NSF Award
2306799
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based, innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs and/or careers. The goal of this project is to incorporate data science and analytics (DSA) into the honors curriculum and co-curricular experiences in the College of Arts and Science at Howard University, targeting the disciplines of Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Psychology, Political Science and Economics.<br/><br/>This project’s DSA content development activities will be guided by the incorporation of Competency-Based Education and Problem-Based Learning, both regarded as high impact practices that attract and retain high-achieving students. The project will develop four modules – Introduction to Data Science and Research Methodology; Data Transformation and Analytics; Data Visualization and Machine Learning; and Artificial Intelligence – that include exciting and innovative methods, assignments, projects, and experiences. The curriculum will prepare over 400 COAS Honors students annually for applied research and STEM-related graduate school opportunities and ultimately develop a diverse DSA workforce. The project will also provide research opportunities for undergraduate students historically underrepresented in STEM and other fields to address health, economic, and environmental issues impacting local and global minority communities, using DSA to identify current and future solutions. In addition, the project will offer a DSA research study abroad experience for two cohorts of honor student researchers to travel to Ghana to incorporate DSA research focusing on the three theme areas of Health Disparities, Gender Equity, and Environmental Justice. The research findings will be disseminated to the broader research community and policymakers (through conferences and publications) to bring policies and provide solutions impacting minority communities globally.<br/><br/>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.
