Example of Broadening Participation through a CAREER Award

CAREER Award to Gina MacDonald, James Madison University, began June 1998

Became a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 1999

Dr. MacDonald provided the following presentation.

Facts

65,000 (1996) K-12 students in U.S. with significant hearing loss

81% educated in local schools special teaching, speech language therapy, educational

interpreting, amplification

Lack of Science Knowledge of Interpreters translates to fewer deaf students in the sciences

Facts

Advisors and administrators in public schools counsel deaf students away from laboratory sciences. They may fear that the students could be in danger

Severe shortage of science teachers in deaf schools more serious than the shortage of science teachers in

hearing schools advanced sciences are often not offered in deaf schools.

Solutions?

Interpreter training in the laboratory new environment new language

Involve Deaf undergraduates students in research

Encourage high school students and teachers

Supportive environment for research students

JMU Strengths

Research with undergraduates = Teaching

Summer Research 14 years

NSF-REU Site approximately 10 years

Education and Outreach to Local Schools

Outstanding Communication Sciences and Disorders Department

Research, Education, Outreach - NSF-CAREER- REU-RET

Involving undergraduates in research

Supporting New and Senior Faculty

Involving high school teachers in research Excited science teacher = excited students Involving high school students in research

Used active summer research foundation provided by the REU for trial outreach programs

Evolution of the Program(note first two summers PECASE funding only)

Summer 2 Mike Marzolf Dorothy Wynne –MSSD Jason Dietz – high school

Summer 1 Mike Marzolf –VSDB teacher Laurie Kain, JMU undergraduate – wanted to be a teacherChris Colbert-interpreter

Evolution of the Program

Summer 3 – 2000 - The Brave new World Teacher + interpreting student (RET supplement to Chem-

REU) Interpreter trainee and Faculty (JMU funding) 3 Gallaudet Students (MacDonald- PECASE)

Summer 4 (2001) – We have arrived?

REU, match, additional: 2 interpreting students, 3 college students, K-12 teacher Program is fully integrated into the REU Site program additional faculty mentor = EXPANSION

Current Goals

Encourage ALL students to continue in the sciences Important experiences for all hearing students

Expand research opportunities for teachers opportunity to update and share their scientific skills with high

school students and undergraduates

Familiarize the next generation of interpreters and educators with the laboratory Scientists are really not that unusual

Students and Interpreters

Interpreting Students

What Have We Learned?

To recruit Deaf students into the sciences Need interpreters comfortable with the language and

laboratory

• Direct interaction of faculty with students works best

Benefits

Hearing students more likely to include students with disabilities in their future careers

Retains and excites teachers and students

Similar techniques can be used to incorporate any minority or disabled student Long way to go before the population is reflected in the

scientific community Opportunity to learn about culture - language

Resources

Brenda C. Seal, Dorothy Wynne, and Gina MacDonald*(2002) Journal of Chemical Education, 79, 239-243.

Teaching Chemistry to Students With Disabilities http://membership.acs.org/C/CWD/teaching/start.htm

Dr. Harry Lang –http://www.rit.edu/~comets/pages/featurespages/newsletters/comets7.html & http://www.rit.edu/~490www/Individuals/langh.html

Caccamise and Lang Signs for Science and Mathematics: A Resource Book for Teachers and Students

http://www.gallaudet.edu/ B.C. Seal Best Practices in Educational Interpreting

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Student Interpreters

Lacey Hansen, Heather Hogston, Cristin Crabtree, Alexis Thompkins

Chris Colbert- Interpreter Teachers

Dorothy Wynne, Michael Marzolf, Yuko Suguiko, Deidra Coles

Gallaudet and RIT students: Ron Petruchi, Michael Wynne, Daniel Lundberg, Natalie Ludwig, Amber Marchut, Marcy Knox

NSF-MCB-9733566NSF REU, RET

James Madison University

Overall

Start small

Expand – improve – expand resources

Have faculty who are truly interested in the outcome of the project

Faculty initiated, student supported = FUN