Implementation Project: Transforming Computational STEM Education at Claflin University

Claflin University, Orangeburg SC

Investigators

Abstract

Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate program provide support to design, implement, study and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Claflin University focuses on the disciplines of biology, chemistry, computer science and mathematics to provide an array of computational technologies in order to support and educate the next-generation of data scientists who can work in a multi-disciplinary environment. Claflin University has a proven record of graduating a significant number of African-American students in STEM fields and through this implementation project that number is projected to increase. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation. The goals of the proposed project are to increase graduation and placement rates of students in the STEM workforce; to infuse research and education in a STEM-based computational curriculum; to promote computational science research to improve the quality of experiences and prepare STEM students to compete in a global society; and to use the strengths and assets of core partners to propel students towards a STEM career. The project will create relationships with federal and national laboratories, industry and other universities. The project involves faculty and undergraduate students to conduct research in the areas of metabolites and biomolecules using analytical instrumentation and methodology; in methods for retrieving and analyzing biological data; as well as in optimization, computational complexity, statistical modeling and machine learning.