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The Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center

The Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Mary T. Berry The University of South Dakota July 26, 2006. NPURC GOAL (Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center). To integrate research into the entire 4 years of the undergraduate curriculum.

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The Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center

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  1. The Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center Mary T. Berry The University of South Dakota July 26, 2006

  2. NPURC GOAL(Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center) • To integrate research into the entire 4 years of the undergraduate curriculum. • To transform the regional culture for undergraduate research in chemical education.

  3. NPURC Partners • Eight principally undergraduate institutions (PUI) • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Battelle Science and Technology International www.usd.edu/npurc

  4. How will we build collaboration and sustain communication among NPURC partners?

  5. Hold Symposia & Meetings • Summer kick-off • Rotating friday luncheons • End-of-summer symposium • Sioux Valley Section of the ACS • National Conference on Undergraduate Research • Faculty Workshops

  6. Hold Symposia & Meetings (Summer Symposium July 2005)

  7. Strategy: How to achieve our goal • Capitalize on the interests of a research active faculty. • Build inter-institutional Research Clusters as resource and support groups. • Build infrastructure and culture for on-site research at each PUI.

  8. S R ' R'-SH C H O + H N-R N - R 2 Primary C H O amino acid Fluorescent o-phthaldehyde OPA Research Clusters • Biologically Active Molecules: Synthesis, Characterization & Analytical Detection

  9. Research Clusters 2. Photodynamics

  10. Research Clusters 3. Nanostructured Materials & Surface Phenomena

  11. Research Clusters 4. Ionic Liquids: Synthesis, Characterization, and New Applications in Chemistry

  12. Research Clusters 5. Natural Products: Isolation, Derivatization, and Applications

  13. Research Clusters 6. Chemical Education:Undergraduate Research Models and Assessment

  14. Project Elements • Curricular revision (Gen Chem Lab, plus) • Symposia – frequent meetings • Introduction-to-research workshops (1 week) • Multi-user (multi-institutional) instrumentation facility • Intensive on-site research • Faculty workshops on seeking external funding • Professional development for advanced students.

  15. Assessment • Each project element has its own well-defined, easily-measurable objective. These objectives are directly related to the overall NPURC goal: “To effect a regional transformation of the role of undergraduate research into an integral part of the entire four years of the undergraduate curriculum.”

  16. Assessment Tools • Minimally invasive • Tightly focused • Specifically designed to determine if the project elements were implemented as planned and to determine to what extent the objective was met.

  17. Curricular Revision • Students work in groups to research questions arising from the NPURC Research Clusters. • Reports are published on the web (electronic journal) and are available to all other NPURC students enrolled in the revised courses.

  18. Examples of Curricular Revision • Fall 2005 (Pilot) • Honors Chemistry Lab: 20 students at Augustana College. Four week project on ionic liquids deriving from the Ionic Liquids Research Cluster. Students were asked to investigate and report on the properties of a set of novel ionic liquids synthesized by summer research students.

  19. Examples of Curricular Revision • Spring 2006 • General Chemistry Labs: 145 students at USD and AC. Investigated properties of Augustana’s ionic liquids.

  20. Examples of Curricular Revision • Spring 2006 -Honors Chemistry Lab: 24 students at USD. Synthesis and testing of luminescent host molecules (anthraquinone derivatives) for detection of heavy metal ions in solution

  21. Introduction to Research Workshops • Summer 2005 Pilot on Natural Products • Summer 2006 • Natural Products • Ionic Liquids

  22. IntensiveOn-siteResearch

  23. Intensive On-site Research • Summer 2006 • 24 faculty and 40 students on 8 campuses conducting full-time research relevant to the 6 inter-institutional Research Clusters. • 11 faculty and 23 students fully supported by NPURC for travel, supplies, & stipends.

  24. Acknowledgement • National Science Foundation (Undergraduate Research Center and Research Experiences for Undergraduates) • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation (Special Grants in the Chemical Sciences)

  25. Supplementary Slides

  26. Assessment Example Intensive On-Site Research Goal: There will be an immediate increase in the level of on-site research activity at the partner institutions and in the number of first and second-year students who are engaged in that activity. There will be a further increase in external funding for undergraduate research at NPURC as research groups graduate from NPURC support to external support.

  27. Assessment Example Curricular Reform • Goal:Students participating in the revised laboratory courses will have an increased awareness and appreciation for the practice of science; they will be more prepared for intensive research experiences; they will have greater motivation to pursue further undergraduate research opportunities; they will be more aware of research at their own school; they will develop a technical skill set superior to that of students in traditional laboratory courses.

  28. C.R. Assessment Breakdown Students participating in the revised laboratory courses : • will have an increased awareness and appreciation for the practice of science; (not yet assessed) • they will be more prepared for intensive research experiences; (not yet assessed)

  29. C.R. Assessment Breakdown Students participating in the revised laboratory courses: • will have greater motivation to pursue further undergraduate research opportunities;

  30. C.R. Assessment Breakdown Students participating in the revised laboratory courses : • will have an increased awareness and appreciation for the practice of science; (not yet assessed) • they will be more prepared for intensive research experiences; (not yet assessed)

  31. C.R. Assessment Breakdown Students participating in the revised laboratory courses : -will be more aware of research at their own school;

  32. C.R. Assessment Breakdown Students participating in the revised laboratory courses : -will develop a technical skill set superior to that of students in traditional laboratory courses. (partially assessed)

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