Whitworth University

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - INSTITUTIONAL

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

S-STEM: CULTIVATING COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWERING FUTURES FOR STEM CAREER SUCCESS -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 WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY. OVER ITS SIX-YEAR DURATION, THIS TRACK 2 PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO AT LEAST EIGHTEEN UNIQUE STUDENTS. FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE UP TO 5 YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT WHILE PURSUING BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, ENGINEERING, PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE. THE PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE STUDENT PERSISTENCE BY PROVIDING SUPPORT SOCIALLY, FINANCIALLY, ACADEMICALLY AND WITH CAREER EXPLORATION. EVIDENCE-BASED SUPPORT SYSTEMS WILL BE PROVIDED WITHIN A VIBRANT LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY INCLUDING A SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM TO ENHANCE STUDENTS' FOUNDATIONAL MATH AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, PEER AND FACULTY MENTORSHIP, PROACTIVE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION, A FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR INCLUDING A SPEAKER SERIES, SHARED COURSEWORK, EXTRACURRICULAR COHORT-BUILDING EVENTS, ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE CAREER EXPLORATION AND READINESS, INTERNSHIPS, AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENTS AIMED AT INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION WITHIN GATEWAY STEM COURSES WHICH WILL BE SHARED REGIONALLY. THE EVALUATION OF PROJECT AIMS WILL GENERATE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FIRST-YEAR RETENTION, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, ACADEMIC SUPPORT, AND CAREER SUPPORT STRATEGIES. THESE IMPORTANT FINDINGS WILL IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES AND PREPARE STUDENTS FOR NUMEROUS IN-DEMAND SCIENCE, MATH, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENGINEERING JOBS AND PROMOTE SOCIAL MOBILITY FOR SCHOLARS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. THERE ARE FOUR SPECIFIC AIMS: (1) RECRUIT, RETAIN, AND SUPPORT AT LEAST 18 STUDENTS' PROGRESS TOWARD GRADUATION AND PLACEMENT IN HIGH-NEED STEM CAREERS; (2) IDENTIFY WHICH ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN INCREASING STEM BELONGING, PERSISTENCE, AND CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT; (3) EVALUATE PROGRAM COMPONENTS WHICH PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE STEM WORKFORCE; (4) INVESTIGATE AND DISSEMINATE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND BELONGING AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES IN GATEWAY STEM COURSES. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT STUDENT BELONGING IN STEM, SELF-EFFICACY, AND PREPAREDNESS FOR FIRST YEAR STEM COURSES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR INCREASING PERSISTENCE, GRADUATION, AND CAREER SUCCESS. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT WHICH PROGRAMMATIC FEATURES INCREASE SENSE OF BELONGING, PERSISTENCE, CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT, AND CAREER PREPARATION. THE PROJECT WILL GENERATE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FIRST-YEAR RETENTION, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, ACADEMIC SUPPORT, AND CAREER SUPPORT STRATEGIES. A MIXED METHODS APPROACH WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE ESSENTIAL PROGRAM FEATURES AND CORRELATE EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES WHICH PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT AND BELONGING. THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND STEM TEACHING PRACTICES. RESULTS WILL BE SHARED WITHIN A REGIONAL STEM GATEWAY ENGAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP AND THROUGH DISCIPLINARY PAPERS AND CONFERENCES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF'S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED LOW-INCOME 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

WU-MHMP: A GROW YOUR OWN SCHOOL COUNSELOR PROGRAM TO ADDRESS NEED AMONG RURAL, IMMIGRANT/REFUGEE SERVING AND OTHER HIGH NEED SCHOOLS AND LEAS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON.

NSF SCHOLARS: TRAINING TOMORROW'S SCIENTISTS TODAY

TAS::89 0222::TAS NEW CONSTRUCTION GRANT; WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY SCIENCE EQUIPMENT UPGRADES

RUI:TARGETED STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY AND ASSESSMENTS IN QUASIRACEMATES -NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE SOLID STATE AND MATERIALS CHEMISTRY PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF MATERIALS RESEARCH, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN KRAIG WHEELER (CHEMISTRY) AND DIANA SCHEPENS (MATHEMATICS) SYNTHESIZES AND CHARACTERIZES UNIQUE FAMILIES OF MATERIALS THAT ALIGN PREDICTABLY IN MOLECULAR CRYSTALS. WHILE MANY STRUCTURAL DETAILS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS ARE KNOWN, THERE ALSO EXIST CHEMICAL FEATURES THAT PRODUCE LESS MANAGEABLE MOTIFS VIA ILL-DEFINED OR WEAK CONTACTS THAT ARE NO LESS CRITICAL TO THE OVERALL MOLECULAR RECOGNITION PROCESS. MOLECULAR SHAPE IS ONE SUCH STRUCTURAL FEATURE AND THE FOCUS OF THIS INVESTIGATION. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SHAPE OF SMALL ORGANIC MOLECULES CAN BE USED TO ADVANTAGE TO CONSTRUCT PREDICTABLE MOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES IN CRYSTALS. FINDINGS FROM THIS WORK SUPPLY NECESSARY INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHAPE SPACE OF MOLECULES THAT IS TRANSFERABLE TO THE DESIGN OF FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS. IN ADDITION, GIVEN THE UNIQUE MOLECULAR RECOGNITION PROFILES OF THE SMALL ORGANIC COMPOUNDS UNDER STUDY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTER-AIDED DISCOVERY METHODS, THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THESE STUDIES CONTRIBUTES TO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SELF-ASSEMBLY PROCESS FOR BROAD CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS. THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE TRAINING OF A COHORT OF UNDERGRADUATE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES IN EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED RESEARCH AT WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY, A PREDOMINANTLY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION. OUTREACH EFFORTS ALSO INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR A SUMMER X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY CONFERENCE, WHERE PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY RECEIVE ESSENTIAL TRAINING FOR THEIR ONGOING TEACHING AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS. TECHNICAL SUMMARY THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT COMBINES EXPERIMENTAL SOLID-STATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND MATH TOPOLOGY TO EXAMINE HOW NEAR ENANTIOMERS ASSEMBLE INTO ENERGETICALLY FAVORABLE CRYSTALLINE ASSEMBLIES. THE RESEARCH EXPLORES THE STRUCTURAL BOUNDARIES OF MOLECULAR SHAPE TO THE MOLECULAR RECOGNITION PROCESS BY USING THE QUASIRACEMATE APPROACH FOR CONSTRUCTING BIMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS. CHIRAL BUILDING BLOCKS FORMULATED FROM KNOWN ORGANIC PRECURSORS ARE PREPARED USING BENZOYL AMINO ACID MOLECULAR SCAFFOLDS. THOUGH THE STUDY OF QUASIRACEMIC MATERIALS HAS NOW PROGRESSED TO AN ESTABLISHED SCIENCE, THE INTIMATE DETAILS OF ASSEMBLING PAIRS OF QUASIENANTIOMERS REMAIN RELATIVELY UNKNOWN. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES HOW INCREASING CRYSTAL LATTICE STABILIZATION VIA STRONG HYDROGEN BONDS LEADS TO MATERIALS WITH A GREATER STRUCTURAL VARIATION OF THE QUASIENANTIOMERIC COMPONENTS. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE TARGET SYSTEMS IS EXPECTED TO OFFER CRITICAL INSIGHT INTO MOLECULAR RECOGNITION PROFILES. CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC, VIDEO-ASSISTED THERMOMICROSCOPY, CALORIMETRIC, AND LATTICE ENERGY CALCULATIONS ARE UTILIZED TO ASSESS THE ABILITY OF THESE MATERIALS TO FORM QUASIRACEMIC MATERIALS. THIS STUDY ALSO DEVELOPS IN SILICO METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE SHAPE SPACE DIFFERENCES AND DEGREE OF INVERSION SYMMETRY OF PAIRS OF QUASIENANTIOMERIC COMPONENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR QUASIRACEMATE PREDICTION. 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.

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A SINGLE CRYSTAL X-RAY DIFFRACTOMETER TO SERVE AS A REGIONAL RESOURCE

RUI: DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION DRIFT-TIME ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF PULSED IONIZATION AND VOLTAGE SWEEP METHODOLOGIES -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT AND IMAGING PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, ERIC DAVIS AND HIS GROUP AT WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE CAPABILITIES OF ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY (IMS), A CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE COMMONLY USED IN SECURITY AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS FOR THE DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVES, NARCOTICS, AND CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS. THE DAVIS GROUP SEEKS TO EXPAND THE USEFULNESS OF IMS BY IMPROVING ITS ABILITY TO SEPARATE COMPLEX, REAL-WORLD MIXTURES RAPIDLY. THE RESEARCH IS PRIMARILY PERFORMED BY WHITWORTH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROFESSOR DAVIS. THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH BRIAN H. CLOWERS AT WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, DR. DAVIS' STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, HELPING TO BETTER PREPARE THEM TO PURSUE GRADUATE STUDIES. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ALSO EXPAND INTO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS WITHIN THE GREATER SPOKANE, WA AREA, BRINGING TOGETHER INDUSTRIAL AND ACADEMIC CHEMISTS FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. PRIOR EFFORTS IN CREATING VOLTAGE SWEEP (VS) IMS SEPARATIONS HAVE UTILIZED EITHER STEPPED-POTENTIAL OR MULTIPLEXED VS METHODS THAT DO NOT ATTAIN THE HIGH-RESOLUTION OR HIGH-SPEED SEPARATIONS REQUIRED FOR MANY IMS APPLICATIONS. UTILIZATION OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD-BASED IMS CELLS (WITH MINIMAL CIRCUIT TRACING TO REDUCE CAPACITANCE) AND APPLICATION OF HIGH VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS (CAPABLE OF 500 V/MS SLEW RATES) ENABLE SINGLE-RUN VSIMS METHODS WHICH CAN PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMS RESOLUTION AND PEAK CAPACITY. PARASITIC LOSSES OF IONS THROUGH THE GATING PROCESS UNDER LOW-FIELD CONDITIONS CAN BE MITIGATED THROUGH USE OF PULSED IONIZATION SOURCES AND ELIMINATION OF THE ION GATE. PRIMARY AIMS ARE TO (1) DEVELOP A SINGLE-RUN VSIMS METHOD USING HIGH VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS TO ALLOW HIGH RESOLUTION, HIGH PEAK CAPACITY IMS SEPARATIONS; (2) EVALUATE THE UTILITY OF PULSED IONIZATION SOURCES WITH BOTH IMS AND MASS SPECTROMETRY (MS) WITH RESPECT TO ION FORMATION, KINETICS, AND SPECIATION; AND (3) UTILIZE PULSED SOURCES IN IMS SEPARATIONS TO AVOID GATE DEPLETION EFFECTS UNDER LOW-FIELD VOLTAGE SWEEP CONDITIONS. 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.

RUI: MOLECULAR TOPOLOGY DIRECTED MOLECULAR ASSEMBLY USING CRYSTALLINE QUASIRACEMATES

CAPACITY BUILDING: PREPARING TODAY'S SCIENTISTS TO BECOME TOMORROW'S TEACHERS

RUI: PROBING MOLECULAR RECOGNITION PROFILES VIA QUASIRACEMIC MATERIALS

EARMARKS

SAGE GROUSE SUMMER HABITAT STUDY

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: AN EQUITABLE, JUSTICE-FOCUSED ECOSYSTEM FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST SECONDARY CS TEACHING -THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY, AND WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY WILL BRING TOGETHER LEADERS OF PRE-SERVICE PROGRAMS, COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (CSTA) CHAPTERS, EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICTS (ESD), CTE DIRECTORS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND RESEARCHERS TO REALIZE JUSTICE-FOCUSED SECONDARY CS EDUCATION IN WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND IDAHO. SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY NEED MORE SECONDARY COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SHARE THE IDENTITIES, VALUES, AND LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE STUDENTS THEY TEACH. HOWEVER, PATHWAYS FOR PREPARING AND SUPPORTING COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS ARE ONLY JUST EMERGING, AND MANY ARE STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT PROMISING TEACHERS INTO THE PROFESSION AND RETAIN THEM LONG TERM. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO SERVE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHO ARE WOMEN, AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HISPANICS, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND/OR DISABLED, SPECIFICALLY BY CREATING PATHWAYS INTO COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHING FOR TEACHERS WITH THESE IDENTITIES. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A CONSORTIUM OF EMERGING PRE-SERVICE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO ADDRESS, STRENGTHEN, AND MATURE COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHING PATHWAYS IN FOUR WAYS: 1) ORGANIZING AND SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT TEACHING PATHWAYS, 2) IDENTIFYING AND RESOLVING KEY BARRIERS TO PATHWAYS THAT ASPIRING TEACHERS FACE, 3) SUPPORTING COMPUTERS SCIENCE TEACHER COMMUNITY BUILDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW AND EXISTING COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CHAPTERS, AND 4) SUPPORTING ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERS WHO MANAGE AND GROW THESE PATHWAYS. THE CSFORALL HIGH SCHOOL STRAND PROJECT?S APPROACH IS TO BUILD AN EVIDENCE-BASED NETWORKED IMPROVEMENT COMMUNITY, WHICH DEEPLY ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE REGION TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE, DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION PRACTICES, AND USE RESEARCH AS ONE TOOL OF MANY TO INFORM APPROACHES TO CHANGE. RESEARCH WILL PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON ANSWERING 1) WHO IS AND ISN?T INFORMED ABOUT CS TEACHING PATHWAYS, AND WHY; 2) WHAT BARRIERS ASPIRING TEACHER WITH IDENTITIES MARGINALIZED IN CS FACE IN PURSUING CS TEACHING CAREERS; 3) HOW COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AMONGST TEACHERS WITH MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES CAN SUPPORT TEACHER RETENTION; AND 4) HOW SOLIDARITY AMONGST TEACHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERS CAN SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY OF PATHWAYS. THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE POSED ACROSS URBAN AND RURAL DIVIDES, HELPING TO INFORM HOW VALUES, COMMUNITIES, AND STATE POLITICS SHAPE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 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.

FY 2012 SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - BOULDER

CONFERENCE: 2020 PACIFIC NORTHWEST SUMMER CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE; WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY; JULY 15-18, 2020