The University Of Bridgeport Inc

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

UB SUPPORTING THE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS OF STUDENTS (UB SEES) FOCUSES ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT & FINANCIAL LITERACY INTERWOVEN WITH THE UDL AS INSTRUMENTS THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL GRADUATING.

PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - ADDRESS: 126 PARK AVENUE, BRIDGEPORT, CT 06604 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: MEREDITH GAFFNEY, MPH CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 203-576-4111 EMAIL ADDRESS: MGAFFNEY@BRIDGEPORT.EDU WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://WWW.BRIDGEPORT.EDU/ACADEMICS/PROGRAMS/PUBLIC-HEALTH-MPH/ FUNDS REQUESTED: $1,500,000 FUNDING PREFERENCE REQUESTED: YES THE MASTER’S OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM, UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT’S COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES PROPOSES THE SCHOLARS PROJECT (STUDENTS CREATING HEALTHIER OUTCOMES IN LOCAL AREAS AND REGIONS) WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DIVERSE, CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY COMPETENT PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND THE NATION. THE MPH ONLINE CURRICULUM OCCUPIES SIX SEVEN-WEEK TERMS PER YEAR AND CONSISTS OF 42 SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS: 33 CORE CREDITS AND 9 CONCENTRATION CREDITS. THE FINAL COMPONENT INCLUDES A PRACTICUM, COMPLETED AT A PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION. PARTNERSHIPS WITH DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE VITAL TO PROVIDING THIS FIELD EXPERIENCE. GRADUATES ARE OFTEN ABLE TO TRANSITION INTO EMPLOYMENT IN THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THEY COMPLETED THEIR PRACTICA. THUS, THEY ARE ABLE TO HELP FILL EMPLOYMENT NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR. MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING CURRICULUM, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, AND DATA TO POLICY WORKSHOPS WILL BE ADDED TO MPH CURRICULUM TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO APPLY ACADEMIC CONCEPTS TO REAL-WORLD PUBLIC HEALTH SCENARIOS. OBJECTIVES FOR THE SCHOLARS PROJECT OVER THE PROJECT PERIOD (9/30/2022-9/29/2025) ARE: - ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE BY STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO IDENTIFY EMPLOYMENT NEEDS, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, FACILITATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS’ EMPLOYMENT POST-TRAINING COMPLETION IN STATE/LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. - EDUCATE THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH INEQUITIES AND HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INCORPORATE PRINCIPLES OF SDOH INTO PRACTICE - EDUCATE THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE TO PREVENT, PREPARE FOR, AND RESPOND TO RECOVERY ACTIVITIES RELATED TO COVID-19 AS WELL AS OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES BY PROVIDING FIELD EXPERIENCE BASED ON SPRING 2022 DATA, THE MAJORITY OF UB’S 169 MPH STUDENTS (80%) ARE FROM THE TRI-STATE AREA (CT, NY, AND NJ). NEARLY TWO-THIRDS (60%) IDENTIFY AS PEOPLE OF COLOR, 42% AS BLACK/NON-HISPANIC, 14% AS HISPANIC/LATINX. 4% AS ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER. A TOTAL OF 46% OF STUDENTS ARE UNDER 30 YEARS OLD, WITH THE AVERAGE STUDENT AGE BEING 34 YEARS OLD. EIGHTY-THREE PERCENT (83%) OF STUDENTS SELF-IDENTIFY AS FEMALE, AND 16% IDENTIFY AS MALE. MOST MPH STUDENTS ALREADY WORK IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR AND ENROLL IN THE MPH PROGRAM TO FURTHER THEIR CREDENTIALS TO ATTAIN MORE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. NATIONALLY, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS REVEALING A HISTORIC UNDERINVESTMENT IN THE COUNTRY’S PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE. TO REBUILD THE COUNTRY’S PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AT BOTH STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS MUST HIRE AT LEAST 80,000 MORE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS (AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 80%) [5]. THIS DAUNTING NUMBER OF NEW PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS REQUIRES PRIORITIZING PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION WITH SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES (CLAS). FACTORS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE IN THE GREATEST NEED OF HEALTHCARE FROM ACCESSING IT INCLUDE A LACK OF HIGH-QUALITY HEALTHCARE, PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION DURING CLINICAL ENCOUNTERS, AND DIFFICULTY ACCESSING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE [6]. SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE PROVIDED TO FORTY STUDENTS PER YEAR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT’S MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH) PROGRAM WHO EXHIBIT FINANCIAL NEED AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE DURING EACH YEAR OF THE PROJECT. IN TOTAL, SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE AWARDED TO 120 STUDENTS. THE SCHOLARS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE NEED TO REPLENISH THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE WITH DIVERSE, CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY COMPETENT, SKILLED PUBLIC

UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

EXPLORING NAVAL UNDERWATER STEM (EXPLORING NUSTEM)

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EPIIC: ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION, RESEARCH, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AI (ASPIRE-AI) -ASPIRE-AI WILL ACCELERATE SUSTAINABLE EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND APPLYING AI TO DRIVE INNOVATION, RESEARCH, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCE REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY ESTABLISHING INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES FOR PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTHENING FACULTY ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVANCE WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS. EACH COLLABORATING INSTITUTION BRINGS UNIQUE STRENGTHS, LEVERAGING REGIONAL AND DISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE TO ADDRESS BARRIERS SUCH AS LIMITED INFRASTRUCTURE AND FRAGMENTED INSTITUTIONAL CULTURES. BY PROMOTING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS AND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, ASPIRE-AI GENERATES ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO ADVANCE APPLIED AI RESEARCH AND INNOVATION. THE COHORT COLLABORATION WILL CREATE A MODEL FOR NON-R1 INSTITUTIONS TO LEVERAGE EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE REGIONAL CAPACITY IN RESPONDING TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. ASPIRE-AI WILL ESTABLISH CENTRALIZED PARTNERSHIP HUBS, IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND FACILITATE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH INITIATIVES THAT GENERATE ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO ADVANCE APPLIED AI RESEARCH AND INNOVATION. THESE EFFORTS ARE SUPPORTED BY SHARED RESOURCES AND A FOCUS ON SCALING SUCCESSES ACROSS COHORT INSTITUTIONS, WHICH NATURALLY FORM A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO AUGMENT MUTUAL SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY BUILDING. THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS INCLUDING TOOLKITS FOR MANAGING EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS, FACULTY ENGAGEMENT PLAYBOOKS, AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FRAMEWORKS TAILORED TO THE CHALLENGES OF UNDER-RESOURCED INSTITUTIONS. ASPIRE-AI WILL ALSO INTEGRATE AI INTO RESEARCH AND CURRICULA ACROSS FIELDS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, HEALTHCARE, CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL SOCIETAL CHALLENGES THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONALLY, ASPIRE-AI WILL DRIVE INSTITUTIONAL CULTURAL CHANGE THAT ENCOURAGES AND SUPPORTS EXTERNAL COLLABORATION IN USE-INSPIRED RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND WORKFORCE INITIATIVES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMERGE AS REGIONAL LEADERS IN AI-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AND BECOME VITAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THEIR REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS. 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.

HSI PILOT PROJECT: FOSTERING HISPANIC ACHIEVEMENT IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WITH AFFINITY RESEARCH GROUP MODEL (PROJECT ACHIEVE) -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE IMPROVING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION: HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS (HSI PROGRAM), THIS TRACK 1: PLANNING AND PILOT PROGRAM GRANT AIMS TO INCREASE STUDENT RETENTION/PERSISTENCE AND PREPAREDNESS IN COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) MAJORS, THEREBY INCREASING THEIR DEGREE ATTAINMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT. ADDITIONALLY, ALONG WITH FACULTY DEVELOPMENT, THE GRANT AIMS TO ENHANCE UNDERGRADUATE CS AND ENGINEERING TEACHING STRATEGIES THAT WILL LEAD TO STUDENTS? HIGHER DEGREE COMPLETION RATES. BARRIERS, LIKE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS AND LACK OF RESEARCH MENTORSHIP, FOR LOW-INCOME, FIRST-GENERATION, AND MINORITY STUDENTS PREVENT THEM FROM COMPLETING BACCALAUREATE DEGREES IN STEM DISCIPLINES. FURTHER, CULTURAL AND ACADEMIC BARRIERS CAN LOWER SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-IDENTITY AS A SCIENTIST AND ENGINEER WHEN THEY PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. PROJECT ACHIEVE WILL IMPLEMENT THE AFFINITY RESEARCH GROUP MODEL FROM THE COMPUTING ALLIANCE FOR HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS (CAHSI) THROUGH AN ENGAGING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COURSE, INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CHALLENGES. THIS COURSE WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WITH FACULTY AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL, AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMS. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS TRACK 1 PPP PROJECT IS TO IMPLEMENT, EVALUATE, AND PRODUCE PRELIMINARY KNOWLEDGE ON EVIDENCE-BASED METHODS TO OVERCOME SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND PERSISTENCE AMONG STUDENTS IN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS. THE PROJECT WILL ADAPT THE AFFINITY RESEARCH GROUP MODEL, A SET OF PRACTICES BUILT ON A COOPERATIVE TEAM FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT THE CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF DYNAMIC AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH GROUPS. IT WILL PILOT AN INTERVENTION TO MITIGATE KNOWN BARRIERS TO MAINTAINING ENGAGEMENT IN AND COMPLETING STEM MAJORS, FOCUSING ON STUDENTS? ACQUISITION OF CAREER-RELATED SKILLS, CONNECTEDNESS TO PROFESSIONALS, AND BUILDING THEIR CONFIDENCE TO COMPLETE AN INTELLECTUALLY DEMANDING COURSE OF STUDY. IT WILL ADDRESS THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS AS FOLLOWS. (1) HOW DOES THE AFFINITY RESEARCH GROUP MODEL PLAY A ROLE IN INCREASING STUDENTS? PERSISTENCE IN ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJORS DURING THEIR FIRST TWO YEARS OF STUDY? (2) HOW DOES THE MODEL PLAY A ROLE IN INCREASING STUDENTS? ENGINEERING SELF-EFFICACY DURING THEIR FIRST TWO YEARS OF STUDY? (3) WHAT ARE THE APPROACHES USED BY THE FACULTY WHEN IMPLEMENTING THE MODEL THAT LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS? RESEARCH SKILLS (LABORATORY RESEARCH SKILLS FOLLOWED BY PUBLICATION) ? A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, ENGAGEMENT WITH STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, ETC.? THIS PROJECT WILL INFORM THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH WILL GENERATE DATA USEFUL FOR REPLICATION, ADAPTATION, AND INCREASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT INCREASING STUDENT REPRESENTATION IN ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJORS AND ASSOCIATED STEM CAREERS. IT WILL ALSO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR FACULTY TO APPLY THE MODEL FOR OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED UNDERGRADUATES IN STEM. 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.