Grambling State News

GRAMBLING, La. – July 11, 2024 – Grant funding received from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) HBCU-UP program will allow Grambling State University’s (GSU) ability to branch out even further in continuing to produce highly prepared and competitive STEM graduates who are equipped to meet workforce needs.

The NSF’s total intended award amount for GSU in this grant is $3 million, with $1,190,813 confirmed to be already obligated for 2024 and 2025. Contingent on the availability of funds and scientific progress of the project, NSF expects to continue support at approximately the following levels — $590,965 for 2026; $620,381 for 2027; and $597,841 for 2028.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Connie Walton is the principal investigator for Grambling State’s grant project while Dr. Stacey A. Duhon, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and William McIntosh Endowed Professor in Liberal Arts, is the co-principal investigator.

“Some of these STEM graduates will continue their education in pursuit of a Ph.D. in a STEM field or a professional degree,” Walton said. “Many of the graduates will immediately enter the STEM workforce. The proposal, Leveraging Innovation and Discovery for STEM Success (LIDSS), that was funded was developed two years ago by a team of GSU STEM faculty and the retired Dean of the College of Business.

“The focus of this NSF funded project is to enhance the ability of Grambling State University to prepare highly competitive STEM graduates to meet the challenges present in an ever-changing world.”

Walton said discovery and innovation are the core of the design of each project activity.

“The premise is Discovery and Innovation that engages students in inquiry-based learning will lead to a higher level of STEM success for both students and faculty,” Walton said. “The results of these interventions should be of great interest to educators.  A Biennial Symposium will be hosted by LIDSS to engage communities at the national level in discussions related to educational strategies that support no community being left behind.”

Components of this grant-funded project include establishing an Entrepreneurship Academy, a STEM Research Initiative, a STEM Student Success Initiative, a STEM Pipeline Initiative, and a Social Science Research Program. It will transform the undergraduate experiences of STEM Students.

“The research capacity of STEM students and faculty will be elevated through collaborations with research labs and universities that have a strong research footprint,” Walton said. “LIDSS will seek to produce an entrepreneurial culture that will lead to a more diverse STEM business enterprise. This will be accomplished by infusing entrepreneurial training into existing courses, establishing an undergraduate certificate program in STEM Entrepreneurship, and creating a Makerspace.

“This project will implement strategies that are meant to reverse the negative impact the pandemic has had on learning at all levels. The number of STEM students who are veterans at GSU will be increased by implementing an aggressive recruitment plan that will utilize our current veteran STEM majors as ambassadors.”

Walton said those ambassadors will utilize the three components of STEM Pipeline Activity to utilize the grant funding to grow the field. The components include a summer program targeting third-eighth grade students; a summer program that targets ninth-11th grade students and their teachers; and visits to elementary and secondary schools during the school year.

Summer programs will be offered for the grade levels of third-fifth and sixth-eighth. The outreach program will be non-residential and last for two weeks. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on STEM activities while enhancing their critical thinking skills and math skills.

According to a report by McKinsey & Company, the pandemic widened preexisting opportunity and achievement gaps, and resulted in the school year ending with most students of color having six months of unfinished learning in math.

The summer program for these students will be structured to use a problem-based learning approach. Participants will find solutions to real world problems. Summer participants completed projects using the R language (a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics) to analyze data obtained from various sources including social media.

Projects selected for summer participants in this proposed outreach activity will have a data analytics component. This will require students to utilize mathematical skills that range from basic algebra to higher level math that is appropriate for the grade level. At the end of the program, each team will be required to give a presentation on their project.

The component for ninth–11th grade students and their STEM teachers will see teachers in schools invited to participate in a two-week, non-residential summer program.

Each STEM teacher will be required to attend the program with four of their students. The summer program will focus on artificial intelligence and require the building of robots, drones, or special types of vehicles that can perform specific functions. Each week the teams will give a digital presentation that addresses the successes and challenges encountered in meeting the milestones that were in place for that week. At the end of the summer program, each team will give a poster presentation that will be a part of the closing event.

Teachers will be expected to implement this project into their classes during the school year. Each teacher will receive a kit that contains some of the essential things needed for the project. A GSU STEM/education faculty team will visit the schools to evaluate the integration of artificial intelligence-themed projects into the curriculum.

For elementary and secondary school students, GSU STEM students and STEM faculty will visit schools in the surrounding areas. The purpose of the visits will be to allow students to engage with GSU STEM students in simple and non-hazardous scientific experiments. Faculty will observe and help teach the activities.

These visits will coincide with nationally recognized celebrations that include chemistry, cybersecurity, and engineering weeks. The GSU STEM students that are a part of the visits will come from similar backgrounds as the students at those schools. The GSU Students will share how pursuing a STEM degree has provided new opportunities. These visits will target increasing the interest in STEM as well as increasing the probability the student will pursue a STEM degree in college.

This funded project will be managed by the College of Arts and Sciences and housed in GSU’s Center of Academic Excellence in Mathematical Achievement for Science and Technology (CMAST).  The activities supported by this funding will be implemented by GSU STEM faculty. Some activities will be implemented in partnership with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and faculty in the College of Business.