER CONNEXINS AND TO THE EXAMINATION OF OTHER SIGNALING PATHWAYS. FINALLY, THESE STUDIES WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INVALUABLE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY UNDERGRADUATE LIFE SCIENCE MAJORS AT MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY.

REU SITE: RESEARCH CHALLENGES OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN DISCRETE MATHEMATICS -THIS AWARD IS FUNDED IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 (PUBLIC LAW 117-2). THE REU SITE ?RESEARCH CHALLENGES OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN DISCRETE MATHEMATICS? IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY, CEDAR CREST COLLEGE, AND KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY THAT WILL BRING TEN STUDENTS TO MORAVIAN COLLEGE FOR NINE WEEKS EACH SUMMER TO CONCENTRATE ON RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH DISCRETE COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND ITS ROLE IN STIMULATING NEW RESEARCH. THE PROGRAM GOALS ARE TO PUBLICIZE THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AMONG A CADRE OF STUDENTS AND EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS TO HELP ESTABLISH IT AS A TOOL IN THEIR RESEARCH ARSENAL, ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL AND PURSUE CAREERS IN RESEARCH, AND CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE TRAINING OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WORKFORCE PARTICULARLY AMONG WOMEN, MINORITIES, AND FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS. THE INTELLECTUAL FOCUS OF THIS RESEARCH CONCENTRATES ON THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY INTO DISCRETE COMPUTATIONAL METHODOLOGY, AS WELL AS ITS CONTRIBUTION TO OTHER FIELDS, SUCH AS ALGORITHMIC APPLICATIONS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, DATA SECURITY, AND MEDICINE. MENTORS ARE DRAWN FROM INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE LEHIGH VALLEY REGION IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND AN EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON RECRUITING DIVERSE GROUPS OF STUDENTS. THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THE STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS WILL ALSO SERVE THE STUDENTS WELL, INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AND FIELD TRIPS TO LOCAL COMPANIES THAT COULD INCREASE PARTICIPANTS? EXPOSURE TO CAREER POSSIBILITIES. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO INTERACT WITH LOCAL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH THE LEHIGH VALLEY SUMMERBRIDGE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS WITH STUDENTS IN NEARBY REUS THROUGH A REGIONAL CONFERENCE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM TO SHARE THEIR RESEARCH. MODERN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO EXPLORE MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS WITH COMPUTATIONAL SPEED AND PRECISION NOT AVAILABLE TO PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF MATHEMATICIANS. COMPUTER SIMULATION IN PARTICULAR PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR RESEARCH IN DISCRETE MATHEMATICS, HARNESSING COMPUTER POWER TO PROMOTE THE USE OF NEW PARADIGMS IN MATHEMATICAL DISCOVERY. EXAMPLES INCLUDE APPLICATIONS SUCH AS ERROR CHECKING IN CRYPTOGRAPHY AND MATHEMATICAL GAMES OF STRATEGY ON CONNECTED GRAPHS, BOTH OF WHICH BENEFIT FROM THE INSIGHT PRODUCED BY COMPUTER-GENERATED EXAMPLES. THIS PROGRAM WILL EQUIP STUDENTS WITH THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND (AS WELL AS CLOSE) THE GAPS BETWEEN CONJECTURE, A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RESULT, AND A FORMAL PROOF. RESEARCH PROJECTS INCLUDE DISCRETE MATHEMATICS TOPICS SUCH AS ARITHMETIC STRUCTURES AND THEIR CRITICAL GROUPS, WIDE AND LATIN NON-REPEATING CONSECUTIVE PARTITIONS, COMPUTING STRATEGIES FOR GRAPHICAL NIM, NETWORK RELIABILITY PARAMETERS, AND PROBLEMS EMANATING FROM GENERALIZING EXISTING SEQUENCES IN THE ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INTEGER SEQUENCES. THE MENTORS HAVE EXPERIENCE ACCESSING, RESEARCHING, AND CONTRIBUTING TO OPEN PROBLEMS IN COMPUTATIONAL METHODS AND DISCRETE MATHEMATICS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

REU SITE: RESEARCH CHALLENGES OF COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS

NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH IN THE BAROQUE ERA AND IN OUR TIME

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: CELEBRATING THE 325TH ANNIVERSARY OF BACH'S BIRTH IN GERMANY

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH AND THE MUSIC OF THE REFORMATION CHURCHES

NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM

DIRECTED GRANTS

INTERPRETIVE EDUCATION AT MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS: BETHLEHEM, A NEW UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA [NEH FUNDING WILL SUPPORT MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY?S EFFORT TO PLAN INTERPRETIVE EDUCATION FOR MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS ? BETHLEHEM (PENNSYLVANIA), ONE OF FOUR INTERNATIONAL SITES THAT COMPRISE THE RECENTLY INSCRIBED UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS. THE OTHER THREE SITES ARE IN CHRISTIANSFELD, DENMARK; GRACEHILL, NORTHERN IRELAND/UNITED KINGDOM; AND HERRNHUT, GERMANY. THE WORLD HERITAGE RECOGNITION UNDERSCORES THE GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF THE MORAVIAN HERITAGE, CELEBRATING ITS UNIQUE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY. EACH OF THESE SETTLEMENTS EMBODIES THE SPIRITUAL, SOCIETAL, EDUCATIONAL, ARTISTIC, AND COMMUNAL IDEALS OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH, WHICH WILL BE THE FOCAL POINT OF INTERPRETIVE EDUCATION. A UNIQUE FEATURE OF MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS IS THAT THE HUMANITIES WERE INTEGRATED WITH PUBLIC LIFE. RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON BUILDINGS, THIS INTERPRETATION WILL HIGHLIGHT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF RESIDENTS OF BETHLEHEM IN THE 18TH CENTURY.]

NEH ENDURING QUESTIONS COURSE ON DIVERSE CONCEPTS OF PEACE

CAREER: DESIGNING QUORUM SENSING MODULATORS FOR LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM TO PROBE INTERSPECIES AND HOST-MICROBE INTERACTIONS

SACNAS SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIA SESSIONS IN MATHEMATICS

SACNAS SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIA SESSIONS IN MATHEMATICS; GAYLORD RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER, MD - OCTOBER 2015

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIP