Alma College

2ND HALF OF CARES ACT FUNDING FOR INSTITUTIONS

COVID 19 CARES ACT FUNDING

ALMA COLLEGE GREAT LAKES WATERSHED INSTITUTE

THE SCIENCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM

PLANT-SOIL FEEDBACK AND SPECIES COEXISTENCE: INTERACTIONS AMONG SOIL PATHOGENS, IRRADIANCE, AND SPECIES LIFE HISTORIES

PRISM: POSITIVE ROUTES INTO SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

INVESTIGATING LEARNING PROGRESSION MODULES IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES FOR PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY SUPPORTING HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SIXTH GRADE (PK-6) STEM TEACHING THROUGH IMPROVED PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHER STEM EDUCATION. MANY ELEMENTARY TEACHERS?WHILE CERTAINLY CAPABLE OF HIGH-QUALITY SCIENCE TEACHING?OFTEN DO NOT HAVE A STRONG BACKGROUND OR SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY IN SCIENCE AND HAVE LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH PK-6 STUDENTS? DEVELOPING SCIENCE IDEAS IN THEIR TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, 2- AND 4-YEAR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY-BASED FACULTY WHO TEACH SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES AS PART OF PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS HAVE LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE AND CONSIDER HOW TO BEST SUPPORT PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTEXTS. THIS IUSE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK 1 PROJECT INTENDS TO ADAPT THREE RESEARCH-BASED LEARNING PROGRESSIONS (LPS) INTO SIX LEARNING PROGRESSION-BASED MODULES?LPMS. THE LPS ARE REPRESENTATIONS OF HOW STUDENTS? SCIENCE IDEAS MAY INCREASE IN SOPHISTICATION WITH INSTRUCTION. THE LPMS ARE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN TWO REQUIRED AND SEQUENTIAL INTEGRATED SCIENCE COURSES TO (A) SUPPORT PRESERVICE TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING THEIR OWN SCIENCE IDEAS AND (B) SCAFFOLD THEIR ATTENTION TO PK-6 STUDENTS? THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT TEAM INTENDS TO HOST TWO MINI-CONFERENCES FOR 2- AND 4-YEAR MICHIGAN STEM AND SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATORS TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO CO-LEARN ABOUT SUPPORTING PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN THE CONTEXT OF RECENT CHANGES TO STATE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS. THE PROJECT HAS THREE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES. ONE IS TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE SIX LPMS IN TWO INTEGRATED SCIENCE COURSES FOR PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. A SECOND INTENT IS TO DEVELOP, HOST, AND IDENTIFY IMPACTS OF TWO MINI-CONFERENCES AS A CONTEXT IN WHICH TO SHARE FINDINGS AND MATERIALS OF THIS PROJECT. THE MINI-CONFERENCES ARE ALSO INTENDED TO ENGAGE POST-SECONDARY STEM AND SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION FACULTY FROM 2- AND 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS TO SEEK SOLUTIONS TO COMMON ISSUES RELATED TO SUPPORTING PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? STEM LEARNING. FINALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO USE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS TO INVESTIGATE IF AND HOW LPMS IMPACT PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? SCIENCE UNDERSTANDINGS. THE RESEARCH IS DESIGNED TO ALSO INVESTIGATE IF AND HOW PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TAKE UP IDEAS FROM THE LPMS DURING EPISODES OF MICROTEACHING IN THEIR SUBSEQUENT ELEMENTARY SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS CLASS. WHILE LPS HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY RESEARCHED IN THE CONTEXT OF PRESERVICE METHODS COURSES, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED NOR RESEARCHED IN THE CONTEXT OF UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE (CONTENT) COURSES. THE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT HAS STRONG POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? SCIENCE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PK-6 STEM TEACHING THROUGH IMPROVED PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHER STEM EDUCATION. DISSEMINATION OF PROJECT RESEARCH FINDINGS AND MATERIALS TO LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL CONTEXTS IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR THROUGH PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH ARTICLES IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND A SPECIAL PAGE DEVOTED TO THIS NSF-FUNDED PROJECT ON THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WEBPAGE OF ALMA COLLEGE AND THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. THE NSF IUSE: EHR PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. THROUGH THE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION, EXPLORATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES AND TOOLS. 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.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICE-INFORMED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN STEM SETTINGS FOR PRESERVICE SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS -THIS NOYCE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN STEM SETTINGS (RESS) PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED OF PREPARING HIGH-QUALITY SCIENCE TEACHERS WHO WILL CONVEY THE EXCITEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO STUDENTS AND IMPROVE THEIR STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCE. SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES SUPPORT TEACHERS? SCIENCE TEACHING EFFICACY AND, ULTIMATELY, THEIR STUDENTS' LEARNING. IN THIS PROJECT, PROSPECTIVE SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS WILL WORK AS ACTIVE MEMBERS OF RESEARCH TEAMS, GUIDED BY EXPERIENCED FACULTY RESEARCH MENTORS, TO ENGAGE IN TEN WEEKS OF HANDS-ON AND MINDS-ON SUMMER RESEARCH. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SUPPORTED THROUGH REGULAR RESEARCH GROUP MEETINGS, SEMINARS, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTEND AND POTENTIALLY PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH TO BROADER AUDIENCES AT A DISCIPLINARY-RELEVANT NATIONAL-LEVEL CONFERENCE. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE FURTHER SUPPORTED TO TRANSLATE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES INTO INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS FOR THEIR FUTURE STUDENTS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL LEVERAGE THE AMBITIOUS SCIENCE TEACHING FRAMEWORK AND THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES (SEPS) INCLUDED IN THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS). COLLECTIVELY, THESE PROJECT EXPERIENCES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ENCOURAGE AND PREPARE PROSPECTIVE SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS TO ENACT HIGH-QUALITY SCIENCE INSTRUCTION IN THEIR FUTURE CLASSROOMS. THIS PROJECT AT ALMA COLLEGE AIMS TO PROVIDE AUTHENTIC SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR THREE COHORTS OF EIGHT PRESERVICE STEM TEACHERS THAT WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FROM WHICH THEY WILL CREATE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR FUTURE STUDENTS. PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE: 1) RECRUITING AND SELECTING THREE COHORTS OF EIGHT PRESERVICE STEM TEACHERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO WORK IN RESEARCH TEAMS WITH FOUR SCIENCE FACULTY MENTORS; 2) DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING THREE TEN-WEEK SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES; 3) DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, FOCUSING ON THE SEPS IN THE NGSS; AND 4) SUPPORTING PARTICIPANTS IN TRANSLATING THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES INTO INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS THAT ARE (A) PHENOMENON-BASED AND (B) ALIGNED WITH RELEVANT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS IN THE NGSS. THIS PROJECT WILL HELP PREPARE HIGH-QUALITY SCIENCE TEACHERS WHO WILL CONVEY THE EXCITEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO STUDENTS AND IMPROVE THEIR STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCE. THROUGH EVALUATION, THE PROJECT WILL GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AND SEP-INFORMED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON PROSPECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS. THIS RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN STEM SETTINGS (RESS) PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE) AND IN PART BY FUNDS FROM MICRON FOUNDATION. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SENSORY ECOLOGY OF AN ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK - SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS

RUI: SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF GROUP-1 SPECIFIC NEURAMINIDASE INHIBITORS

PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION AND CAMPAIGNS IN CHINA, 1910-1990

NDRFP14-02: MODEL UN EXCHANGE PROGRAM.THE RECIPIENT WILL ORGANIZE MODEL UN EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN INDIA AND U.S. DURING OCTOBER 2014 - APRIL 2015.

DESCRIPTION:THE PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE HISTORY OF THE VELSICOL CHEMICAL CORP. SUPERFUND SITE AND RELATED IMPACTS ON THE LOCAL POPULATION AND CREATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO SERVE AS RESOURCES IN ADDRESSING AND UNDERSTANDING POTENTIAL, FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. ACTIVITIES:THE PROJECT WILL COLLECT EXISTING MATERIALS ON THE HISTORY OF THE SUPERFUND SITE AND THE IMPACTS OF EXPOSURE TO POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYL (PBB) AS WELL AS CREATE NEW CONTENT THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH THE LOCAL POPULATION. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO UTILIZE EDUCATORS TO DEVELOP CONTENT AND IDENTIFY KEY COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HOST INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS BASED ON THESE MATERIALS.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES, THERE ARE FIVE INTERCONNECTED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DELIVERABLES. ONE IS THE CREATION OF A WEBSITE THAT ARCHIVES HISTORICAL MATERIALS RELATED TO THE COMPANY, THE DISASTER, AND THE SUPERFUND SITE THAT ALSO INCLUDES OPPORTUNITIES AND NOTICES FOR UPCOMING EVENTS. ANOTHER DELIVERABLE WILL BE A DOCUMENTARY PRESENTING THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF THE DISASTER ON THE HEALTH, ECONOMY, AND CULTURE OF CENTRAL MICHIGAN THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE FROM AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. A THIRD DELIVERABLE WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW K-12 CURRICULUM WHICH USES THE HISTORY OF THE DISASTER TO EXPLORE THEMES OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE. FOURTH, WILL BE THE CREATION OF AN ADULT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOCUSED ON ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS, GOVERNANCE, AND JUSTICE. AND LASTLY, THE PROJECT WILL CREATE MATERIALS AND WORKSHOPS THAT FOCUS ON THE CONCERNS OF SMALL FARMERS IN MICHIGAN. THESE DELIVERABLES WILL BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE SUPERFUND SITE IS LOCATED AND THOSE IMPACTED IN THE SURROUNDING CITIES, BUT WILL ALSO SERVE AS VALUABLE RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES FOR OTHER POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY SIMILAR DISASTERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SENSORY ECOLOGY OF AN ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK