Catalyst Project: Enhancing Undergraduate Research, Innovation and Education in Engineering and Computer Science – Integration of Smart Sensors Design to Citizens Science

Delaware State University, Dover DE

Investigators

Abstract

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Delaware State University satisfies the requirements of a catalyst project in that it promises to implement a novel approach to STEM education and research at the institution. Moreover, the project provides the PI with the opportunity to obtain preliminary results for the development of a research project that studies the impact of his interdisciplinary and inter-institutional/community approach for developing next-generation, undergraduate student researchers. In this project, the PI proposes an undergraduate research, innovation and education, infusion program, connected with citizen’s science. The project promised to empower and prepare students at Delaware State University for the next-generation STEM workforce. This infusion program will bring together next-generation smart sensing technologies for environmental and human health, and advance manufacturing. These novel technologies are generally low-power, lightweight, portable and able to be deployed on ubiquitous platforms, including residential, urban or agricultural, and industrial locations. Several such technologies may include sensing and continuous monitoring of required physical, chemical or biological environments. These sensing systems when coupled with advanced manufacturing technologies, e.g. high-precision 3-D printing for human skin-electronic interface, or bio-compatible wearable sensors, can shift the paradigm of our interaction, and understanding of the outside world. The broader impacts of this project includes undergraduate research, education and DEL-AWARE Citizens Science program that will involve various stakeholders, including diverse participants from academia, local environmental agencies/organizations, community group of participants from academia, local environmental agencies/organizations, communities, schools, hospitals and health services in the State of Delaware. 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.