Campbell University

CARES ACT: HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-INSTITUTIONAL PORTION AT CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY

CARES ACT: HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND AT CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY INCORPORATED

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT: TRAINING PRIMARY CARE CHAMPIONS

SUPPORTING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS THROUGH THE UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM

CAREER: CHOOSE YOUR PATH: IDENTIFYING AND SUPPORTING UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC DECISION POINTS FOR PERSISTENCE, ATTRITION, TRANSITION, OR HIATUS (PATH) -THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE SUPPORT FOR UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS WHO ARE QUESTIONING THEIR CHOICE OF MAJOR BY UNDERSTANDING DECISION-MAKING PATTERNS AND PROCESSES AND PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, ADVISORS, AND OTHER STUDENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL. CHANGING YOUR MAJOR, ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, OR TAKING A PAUSE FROM ACADEMIC STUDIES IS A LARGE DECISION THAT MANY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FACE DURING THEIR EDUCATION. UNIVERSITIES PROVIDE ACADEMIC ADVISING AND SUPPORT, HOWEVER MANY STUDENTS MAKE THEIR DECISIONS WITHOUT ACCESSING THESE RESOURCES OR CONSIDERING ALL POSSIBLE OPTIONS, SUCH AS A LEAVE OF ABSENCE. ONCE A STUDENT LEAVES ENGINEERING, THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO RECONSIDER THAT DECISION, A DECISION THAT OFTEN HAS FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. IN ORDER TO BETTER SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO ARE RECONSIDERING THEIR CHOICE OF MAJOR, THIS STUDY WILL FOLLOW UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW OFTEN THEY RECONSIDER THEIR CHOICE OF MAJOR AND THE RESOURCES AND PROCESSES THEY USE WHILE THEY RECONSIDER THEIR ACADEMIC PATH. SURVEY DATA WILL ALLOW US TO SEE PATTERNS IN HOW OFTEN STUDENTS RECONSIDER THEIR CHOICE OF MAJOR. INTERVIEWS WILL PROVIDE STUDENT STORIES, EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY THEY RECONSIDERED THEIR MAJOR AND WHAT THEY DID WHILE TRYING TO DECIDE THEIR BEST PATH FORWARD. INTERVIEW AND SURVEY DATA WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP RESOURCES TO HELP ACADEMIC ADVISORS, FACULTY, AND OTHERS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN A STUDENT MIGHT BE RECONSIDERING THEIR MAJOR AND TO PROVIDE TARGETED RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. CONTENT WILL ALSO BE DEVELOPED FOR FIRST-YEAR WELCOME TO COLLEGE AND ENGINEERING COURSES, HELPING STUDENTS TO REALIZE THAT RECONSIDERING YOUR MAJOR IS NOT UNCOMMON AND PROVIDING RESOURCES TO HELP THEM MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS. HIGHER EDUCATION TAKES TIME AND MONEY; THIS PROJECT AND ITS OUTCOMES ARE INTENDED TO HELP STUDENTS SAVE TIME AND MONEY AS WELL AS HELPING SOME TO STAY IN ENGINEERING BY PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR EDUCATED DECISION-MAKING. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE CAREER FUNDING PROGRAM AS THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS ARE DIRECTLY DERIVED FROM THE RESEARCH. TOGETHER THEY PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON SUPPORTING STUDENT DECISION-MAKING WHICH WILL LEAD TO FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED BY ADVISORS AND FACULTY. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE GOALS OF THE DIVISION ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND CENTERS THROUGH ITS FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH THAT SEEKS TO PROMOTE THE CREATION OF 21ST CENTURY ENGINEERS THROUGH SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHEN THEY QUESTION THEIR CHOICE OF MAJOR. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPLORE UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING DEGREE DECISION-MAKING IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK THAT INCLUDES FACTORS AND INCITING EVENTS THAT LEAD TO ACADEMIC DECISION POINTS (ADPS) AS WELL AS THE RESOURCES ACCESSED WHEN STUDENTS QUESTION THEIR CHOSEN ENGINEERING DEGREE PATH. A MIXED-METHODS STUDY (CLUSTER ANALYSIS, PHENOMENOLOGY, CONTENT ANALYSIS WITH TRIANGULATION, AND THEMATIC ANALYSIS) WILL USE LONGITUDINAL TEXT MESSAGE SURVEYS AND OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEWS FROM UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS AT A VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONS TO EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: RQ1: HOW OFTEN AND WHEN DO STUDENTS REACH AN ADP? RQ2: WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO OR ARE CONSIDERED AT THESE ADPS? RQ3: WHAT RESOURCES DO STUDENTS USE TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS? RQ4: HOW DO STUDENTS EXPERIENCE ADPS? RQ5: HOW DO STUDENTS EVALUATE THEIR OPTIONS TO MAKE A DECISION? FINDINGS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE PRESENTED AS QUANTITATIVE RESULTS, COMPOSITE NARRATIVES, AND A DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK WITH RESOURCES TO RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT STUDENTS FACING AN ACADEMIC DECISION POINT. THESE RESULTS WILL BE SHARED THROUGH CONFERENCES, JOURNAL ARTICLES, WORKSHOPS, A BOOK OF NARRATIVES, AND A WEBSITE HOUSING A VARIETY OF RESOURCES: THE CHOOSE YOUR PATH PROJECT. STUDENT-FACING RESOURCES WILL INCLUDE VIDEO AND WRITTEN VIGNETTES AND STATISTICS NORMALIZING QUESTIONING AND ALTERNATE PATHS. STUDENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL RESOURCES WILL INCLUDE A PEER MENTOR TRAINING GUIDE, IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES INCLUDING ASSESSMENTS FOR FACULTY, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVISING INCLUDING STARFISH FLAGS, AND NARRATIVES TO PROVIDE INSIGHT FOR FAMILIES. 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.

ACTIVATING MULTIORGAN ANTIOXIDATIVE GENE NETWORK FOR TREATING SEPSIS

CRUCIFEROUS DITHIOLETHIONES FOR CHRONIC HEART FAILURE: SIGNALING MECHANISMS

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT: TRAINING PRIMARY CARE CHAMPIONS

EARMARKS

DIRECTED GRANTS

EARMARKS

RESEARCH INITIATION: COMPUTATIONAL MODELING IN THE PROFESSIONAL FORMATION OF MATERIALS ENGINEERS (PFE: RIEF)

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: USING LOW COST DESKTOP LEARNING MODULES TO EDUCATE DIVERSE UNDERGRADUATE COMMUNITIES IN ENGINEERING

LEAPS-MPS: EXPANDING ASYMMETRIC CATALYSIS WITH THIAMINE-DEPENDENT ENZYMES -IN THIS PROJECT FUNDED BY THE MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES DIRECTORATE LAUNCHING EARLY-CAREER ACADEMIC PATHWAYS (MPS-LEAPS) PROGRAM AND MANAGED BY THE BROADENING PARTICIPATION (CHE-BP) PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR REYNOLDS AND HIS STUDENTS AT CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY WILL STUDY THE APPLICATION OF THIAMINE DIPHOSPHATE-DEPENDENT ENZYMES TOWARDS CURRENT CHALLENGES IN CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS. ENZYMES REPRESENT ATTRACTIVE GREEN CATALYSTS FOR SUSTAINABLE SYNTHESIS DUE TO THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM UNDER MILD, AQUEOUS CONDITIONS AND CARRY OUT HIGHLY SELECTIVE TRANSFORMATIONS. HOWEVER, THEIR ADOPTION IN INDUSTRY HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY THE LIMITED SCOPE OF ENZYMATIC REACTIONS AVAILABLE. THIS RESEARCH SEEKS TO OVERCOME THIS LIMITATION BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ENZYMES? PROMISCUITY TOWARDS SUBSTRATES NOT FOUND IN NATURE. IN PARTICULAR, PROFESSOR REYNOLDS AND HIS STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THE USE OF THIAMINE-DEPENDENT ENZYMES FOR THE STEREOSELECTIVE FORMATION OF ?-SUBSTITUTED KETONES, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT PRECURSORS TO MORE COMPLEX, BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY SCREENING A PANEL OF ENZYMES AGAINST SUBSTRATES POSSESSING MULTIPLE CHIRAL CENTERS TO FORM STEREOCHEMICALLY COMPLEX PRODUCTS. THE ABILITY OF THE ENZYMES TO CATALYZE REACTIONS THROUGH ALTERNATIVE SINGLE ELECTRON PATHWAYS WILL ALSO BE EXPLORED. ADDITIONALLY, THIS WORK PROMOTES THE RETENTION OF DIVERSE TALENT IN STEM THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT INCORPORATES RESEARCH AND MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN STEM, ALONG WITH INTEGRATION OF THE PROJECT INTO A COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. PROFESSOR REYNOLDS AND HIS STUDENTS WILL SEEK TO ADDRESS CURRENT CHALLENGES IN ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIAMINE-DEPENDENT ENZYME CATALYSTS FOR CARBON-CARBON BOND FORMING REACTIONS. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY DEVELOPING ENZYMATIC DYNAMIC KINETIC CROSS-BENZOIN CONDENSATION REACTIONS AND ASYMMETRIC RADICAL TRANSFORMATIONS TO PRODUCE CHIRAL ALPHA-SUBSTITUTED KETONES. THE APPROACH TO THESE AIMS INVOLVES SCREENING A LIBRARY OF THIAMINE-DEPENDENT ENZYMES AGAINST UNIQUE SUBSTRATES TO IDENTIFY ACTIVE CATALYSTS FOR THE DESIRED TRANSFORMATIONS. REACTION OPTIMIZATION AND DIRECTED EVOLUTION EXPERIMENTS WILL BE PERFORMED TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE ENZYME?S ACTIVITY AND STEREOSELECTIVITY IN THESE REACTIONS. THIS RESEARCH COULD EXPAND THE SCOPE OF REACTIONS AVAILABLE TO THIAMINE-DEPENDENT ENZYMES, MAKING THEM MORE BROADLY USEFUL FOR CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS. 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.