REU Site: A Summer Research Program that Integrates Deaf, Hearing and Sign Language Interpreting Participants to Advance Chemistry Research and to Enhance Science Communication

James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award to James Madison University (JMU), located in Harrisonburg, VA, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2018-2020. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Science Directorate, Professors Kevin Caran, Christine Hughey, and colleagues in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry host an REU site that integrates deaf, hard of hearing (D/HH), and sign language-interpreting students in chemical research. JMU faculty members provide research opportunities in all major sub-disciplines of chemistry, with expertise centered in synthesis, biophysical chemistry and materials. In addition, students participate in a series of professional development activities aimed at enhancing effective science communication with other chemists, scientists in other disciplines, the public, and those with communication disorders (e.g. deaf and hard-of-hearing). Participants include students and faculty from JMU and outside institutions that serve deaf students or institutions that do not have extensive research infrastructure. By involving students in all aspects of the research process, from experimental design to dissemination of results, this program aims to lower the barriers, particularly for D/HH students, that hinder the pursuit of graduate studies in STEM fields. The JMU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides research opportunities for D/HH students and faculty. The students participate in a variety of research projects. Some examples include: the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to formaldehyde, the development of hybrid materials for photovoltaic applications, and the use of molecular dynamics to elucidate the mechanisms of the binding of ubiquitin to its substrate protein. D/HH participants are supported with professional American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and student interpreters in both professional and social settings. This immersive experience provides interpreting students the opportunity to learn and work in a science environment with the goal of developing professional interpreters with experience in the laboratory. In addition to the full-time student interpreters, additional ASL-interpreting students are invited to campus to observe the REU program for one week. The incorporation of these students expands the impact of the program by exposing a larger number of interpreting students to the challenges and opportunities involved in deaf communication in chemistry laboratories. All REU hearing participants, including faculty and students from outside colleges and universities, benefit from interactions with D/HH students and faculty, as hearing participants gain an appreciation for the challenges and opportunities associated with the inclusion of persons with disabilities. As a result of these interactions, this REU program aims to lower barriers for collaboration between these groups in the future. 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.