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Enhancing Awareness and Understanding of the Biomedical Sciences in Wyoming

A program to transform biomedical education and outreach.
Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health

 

        I.  Purpose:

• Increase public appreciation and awareness of the scientific and technological foundations, processes and benefits of biomedical research.
• Increase knowledge of interdisciplinary biomedical sciences in grade 7-9 students.
• Inspire students to continue in the educational pipeline and prepare for a professional career in the biomedical sciences.
• Contribute to continuing teacher education and integrate inquiry-based learning modules in the biomedical sciences into the grade 7-9 curriculum.
• Provide non-traditional teaching and learning opportunities to masters and doctoral level students to enhance the graduate experience and increase their competitive success in the workforce.
• Develop, strengthen and sustain partnerships between the Wyoming biomedical industry and UW.

II. Deliverables:

1. Teams composed of graduate student assistants, faculty and teachers will develop and deliver:

• Community-based biomedical science awareness units.  Multimedia presentations will survey relevant examples of discovery and application in the biomedical sciences.  Units will be presented around the state in community workshops and via distance delivery technologies.  Units will contribute to societal literacy and public understanding of complex health-related issues.  This is vital to the public's ability to appreciate the contributions of biomedical sciences to societal progress and to make rational decisions regarding complex health issues.
• Develop learning modules for 7-9 grades.  Comprehensive learning modules on topics in biomedical discovery will motivate and prepare students for self-directed learning and nurture an appreciation for innovation and problem solving.  A better understanding of the scientific approach will contribute to citizenship skills, general literacy and instill enthusiasm for biomedical science.  The learning modules will emphasize interdisciplinary processes, relationships inquiry and systemic thinking.  Complete, autonomous modules will include lesson plans, materials, background information, experiments, and assessment guidelines that define measurable goals.  Principles will focus on learning to identify significant questions for investigation, developing an appropriate hypothesis-driven experimental design, unbiased and reproducible data gathering, creative analysis, dealing with imperfect or unexpected results, utilization of new approaches, the value of the literature (learning from past research), planning further investigation of problems, and dissemination of results.  Educational materials will be consistent with state standards for each grade level and will integrate reading, writing, math and communication skills.  On a competitive basis students will also be able to apply for summer internship experiences at UW and with cooperating public and private entities in the biomedical arena.

2. Wyoming students will be motivated and prepared for competitive success in higher education.  Future competitiveness in the biomedical sciences is absolutely dependent upon advanced training.  Students and communities will gain an understanding of opportunities for diverse biomedical science careers and the excitement and fulfillment gained from discovery and application.  Information on the requirements for entry into biomedical science careers and how to develop an educational plan to achieve professional status in the field will be provided to students and parents.
3. Graduate student number will be bolstered.  Graduate fellowships will be competitively awarded to increase the quality and quantity of UW students in the biomedical sciences.  This will contribute to the critical mass of students and enhance research productivity.  Students will be responsible for developing and delivering awareness units and learning modules in lieu of formal university teaching requirements.  They will participate in discovery based research in conjunction with UW faculty and adjunct advisors in the industry.
4. Graduate student experience will be enhanced through community service.  Participation in this program will foster an attitude of community service and provide an opportunity to interact in the public school system and public arena.  These experiences will significantly enhance graduate program outcomes compared with traditional programs.
5. Increase teacher education in the sciences.  Teachers will have the opportunity to participate in summer internships at UW or with biomedical industries, enroll in graduate level courses in the sciences and participate in summer workshops.  The Graduate School will provide tuition and fee waivers for participating teachers enrolled in graduate courses at UW.
6. Establish and sustain mutually beneficial liaisons between the biomedical industry and UW.  This program will be leveraged to increase interactions between present and future UW faculty and the private sector.  The synergy will result in better communication, increased interdisciplinary biomedical research productivity and, ultimately, contributions to health care in Wyoming.  Ad hoc members of graduate committees may be selected from professionals in the private sector to complement traditional faculty advising.
7. Contribute to increasing student matriculation into science and, especially, to increasing the participation of women and minorities.  This project will increase awareness of the biomedical science career opportunities for women and minorities and processes involved in career choice.
8. Accountability and assessment.  The program will be evaluated on a defined timeframe to ensure effectiveness and productivity.

Tentative Time Table

Comments and Suggestions

For further information, please contact Don Roth at rothdon@uwyo.edu or 307-766-3796.