The Lutheran University Association Inc

UNDERSTANDING AND EVALUATING PRACTICES FOR INTEGRATING COMMUTER STUDENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MATHEMATICS THROUGH MENTORING, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS

STUDIES OF NUCLEON SPIN STRUCTURE FROM POLARIZED PROTON COLLISIONS AT RHIC

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION

GUT CLEARANCE REGULATION AND ITS SUBVERSION BY CANDIDA ALBICANS - THE CDC REPORTS THAT FUNGAL INFECTIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ~9 MILLION OUTPATIENT VISITS, ~75,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS AND AN ESTIMATED DIRECT MEDICAL COST OF ~$7 BILLION YEARLY. THESE NUMBERS URGE EXPANSION OF OUR KNOWLEDGE ON FUNGAL INFECTIONS TO IMPROVE PATIENT HEALTH. STUDIES STRONGLY SUPPORT THAT INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS ORIGINATES FROM THE GUT, BUT THE EVENTS ENCOMPASSING INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS (E.G., CUES REGULATING YEAST TO HYPHA SHIFT) ARE UNCLEAR. CHLORIDE (CL–)-DRIVEN FLUID SECRETION REPRESENTS A POTENT HOST DEFENSE MECHANISM FOR CLEARING GUT PATHOGENS. DESPITE ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE, THE REGULATION OF FLUID SECRETION IS NOT WELL STUDIED. WE HAVE SHOWN THAT PROTEIN KINASE C (PKC) MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS OF THE BASOLATERAL NA+-K+-2CL– COTRANSPORTER 1 (NKCC1) IS PROBABLY THE MAIN PATHWAY BLUNTING CL– SECRETION. OUR BROAD OBJECTIVES ARE TO DEFINE THE MECHANISTIC DETAILS OF CL– SECRETION REGULATION IN NORMAL AND IN THE PATHOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS. TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING GOALS: (I) DEFINE THE ROLE OF E2 (AT BLOOD LEVEL FOUND IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS) ON THE REGULATION OF YEAST TO HYPHA SHIFT IN C. ALBICANS, (II) ELUCIDATE THE POSTTRANSLATIONAL SIGNAL CAUSING INTERNALIZATION OF NKCC1 AND ITS FATE IN THE ENDOCYTIC PATHWAY AND (III) DEMONSTRATE THAT C. ALBICANS SUBVERTS THE PKC-MEDIATED NKCC1 ENDOCYTOSIS TO INHIBIT CL– SECRETION. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT DURING SEPSIS AND IN ILL PATIENTS C. ALBICANS SUBVERTS CL–-MEDIATED FLUID SECRETION BY INCREASING NKCC1 INTERNALIZATION TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE BEFORE CELL INVASION. THE RATIONALE OF OUR STUDY IS THAT WITHOUT A FIRM UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE EVENTS IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO COMBAT AND IMPROVE PATIENT HEALTH DURING INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS. WE WILL TEST OUR HYPOTHESIS BY ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) IS 17-Β ESTRADIOL (E2) REGULATING C. ALBICANS MORPHOLOGY SHIFT? WE WILL USE BRIGHT FIELD MICROSCOPY TO MONITOR C. ALBICANS MORPHOLOGY DURING THE EXPOSURE OF E2 2) IS NKCC1 UBIQUITINATION, AFTER PKC ACTIVATION, RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS INTERNALIZATION AND WHAT IS THE FATE OF INTERNALIZED NKCC1? WE WILL (I) TEST FOR THE UBIQUITINATION OF NKCC1 AFTER PKC ACTIVATION BY IMMUNOBLOT AND (II) USE FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY AND ENDOCYTIC MARKERS TO MAP NKCC1 IN THE ENDOCYTIC PATHWAY TO CHECK IF IT IS RECYCLED OR DEGRADED. 3) IS PKC-MEDIATED NKCC1 INTERNALIZATION THE CELLULAR MECHANISM SUBVERTED BY C. ALBICANS TO DECREASE FLUID SECRETION IN COLONIC EPITHELIAL CELLS? WE WILL (I) USE BIOCHEMICAL AND FLUORESCENCE TECHNIQUES TO MONITOR NKCC1 MEMBRANE EXPRESSION DURING C. ALBICANS INFECTION IN PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF PKC INHIBITORS AND (II) USE THE SHORT CIRCUIT CURRENT TO MEASURE CL– SECRETION, DURING C. ALBICANS INFECTION IN PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF PKC INHIBITORS. OUR WORK IS INNOVATIVE BECAUSE A) IT PROPOSES TO ESTABLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT PATHOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION OF E2 MODULATES C. ALBICANS VIRULENCE AND B) PROVIDES NEW INSIGHT ON MECHANISMS PRIOR CELL INVASION, WHICH HAVE BEEN LONG OVERLOOKED. OUR APPLICATION IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE OUTCOMES WILL EXPAND OUR KNOWLEDGE ON THE CELLULAR EVENTS SURROUNDING C. ALBICANS INFECTION IN THE GUT EPITHELIUM AND HELP FUTURE RESEARCH TO DESIGN BETTER DRUGS/THERAPIES AGAINST INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS IN THE GUT AND OTHER ORGANS (E.G., VAGINA, SKIN).

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CAS-MNP: RADICAL-INDUCED WEATHERING OF MICRO- AND NANOPLASTICS IN WATER: IMPACTS ON SUSPENSIONS, AGGLOMERATIONS, AND CONTAMINANT ADSORPTIONS -THIS AWARD FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL SCIENCES PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY SUPPORTS PROFESSORS JULIE PELLER AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY AND STEPHEN MEZYK AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-LONG BEACH AND THEIR STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT IS EXPLORING THE FORMATION AND AGING OF SMALL PLASTICS PIECES THAT ARE BEING CREATED FROM PLASTIC ITEMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THE WORLD IS CURRENTLY BEING CHALLENGED WITH THE PROBLEM OF MASSIVE PLASTIC WASTE POLLUTION, ESPECIALLY IN WATER ENVIRONMENTS. PLASTIC PIECES THAT ARE VERY SMALL, KNOWN AS MICROPLASTICS AND NANOPLASTICS, ARE EXTREMELY WIDESPREAD AND MOSTLY NOT VISIBLE BY THE HUMAN EYE. THESE PLASTIC PARTICLES, WHICH ARE STABLE FOR DECADES IN WATER, ARE NOW BEING SHOWN TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT HUMAN HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEMS. THE REACTIVITY AND BEHAVIOR OF THESE SMALL PLASTIC PARTICLES WILL BE DETERMINED IN THE LABORATORY UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS THAT REPRESENT REAL WORLD ENVIRONMENTS. THE RESEARCHERS AND THEIR UNDERGRADUATE AND MS STUDENTS WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IONIZING RADIATION SOURCES TO ACCELERATE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGES THAT HAPPEN TO THESE SMALL PLASTICS IN THE ENVIRONMENT OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THE HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION (CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH, CSULB) AND VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY (VU) WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RESEARCH AND SHARE THE DATA THROUGH CONFERENCE/MEDIA VENUES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH. MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL TAKE PART IN THE VU SUMMER RESEARCH. THESE RESEARCH FINDINGS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO COURSES AT BOTH UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING A CSULB MS COURSE ON KINETICS THAT NOW INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND VU CHEMISTRY LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS. A RECENT DETERMINATION FOR THE FACILE FORMATION OF SMALL POLYETHYLENE MICROPLASTICS AND NANOPLASTICS IN WATER WILL BE UTILIZED TO STUDY THE PROPERTIES AND REACTIVITIES OF MULTIPLE PLASTIC POLYMERS AS AQUEOUS SUSPENSIONS OR SOLUTIONS. IONIZING RADIATION TECHNIQUES WILL BE USED TO STUDY THE RADICAL REACTIONS THAT SIMULATE THE REAL-WORLD CHEMICAL CHANGES OF NANOPLASTICS, AND TO CREATE VARIOUS LEVELS OF WEATHERED NANOPLASTICS. THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGES OF THESE WEATHERED SPECIES WILL BE PROBED IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER COMMON DISSOLVED SUBSTANCES AND UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. THESE EXPERIMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO GENERATE INFORMATION ON THE DETECTION, LONG-TERM CHANGES AND POTENTIAL REMEDIATION OF SMALL MICRO AND NANOPLASTICS IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS. 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.

TRANSFORMING FOUNDATIONAL MATHEMATICS WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY CO-REQUISITE COURSES

VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY'S ONE-OF-US INITIATIVE - VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY’S SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM: THE MORE-OF-US INITIATIVE WILL CREATE A MORE CONNECTED AND SAFER CAMPUS COMMUNITY FOCUSED ON DECREASING RISK BY COLLECTIVELY PROMOTING LIFE. THIS PROGRAM WILL SERVE OUR GENERAL STUDENT BODY, BUT WILL SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING STUDENT POPULATIONS: BIPOC STUDENTS, STUDENTS IDENTIFYING AS LGBTQIA+, STUDENT VETERANS, AND COMMUTER STUDENTS (POPULATIONS AT INCREASED RISK FOR SUICIDE). UNIVERSITY LEADERS AND SEVERAL VU CAMPUS DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE TO HELP DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS AND EXPAND THE SYSTEMIC STRUCTURE FOR MANAGING CRITICAL STUDENT INCIDENTS, MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES, AND SUICIDE. THE MORE-OF-US INITIATIVE WILL BRING TOGETHER VU COUNSELING SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK, STUDENT LIFE OFFICES INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL LIFE, CAREER CENTER, INCLUSION & STUDENT SUCCESS SERVICES (WHICH INCLUDES VETERANS PROGRAMS), ATHLETICS, AND CAMPUS MINISTRY. THE MORE-OF-US INITIATIVE HAS FOUR PRIMARY GOALS. 1) ENHANCE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS; INCLUDING THOSE AT RISK FOR SUICIDE, DEPRESSION, SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH, AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO SCHOOL FAILURE. 2) INCREASE THE CAPACITY TO PREVENT MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. 3) PROMOTE HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOR AND REDUCE NEGATIVE PUBLIC ATTITUDES AMONG STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY. 4) IMPLEMENT AND CONTINUE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF AT-RISK COLLEGE STUDENTS SO THEY CAN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THEIR STUDIES. WE WILL MEET THESE GOALS THROUGH MAINTAINING A NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE BETWEEN THE CAMPUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDING EVIDENCE-BASED TRAININGS, PEER LED PROGRAMS, INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO SCREEN FOR, ASSESS, AND TREAT SUICIDE RISK AND MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS, AND PROVIDE OUTREACH TO AT RISK STUDENTS. WE WILL PROVIDE QPR GATEKEEPER AND MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS TO AT LEAST 750 STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY THE END OF THE GRANT. WE ALSO WILL PROVIDE AT LEAST 30 OUTREACH/WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES, AND ABOUT SUICIDE AND SUICIDE PREVENTION, TO OUR STUDENTS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN COORDINATION WITH COUNSELING SERVICES INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF ALCOHOL & DRUG EDUCATION AND THE SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND FACILITATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND VIA THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND TWO ANNUAL COURSES ON SUICIDE AND PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION TRAINING.

THE ONE-OF-US INITIATIVE AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY (ONUS VU): PREVENTING RISK BY COLLECTIVELY PROMOTING LIFE

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A RAMAN MICROSCOPE TO ENHANCE RESEARCH AND TEACHING AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY AND NORTHWEST INDIANA PARTNERS -THIS AWARD IS JOINTLY SUPPORTED BY THE MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION AND THE CHEMISTRY RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION PROGRAMS. VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY IS ACQUIRING A RAMAN MICROSCOPE TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH OF PROFESSOR PAUL SMITH AND COLLEAGUES JON-PAUL MCCOOL AND JULIE PELLER. THIS INSTRUMENT FACILITATES RESEARCH IN THE AREAS OF CHEMISTRY, ENGINEERING, AND GEOGRAPHY. RAMAN MICROSCOPY INTEGRATES A STANDARD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE WITH A LASER THAT IS USED TO SCAN THE SURFACE OF A SAMPLE TO GENERATE A CHEMICAL IMAGE OVER THE FIELD OF VIEW. THE LASER WAVELENGTH IS USED TO PROBE THE VIBRATIONAL PROPERTIES OF SAMPLE AND PRODUCE A SPECTRUM THAT IDENTIFIES CHEMICAL COMPONENTS IN THE MATERIAL. THIS IS A POWERFUL ANALYTICAL TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING CHEMICAL COMPOSITION QUALITATIVELY AND SEMI-QUANTITATIVELY OF VARIOUS MATERIALS. THIS INSTRUMENT ENHANCES THE EDUCATIONAL, RESEARCH, AND TEACHING EFFORTS OF STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS IN MANY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS PROVIDES ACCESSIBILITY FOR USE AT NEARBY INSTITUTIONS. RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING ADVANCES SCIENCE AND BENEFITS SOCIETY IN TIMELY TOPICAL AREAS SUCH AS SUSTAINABILITY, WATER CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT, AND SOLAR ENERGY. THE AWARD OF THE RAMAN MICROSCOPE IS AIMED AT ENHANCING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE FOCUSED ON CHEMISTRY, ENERGY, AND SUSTAINABILITY. RESEARCH FOCUSES ON THE ANALYSIS AND QUANTIFICATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN WATER AS WELL AS OF MINERALOGICAL VARIATIONS IN NATURAL WATERS. IN ADDITION, OTHER INVESTIGATIONS FOCUS ON MAPPING HOW ELECTRONS PERMEATE BATTERY CATHODES. IT ALSO ASSISTS IN DETERMINING HOW ATOM VACANCIES INFLUENCE SOLAR-TO-FUEL REACTIONS IN FIXED-BED REACTORS. 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.

ERI: DEVELOPMENT OF A LIPOSOMAL PLATFORM FOR THE TREATMENT OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS -LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS IS A NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASE CAUSED BY INFECTION WITH PARASITIC NEMATODES. ADULT WORMS INFILTRATE THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, CAUSING SWELLING, WHILE WORM OFFSPRING CIRCULATE IN THE BLOOD. WHILE SOME TREATMENTS EFFECTIVELY KILL WORM OFFSPRING, IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO KILL ADULT WORMS AND THOROUGHLY TREAT THE DISEASE BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCATION WITHIN THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. THIS PROJECT WILL HELP TO ADDRESS THIS GAP BY EMPLOYING TINY, LIPID-BASED SACS CALLED LIPOSOMES TO DELIVER LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS DRUGS TO THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM MORE EFFECTIVELY AFTER ORAL ADMINISTRATION. THIS WORK WILL INVESTIGATE HOW CHANGING LIPOSOME CHARACTERISTICS AFFECTS BOTH DRUG ACCESS TO LYMPH AND THE KILLING OF ADULT FILARIAL WORMS, RESULTING IN A MORE EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF EXISTING LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS DRUGS. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN EXECUTING THIS PROJECT, PROVIDING VALUABLE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDITIONALLY BE PAIRED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LABORATORY ACTIVITIES ON TOPICS LIKE CELL CULTURE METHODS, NANOMATERIALS, AND ANALYSIS TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING COURSES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A DRUG DELIVERY PLATFORM FOR THE TREATMENT OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS THAT OPTIMIZES LYMPHATIC DRUG UPTAKE FROM THE INTESTINAL LUMEN AND INCREASES ADULT FILARIAL WORM KILLING TO IMPROVE THE EFFICACY OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS THERAPY. A PANEL OF LIPOSOMES WITH CONTROLLABLE PROPERTIES INCLUDING SIZE AND CHARGE WILL BE SYNTHESIZED, AND THEIR ENCAPSULATION AND RELEASE OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS DRUGS LIKE ALBENDAZOLE, DIETHYLCARBAMAZINE CITRATE, AND DOXYCYCLINE WILL BE CHARACTERIZED. THE IMPACT OF LIPOSOME PROPERTIES ON THEIR TRANSPORT BY INTESTINAL ENTEROCYTES AND SUBSEQUENT LYMPHATIC ACCESS OF DRUG PAYLOADS WILL BE INVESTIGATED BY EMPLOYING IN VITRO MODELS OF THE INTESTINAL EPITHELIUM AND THE LACTEAL. THIS WORK WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF CHANGING LIPOSOMAL VEHICLE PROPERTIES ON DRUG TOXICITY AGAINST ADULT BRUGIA MALAYI FILARIAL WORMS IN VITRO, AN IMPORTANT STEP TO IMPROVING LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS TREATMENT EFFICACY. THESE STUDIES WILL ELUCIDATE LIPOSOMES? IMPACT ON DRUG CONCENTRATION IN LYMPH AFTER ORAL ADMINISTRATION AND ON DIRECT PARASITE TOXICITY, POTENTIALLY ENABLING A REDUCTION IN DRUG DOSING REQUIRED TO ELICIT WORM KILLING. THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDITIONALLY BE PAIRED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LABORATORY ACTIVITIES ON TOPICS LIKE CELL CULTURE METHODS, NANOMATERIALS, AND ANALYSIS TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING COURSES. 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: SEARCH FOR THE ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT OF THE NEUTRON (NEDM) -PRECISION MEASUREMENT OF THE PROPERTIES OF THE NEUTRON PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEARCH FOR VIOLATIONS OF FUNDAMENTAL SYMMETRIES AND TO MAKE CRITICAL TESTS OF THE VALIDITY OF THE STANDARD MODEL. MEASUREMENTS OF THE NEUTRON?S ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT PROVIDE SOME OF THE TIGHTEST CONSTRAINTS ON EXTENSIONS TO THE STANDARD MODEL. THE VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY (VU) GROUP, AS A PART OF A WIDER NEUTRON ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT (NEDM) COLLABORATION CONSISTING OF 20 US AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WILL SEARCH FOR THE ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT OF THE NEUTRON. THE NEDM EXPERIMENT WILL BE CARRIED OUT AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY (ORNL). THE VU GROUP WILL BE WORKING WITH THE SCIENTISTS AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY (LANL) CARRYING OUT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL DETECTOR SYSTEM (CDS) OF THE NEDM APPARATUS. VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY IS AN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. THE PI IS STRONGLY COMMITTED TO HAVE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM. EACH SUMMER, DURING THE R&D PHASE OF THE EXPERIMENT, 2 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS, MENTORED BY THE PI, WILL SPEND TEN WEEKS AT LANL, PARTICIPATING IN THE RESEARCH BEING CARRIED OUT. WHEN THE EXPERIMENT MOVES TO THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION PHASE, VU STUDENTS WILL SPEND TEN WEEKS EACH SUMMER AT ORNL, WORKING ON THE INSTALLATION OF THE DETECTOR COMPONENTS. WORKING IN THESE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS AND INTERACTING WITH RENOWNED SCIENTISTS FROM SEVERAL OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES WILL ENHANCE AND ENRICH THEIR EDUCATION AND WILL MOTIVATE AND PREPARE THEM WELL FOR GRADUATE STUDIES LATER ON. 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.

PLANNING: THE VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COLLABORATORY: A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND PILOT PROJECT -THIS PLANNING PROJECT AIMS TO INVESTIGATE AND INFORM STRATEGIES FOR CREATING A NEW CENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY, WHICH WILL ENABLE THE UNIVERSITY TO EFFECTIVELY SEEK, SECURE, AND SUSTAIN MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN REGIONAL INDUSTRIES. AS A SCALABLE MODEL TO BE SHARED WITH SMALL UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE NATION, THE RESEARCH COLLABORATORY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DIVERSIFY AND STRENGTHEN THE NATIONAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE BY INCREASING PARTICIPATION AMONG PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITIES. IN ADDITION TO ENHANCING FACULTY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, ENRICHING STUDENT LEARNING, AND ENCOURAGING INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AT THE INSTITUTION, THE UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS MADE POSSIBLE BY THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH. AN ADVISORY COUNCIL WILL BE FORMED TO OVERSEE PROGRESS TOWARD THE TWO PRIMARY GOALS OF THE VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COLLABORATORY PLANNING PROJECT. FIRST, A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT WILL BE PERFORMED TO QUANTIFY AND QUALIFY THE CURRENT NEED AND POTENTIAL FOR PARTNERSHIPS. INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES WILL BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF FACULTY CAPABILITIES AND INTERESTS IN ORDER TO PRIORITIZE GENERAL TOPICS AND SPECIFIC ENTITIES TO PURSUE FOR NEAR-FUTURE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS. SECOND, A PILOT PROJECT WILL BE LAUNCHED WITHIN A DISCRETE FIELD OR TOPIC OF INQUIRY IN ORDER TO EXPLORE ORGANIZATIONAL AND LOGISTICAL BEST PRACTICES, WHICH WILL LATER BE EXPANDED TO ALL ACADEMIC STEM DISCIPLINES. OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED WILL BE CAREFULLY DOCUMENTED TO ENABLE THOROUGH DISSEMINATION AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROJECT. 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.

AGS-FIRP TRACK 1: ENHANCING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION OF THE PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER DURING THE 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE -THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONDUCT AN EDUCATIONAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE FACILITIES FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (FARE) COMMUNITY INSTRUMENTATION AND FACILITIES (CIF) UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON SPACE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CENTER?S PORTABLE ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH CENTER (SPARC) FACILITY IN ORDER TO LEVERAGE THE APRIL 2024 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TO INVESTIGATE THE DYNAMICS OF THE PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER (PBL) NEAR VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY. THE SPARC WILL BE USED PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE UNDERGRADUATE METEOROLOGY STUDENTS PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH REAL-WORLD DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS, AND DATA INTERPRETATION WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES. IN PARTICULAR, THE STUDENTS WILL GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIURNAL TRANSITION OF THE PBL COMPARED TO THE RAPID TRANSITION THAT MIGHT OCCUR DURING THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. THE DATA TO BE COLLECTED WILL PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE IMPACT OF SOLAR ECLIPSES ON PBL DYNAMICS AND WILL SERVE AS A VALUABLE EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE SPARC FACILITY IS REQUESTED WITH THE HIGH SPECTRAL RESOLUTION LIDAR (HSRL) AND THE ATMOSPHERIC EMITTED RADIANCE INTERFEROMETER (AERI), AND SPARC WILL BE DEPLOYED AT A STRATEGIC LOCATION ALONG THE ECLIPSE TOTALITY PATH WHERE THE CHANCE OF CLEAR SKIES IS HIGHEST. COLLECTED DATA WILL BE COMPARED TO BALLOON LAUNCHES AND VERTICAL PROFILE MEASUREMENTS BY A MICROWAVE RADIOMETER TAKEN IN VALPARAISO. WHILE THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR CLOUD COVER DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ALTERNATIVE SCIENCE QUESTIONS CAN BE ADDRESSED BASED ON THE OBSERVATIONS THAT COULD STILL BE TAKEN WITH THE SPARC FACILITY. A ONE-CREDIT PREPARATORY COURSE FOR METEOROLOGY STUDENTS AT VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY WILL BE DEVELOPED. ADDITIONALLY, OUTREACH TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS WILL BE CONDUCTED. 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 PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CAREER: BRICKS & BLOX BUILDING ACADEMY: DEVELOPING SPATIAL SKILLS & ENGINEERING IDENTITY THROUGH EMBODIED PLAY -A WELL-KNOWN PATHWAY INTO ENGINEERING IS THROUGH SUSTAINED EMBODIED PLAY WITH BUILDING TOYS WHICH HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH BOYHOOD. WHILE MUCH PREVIOUS LITERATURE HAS MADE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PLAY WITH BUILDING TOYS AND SPATIAL COGNITION, OTHER SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CUES EXPERIENCED IN THE PLAY ENVIRONMENT THAT INFLUENCE EARLY ENGINEERING IDENTITY FORMATION AND SELF-CONCEPT HAVE REMAINED LARGELY UNEXPLORED. THIS CAREER RESEARCH PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED TO EXPLORE THE RECENT AND RAPID GROWTH OF BUILDING TOYS DESIGNED ?FOR GIRLS? THAT HAVE RELIED ON THE PREMISE THAT GIRLS WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN PLAYING WITH THESE TOYS, AND THAT THEY WOULD BRING SIMILAR BENEFITS IN COGNITIVE AND PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT. BY EXAMINING EMBODIED PLAY FROM BOTH A PHENOMENOGRAPHIC LENS TO UNDERSTAND THE VARIATIONS IN HOW CHILDREN EXPERIENCE PLAY WITH BUILDING TOYS, AND AN ETHNOGRAPHIC LENS TO IDENTIFY DISCERNIBLE PLAY INTERACTIONS THAT CAN BE CATALOGED AND COUNTED, THIS PROJECT IS POSITIONED TO MAKE EMPIRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NARRATIVE CONTEXTS, FACTORS OF INTEREST AND ACCESS, AND DESIRED DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES THAT VARY ACROSS DIFFERENT IDENTITIES AND GROUPS. THIS PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, WHERE LEARNING THROUGH PLAY IS MOST FEASIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE. SPECIFIC OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND PROGRAM DIRECTORS TO HELP FACILITATE PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL COGNITION AND EARLY ENGINEERING IDENTITY FORMATION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS. THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL UTILIZE A MULTI-PHASED MIXED-METHOD RESEARCH DESIGN TO CREATE AND EVALUATE EMPIRICALLY-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS AND CURRICULAR MATERIALS DESIGNED FOR INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES. WE WILL DISSEMINATE FINDINGS AND RESOURCES BROADLY TO SCHOLARLY COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS TO PARENTS, PRACTITIONERS, AND TOY COMPANIES. THIS CAREER PROJECT WILL UTILIZE A TWO-PHASE MIXED-METHOD RESEARCH DESIGN TO STUDY EMBODIED PLAY INTERACTIONS AND PLAY EXPERIENCES WITH BUILDING TOYS OF 3RD-5TH GRADERS (GIRLS AND BOYS). THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY WILL USE A CONCURRENT DESIGN IN PHASE 1 WITH PHENOMENOGRAPHIC CONTENT ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND HOW PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE PLAY DIFFERENTLY AND ETHNOGRAPHIC VIDEO ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY AND CATALOG DISCERNIBLE VERBAL (INDIRECT) AND NONVERBAL (DIRECT) EMBODIED PLAY INTERACTIONS WITH BUILDING TOYS. IN PHASE 2, A SEQUENTIAL DESIGN WILL BE USED TO QUANTIFY CODIFIED DATA AND PERFORM STATISTICAL CORRELATIONS AND COMPARISON TESTS THAT DEFINE RELATIONSHIPS TO SPATIAL ABILITY, ENGINEERING IDENTITY, AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL BE ORGANIZED AND EXECUTED TO INTERROGATE THREE CENTRAL HYPOTHESES: I) GIRLS WILL SHOW HIGHER LEVELS OF INTEREST IN PLAYING WITH BUILDING TOYS WHEN THERE ARE EMBEDDED NARRATIVE CONTEXTS THAT APPEAL TO THEM, II) GIRLS WHO EXPRESS INTEREST IN BUILDING TOYS ALSO HAVE REGULAR ACCESS TO THEM, AND III) GIRLS AND BOYS WITH SIMILAR LEVELS OF INTEREST IN AND ACCESS TO BUILDING TOYS WILL ACHIEVE SIMILAR BENEFITS THROUGH THEIR PLAY EXPERIENCES AND INTERACTIONS WITH THEM. RELATED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM TARGETING SPATIAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHICH WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE RESEARCH CONTEXT FOR LARGE-GROUP INFORMAL LEARNING OBSERVATIONS DURING PHASE 2. WORKSHOPS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND FACILITATED FOR PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS THAT PRESENT FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH TO INFORM CLASSROOM PRACTICES THAT ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL SKILLS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER WORKSHOP FOR DIRECTORS OF INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES. THIS STUDY WILL INFORM EFFORTS TO BROADEN GIRLS? PARTICIPATION IN ENGINEERING BY (1) DEFINING EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EMBODIED PLAY INTERACTIONS WITH BUILDING TOYS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL SKILLS, WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO MANY ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES; (2) DESCRIBING THE WAYS IN WHICH EMBODIED PLAY EXPERIENCES WITH BUILDING TOYS SHAPE, AND ARE SHAPED BY EARLY ENGINEERING IDENTITY FORMATION; AND (3) DEFINING HOW ASPECTS OF INTEREST IN AND ACCESS TO BUILDING TOYS ARE RELATED TO TOY NARRATIVE, FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS (I.E., AGE, SEX, RACE, SES, URBAN/RURAL). THE PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY A STRONG RESEARCH TEAM WITH TWO WELL-KNOWN COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN HELP FACILITATE THE MINDFUL AND STRATEGIC DISSEMINATION OF THIS WORK THROUGH VAST NOTATIONAL NETWORKS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND NGOS. 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.

THE PURPOSE OF THE LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC LITC GRANT IS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO, 1. A CLINICAL PROGRAM AT AN ACCREDITED LAW, BUSINESS, OR ACCOUNTING SCHOOL IN WHICH STUDENTS REPRESENT LOW-INCOME TAXPAYERS IN CONTROVERSIES ARISING UNDER IRC 7526. 2. AN ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED IN SECTION 501C AND EXEMPT FROM TAX UNDER SECTION 501A THROUGH REPRESENTATION OF TAXPAYERS OR REFERRAL OF TAXPAYERS TO QUALIFIED REPRESENTATIVES. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED UNDER THE LITC PROGRAM, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AWARDS GRANTS SO THAT GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE TAX REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OR OTHER TRIBUNAL ON FEDERAL TAX MATTERS, EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON VARIOUS TAX TOPICS AND ADVOCACY ON TAX ISSUES IMPACTING THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES. END GOAL AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES, THE LITC PROGRAM AWARDS GRANTS TO, 1. OPEN NEW AND WORK PREVIOUSLY OPENED REPRESENTATION CASES. 2. CONSULT WITH TAXPAYERS ON THEIR SPECIFIC TAX ISSUE. 3. CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 4. MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE IMPROVEMENT TO TAX ADMINISTRATION BY ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES OR IMPROVEMENTS TO IRS ADMINISTRATION. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES, TAXPAYERS WITH INCOMES THAT DO NOT EXCEED 250 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES AND TAXPAYERS FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES AND WITH ADVANCED APPROVAL BY THE LITC PROGRAM OFFICE, SUBRECIPIENTS MAY BE UTILIZED BY GRANT RECIPIENTS TO HELP DELIVER KEY BROADBAND ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM. 5. REASON FOR MODIFICATION IF SHOWING A POSITIVE AMOUNT IS AN OBLIGATION FOR THE YEAR THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE FIRST TWO DIGITS OF THE PRIME AWARD I.D., IF SHOWING A NEGATIVE AMOUNT IT IS A DE-OBLIGATION OR A RETURN OF FUNDS FOR THE YEAR REPRESENTED BY THE FIRST TWO DIGITS OF THE PRIME AWARD I.D.

THE PURPOSE OF THE LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC LITC GRANT IS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO, 1. A CLINICAL PROGRAM AT AN ACCREDITED LAW, BUSINESS, OR ACCOUNTING SCHOOL IN WHICH STUDENTS REPRESENT LOW-INCOME TAXPAYERS IN CONTROVERSIES ARISING UNDER IRC 7526. 2. AN ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED IN SECTION 501C AND EXEMPT FROM TAX UNDER SECTION 501A THROUGH REPRESENTATION OF TAXPAYERS OR REFERRAL OF TAXPAYERS TO QUALIFIED REPRESENTATIVES. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED UNDER THE LITC PROGRAM, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AWARDS GRANTS SO THAT GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE TAX REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OR OTHER TRIBUNAL ON FEDERAL TAX MATTERS, EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON VARIOUS TAX TOPICS AND ADVOCACY ON TAX ISSUES IMPACTING THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES. END GOAL AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES, THE LITC PROGRAM AWARDS GRANTS TO, 1. OPEN NEW AND WORK PREVIOUSLY OPENED REPRESENTATION CASES. 2. CONSULT WITH TAXPAYERS ON THEIR SPECIFIC TAX ISSUE. 3. CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 4. MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE IMPROVEMENT TO TAX ADMINISTRATION BY ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES OR IMPROVEMENTS TO IRS ADMINISTRATION. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES, TAXPAYERS WITH INCOMES THAT DO NOT EXCEED 250 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES AND TAXPAYERS FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES AND WITH ADVANCED APPROVAL BY THE LITC PROGRAM OFFICE, SUBRECIPIENTS MAY BE UTILIZED BY GRANT RECIPIENTS TO HELP DELIVER KEY BROADBAND ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM. 5. REASON FOR MODIFICATION IF SHOWING A POSITIVE AMOUNT IS AN OBLIGATION FOR THE YEAR THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE FIRST TWO DIGITS OF THE PRIME AWARD I.D., IF SHOWING A NEGATIVE AMOUNT IT IS A DE-OBLIGATION OR A RETURN OF FUNDS FOR THE YEAR REPRESENTED BY THE FIRST TWO DIGITS OF THE PRIME AWARD I.D.