NSF Award
0927900
Project Abstract<br/>Project Title: PRISM - Building Undergraduate Innovations in Lower Divisions in STEM (BUILD-STEM)<br/>Science, Technology. Engineering and Mathematics<br/>Savannah State University<br/>(Dr. Mulatu Lemma, PI)<br/><br/>The Project, "PRISM-Building Undergraduate Innovations in Lower Divisions in STEM (BUILD-STEM)" under the NSF's PRISM Program, aims to improve the interest and experience of freshmen and sophomores in mathematics and other science and technology courses in order to better prepare them as STEM majors and thus to increase the number of well-prepared undergraduate majors and minors in the mathematical sciences and other sciences or engineering disciplines. The project will involve collaboration between Savannah State faculty faculty in mathematics, engineering and environmental science. It will also be in collaboration with Georgia Tech and regional industries. This project will, in addition to providing scholarships to 30 students per year, incorporate major activities such as recruitment/retention, interdisciplinary curriculum enhancement (mathematics, environmental science and engineering), mentoring, research, and discovery learning. This project will demonstrate the importance of mathematics and its critical and fundamental interrelatedness to other STEM disciplines. <br/><br/><br/>This project will impact student success by engaging lower division students in a broad spectrum of new and innovative hands-on and interactive teaching, discovery learning and mentoring practices. The project will directly support best practices in learning, teaching and training. As a HBCU, SSU is committed to increase the number of underrepresented students who enter the STEM professional workforce and advance to STEM graduate programs. This project will contribute to meet the present and future STEM professional needs of industry, business, and government and teaching institutions in the country.
