Earlham College

EARLHAM COLLEGE CARES ACT HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF - PART II

EARLHAM COLLEGE CARES ACT HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF

UNKNOWN TITLE

RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT

RONALD E. MCNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT

RENOVATION OF A SHARED FACILITY FOR RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING AT A SCIENCE-RICH LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION

EARLHAM COLLEGE RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

INCREASING SUCCESS OF STEM STUDENTS THROUGH COHORT BUILDING, MENTORING, AND CAREER DISCERNING EXPERIENCES: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION -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 EARLHAM COLLEGE, A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE LOCATED IN PREDOMINANTLY RURAL EAST CENTRAL INDIANA. OVER ITS SIX YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO 15 UNIQUE FULL TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN BIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS OR PRE-ENGINEERING. FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE UP TO FOUR YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE STEM WORKFORCE OR GRADUATE PROGRAMS BY REDUCING FINANCIAL BARRIERS AND PROVIDING COHORT BUILDING, CAREER DISCERNMENT, AND MENTORING ACTIVITIES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A COHORT-BASED COLLEGE ORIENTATION, A FULLY FUNDED EARLY RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, EXTENSIVE ADVISING AND COHORT BUILDING THROUGH FACULTY AND PEER MENTORING, AND CAREER DISCERNMENT ACTIVITIES INTEGRATED INTO REQUIRED FIRST AND SECOND YEAR COURSES. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF EARLY RESEARCH PARTICIPATION ON CAREER ENGAGEMENT AND STEM PERSISTENCE OF THIS STUDENT POPULATION. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. SPECIFIC AIMS INCLUDE: RETAIN 85% OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN A STEM DISCIPLINE AFTER THEIR FIRST YEAR, HAVE A GRADUATION RATE WITHIN A STEM DISCIPLINE OF 75% OF THE SCHOLARS, AND INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF STEM GRADUATES WHO HAVE ENTERED THE STEM WORKFORCE OR GRADUATE PROGRAMS WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF GRADUATION TO 85%. WHILE THERE ARE STUDIES LINKING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TO INCREASED CAREER PLANNING FOR EMPLOYMENT AND POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION, AND EXAMPLES OF CONNECTING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TO WORKPLACE AND CAREER-READY SKILLS, THESE STUDIES GENERALLY FOCUS ON UPPER-LEVEL UNDERGRADUATES WHO ARE NEAR COMPLETION OF A STEM PROGRAM AND RARELY INCLUDE INTENTIONAL PREPARATION FOR, AND POST-REFLECTION OF, THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AS CAREER-DISCERNING. THIS PROJECT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF EARLY RESEARCH PARTICIPATION FRAMED BY FORMAL CAREER EDUCATION ON CAREER ENGAGEMENT AND STEM PERSISTENCE FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS? THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE USE OF AN EARLY RESEARCH EXPERIENCE TO JUMP-START STUDENTS? CAREER ENGAGEMENT, ENVISION THEIR FUTURE AS A SCIENTIST, AND WORK TOWARD THAT CAREER GOAL BOTH BY PERSISTING IN THE STEM MAJOR AND PURSUING FURTHER RESEARCH/INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES. THIS PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED USING A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFICACY OF THE INCREASED FOCUS ON CAREER DISCERNMENT SUPPORT, INCLUDING MONITORING SCHOLARS' FIRST AND SECOND YEAR RETENTION IN A STEM MAJOR, SUBSEQUENT ENGAGEMENT IN ADDITIONAL RESEARCH/INTERNSHIPS, GRADUATION RATES, AND CAREER PLANS OF GRADUATE WORK OR EMPLOYMENT IN A STEM FIELD. THE PROJECT?S STRATEGIES, IMPLEMENTATION, AND OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVING THE SUCCESS OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED INTERNALLY AND AT LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES AND IN APPROPRIATE PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED 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.

BRC-BIO: BASIS OF L- AND D-AMINO ACID SUBSTRATE RECOGNITION BY BACTERIAL AMINOACYL-TRNA EDITING ENZYME -THIS RESEARCH INVESTIGATES HOW BACTERIA PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM TOXIC D-AMINO ACIDS. PROTEINS PERFORM IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS IN CELLS. CELLS BUILD PROTEINS USING SMALL MOLECULES, CALLED AMINO ACIDS. AMINO ACIDS OCCUR IN TWO MIRROR IMAGE FORMS: L-AMINO ACIDS AND D-AMINO ACIDS. L-AMINO ACIDS ARE USED IN PROTEINS, BUT D-AMINO ACIDS ARE NOT. IT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD WHY L-AMINO ACIDS ARE SPECIFICALLY USED IN PROTEINS, BUT IT IS KNOWN THAT USING D-AMINO ACIDS CAN BE FATAL TO BACTERIAL CELLS. ENZYMES WITHIN A CELL CAN TYPICALLY RECOGNIZE EITHER L- OR D-AMINO ACIDS. THERE IS AN ENZYME, PROXP-X, WHICH IS AN EXCEPTION; IT RECOGNIZES BOTH. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THE ENZYME, PROXP-X, PREVENTS D-AMINO ACID USE IN PROTEINS OF SOIL-DWELLING BACTERIA. THIS RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE HOW PROXP-X RECOGNIZES D- VS. L-AMINO ACIDS, AND HOW PROXP-X PROTECTS BACTERIAL CELLS FROM D-AMINO ACID TOXICITY. THE FINDINGS WILL FILL GAPS IN THE FIELD?S UNDERSTANDING OF PROTEIN CREATION AND ENZYME FUNCTION, ADDING TO THE FIELD?S FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF ENZYMES AND HOW CELLS ADAPT TO STRESS. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO TRAIN A TEAM OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS, CREATE SEVERAL EXHIBITS AND GAMES ABOUT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY FOR THE JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM (A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ON EARLHAM COLLEGE?S CAMPUS), AND LEAD TO THE PUBLICATION OF CLASSROOM MATERIALS TO USE THE PROJECT AS AN INTERACTIVE LABORATORY EXPERIENCE. THE PROJECT WILL CHARACTERIZE HOW PROXP-X IDENTIFIES AND BINDS ITS TARGETS AND DETERMINE IF ITS ACTIVITY PREVENTS D-AMINO ACID TOXICITY IN LIVING BACTERIA. D-AMINO ACIDS CAN BE MISCHARGED ONTO TRNAS, PREVENTING ACCURATE PROTEIN PRODUCTION. MANY BACTERIA ENCODE D-AMINOACYL-TRNA DEACYLASES (DTDS), AN ENZYME THAT REMOVES D-AMINO ACIDS FROM D-AA-TRNAS. SOIL-DWELLING RHIZOBIA BACTERIA DO NOT ENCODE DTDS, BUT DO ENCODE PROXP-X. UNLIKE DTDS, PROXP-X DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ALL D-AA-TRNAS OR GLY-TRNA. INSTEAD, PROXP-X ACTIVITY APPEARS DEPENDENT ON THE SPECIFIC COMBINATION OF AMINO ACID AND TRNA IN THE AA-TRNA. THE PROJECT WILL EMPLOY UNDERGRADUATES TO CONDUCT MENTORED RESEARCH TO STUDY PROXP-X IN RHODOPSEUDOMONAS PALUSTRIS. PROJECT AIMS INCLUDE USING KINETIC ASSAYS AND BINDING EXPERIMENTS WITH PURIFIED PROTEIN AND AA-TRNAS TO DETERMINE HOW PROXP-X DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN MISCHARGED L- AND D-AA-TRNAS, SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFYING THE TRNA FEATURES RECOGNIZED BY PROXP-X AND THE ACTIVE SITE RESIDUES THAT RECOGNIZE THE AMINOACYL-MOIETY. STUDENTS WILL ALSO MEASURE R. PALUSTRIS GROWTH PHENOTYPES AND D-AA-TRNA LEVELS IN CELLS TO DETERMINE IF PROXP-X PREVENTS D-AMINO ACID TOXICITY. TAKEN TOGETHER, THE PROJECT EXPANDS THE FIELD?S UNDERSTANDING OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, ENZYME FUNCTION, AND HOW BACTERIA CONTEND WITH D-AMINO ACIDS. 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.

IONIC: TRANSFORMING EDUCATION THROUGH COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS AT THE FRONTIERS OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

A NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND COLLECTIONS DIGITIZATION IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19: EARLHAM COLLEGE [IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, EARLHAM COLLEGE PROPOSES INITIATIVES TO SATISFY OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHILE TRAINING NEW AND FUTURE PROFESSIONALS. THE FIRST INITIATIVE, IN HONOR TO OUR FACULTY?S DEDICATION TO RIGOROUS, ENGAGED TEACHING IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE TO IMPROVE PEDAGOGY IN ONLINE EDUCATION AND TO BOLSTER NEWLY CREATED CURRICULA IN THE HUMANITIES. FUNDS FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER POSITION AND FOR NEEDED TECHNOLOGICAL AND LIBRARY SERVICES WILL GREATLY IMPROVE ONLINE AND HYBRID INSTRUCTION FOR OUR HUMANITIES STUDENTS. THE SECOND EFFORT IS A COLLECTIONS DIGITIZATION PUSH THAT WILL HELP US MAKE OUR SIGNIFICANT ARCHIVAL, ART, AND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS READILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND SCHOLARS. EQUIPMENT, TWO NEW FULL-TIME PERSONNEL, AND SUPPLIES WILL HELP US MAKE THESE COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH DIGITAL PORTALS WHILE WE TRAIN STUDENTS IN DIGITIZATION PRACTICES.] [PURPOSE: THE PURPOSES OF THE GRANT, ?A NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND COLLECTION DIGITIZATION IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19,? ARE MULTIPLE: TO TRANSITION FROM FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING TO ONLINE EDUCATION AND BOLSTER NEW CURRICULA IN THE HUMANITIES; TO DIGITIZE THE COLLEGE?S FOUR IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS CONSISTING OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S ARTIFACTS, HISTORIC ARCHIVAL MATERIALS RELATING TO THE FOUNDING OF THE COLLEGE, QUAKER MISSIONARY WORK IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA, AND THE COLLEGE MUSEUM'S 3000-PIECE ART COLLECTION. THESE DIGITIZED MATERIALS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO SCHOLARS, TEACHERS AND THE PUBLIC. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE HIRING OF A NEW DIGITAL DESIGNER WHO WILL LEAD THE TRANSITION TO IMPROVED AND RIGOROUS ONLINE HUMANITIES COURSES AND ADVISE ON THE PURCHASE OF TECHNOLOGY AND LICENSES FOR THE WORK.  THE DIGITIZATION OF THE COLLEGE?S IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS AND THE TRAINING OF STUDENTS IN DIGITAL BEST PRACTICES. WHILE ALL OF THE DIGITIZATION WORK WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED OVER THE GRANT YEAR, IT WOULD ESTABLISH KEY WORKFLOWS AND FURTHER COLLECTION KNOWLEDGE TO GUIDE THE NEXT STEPS.  EXPECTED OUTCOMES: IMPROVEMENTS IN ONLINE HUMANITIES EDUCATION, YEARLONG DIGITIZATION OF THE FOUR COLLECTIONS: ARTIFACTS FROM THE ADENA AND HOPEWELL PEOPLES; RECORDS OF QUAKER MISSIONARY WORK IN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST; PAPERS OF THE COLLEGE?S FOUNDER, JOSEPH MOORE; THE COLLEGE MUSEUM?S 3000-PIECE ART COLLECTION. WIDER ACCESS TO THE IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: FACULTY, STUDENTS, MUSEUM STAFF, K-12 TEACHERS, AND THE PUBLIC.  SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: ?THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.]

CC*IIE CAMPUS DESIGN: NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IMPROVED SCIENCE DISCOVERY AND EDUCATION

JAVANESE SUNG POETRY IN TRANSLATION

THE JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM AT EARLHAM COLLEGE WILL REVISE ITS INTERPRETER TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO REFLECT CURRENT BEST PRACTICES IN PARTICIPATORY STEM EDUCATION. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE STRENGTHENING THEIR PROGRAMS TO BETTER PREPARE UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATORS, AS WELL AS UPDATING THE DELIVERY OF THEIR TOP THREE REQUESTED PROGRAMS TO ENSURE LEARNER-CENTERED EXPERIENCES. THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PROGRAM MODELED ON A COMBINATION OF PRINCIPLES SET OUT BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERPRETATION AND THE REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE PROGRAM. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATORS WILL UNDERGO SYSTEMATIC TRAINING IN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY AND PRACTICE AND BENEFIT FROM A PROGRAM OF SUSTAINED EVALUATION AND MENTORSHIP.

THE JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM AT EARLHAM COLLEGE WILL COMPLETE THE FOURTH PHASE OF A LONGER-TERM DIGITIZATION AND ACCESS PROGRAM. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF STUDENT INTERNS, STAFF WILL REHOUSE THE NESTS AND EGGS IN THE ORNITHOLOGY COLLECTION; CATALOG AND REHOUSE THE TEACHING COLLECTIONS INCLUDING A LARGE COLLECTION OF HISTORIC TAXIDERMY; IMPROVE THE MUSEUM’S INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; AND ESTABLISH A PROTOCOL FOR PHOTOGRAPHING THE VERTEBRATE COLLECTIONS. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED ACCESS TO MORE THAN 17,000 SPECIMENS FOR RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM’S ONGOING PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATES IN MUSEUM STUDIES BY TRAINING AT LEAST 10 PAID UNDERGRADUATES IN BEST PRACTICES IN DIGITIZATION.

REFINING THE ANNOTATIONS OF MALARIA GENOMES

THE JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM AT EARLHAM COLLEGE WILL CATALOG AND DIGITIZE ITS ENTOMOLOGY COLLECTION WITH A LONG-TERM GOAL OF IMPROVING ACCESS FOR FACULTY, STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PUBLIC. THE PROJECT WILL ASSIGN UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS AND CAPTURE LABEL DATA FROM APPROXIMATELY 38,000 PINNED AND FLUID-PRESERVED SPECIMENS. THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS MANAGER WILL SERVE AS PROJECT DIRECTOR AND WILL TRAIN AND SUPERVISE AT LEAST 20 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THE MAJORITY OF THE CATALOGING, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND RELATED DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A SEARCHABLE ONLINE DATABASE OF THE ENTIRE ENTOMOLOGY COLLECTION, MAKING IT MORE READILY AVAILABLE FOR LOAN TO SCHOLARS AND PROVIDING THE COLLEGE FACULTY WITH FULL ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH.

USING METAGENOMICS TO REALIZE AN EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AND STIMULATE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REU SITE: A DISTRIBUTED NETWORK OF NEUROSCIENCE SCHOLARS

AN INTEGRATED PATHWAY FOR MEDICAL HUMANITIES

FULBRIGHT-HAYS GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD

BUILDING ON PREVIOUS COLLECTION DIGITIZATION PROJECTS, EARLHAM COLLEGE’S JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP A COLLECTIONS-BASED INTERPRETATIVE PLAN THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES TO INCREASE INTERACTION WITH AND AWARENESS OF THE COLLECTION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ACQUIRING TWO PORTABLE DIGITIZATION STATIONS AND ONE COLLECTIONS KIOSK, CONDUCTING VISITOR SURVEYS AND EVALUATIONS, AND DRAFTING AND FINALIZING THE COLLECTIONS-BASED INTERPRETIVE PLAN. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED VISITOR INTERACTION WITH THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS AND THE TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES WILL IMPROVE VISITOR ENGAGEMENT WHILE COLLECTING VALUABLE INFORMATION ON HOW THE PUBLIC INTERACTS WITH THE COLLECTION.

THE JOSEPH MOORE MUSEUM (JMM) AT EARLHAM COLLEGE WILL EXPAND ITS ROLE AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER IN RICHMOND, INDIANA, AND THE BROADER REGION, BY UNDERTAKING A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT PROJECT AND ACCOMPANYING PILOT COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP. THIS PROJECT IMPLEMENTS A STEP-BY-STEP STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ESTABLISHING ONGOING COMMUNITY DIALOGUE JOINTLY, DRAWING ON THE INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCE FROM LEADERS IN THE MUSEUM FIELD, COUNTY LEADERS IN PHILANTHROPY/SERVICE, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHILE TRAINING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN BEST PRACTICES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. PROJECT OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN INCREASED SENSE OF COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF THE MUSEUM, DIVERSIFICATION OF THE MUSEUM ADVISORY BOARD AND MUSEUM INCOME STREAMS, TRAINING FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, A CO-CREATED ENGAGEMENT PLAN, AND A WHITE PAPER FOR THE COMMUNITY AND MUSEUM FIELD.

PRESERVATION ASSESSMENT OF THE FRIENDS COLLECTION AND EARLHAM COLLEGE ARCHIVES

CREATING PRESERVATION STORAGE PLAN FOR LADY TA'AN

EARLHAM COLLEGE RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

UPTAKE SPECIFICITY OF SYNTHETIC PHYTOSIDEROPHORE ANALOGS BY GRAMINACEOUS PLANTS