|
University of West Alabama’s Black Belt Museum develop 3D printed face shields using HEERF funds.
Submission by Karen Epps, director of the Higher Education Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
The University of West Alabama’s (UWA) Black Belt Museum allocated institutional Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to develop 3D printed face shields and shifted its focus from class field trips and guest lectures to a technology-based solution that directly impacted the safety of students, staff, and the local community. With the Black Belt Museum’s two 3D printers, and borrowed 3D printers from the University Charter School, UWA’s College of Education and Robotics Lab, the museum has printed over 1,600 face shields and counting. The Black Belt Museum’s first batch of face shields landed at the Livingston Fire and Rescue Squad. In addition, Grove Hill’s police department, along with their emergency services and Rush Medical Center nurses, received delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Black Belt Museum over several weeks. Since the beginning, face shields have been distributed to the following counties: Lauderdale in Mississippi, Sumter, Hale, Greene, Pickens, Clarke, Marengo, Wilcox, Dallas in Alabama and even to Essex County in New Jersey.
Submission by Karen Epps, director of the Higher Education Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
The performance period for all ERU (HEERF) grant recipients with awards in open status and a $1,000 balance or more will be automatically extended to June 30, 2023. When the Federal Register Notice publishes later this year, it will serve as the institution’s new grant award notification (GAN). All institutions of higher education that received HEERF (a)(2) grant awards can use the funds for construction, renovation, and the acquisition of real property. This is applicable to:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), ALN 84.425J
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), ALN 84.425K
- Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), ALN 84.425L
- Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) ALN 84.425M
Prior approval is required for grantees to use the funds for construction, renovation, and the acquisition of real property. ERU will host webinars to review the new requirements with applicable HEERF grant recipients. Grantees may contact the HEERF Customer Care Center at HEERF@ed.gov or at (202) 377-3711.
UTEP brought together their Yes, SHE Can! and Upward Bound programs to develop DNA necklaces.
Submission by Dr. Bernadette Hence, director of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP)
The University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) Yes, SHE Can! program is working hard to increase enrollment of women and minorities pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Uniquely, the program's funding is now a joint effort between two ED-funded programs, MSEIP and Upward Bound. Programs funded by MSEIP focus on increasing minorities’ interest in STEM, increasing persistence in STEM academic fields to graduation, and increasing students’ financial literacy. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.
To meet the challenges posed by the pandemic, UTEP combined the two programs’ resources to create and maintain highly interactive experiences for students at the school. The program uses a virtual platform for mentorship meetings, matching students with STEM professionals for weekly sessions and STEM development workshops. These events evolved into a STEM workshop series. UTEP offered 400 El Paso area high school students quality STEM programming and strong opportunities.
UTEP personnel delivered a virtual biochemistry lesson to four groups of 40 high school students in the UTEP Upward Bound program, teaching students to collect deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from their mouths and extract the DNA with chemicals. Each student created a unique DNA necklace to wear and show off.
Diane Golding, director of the Yes, SHE Can! program, sees the success stories. “Our most recent workshop engaged 50 high school seniors who participate in the Upward Bound program, and their parents, on topics to facilitate their fiscal success as they become university students and beyond," she said.
Golding is very excited for the future of the partnership. “As we look to how to sustain the mission of the Yes, SHE Can! grant, our talented students have decided that the future is in their hands, and it is indeed!” she said. Led by sophomore Ruby Ryan, one of the MSEIP research assistants, the Yes, SHE Can! Student Organization has been formed and become a reality. This helps achieve a goal of providing support for other students, including incoming Upward Bound participants, in reaching their dreams in STEM.
 Submission by Jymece Seward, analyst for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
The Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus, Student and Teacher Integrated Center for Health Sciences (STICHES), hosted a STEM DAY in October 2021.
The STEM DAY targeted college and high school students from health sciences academies. Approximately 150 high school students were transported to Kendall Campus, where many departments across the college, as well as external vendors, collaborated to create a vibrant atmosphere where students learned and explored different educational pathways and career opportunities. Some of the departments present were Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Mathematics, Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Student Services, Recruitment, and Advising. The STEM Day also featured a HoloHuman presentation by STICHES, which displayed the potential for mixed virtual-augmented reality instruction that will be used in curriculum for the upcoming 2022 summer semester. Current students presenting research were also present, detailing their studies and speaking to visiting high school students about the importance of conducting research and the positive aspects of research projects.
Learn more about Miami Dade College and the STICHES program here.
 Submission by Carolyn Collins, analyst for International Foreign Language and Education (IFLE)
Former Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow, Terrell Starr, is currently in Kyiv reporting on the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. While a student at the University of Illinois’ Center for Global Studies, Terrell studied Georgian and Russian with the support of several FLAS fellowships. He applies those languages and area studies skills on a daily basis through his work as a journalist for Foreign Policy and as a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Terrell provided a first-hand look at the situation in Kyiv during a CNN interview on February 25th.
To see the interview visit: https://twitter.com/GoGlobalED/status/1497233683140550658?s=20&t=sUHFJeY-4q3SwH9mspXlvw
|
