Office of University Research Services

Latest News - October 2009

The BEST Project: TU’s $1 Million Outreach Initiative to STEM Educators

Towson, MD:  Aided by a $1 million earmark from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and in collaboration with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) and Coppin State University, TU recently launched the Baltimore Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teaching (BEST) Project. In an effort to expand TU’s STEM education efforts, the BEST program will focus on recruitment and retention of grades 6-12 in-service STEM teachers. It will offer training and mentoring opportunities to its participants while providing educational outreach to students.

BEST initiatives at both TU and Coppin are geared to address retention of secondary school educators, where attrition rates are high among STEM teachers, within urban and/or economically disadvantaged communities in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The program aims to provide STEM education and support to new teachers and targets students during their transitional years (grades 6-12). BEST will produce more qualified and effective teachers through various professional development and research activities.  These teachers will then be better able to motivate and inspire middle and high school students in STEM studies, thereby creating a pipeline of future STEM educators and professionals. The program targets diverse cultural and economic classroom settings and aims to reach underrepresented groups.

With a track record in teacher professional development and outreach, TU will utilize its connections with Baltimore City and surrounding county schools to recruit teachers and gain access to classrooms. Following the recent UMBI restructuring, TU will acquire UMBI’s Education and Outreach program, creating the TU Center for STEM Excellence. UMBI’s SciTech Lab and the Maryland Loaner Lab (MDLL) programs will offer participants access to scientific labs and research materials. Coppin, working in collaboration with TU, will begin implementation of its BEST program in January 2010.

The BEST project team includes Associate Provost Katherine Denniston; Acting Dean David Vanko, Fisher College of Science and Mathematics; and Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences, Rommel Miranda, program evaluator. For more information on the BEST project, please contact Dr. Katherine Denniston at kdenniston@towson.edu

$900K to Fund New Cherry Hill Initiative: Partners in Academic and Life Success (PALS)

With a recent $900,000 grant awarded by the Department of Human and Health Services’ Youth Empowerment Programs, the TU College of Health Professions will begin implementation of the Partners in Academic and Life Success (PALS) initiative.  Directing the program are Marcie Weinstein, associate dean, College of Health Professions, Jill Bush, chair and associate professor, Department of Kinesiology, and Beth Merryman, associate professor, Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Sciences.  The PALS Program is designed to build healthy protective behaviors in pre-adolescent students in the Cherry Hill community by  providing  life-skills and educational programs over a three-year period.

Cherry Hill, located in Baltimore City, is guided by a master plan focused on addressing  educational, health, housing, employment and economic needs in the community. The PALS initiative targets improved academic performance and increased physical and mental health awareness. Responding to the needs of the community, this program will provide after school and weekend tutoring, mentoring, and life skills programs to fifth graders. With the involvement of family members and community resources, PALS aims to empower its participants to make informed health and lifestyle choices. . Planned activities aim to build self-awareness through career exploration, goal-setting, exposure to diverse cultural experiences,  on-campus day camp , and reflective journaling.  The project’s co-investigators say the PALS initiative will provide continued partnership opportunities within the community and across the campus while offering educational opportunities for Towson University students.

TU Counseling Center to Expand Campus Suicide Prevention Program

One goal is to provide more culturally comprehensive materials that will address an increasingly culturally diverse campus. Much of the work in the first year of funding will be focused on training a culturally diverse and sensitive support team and creating culturally competent education materials. Many students who may be at higher risk because of their race or sexual orientation may have greater difficulty in assessing resources, and/or current materials may not sufficiently address their unique symptoms and needs. Having resources and training that are sensitive to various cultural groups will enable involved students and campus personnel to better recognize warning signs and treat at - risk students more effectively.

Another important outcome of this grant will be the development of a referrals database of providers in the community and infrastructure to track at-risk students in the TU community. Today the task of referring someone to an appropriate provider is done manually. This is time consuming and may not effectively address cultural preferences when dealing with treatment. With funds provided from this grant, TUCC will design and build a relational database that will link students who require extensive care to culturally competent, community-based providers.
SAMHSA will provide up to $300,000 over the next three years in support of the Towson University Suicide Prevention Program. The grant is under the direction of Drs. Bruce Herman, assistant director of Outreach and Consultation, and James Spivack, special assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs and TUCC director. For additional information, please contact them at 410-704-2512.

Center for Adults with Autism to Expand with Health Care and Other Facilities Funding

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded over $470,000 to Dr. Charlotte Exner and the College of Health Professions to develop facilities for the Center for Adults with Autism. The Center was established in February 2008 with a generous donation from  Therese and Douglas Erdman, in order to “empower young adults who have ASD to keep learning and to live life to their fullest.”

The facilities which will be renovated with the DHHS award will include space that allows for appropriate and effective program offerings for young adults on the autism spectrum and outreach to the public and employers about individuals with autism, while concurrently addressing student education and applied research. With the improved facilities, the Center expects the number of young adults on the autism spectrum directly served annually via Towson University’s Center for Adults with Autism will increase substantially --from approximately 60 in 2008 to at least 200 in 2011. The number of graduate students in programs such as occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and education who have clinical experiences with young adults on the spectrum via this Center is anticipated to triple.

To learn more about the Center for Adults with Autism, please visit the Website at http://www.towson.edu/chp/caasd/.

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