Research Experience In Tissue Engineering Science and Technology

University Of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Investigators

Abstract

This award will enable the Principal Investigator (PI) to support a Tissue Engineering Science and Technology summer school project for underrepresented minorities students in STEM. The summer school is designed to create a class room environment aimed to provide participants with hands-on research experience and focused training and mentoring for underrepresented minority/women students in the emerging field of tissue engineering. The hierarchy-based learning environment involves the principle investigator, graduate students and undergraduates along with new recruits to develop strategies to design biomaterial structures, create tissues and tissue interfaces. During the summer, the participants will implement new designs and strategies to build their engineered tissue. The project will focus on promoting diversity in engineering, science and technology and will use a mentorship approach that involves providing research experience as well as mentoring participants in professional development, scientific writing, and communications skills development. Participants of this project will bring new knowledge and demos of prototypes to the classroom that will serve as a tool to create awareness in science and engineering technologies. The immediate benefits would include promotion of STEM careers and address long-term workforce diversity issues in the biomedical science/ engineering related areas. This award will allow the PI to implement a successful mentoring program and create laboratory mentoring demonstrations to attract minority/women students in STEM careers. The PI has both a successful track record and the resources necessary to successfully implement this highly rewarding education grant. 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.