Why
is EPSCoR concerned with student development?
EPSCoR
recognizes that
What EPSCoR Programs have been developed with students in mind?
Student
Development: K-12 Outreach
What
outreach is provided for K-12 students?
Specific
initiatives have been designed to spark interest in science and math
through hands-on programs and activities for both K-12 students and
their teachers. EPSCoR aims
to impact the quality of science and math experiences students have by
introducing new information to teachers and providing them access to
teaching tools, including technology training, research experiences,
newly developed cutting-edge science curricula and hands-on activities
for their students.
What programs are available for K-12 students?
How can I find out More?
For more information please
contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear, Outreach Coordinator
at
Integrating GPS & GIS into k12 classrooms through Summer
Technology Academics at the University of Tulsa
How
do the Summer
The week-long, hands-on science academies are held three times during the summer under the direction of Dr. David S. Brown,
Assistant Professor of Education at The University of Tulsa (TU) on the TU campus. The academies are designed to encourage the
use of
summer academies and learn through
collaborative technology projects that introduce
technologies that can be used in their home classrooms. The academies aim to increase scientific literacy and positive
attitudes toward science and technology in elementary and middle school students and teachers. Participating students have the
opportunity to return to future
academies as peer mentors.
Who
can participate?
Middle and high school students and teachers are selected through an online application process that requires students to complete
an application form, create and submit an essay, and gain teacher recommendations for acceptance. Teachers who participate in
the summer academies receive graduate credit from The University of Tulsa for their participation. Additionally, mentor students
and
teachers also receive a stipend for participation and free
For
more information please visit the Tulsa
OSU
Upward Bound Math and Science Center
EPSCoR supports the OSU Upward Bound Mathematics and Science Center
(UBMSC), which serves
disadvantaged high school students interested in pursuing careers in math
and science. The majority of
participants enrolled in the program are low income students who have the
potential of being the first generation in their family to graduate from
college.
What is the goal of UBMSC?
UBMSC aims
to strengthen the math and science skills of these students, to help them
recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science, and to
encourage them to pursue college degrees in math and science.
What services does UBMSC
offer?
Students enrolled in the program receive academic
counseling, career exploration services,
college campus tours, tutoring, ACT test preparation, and field trips
throughout the academic year. UBMSC
also provides a six-week summer academy for students where they participate
in academic enrichment activities taught by faculty and graduate students of
How the
program is funded & what is EPSCoR’s contribution?
The
program is a TRiO program funded through a $1.1 million grant from the U. S.
Department of Education, which provides for the basic program, including
faculty salaries and room and board. EPSCoR
provides supplemental funding for additional academic enrichment activities
such as educational field trips, laboratory and field experiments,
educational supplies, and a stipend for attendance at the summer academy.
What is
the cost to students?
There
is no cost to students to participate in the program.
Activities, housing, meals, admission tickets, and other related
costs are covered. Students’
families are only responsible for transporting their student to and from the
OSU campus for the
How
do I find out more about OSU UBMSC?
For more information contact Dr. Mary Lawler,
Director, OSU UBMSC at
or toll free at
K-12 Science-Related Field Trips to Oklahoma
Museums
In
effort to ignite the imagination and plant seeds of discovery in
Oklahoma’s future scientists and business leaders and to assist public
schools who have suffered under the current budget crunch, EPSCoR is
partnering with the Reynolds Foundation Children’s Discovery Center
Network Museums to provide funding for public school children to take
science-related field trips to participating Oklahoma museums. Students
attend at least one hands-on science-related lab or class developed by the
hosting museum as part of the EPSCoR-funded field trips.
What types of grants are provided to public schools?
EPSCoR
provides museum entrance fees, transportation, or a combination of the two
for science-related field trips for Oklahoma K-12 students at participating
museums. To obtain guidelines
and an application please visit http://www.okepscor.org/programs/k12.html
or contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear, EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator at
When can the grants be used?
EPSCoR
science-related field trip funds can be utilized throughout the regular
school year. Due to the EPSCoR
grant funding period, all field trips must be completed by
What museums are partnering with EPSCoR in this project?
EPSCoR
has developed partnerships with the Reynolds Foundation Children’s
Discovery Center Network which includes the following museums:
Please
contact the museums directly for information on exhibits, reservations, or
to find out about hands-on science-related classes for your students.
You can visit their websites for more information.
How do I know if my school qualifies for field trip funds?
Schools
are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis and must meet
at least two of the
following criteria:
1) Receives
Title
2) at least 70% of student body qualifies for free or
reduced lunch program;
3) at least 25%
of student body comes from underrepresented groups (blacks, Hispanics and
American Indians) or
schools are from underserved rural districts;
4) placement/standing on the State Department of Education School
Improvement List.
How can I find out more?
ore information please contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear, Outreach
Coordinator
at
Student
Development:
PostSecondary Outreach
What
is the rationale for postsecondary outreach?
Recruitment
and retention of postsecondary students are crucial elements to building the
human research infrastructure in Oklahoma. EPSCoR has developed several
initiatives to encourage students to select and remain in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics fields
of study. EPSCoR believes that
early participation by students in the university and
What
programs are available for postsecondary students?
How can I find out more about postsecondary outreach programs?
For
more information contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear, Outreach Coordinator at
or swear@osrhe.edu.
Travel
for Students to Professional Meetings (NCUR, AISES, etc.)
Oklahoma EPSCoR encourages students’
participation in the
or symposia such as the annual National
Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and American
Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conferences.
These experiences give students a better understanding of how the
research community works and
builds networking and support through attendance, preparation and
presentations at state and national level meetings.
How can students receive
travel funds for professional meetings?
Support
to Students through Academic Assistance
The EPSCoR program has made a strong commitment
to serve
of Oklahoma’s population, contributing to their success in
To assist Native American students in overcoming
challenges to success in the
How
can I find out more information about services provided?
For more information about
at http://www.cnc.cc.ok.us/.
Summer
Science Workshop & Educational Activities for Undergraduates at
Southeastern (SOSU)
What is the Summer
Science Workshop & Educational Activities initiative?
Dr. Nancy Paiva, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at
Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU) in Durant coordinates a
10-week summer workshop entitled “Analysis of Medicinal and Edible Plants
in
What are the goals of
the workshop?
The goals of this workshop are to increase the
enrollment and retention of Native Americans and other underrepresented
groups in science-related degree programs, thereby increasing the number of
local graduates available for graduate programs or job openings in
Why is EPSCoR funding
for additional students necessary?
To increase the likelihood of student retention in
How can I find out more
about this program?
For
more information on this SOSU summer workshop please contact Dr. Nancy L.
Paiva
at
Supplemental Instruction Program at Langston University
What is Supplemental
Instruction Program?
EPSCoR
sponsors the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program at
EPSCoR
and the Langston faculty aim to increase minority students’ confidence in
taking
How
is the SI Program different than others?
Because
the SI program targets historically difficult courses rather than targeting
high risk students, there is no stigma attached to student participation.
The program includes regularly scheduled informal peer-assisted study
sessions where students compare notes, discuss readings, develop
organizational tools, and predict test items.
Students learn how to integrate course content and improve study
skills while working together. This
program provides underrepresented minorities the necessary tools and skills
needed to succeed in
What
other rewards does this program offer?
The
Langston SI program recognizes student talent through scholarships to
outstanding mathematics and biology majors.
How
do I find out more?
For
more information regarding the SI Program contact Dr. Sonya Williams at
or sjwilliams@lunet.edu.
GRE Preparation Course at
Why
does EPSCoR support the GRE Preparation Course at LU?
Students
from underrepresented groups commonly underachieve in their GRE scores, due
in part to lack of familiarity and comfort with the formal test-taking
process inherent to the GRE. EPSCoR
funds will support Langston students involvement in the Kaplan GRE
preparation course helping students gain comfort and familiarity with the
process prior to taking the GRE and to ensure
that their scores more accurately reflect their true academic potential.
How
do I find out more?
For
more information on the GRE Preparation Course at
Research
Experiences for Undergraduates (
Annually, EPSCoR provides funds to support
research experiences for undergraduates, also known as
What are the benefits of
an REU?
Faculty on existing NSF REU grants in
How do I find out more?
For more information please contact Ms. Shelley
D. Wear, EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator at
405.225.9287 or swear@osrhe.edu.
Research
Day for Regional Universities
What are the goals of
Research Day for Regional Universities?
Research Day for Regional Universities exposes
undergraduates to research and research-related scholarly activities
How can I find out more
about participation in this event?
For more information visit the
or contact Dean S. Narasinga Rao,
at
UCO
NSF SURE-STEP Program
The purpose of
this program is to increase the number of
How does
the program work?
This
program will help beginning
What
are the partnering institutions and what are their roles?
Each
partnering institution provides a required research lab and course designed
to incorporate interdisciplinary team teaching methods.
These courses/labs are provided to participating students during the
first 15 hours of college enrollment.
How
can I find out more?
Please contact
Dean S. Narasinga Rao,
National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Scholars Program
Resent
NSF EPSCoR Scholars
| Mr. Dan Howard | Department of Biology, The University of Tulsa |
| Research Focus: | Geospatial components in the Reproductive Ecology of Gryllotalpa major(Prairie Mole Cricket) at the Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County |
| Ms. Elsbeth Field | Department of Archaeological Anthropology, University of Oklahoma |
| Research Focus: | North American Archaeology (southwest or plains) |
| Mr. Michael Jordan | Department of Cultural Anthropology, University of Oklahoma |
| Research Foci: | Native American communities: Ethnic identity in the Kiowa community of southwestern Oklahoma |
| Ms. Amber Neely | Department of Linguistic Anthropology, University of Oklahoma |
| Research Foci: | Language and identity, language contact, endangered languages, language revitalization, Native American Languages, Kiowa language, sociolinguistic and pragmatic usage of grammatical structures, and lexical tone |
What
is the NSF EPSCoR Scholars Program?
Through
funding from the National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure
Improvement Award (RIIA), Oklahoma EPSCoR has established the NSF EPSCoR
Scholars Program to help recruit top graduate students to
Who
is eligible to participate?
Students
entering Ph.D. programs at
In
order to be considered for participation in the NSF EPSCoR Scholars Program,
students and host institutions must meet the following criteria:
How
does the award work?
Each
selected student participant will receive a stipend of $5,000 paid over the
first 12 months in the graduate program.
This stipend is payable in addition to the regular stipend paid by
the host institution. Although
Oklahoma EPSCoR will award the stipend for one year only, renewal for
additional years may be possible, at the host institution’s expense,
depending on the student’s progress and on the availability of funds.
How
can an institution submit applications?
In
order to be considered for participation, host institutions must submit the
following information:
Applications
will be considered expeditiously as they are submitted.
Please submit applications to:
Dr.
Frank Waxman, State EPSCoR Director
c/o
Ms. Sasha Smith
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
ssmith@osrhe.edu
How
can I find out more information on the NSF Scholars Program?
For more
information, please contact Dr. Frank Waxman, EPSCoR Director, at
Women
in Science Conference
EPSCoR sponsors a Women in Science Conference to
address issues related to the recruitment
and retention of women in
Successful women currently participating in
Faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from
How can I find out more
information?
For more information regarding this important
event, please contact Ms. Shelley D. Wear,
EPSCoR Outreach Coordinator at
page at http://www.okepscor.org/events.htm.