Wilkes University

WILKES UNIVERSITY CARES ACT HEERF PART II

WILKES UNIVERSITY CARES ACT AGREEMENT SUBMISSION

WILKES UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND PROJECT 2022-2027

WILKES UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND PROJECT 2017-2022

UPWARD BOUND

UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

HIGHER EDUCATION - INSTITUTIONAL AID - STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS

EXPLORATIONS: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA -THIS PROJECT, EXPLOR-NEPA: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA, WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY FIELDS. HOSTED BY WILKES UNIVERSITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AUTOMATION (PSA) AND REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS, THE INITIATIVE WILL ADDRESS NATIONAL WORKFORCE GAPS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND ROBOTICS BY EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH INDUSTRY-ALIGNED SKILLS AND EARLY EXPOSURE TO TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN CAREERS. THE PROJECT WILL OFFER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA, MANY OF WHOM WILL HAVE HAD LIMITED PRIOR ACCESS TO STEM ENRICHMENT. BY INTEGRATING MENTORSHIP, HANDS-ON ROBOTICS INSTRUCTION, AND DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSEWORK, EXPLOR-NEPA WILL DEVELOP STUDENTS? TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES AND MOTIVATION FOR FUTURE CAREERS IN AI, AUTOMATION, AND RELATED FIELDS. THE PROJECT WILL ALIGN WITH THE NSF'S MISSION BY ADVANCING THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WHILE PROMOTING NATIONAL PROSPERITY AND WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS. IT WILL OFFER A SCALABLE AND REPLICABLE MODEL FOR EXPERIENTIAL STEM EDUCATION THAT BUILDS TALENT PIPELINES. THE PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT A THREE-YEAR, TIERED ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE SERVING AT LEAST 100 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS WILKES-BARRE AND HAZLETON. STUDENTS WILL BEGIN IN ROBOTICS CLUBS THAT WILL PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING IN AI, SENSORS, AND EMBEDDED SYSTEMS, AND WILL THEN ADVANCE TO DUAL ENROLLMENT IN A UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ROBOTICS COURSE AND A SCHOLAR PROGRAM FEATURING JOB SHADOWING, MENTORSHIP, AND CAPSTONE PROJECTS. THE PROGRAM WILL LEVERAGE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS, AND INDUSTRY MENTORSHIP TO DEEPEN STUDENTS' CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF AI AND ROBOTICS. DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTS, INCLUDING PEER MENTORING, MODULAR CURRICULA, AND TECH-BOOST WORKSHOPS, WILL ENSURE APPROPRIATENESS FOR STUDENTS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF PREPARATION. EVALUATION ACTIVITIES WILL ASSESS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, AND CAREER PERSISTENCE. PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL BE DISSEMINATED NATIONALLY THROUGH OPEN-ACCESS CURRICULAR TOOLKITS, JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, AND EDUCATOR NETWORKS TO INFORM FUTURE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN AI AND ROBOTICS. THE EXLENT PROGRAM, SUPPORTED BY THE NSF TIP AND EDU DIRECTORATES, SEEKS TO SUPPORT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO INCREASE THEIR INTEREST IN AND ACCESS TO CAREER PATHWAYS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY FIELDS. 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.

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF AMPK-ALPHA IN ASTROCYTES DURING NORMAL AND ENERGETIC STRESS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: PLANT PHENOLOGY, LOCAL ADAPTATION, AND GROWING SEASON LENGTH IN THE CHANGING ARCTIC TUNDRA

MRI: ACQUISITION OF HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING FACILITIES FOR RESEARCH, INSTRUCTION AND OUTREACH

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EPIIC: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR GROWTH IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES (BRIDGE-TECH) -THE BRIDGE-TECH (BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR GROWTH IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES) PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER A COHORT OF FIVE PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS (PUIS) COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO RESEARCH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION. THESE INSTITUTIONS EACH SERVE REGIONS WITH UNTAPPED ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL BUT FACE COMMON CHALLENGES SUCH AS LIMITED RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE, FRAGMENTED PARTNERSHIPS, AND UNDERDEVELOPED SUPPORT FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. THROUGH A COORDINATED, COHORT-BASED APPROACH, THE PROJECT WILL EMPOWER FACULTY AND COMMUNITIES BY DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAMMING, AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. ULTIMATELY, BRIDGE-TECH SEEKS TO BUILD ECOSYSTEMS WHERE INNOVATION THRIVES AND CONTRIBUTES TO LONG-TERM ECONOMIC BENEFITS. TECHNICALLY, BRIDGE-TECH PROPOSES A SCALABLE MODEL TO INCREASE INNOVATION CAPACITY AT PUIS THROUGH STRATEGIC CAPACITY-BUILDING AND SHARED INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON FIVE INTERRELATED GOALS: (1) INCREASE INDUSTRY-SPONSORED RESEARCH, (2) ENHANCE INNOVATION CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, (3) DEVELOP DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION ACCELERATOR, (4) DRIVE AND EXPAND INNOVATION IN RAPID MANUFACTURING, AND (5) CREATE SYNERGISTIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH. EACH INSTITUTION WILL IMPLEMENT CUSTOMIZED, LOCALLY GROUNDED ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS CREATING INNOVATION CENTERS, FORMING REGIONAL COUNCILS, CONDUCTING ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENTS, AND LAUNCHING FACULTY FELLOWS PROGRAMS, WHILE LEVERAGING COHORT-WIDE TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND SHARED RESOURCES. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED RESEARCH FUNDING, EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY ENTITIES, IMPROVED IP AND COMMERCIALIZATION PROCESSES, AND THE TRAINING OF OVER 40 FACULTY MEMBERS. THE COLLABORATION ULTIMATELY AIMS TO ELEVATE THE ROLE OF PUIS IN NATIONAL INNOVATION NETWORKS WHILE SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LOCAL ADAPTATION IN A DOMINANT ARCTIC TUNDRA SEDGE (ERIOPHORUM VAGINATUM) AND ITS EFFECTS ON ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE IN A CHANGING

NSL - BACCALAUREATE NURSING - OTHER ADMIN CHANGES

THROMBOSPONDIN IN ULCERACTIVE COLITIS AND CARCINOGENESIS

MRI-R2: ACQUISITION OF GROWTH CHAMBERS

NMR IN THE UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY CURRICULUM

EQUIPMENT: ACQUISITION OF ANTENNA MEASUREMENT LABORATORY -THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO CREATE AN ANTENNA DESIGN AND MEASUREMENT LAB AT WILKES UNIVERSITY BY OBTAINING AN ANECHOIC CHAMBER FOR ANTENNA TESTING. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEDICATED LABORATORY FOR WIRELESS SYSTEMS AT WILKES UNIVERSITY AIMS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE TRAINING OF UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THIS CRITICAL FIELD. THE RAPID GROWTH IN ANTENNA AND RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) TECHNOLOGIES HAS CREATED A HIGH DEMAND FOR WELL-TRAINED RF ENGINEERS. WILKES UNIVERSITY, PRIMARILY AN UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION WITH A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, IS COMMITTED TO MENTORING AND PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH A ROBUST ENGINEERING FOUNDATION. THIS INITIATIVE ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION TO EQUIP STUDENTS WITH UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE OF KEY CONCEPTS, UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES, AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN TECHNOLOGY. BY OFFERING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTATION, THE PROPOSED LABORATORY WILL FOSTER NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND STRENGTHEN EXISTING COLLABORATIONS AMONG RESEARCHERS AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THIS PROJECT NOT ONLY SUPPORTS EDUCATIONAL AND DIVERSITY GOALS BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF NATIONAL PROSPERITY BY PREPARING A NEW GENERATION OF SKILLED ENGINEERS. THE PROPOSED LABORATORY WILL FOCUS ON DEVELOPING ADVANCED ANTENNAS AND RF SYSTEMS, WITH THE PRIMARY GOALS OF ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND ADVANCING RESEARCH CAPABILITIES AT WILKES UNIVERSITY. THE LABORATORY WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO FACILITATE HANDS-ON LEARNING AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS. THE INTELLECTUAL MERIT OF THIS PROJECT LIES IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL ANTENNAS, INCLUDING ULTRA-WIDEBAND ANTENNAS FOR MICROWAVE IMAGING, WEARABLE ANTENNAS, DUAL-POLARIZED ANTENNAS, MINIATURIZED AND TEXTILE ANTENNAS FOR ENERGY HARVESTING, AND ANTENNAS FOR GPS SATELLITE COMMUNICATION. THE ACQUISITION OF THE REQUESTED EQUIPMENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR ADVANCING THESE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND WILL PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS AND COMPETITIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS. THIS EQUIPMENT WILL ENABLE REALISTIC MEASUREMENTS OF WIRELESS SYSTEMS, FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND WILKES UNIVERSITY AND ATTRACTING NEW RESEARCH FUNDING. 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.

RUI: TRANSPORT PROPERTIES AND INTERFACIAL BEHAVIOR OF COMPLEX LIQUIDS

OPUS: THE ROLE SEED DISPERSAL IN FOREST ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION: LESSONS FROM THE OAKS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON ANIMAL-MEDIATED ACORN DISPERSAL AND SEEDLING RECRUITMENT IN THE CENTRAL HARDWOODS

EQUIPMENT: MRI TRACK 1: ACQUISITION OF AN ION CHROMATOGRAPH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, STUDENT TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT -THIS GRANT ACQUIRES AN ION CHROMATOGRAPH, ENHANCING THE STEM UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PERFORMED AT WILKES UNIVERSITY AND WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ALSO SUPPORT LABORATORY-BASED CLASSROOM LEARNING IN UPPER-LEVEL CHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING COURSES, PROVIDING THESE STUDENTS WITH A HANDS-ON FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL CYCLES AND HOW THESE CAN BE OPTIMIZED THROUGH ENGINEERED SYSTEMS. STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO DESIGN WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES AS POTENTIAL CAREERS. UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH USING THIS INSTRUMENT WILL BE SHARED THROUGH PRESENTATIONS AT REGIONAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES, PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN COMPETITIONS, AND PUBLICATIONS IN TRADE AND PEER REVIEWED LITERATURE. WILKES UNIVERSITY HAS ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND NONPROFIT GROUPS WHO MAY PARTICIPATE IN LABORATORY WORK OR HAVE THE STUDENTS PERFORM ANALYSIS ON SAMPLES RELEVANT TO THEIR WORK. THE WILKES UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION IS COMPRISED OF APPROXIMATELY 50% FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS PRIMARILY FROM NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO EXPLORE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE QUESTIONS, PREPARING THEM FOR FUTURE WORK WITH REGIONAL, STATEWIDE, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. THE INSTRUMENT WILL ALSO SUPPORT YOUNGER STUDENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE WILKES UNIVERSITY?S WE?RE EMPOWERED BY SCIENCE (WEBS) AND THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SALVADORI CENTER. THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED USING THE INSTRUMENT WILL BE SHARED WITH THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO ENCOURAGE INTEREST IN STEM AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THE ION CHROMATOGRAPH WILL SUPPORT RESEARCH IN 1) WATER QUALITY, 2) REGENERATIVE FARMING IMPROVEMENTS IN BASE CATION RETENTION AND NITROGEN CYCLE OPTIMIZATION, 3) SOURCE APPORTIONMENT TO ADDRESS POLLUTION SOURCES IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES, 4) FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE IN SECONDARY AND TERTIARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT, 5) HABITAT OPTIMIZATION FOR NATIVE FISH POPULATIONS AS A FUNCTION OF CATION DISTRIBUTION IN NATURAL WATER, 6) EVALUATION OF CORROSIVE CONDITIONS FOR CONCRETE. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ALSO BE LEVERAGED TO DEVELOP FUTURE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AS PART OF THE STEM RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AT WILKES UNIVERSITY. 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.

RESEARCH & EVALUATION

ENERGY

URM: MENTORING MINORITY STUDENTS TO GRADUATE SUCCESS THROUGH YEAR-ROUND RESEARCH PROJECTS

ENERGY

US-COSTA RICA PLANNING VISIT: EVOLUTION OF FUNCTIONAL TRAITS IN THE MELASTOMATACEAE

PROJECT TITLE: SURFICIAL GEOLOGICAL MAPPING OF THE BLAKESLEE 7.5 QUADRANGLEPROJECT PERIOD: MAY 15, 2024 TO MAY 14, 2025ABSTRACT:THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM (EDMAP) PROJECT IS TO CREATE A NEW SURFICIAL GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE BLAKESLEE 7.5 QUADRANGLE IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. THE MOTIVATION IS BASED ON 1) RISING POPULATION IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NEED TO HAVE ACCURATE MAPS FOR WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WATERSHED PROTECTION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 2) SEVERAL LIMITATIONS AND ERRORS FOUND IN PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED MAPS WHICH LIMIT THEIR RELIABILITY, 3) THE NEED TO FILL A CRITICAL SPATIAL DATA GAP OF SURFICIAL GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS MAPPED USING A CONSISTENT SET OF MAP UNITS AND LANDFORMS, 4) THE AVAILABILITY OF RECENTLY ACQUIRED, HIGH-RESOLUTION GEOSPATIAL DATASETS INCLUDING QL3 LIDAR, AND 5) THE LACK OF ABSOLUTE AGE CONTROL OF THE TERMINAL MORAINE COMPLEX IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. THE MAP WILL BE CREATED USING PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SURFICIAL GEOLOGICAL MAPS AS A GUIDE AND USING A COMBINATION OF FIELD MAPPING, GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF HIGH-RESOLUTION TOPOGRAPHIC DATA AND REMOTELY SENSED AERIAL IMAGERY, GROUNDWATER WELL BORING DATA, AND CONFIRMED BY ITERATIVE FIELD CHECKING OF THE MAP UNITS AND LANDFORMS. A STANDARD SET OF SURFICIAL UNITS AND NAMES WILL BE USED FOR MAPPING AND TO ENSURE REGIONAL CONSISTENCY. THE SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE ADJACENT 7.5 QUADRANGLES, LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH, HAVE ALREADY BEEN MAPPED AND THEREFORE THE BLAKESLEE MAP WILL FILL A CRITICAL SPATIAL DATA GAP IN THE REGION. THE MAP WILL 1) ACCURATELY DEFINE THE EXTENT AND THICKNESS OF COARSE GRAINED (SAND AND GRAVEL) GLACIAL DEPOSITS THAT ARE POTENTIAL HIGH-QUALITY DRINKING WATER SOURCES AND SOURCES OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT SAND AND 2) DEPICT LANDSLIDES DEPOSITS. GEOCHRONOLOGY DATA, DEVELOPED USING A COMBINATION OF COSMOGENIC EXPOSURE DATES ON MORAINE BOULDERS AND RADIOCARBON DATES ON PROGLACIAL LAKE SEDIMENTS, WILL PROVIDE THE FIRST ABSOLUTE AGE CONTROL OF ICE MARGIN GLACIAL SEDIMENTS IN THE REGION, WHICH IN TURN WILL BE USED TO CORRELATE REGIONAL LANDFORMS AND SEDIMENTS IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA.THE DELIVERABLES FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT INCLUDE A 1) 1:24,000 SCALE SURFICIAL GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE BLAKESLEE QUADRANGLE (WEST BOUNDARY 75 3730 W, EAST BOUNDARY 75 3000 W, SOUTH BOUNDARY 41 0000 N, NORTH BOUNDARY 41 0730 N) SUBMITTED AS A HIGH-QUALITY DIGITAL PDF AND 2) A TECHNICAL REPORT DESCRIBING THE GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE MAP AREA, METHODS USED TO DEVELOP THE MAP, A DESCRIPTION OF THE MAP UNITS, AND RADIOMETRIC DATES FROM PROGLACIAL LAKE SEDIMENTS (USING RADIOCARBON DATING ON TERRESTRIAL MACROFOSSILS, N 2) AND MORAINE BOULDERS (USING COSMOGENIC EXPOSURE DATING OF QUARTZ RICH ROCKS, N 3) TO CONSTRAIN THE AGE OF GLACIAL DEPOSITS.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIP

NSL - BACCALAUREATE NURSING - OTHER ADMIN CHANGES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: 3D GAZE CONTROL FOR ASSISTIVE ROBOTS