Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Research
- Fisk University
Co-Author(s): Natalie Arnett, Steven Damo, Sanjukta Hota, Qingxia Li, Sajid Hussain, Glenroy Martin, Brian Nelms, Lei Qian, Saumya Ramanathan, and Princilla Evans Morris, Fisk University
Fisk University engaged in an interdisciplinary approach to increasing student strengths in baseline mathematics courses and supplementary instruction in critical gatekeeper courses in order to support deeper student learning and persistence in STEM majors and transition to post-graduate STEM training and careers. Simultaneously, we have increased the ability of students to behave as scientists by introducing authentic research into course-associated laboratories and increasing faculty research capacity to serve as academic year and summer research mentors for undergraduates. The interdisciplinary STEM focus of our efforts has led to an awareness of the importance of quantitative and computational confidence and competence across all sciences, but particularly in the biological sciences, transformed by the genomic revolution. Current efforts are focused on increasing faculty and student efficacy in quantitative and computational skills and their broad application as we evolve a focus on Quantitative and Computational Life Sciences at Fisk, with aligned new major and minor disciplines for students to engage in.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): NSF HRD 1332284
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,