Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Research Articles

Enhancing STEM Enrollment, Retention, and Graduation

JOHNNA SMITH, Dept of Mathematics, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, RAINA BURTON, Dept of Mathematics, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, QING WANG and KAREN ADAMS, Dept of Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443. Enhancing STEM enrollment, retention, and graduation: insights and strategies for student success. The objective of this study is to synthesize over 20 findings related to STEM success and its measurement to enhance student recruitment, retention, and graduation rates. Surveys were analyzed focusing on various student categories, including underrepresented minorities (URMs), high-achievers, low-income individuals, first-generation students, community college transfers, and gender diversity, among others. Our findings demonstrate that improving students’ self-efficacy and fostering a sense of belonging significantly contribute to their success and persistence in STEM. Consequently, programs such as undergraduate research opportunities, networking, seminars, summer bridge programs, field trips, and workshops are identified as crucial for enhancing students’ confidence and sense of belonging, thereby facilitating their success and perseverance in STEM fields. The project was supported by the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Grant (SOARS) from West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research and the NSF S-STEM Grant (award No. DUE-2130267).

156 Art as a Multiplier of Science Communication

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Scientists are increasingly confronted with 'science critical' #_msocom_1 belief systems. The politicization of science fuels hesitancy towards evidence-based therapies. To overcome these barriers, we aim to devise strategies to communicate clinical translational science (CTS) through art. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A two-year pilot artist-in-residency (AIR) program embedded in the Translational Research Immersion Program (TRIP). Since 2009, TRIP contributes to CTS Workforce Development (WD) through a 10-week mentored, curriculum-rich summer undergraduate research experience. Students are recruited from 5 regional institutions, 6 HBCUs, and the University of Puerto Rico. AIR is composed of 3 phases: the “Immersive Phase” where the artist gains intensive exposure to the scientific process through the lived experience of TRIP students, the “Productive Phase” where the artist conceptualizes the process of CTS into works of art, and the “Engagement Phase” where the CTS workforce, artists, and community members coalesce around science-to-art materializations. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In 2022 & 2023 the AIR participated in ~35hrs of CTS research seminars, panel discussions, and professional skills workshops. Additional TRIP student-AIR interaction occurred in focus groups including visits to mentor’s labs. An AIR-led workshop culminated in an Empowering CTS Communication event where TRIP students engaged with community members through elevator pitches of their CTS summer project on a speed-rotating basis. A month-long art-CTS exhibition planned for 3/2024 will feature contributions from AIR, TRIP students, and ITMAT community members. Qualitative insights were that TRIP is an effective art-science incubator, students strengthened their CTS communication skills, art functions as an icebreaker between science and communities with an ocean of opportunities for science education. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: AIR embedded into existing CTS WD programs is proposed as creative approach to strengthen the reputation of science in the public. CTS-informed art functions as connective tissue between public and CTS workforce. The hands-on experience to adopt art as a science communication tool is a powerful soft skill for the next generation of CTS investigators.

Modifying Summer Undergraduate Research Programs during COVID-19 Increased Graduate School Intentions but Exacerbated Anxieties.

COVID-19 created unprecedented challenges for college students, highlighting the need to provide educational contexts that foster well-being. Summer undergraduate research experiences (SUREs) constitute a high-impact practice, yet little systematic knowledge exists about how the first surge of COVID-19 influenced undergraduate researchers' well-being. This knowledge is important for preparing for future disruptions. This study applies the student well-being model (SWBM) to examine how SURE status (e.g., modification vs. cancellation) impacted students' mental health and graduate school intentions using primary survey data collected from U.S. undergraduate researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in Summer 2020 (n = 408, from 131 institutions). Just under half had their SURE canceled, and the others engaged in modified SUREs. Students whose SUREs were canceled had reduced anxiety severity (p < 0.05), but greater concerns about graduate school matriculation (p < 0.001), compared with students with modified SUREs. Results suggest that modified SUREs are a reasonable path forward under conditions where in-person contact is untenable. Results point toward potential improvements in higher education practices that may enhance student well-being following disruptive events. Program directors can address potential causes of anxiety in modified SUREs, advocate for student-centered adjustments to graduate admission processes, and use experiences during COVID-19 as a springboard to broaden participation in undergraduate research.

Mentoring is not “Short-Term”: effective continuing mentoring strategies for undergraduate short-term summer program participants after the research experience

Short-term summer research experiences are a “crash-course” in unique research and mentoring opportunities. Mentoring by research faculty is a key component to short-term summer undergraduate research experiences through laboratory training, one-on-one mentoring, and overall engagement in the program. Faculty members also encourage retention of these scholars in research areas. However, continuing mentorship beyond the brevity of the experience is often difficult for both the faculty mentor and the mentee, particularly if they are at different institutions. The UAB kidney, urology, and non-malignant hematology (KUH) undergraduate research experience (KURE) has been active since 2014 and since 2018 as an NIH-funded R25 Program focused on kidney research and interdisciplinary KUH experiences. UAB KURE has trained over 99 scholars (33% underrepresented in biomedical sciences) in individualized kidney physiology and pathophysiology research as well as clinical experiences. The KURE scholars were individually matched with a faculty mentor and daily supervisors or near peers to support the project and research experience. Over 32 UAB faculty members have mentored a KURE scholar in this short-term experience with 72% (23 of 32) faculty members being a mentor for 2 or more summer experiences. Many in the UAB KURE cohorts have developed a strong bond with the mentor and KUH community at UAB. Those scholars continue in research either at a distance or in future summers, a number return as gap year interns, and many are in communication for future career direction or support. This on-going mentoring and engagement with KURE Scholars as a near peer and a faculty mentor requires time and focus. Determining the most effective means and resources to continue mentoring summer scholars in the long-term is an important consideration. Continual mentoring of summer undergraduate KURE scholars has a critical impact in retaining these scholars and increasing the diversity of researchers and clinicians in the KUH larger community. Through one-on-one qualitative interviews and quantitative survey analysis, we investigated the key aspects of ongoing mentoring of short-term research scholars. We will present methods, metrics, and models for ongoing mentoring, as well as the complex nature and significance of this ongoing mentoring after the summer experience to those scholars who are underrepresented in medicine. Funded by R25 DK115353 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Alcoholism and Risk of Lung Cancer in Observational Studies: A Systematic Review

ObjectivesHeavy drinking increases the risk of many chronic diseases. Alcoholics are those with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), characterized by excessive consumption of alcohol, alcohol abuse behavior and/or dependence. In addition, they often have micronutrient deficiencies due to poor diet, which increases their risk for lung cancer and other chronic diseases. Heavy drinking was reported to be a possible risk factor for lung cancer, although smokers also tend to be drinkers. Given that previous reviews often included alcoholics, not clinically diagnosed, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the current evidence on associations of clinically diagnosed AUD with risk of lung cancer incidence or mortality reported in observational studies.MethodsFirst, in January of 2022, we conducted a systematic literature review via PubMed using the search terms: alcoholism, lung cancer, and risk or morbidity or mortality. The search was limited to human studies published in English from 2000 to present. The inclusion criteria were original observational studies with clinical diagnoses of AUD or treatment for alcoholism and lung cancer incidence or mortality in a non-lung cancer population. Second, we selected original studies included in a previous meta-analysis of alcoholics and lung cancer by Korte et al. published in 2002 that met the inclusion criteria.ResultsA total of 1250 articles were retrieved via PubMed, of which three met the inclusion criteria. From the Korte's meta-analysis, six out of eleven articles met inclusion criteria. These nine articles included a total of 3,050 lung cancer cases with over 234,715 participants (mostly white males) from nine studies conducted in 1925–2012. For all studies, alcoholics had an increased risk of lung cancer compared to non-alcoholics by 2% to 300%, which were statistically significant in five studies. The majority did not adjust for smoking or other lifestyle factors.ConclusionsOverall, an increased risk of lung cancer was observed among those with AUD compared with those without AUD. These associations are complicated by smoking and poor diet, which most studies did not account for. Future research needs to consider these factors and include more non-white and female participants.Funding SourcesThis study was funded by the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Science Program at Oregon State University.

Innovations in Undergraduate Research Training Through Multisite Collaborative Programming: American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Syndicate.

BackgroundTo support diversity in biomedical science, the American Heart Association launched the Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds to provide mentorship and high‐level exposure at 5 leading medical institutions. Here we describe the initial formation of the partnership and the alteration made in response to the program to accommodate COVID‐19 safety precautions.Methods and ResultsWe outline how programming shifted from local, in‐person programming in the summer of 2019 to a collaborative, mainly virtual curriculum in 2020 using students’ self‐reported before and after surveys from both 2019 (n=33) and 2020 (n=42). Students from both in‐person (2019) and virtual programs (2020) self‐reported significant gains in scientific proficiency. A qualitative‐directed content analysis of student open‐response questions was performed. Students reported extensive benefits from the 2020 virtual training, including Personal Gains, Research Skills, Thinking and Working Like a Scientist, and Attitudes and Behaviors. Notedly, we observed increases in the Attitudes and Behaviors category. We outline the pros and cons of in‐person and virtual programming and make recommendations moving forward in a postpandemic world with hybrid work and learning systems.ConclusionsOur effort informs the development of future undergraduate research training programs, significantly maximizing a hybrid training modality. The American Heart Association Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences serves as a model for building multi‐institutional partnerships and providing research experiences that overcome institutional barriers and support students' interests, commitment, and ability to persist in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP): A Virtual Research Experience to Deliver REAL (Retention, Equity, Access, and Life-Changing) Outcomes for Underrepresented Minorities in STEM.

ABSTRACTSummer undergraduate research experiences (SUREs) provide important onramps to secondary STEM graduate degrees and subsequent careers. Studies demonstrate that these experiences increase the likelihood of students advancing to a graduate-level STEM degree, positively impact STEM identity and confidence, and imbue a sense of professional belonging. In 2020, COVID-19 shutdowns eliminated many in-person SUREs. In response, we launched the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP). While NSURP addressed an immediate need for a flexible research experience, we found that this model extends access to underrepresented minorities because it provides authentic research experiences for students who are unable to travel to a research location, and/or who have familial responsibilities that necessitate a flexible work model, and/or students facing financial challenges. What began as an emergency summer research program for undergraduates to address laboratory closures resulted in what we believe is a necessary and normalized addition to the undergraduate STEM training and preparation repertoire.

Supporting STEM transfer students through cross-institutional undergraduate research experiences

The impact and benefits of undergraduate research experiences (URE) in the first two years of post-secondary education have been well documented. Early exposure to research experiences is effective in recruitment, diversity and persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degree programs, particularly among underrepresented minority students. The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Course (SUREC) presented in this paper is a cross-institutional collaboration between a two-year college (2YC) and a four-year college (4YC), designed to expose 2YC transfer students to a rigorous 12-week URE focused on geosciences. Findings from the program evaluation indicate the SUREC increased transfer student’s STEM knowledge and skills, science identity, and self-efficacy. Twenty of the twenty-four SUREC participants, representing underrepresented and majority students alike, transferred to a 4YC to continue in geosciences or in a related STEM field within two-years of the URE. A strong cross-institutional collaboration that combined academic, financial, and mentoring support was key to enhancing transfer students’ URE experiences. Leveraging teaching and research expertise of 2YC adjuncts as emerging academics and educators was a hallmark of this program. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.2005510

Threshold and the consultation process

Here I had the opportunity to take part in the Acoustical Society of America’s (ASA) Summer Undergraduate Research or Internship Experience in Acoustics (SURIEA) Program. The program was designed for underrepresented minority groups in order to introduce them to the field of acoustics. After a two-week crash course I was able to experience what it was like working in an architectural acoustic consultation firm, and learn the extensive consultation process at Threshold. Not only that, but learning some of the programs, the methodology, skills, and purpose of Threshold as well. The impact of the program has certainly opened my eyes to the field of architectural acoustics, and how much work has to go into a project for the best possible outcome. In essence, I found the experience to be one of the most impact I had in my life.

Integrating Rubric-Based Metacognitive Reflection to Improve Scientific Research Presentations

Research mentors can play an active role in helping their students develop oral communication skills by implementing formative assessment activities in their group meetings. A rubric can be used as a formative assessment tool that helps a student understand the achievement target they are working toward, where they are relative to the achievement target, and how to close the gap between where they are and where they need to be. In this article, we present a rubric-based activity to help undergraduate students develop scientific oral communication skills during their summer undergraduate research experiences. Our approach uses a rubric of our own design to help guide students through metacognitive reflection to improve their oral presentations. Here, we present findings on the effectiveness of this rubric-based activity and discuss its implications on student growth. While our results focus on undergraduate student development in the research laboratory, we expect this activity can also be used in training graduate students to give effective scientific presentations.

Spreading Undergraduate Research Experiences across a Community College

This vignette discusses the impacts of undergraduate research experiences on the students of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) through models for course and summer undergraduate research experiences (CURE, SURE). For the CURE, NWTC instructors have joined the Tiny Earth Initiative (n.d.), a network of students and instructors that focuses on student sourcing of antibiotics from soil. A SURE was created in which students commit to an internship in virology research of 8 hours a week.

Software Developed to Facilitate Calibration of Tumor Growth Models

Impulsive ODEs can be used to model complex real-world behaviors such as tumor growth and provide insights into how therapies work. Additionally, these models can be enhanced through complementary software that is able to better manipulate the large sample spaces their parameters tend to have. This project seeks to develop a series of software to numerically solve multiple newly developed tumor models and facilitate the simulation of model calibrations against experimental data. The impulsive ODE solver is accomplished by using the Runge-Kutta method to approximate solutions to the models and leveraging computational power to achieve higher precision and speed. The series of software help with data input, output, transfer, speedy pick of optimal calibrations, and graphing in the simulation of a couple of tumor models. The project was supported by NIH Grant P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence and the Research Challenge Fund through a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research.

The undergraduate research pipeline at West Virginia University

Studies have demonstrated that involving undergraduates in research increases the probability that they will be retained within their STEM majors and graduate on time. Providing opportunities for students to engage in research aligns with institutional goals of enhanced student recruitment, increased student diversity, improved persistence, and high-quality graduates. At our institution, individual efforts to promote research through NSF and state-funded summer undergraduate research experiences were initiated but suffered from a lack of cohesion across STEM disciplines and the institution. Establishment of a centralized Office of Undergraduate Research has (i) increased the number of students who take part in research; (ii) expanded the disciplines served; and (iii) diversified the students who engage in research (e.g., underrepresented persons, first-generation, and low income). In addition, we how have a four-year pipeline of opportunities that begin the summer before the freshmen year via the NSF-funded First2 Network’s summer research immersion, continue into the academic-year through the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP), into the summer via the state-funded Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), and culminate in disciplinary research coursework or research impactful to the community through the Honors Experiential and Community-Engaged Learning (EXCEL) program. Summary participation and tracking data will be presented on the efficacy of these research opportunities. In addition, best practices for engaging diverse undergraduates and faculty members in research will be discussed.

The Moderating Effect of Faculty Mentorship on Undergraduate Students' Summer Research Outcomes.

Summer undergraduate research experience (SURE) programs are proven interventions that provide undergraduate students with opportunities to develop research skills under the mentorship of a faculty member. These are essential programs, particularly for members of underrepresented minorities, because SUREs are known to broaden their participation and increase retention. We present the results of a study investigating the influence of faculty mentorship quality on the quality of research presentations for undergraduate students attending a 10-week, distributed, multi-institutional SURE program focused on biomedical research training. Upon returning to the home institution, students presented research posters at a local symposium. Poster presentations were judged using a scale validated as part of this project. Combining collected information on student demographics and their self-reported assessments of research gains and belonging to the scientific community, we made use of data analytics methodologies to appropriately merge and analyze the data to address the overarching research question: What are the independent and combined effects of the quality of faculty mentorship and student characteristics on the quality of SURE student poster presentations? Results show that faculty mentor quality functions as a moderating influence for student characteristics on research presentation quality. Implications and recommendations for SURE program implementation are discussed.

An REU Experience Around the Globe

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of many summer undergraduate research experiences. UC San Diego’s Adam J. Engler quickly adapted his REU to an online program—opening up the opportunity to hundreds of students worldwide.

Developing Software to Numerically Solve a System of Impulsive Ordinary Differential Equations

Mathematical models can be used to simulate complex real-world behaviors and provide insights into how these behaviors work. Additionally, these models can be enhanced through complementary software that is able to better manipulate the large sample spaces their parameters tend to have. This project seeks to develop software to numerically solve multiple newly developed Cancer models. This is accomplished by using the Runge-Kutta method to approximate solutions to the models and leveraging computational power to achieve higher precision and speed. The result of this software will be numerical solutions of the new models that can be used to screen optimal treatment strategy based on calibrated cancer models using impulsive ODEs. The project was supported by NIH Grant P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence and the Research Challenge Fund through a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research.

The undergraduate research pipeline at West Virginia University

Studies have demonstrated that involving undergraduates in research increases the probability that they will be retained within their STEM majors and graduate on time. Providing opportunities for students to engage in research aligns with institutional goals of enhanced student recruitment, increased student diversity, improved persistence, and high-quality graduates. At our institution, individual efforts to promote research through NSF and state-funded summer undergraduate research experiences were initiated but suffered from a lack of cohesion across STEM disciplines and the institution. Establishment of a centralized Office of Undergraduate Research has (i) increased the number of students who take part in research; (ii) expanded the disciplines served; and (iii) diversified the students who engage in research (e.g., underrepresented persons, first-generation, and low income). In addition, we how have a four-year pipeline of opportunities that begin the summer before the freshmen year via the NSF-funded First2Network’s summer research immersion, continue into the academic-year through the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP), into the summer via the state-funded Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), and culminate in disciplinary research coursework or research impactful to the community through the Honors Experiential and Community-Engaged Learning (EXCEL) program. Summary participation and tracking date will be presented on the efficacy of these research opportunities. In addition, best practices for engaging diverse undergraduates and faculty members in research will be discussed.

Effects of mentoring relationship heterogeneity on student outcomes in summer undergraduate research

ABSTRACT Faculty-mentored summer undergraduate research experiences (SUREs) have been shown to increase the diversity of students pursuing research careers. No existing studies have approached the issue of broadening participation in STEM research training by focusing on mentoring relationship heterogeneity (MRH) in the context of SUREs. Increasing MRH occurs when a mentee does not match a mentor in terms of gender and race/ethnicity and when the mentee’s research experience depends on relationships with multiple mentors. Drawing on data from a multi-sited SURE program, we examine the effects of MRH on student satisfaction and science identity. Results indicate that students’ satisfaction was not significantly affected by MRH. Greater MRH predicted reduced science identity development, but high quality faculty-undergraduate mentoring interactions moderated this negative impact. MRH has the potential to become a positive influence on student training. Results suggest that mentors should strive to improve mentoring competencies in order to better support diverse students.

Combining novel research and community-engaged learning in an undergraduate physiology laboratory course.

To better prepare physiology students for 21st century careers, we incorporated classroom-based undergraduate research experiences and service learning/community-engaged learning (SLCE) into a college-level physiology laboratory course. The interventions were incorporated over 4 yr and assessed using validated surveys of student-reported learning gains related to attitudes toward science, the scientific process, and career paths. Students reported the greatest learning gains in those years when students did novel research oriented around a common theme of water quality. The gains were greater than those of a matched cohort that participated in an apprentice-style summer undergraduate research experience. With respect to the SLCE related to youth science literacy, students provided evidence of learning related to academics, personal growth, and civic mindedness. For example, many expressed discomfort about being in a new situation, often describing the differences between themselves and the youth with whom they interacted. However, students also grew in confidence about collaborating with people who were different from them and in their role as the "scientist." Limitations of the study include the quasi-experimental design and the incorporation of multiple interventions at the same time. Future studies should examine improvement in content acquisition and competency-based learning skills. Nonetheless, these results suggest that both novel research and SLCE increase student learning in the context of an undergraduate physiology laboratory course. Many of the learning gains observed with the SLCE are particularly important for physiology students, many of whom aspire to careers in health sciences, where they will be regularly working with nonscientists.

Characterizing the Lone Acyltransferase Homolog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cell membranes are largely composed of glycerophospholipids (PL) that create a barrier and separate intracellular aqueous environments. PL are heterogeneous, amphipathic lipids containing a glycerol backbone. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, our previous work found that 108 different PL structural species were maintained at consistent relative abundance. Our aim is to understand the molecular mechanisms that maintain and regulate PL species abundance. The distribution of acyl chains in PL may be controlled by the activity and substrate specificity of acyltransferases which use an acyl‐CoA substrate to attach a hydrocarbon chain to an acceptor's hydroxyl group via an ester bond. In S. cerevisiae, at least 11 characterized acyltransferases contribute to PL metabolism. One, PSI1p, which esterifies 1‐hydroxy‐2‐acyl phosphatidylinositol with stearoyl‐CoA, has an uncharacterized paralog, YDR018c. Determining the acyl acceptor for YDR018c will likely clarify mechanisms for PL homeostasis in S. cerevisiae and provide a functional precedent for its most similar human homologs, 1‐acyl‐3‐glycerophosphate acyltransferase (AGPAT) 3 and 4. Since Psi1p has been shown to utilize an acyl acceptor with a large head group, inositol, it is possible that YDR018c utilizes a similar acyl acceptor.Since work by others and our lab did not identify a PL phenotype for haploid S. cerevisiae harboring a targeted deletion of YDR018c, loss of its function may be masked by the activity of other acyltransferases. To address this, we have made compound, targeted gene deletions of YDR018c, PSI1 and combinations of glycerol‐3‐phosphate O‐acyltransferases (GPATs; GAT1 or GAT2) and AGPATs (SLC1 or LPT1). Growth phenotype assays, including temperature sensitivity and providing various metabolic stresses, are ongoing to identify physiological changes in the compound deletion strains. Phospholipidome analysis, after culturing the strains in conditions shown to elicit a growth phenotype, will follow so to identify the absence or loss of specific PL species in conjunction with YDR018c deletion.Support or Funding InformationThis project was supported by the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program from the University of Michigan‐Dearborn's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.