NCUR/LANCY INITIATIVE
AWARDEES FROM THE 2006 ROUND
The NCUR Board of Governors and the Alice and Leslie E. Lancy Foundation are pleased to announce the awardees from the eighth round of the NCUR/Lancy initiative. The award coordinator is listed for each institution.
Understanding Health Disparities in the Texas-Mexico Border Region
University of Texas, San Antonio
Northern Arizona University
Awardee Abstracts:
Understanding Health Disparities in the Texas-Mexico Border Region
University of Texas, San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will establish a model for a summer research program for eight undergraduate students. Undergraduate research is a vital element of the learning environment at UTSA. The objectives of the project are: (1) to provide an opportunity for highly promising undergraduate students, especially those who are low-income or first-generation college students or members of a group underrepresented in higher education, to enrich their education by conducting original, mentored, research projects; (2) to expand and enhance the growing community of undergraduate and faculty collaborators at UTSA, particularly within the liberal arts; and (3) to develop information, through an interdisciplinary approach, on the social, cultural, biological, and behavioral factors underlying health disparities affecting Mexican Americans in the Texas-Mexico border region.
The project’s theme will be factors that impact the health of Mexican Americans in South Texas (i.e., from Brownsville and Laredo to San Antonio). Students’ research projects will be designed to enhance our understanding of health disparities among Mexican Americans living in this region. The program will draw students and faculty into a community of scholars who will focus on the same issues and concerns from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Lancy Scholars will spend three weeks in an interactive seminar course, entitled “Understanding Health Disparities,” and nine weeks conducting research pertaining to the health of Mexican Americans in South Texas. The program will culminate with students presenting their research at the Summer 2006 Honors College Undergraduate Research Symposium and the 2007 NCUR Conference. The critical importance of understanding the health disparities addressed in the students’ research projects will benefit the institution’s efforts to develop support to continue the program beyond the initial year. Area foundations and organizations committed to improving the quality of health care in South Texas will all be approached for funding.
Project Director:
Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D. Associate Dean of the Honors College
Ecological Research in Cultural Contexts for Career Preparation in Science Education and Multiple Disciplines: Native American Undergraduate Student Research
Northern Arizona University
The purpose of this project is for Native American undergraduate students at Northern Arizona University who are pursuing degrees in science education and diverse undergraduate programs to accomplish scientific research in a context that honors their prior knowledge of science, culture, and ways of knowing. Research will be conducted on the Kaibab Paiute Reservation in northern Arizona during June and July of 2006 where students will conduct wildlife and plant inventories, mule deer population censuses, habitat health surveys, and soil horizon identification and analyses. Students will work closely with the Director of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for the Kaibab Paiute Tribe to contribute to the Tribe’s ecological databases, provide educational activities in ecology for Tribal youth, and mentor Tribal youth interested in ecological field research. Two faculty from Northern Arizona University, (representing educational research and ecology), and two faculty from Purdue University (representing biology and earth/atmospheric sciences) will mentor the students and instruct them in research techniques and data analyses. Data presentations offer diverse opportunities for students to incorporate artistic skills such as photography, graphic arts, and interpretive expressions that align with traditional and modern Native American artistry. Of particular importance is the connection of these research experiences to the cultural histories of Native peoples’ land use, current environmental issues that impact economic development, continuation of cultural ways and artistic traditions, and to sound choices for modern land management. The Kaibab Paiute Reservation provides a context that nurtures Native American students’ academic achievement as undergraduate students and uniquely equips them for graduate study and careers in sciences, science education, and multiple disciplines.
Project Director:
Sally M. Alcoze, Associate Professor, College of Education
