Scholar Newsletter
March 3, 2023
Voice of Inspiration
Carmina Londono
NSF Engineering Directorate
Talitha Washington
NSF Program Officer
Augsburg University: March 15 Early Admission Scholarship
$2,000 Transfer Scholarship
PRISM Scholars at Century, Minneapolis College, and Normandale: if you are considering applying to Augsburg for Fall 2023, apply by March 15, 2023, and receive a $2,000 Early Auggie Scholarship on top of your PRISM and other scholarships. For more information on the scholarship see https://www.augsburg.edu/transfer/financial-aid-and-scholarships/. For more information on the online application, which is free and straightforward, see https://www.augsburg.edu/transfer/apply/ .
PRISM-Wide Scholar Event: Seeking Your Input
The Augsburg PRISM Scholars have formed a student leadership team to share ideas and feedback. They would like to host an event at Augsburg on Saturday, April 29 and invite the PRISM scholars from all four institutions. They created this short Google Form (see https://forms.gle/p3WVteYNeCDsriR77 or click button below) to get your input. If you could please complete this form it would be much appreciated. Responses received by Monday, March 6 will be in time for the next leadership meeting on Tuesday, March 7. We look forward to hearing from you!
STEM News
Augsburg PRISM Mentor receives NSF Grant to Support Mathematics and Data for Social Justice Summer Seminar
How does math explain the real world?
This question has been at the heart of Professor John Zobitz’s career as a mathematician and data scientist. Now he’s working to help other faculty bring a social justice lens to mathematics and statistics education.
With a $50,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Zobitz and colleagues from Concordia College–Moorhead, Winona State University, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College will convene an inaugural three-day conference for math instructors this summer.
The Mathematics and Data for Social Justice Summer Seminar aims to help faculty at two- and four-year colleges teach math in context, using examples such as credit risk modeling or differential impacts from climate change to illustrate core concepts.
From a teaching standpoint, this means seeking out appropriate data sets, exploring local issues, and developing greater capacity to manage classroom conversations about social justice. Seminar facilitators include Gizen Karaali and Lily Khadjavi, editors of “Mathematics for Social Justice: Resources for the College Classroom,” to which Zobitz was a contributing author.
After this summer’s gathering, the organizers aim to develop a community of practice that will provide ongoing collaboration and peer support as faculty work to make their teaching more culturally relevant and responsive. They will also share lessons and curricular resources with other institutions through the Mathematical Association of America’s regional conference.
“Our goal is to enact change in the classroom by starting at the instructor level,” said Zobitz. “But we also hope that this seminar will serve as a model for professional development aimed at advancing equity in STEM fields.”
STEM Events
LEVERAGING OUR COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH THROUGH PRISM MENTORSHIP
Thank you to all the mentors and scholars who attended the workshops with Dr. Ileana Vasu when she presented the Yosso’s model of Community Cultural Wealth (2005) and how this framework could be applied to a PRISM mentoring context.
For the scholars in attendance and for those who could not make it, here is the slide deck from the scholars' workshop, and the video from the noon student workshop.
SAVE THE DATES FOR UPCOMING EVENTS AT AUGSBURG!
The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Program-April 11, 2023
At the Convocation lecture titled “Membranes of hungry yeast are tiny, living thermostats,” Dr. Susan Keller will discuss how yeast membranes acquire the polka-dots, how the transition can be reversed, and how yeast control the transition.
Sarah Keller, the Duane and Barbara LaViolette Professor of Chemistry, is a biophysicist at the University of Washington in Seattle. She investigates self-assembly, complex fluids, and soft matter systems. Her research group’s primary focus concerns how lipid mixtures within bilayer membranes give rise to complex phase behavior. She is an elected member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fellow of the AAAS, and a Fellow of the Biophysical Society.
Zyzzogeton "Z" Research Symposium-April 11, 2023
Hosted by URGO, McNair, and STEM Programs, Augsburg celebrates the creativity and scholarship of undergraduate students with its annual Zyzzogeton Student Research Poster symposium. The event falls at the end of each academic year and is a culmination of achievement featuring work across departments. Over 50 students participate each year, showcasing their research in various science, social science, and humanity disciplines.
A “Zyzzogeton” is a green leaf-hopper as well as the last word in the Webster Collegiate Dictionary, which is a fitting symbol to mark the end of the academic year. Zyzzogeton is free and open to all students, faculty, and staff.
The 16th Annual Court Agre Summer Research Symposium-June 12, 2023
The Court Agre Summer Research Symposium annual event celebrates innovations in STEM and will feature a career panel and keynote presentation as well as opportunities for students to network with faculty and industry professionals.
Augsburg to Host MAA NCS 2023 Summer Seminar for Faculty
Seminar Title: Mathematics and Data for Social Justice
June 7 - 9, 2023
Augsburg University (campus map)
Description: The Mathematics and Data for Social Justice Summer Seminar (NSF #2303556) is a three-day seminar designed to equip North Central Section math and statistics faculty with skills and practices to meaningfully incorporate social justice themes in their classrooms and curricula. The seminar will include workshops led by national experts Dr. Lily Khadjavi and Dr. Gizem Karaali, as well as panels on facilitating effective classroom discussion with students. Participants are expected to continue collaborating and learning in 2023-2024 via special topics sessions at the North Central Section MAA meetings and on MAA Connect.
The Seminar capacity is 30 instructors. The NSF is heavily funding the seminar, reducing expenses for participants to $100 registration fee, their local housing costs, meals, and their own travel expenses. On-campus housing is available in dorms at Augsburg University at a rate of $70 per night.
The NSF has provided travel support of $250 for 25 participants as well as care funds of $150 (for each of 25 participants) to support seminar participation.
In order to ensure we maximize the impact of our NSF funding, we are asking potential seminar participants to share with us:
The opportunities (and challenges) of implementing materials in their classrooms during the 2023-2024 academic year
The ability to continue collaborating and engage a community of practice in the 2023-2024 academic year
The ability to share their experiences through dissemination at MAA NCS Section meetings or at their own institution
Selected participants will be notified by email beginning February 28 (approximate) with additional registration information. After February 28, invitations to participate will be made on a rolling basis.
Questions? Contact Julia Walk at jwalk@cord.edu
STEM Opportunities
A New REU in Applied Mathmatics!
SURE: Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
Spend the summer with a computer science or applied mathematics research team in a College of Computing Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
SURE offers insight and learning into some of the hottest topics in data science and computational mathematics through hands-on research experience. Learn to work as a team member by interacting with graduate students and faculty and gain an understanding of what it takes to conduct real-world research.
A ten-week SURE program will be hosted at Illinois Tech from May 22 to July 28. The program candidates will receive a stipend of $550 per week.
The applicants are required to have a foundational background in mathematics (calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra) and some programming skills. If you have any questions regarding the program, please feel free to email yding2@iit.edu.
All applications received by March 15th will receive full consideration. Applications will be received until the positions are filled. The SURE program anticipates funding from the National Science Foundation, which is gratefully acknowledged.
For more information including reviewing Summer 2023 projects go to: https://www.iit.edu/computing/research/student-research/SURE
Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Multi-Scale Systems Bioengineering and Biomedical Data Sciences at the University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is hosting an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer program in multi-scale systems bioengineering and biomedical data science. The objective of the program is to train undergraduates from a variety of STEM backgrounds and provide them with the skills, confidence, and mentorship necessary for successful careers in the exciting field of systems bioengineering.
Students will be matched with faculty mentors for a 10-week research project, culminating in a paper and public symposium. All students will participate in collaborative, hands-on, and closely mentored projects in the areas of: 1) Molecular Pathways and Cellular Modeling and 2) Tissue-/Organ-/Population-Level Modeling, which will immerse them in a combination of experimentation and computational analyses.
Students will acquire the practical skills, knowledge, ethical grounding, and communication skills necessary to be productive in advanced graduate study and be successfully employed in the modern biotechnology industry. The program will also provide students with career advising, grounding in research ethics, training in scientific communication, and ongoing mentorship after completion of the program.
Highlights:
- $6000 stipend for 10-week research program
- Reimbursement of travel costs up to $400
- Convenient on-campus housing, food allowance, and dining plan at local restaurants
- Introductory “boot camp” short course on systems bioengineering modeling basics
- Weekly workshops on ethics and professional development
- Presentation at the 4S Summer Research Series, at the end of the summer
- Travel funds to present at the fall BMES annual meeting
Eligibility requirements and to apply: https://engineering.virginia.edu/systems-bioengineering-reu/about
Program Dates: May 29 – August 4, 2023
Application Window: February 1 – April 8, 2023
NSF, AACC Call all Community College Student Innovators!
Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, has launched its platform to advance student innovation and impact in STEM through the Community College Innovation Challenge. The competition seeks to foster the development of students' innovation, communication and entrepreneurial skills. It also enables students to discover and demonstrate their capacity to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics to make a difference in the world and translate that knowledge into positive action.
In 2015, AACC and NSF funded the initial launch of the challenge. The CCIC is a national competition where community college student teams, working with a supportive faculty or an administrator mentor, use STEM to produce potentially transformative and innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Teams of two to four students are invited to submit proposals, and up to 12 final teams will be selected to develop their proposals during an innovation boot camp. The teams will then create and present an entrepreneurial pitch to a panel of professionals with a chance to win cash awards.
AACC's mission to build a nation of learners by advancing America's community colleges aligns with the goals of the NSF's Advanced Technological Education program to prepare students for meaningful employment in the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.
All team submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. PST on March 30, 2023. To learn more and apply, visit: https://www.aaccinnovationchallenge.com/
Get Ready for Summer 2023 LS-NSSA Research Opportunities!
1) The MnDRIVE Summer Internship application is now open!
Thanks to a collaboration between the North Star STEM Alliance and Minnesota's Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy (MnDRIVE), students may participate in paid research internships with MnDRIVE researchers. MnDRIVE is a partnership between the University of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota that aligns areas of research strength with the state’s key and emerging industries to address grand challenges. North Star students may apply for research opportunities within four areas:
Benefits of MnDRIVE awards:
- Great experience in STEM which may lead to a more robust resume and stronger recommendations
- A $4,000 stipend funded through financial aid
- Opportunity to produce a poster and present the research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Expo
- Housing stipend and/or on campus housing will be provided to any scholar who does not live in the Twin Cities metro
Eligibility:
- Be/become an LS-NSSA scholar, apply at northstarstem.org or contact LS-NSSA nssa@umn.edu for additional information.
- PRISM Scholars are also eligible to apply through our partnership with LS-NSSA. Email your PRISM program faculty leader, or feel free to reach out to Rebekah Dupont at dupont@augsburg.edu.
For more information and to apply go to MNDRIVE: https://northstarstem.org/events/mndrive-summer-internship
2) Epidemiological Research
Join the Summer Research Project that is a collaboration between the Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA), Century College, Minneapolis Technical & Community College (Minneapolis College), National Science Foundation, and the 3M Foundation.
This Summer Research project will engage students in a short-term, introductory research experience. The program gives students a taste of authentic research early in college to prepare them for a traditional research program at a later time, such as a typical 10-week, 40-hour-per-week research program the following summer. Students may participate in the Summer Research and also take classes or work.
The program will potentially be 4 to 6 weeks long, where students are in the virtual lab Monday through Thursday afternoons. Some Friday afternoons may have varied meeting times due to field trip schedules.
Scholars will receive a stipend of up to $925 (contingent on participation and attendance) for 4 weeks; adjusted if 6 weeks.
Virtual Epidemiological Research: A global health crisis has arisen, causing most of the world to modify and adapt much of their lives to aid this fight. We have an opportunity to focus our attention on a real-time biological challenge. Our focus will be to study epidemiology and the spread of infectious diseases. In this research experience, students will take an epidemiological approach to research. Students will look at the incidence, distribution, and control of infectious disease and look for other factors relating to its morbidity and mortality. Students will participate in virtual professional development and site tours, presentations, and designing their own epidemiological study.
Click here to view Summer 2021's Tiny Earth/Epidemiological poster presentations.
Applications are due March 15th, 2023. Summer 2023 applications are here.
Eligibility:
- Be/become an LS-NSSA scholar, apply at northstarstem.org or contact LS-NSSA nssa@umn.edu for additional information.
- PRISM Scholars are also eligible to apply through our partnership with LS-NSSA. Email your PRISM program faculty leader, or feel free to reach out to Rebekah Dupont at dupont@augsburg.edu.
Contact nssa@umn.edu for any questions regarding the application process.
REU Site: Human-Centered Computing for Social Good
The University of Minnesota offers a 10-week summer REU program for undergraduate students focusing on human-centered computing for social good. Participants will be immersed in a collaborative community of practice at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and mentored by faculty researchers in the areas of virtual reality, social and embodied computing, and human-robot interaction. To frame the societal relevance of their research, students will work on a project that addresses at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. Lab activities will be supplemented with weekly research training seminars, invited talks, and professional development workshops.
Participants will receive a stipend of $6,000 paid in installments throughout the summer, housing in university dorms, meal plan, and reimbursement for travel expenses.
Students that identify as members of underrepresented groups in computer science, first-generation college students, and those at institutions with limited research access (e.g., liberal arts or community colleges) are particularly encouraged to apply.
More information and application instructions can be found at: http://reu.cs.umn.edu/
Review of applications will begin on February 27. However, we will continue to accept new applications and recommendation letters on an ongoing basis until the program is full. Students are therefore encouraged to apply after this date and will be considered until the application website has closed.
Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence Data Derby
Join the Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence for a hands on data, analytics, mathematics, and problem solving event.
Data Derby 2023
Saturday, April 8, 2023
9am - 4pm
Hennepin Technical College - Eden Prairie Campus
Great for fun, and:
- build your resume
- gain hands on experience
- earn a digital badge
- great extra-curricular activity to add to college applications
Two Competitions For You to Choose From - Or Do Both!
1.) DATATHON
4-week competition.
- Individual or Team of 2 to 4 students
- Undergraduate or Graduate students enrolled in any Minnesota colleges or universities.
- Questions and datasets will be released on March 1st and emailed to each team/individual.
2.) DATAGON
One Day Competition
- Open to High School Students and Undergraduate or Graduate students enrolled in any Minnesota colleges or universities.
- Individual or a team (2 to 4 students)
Click the Data Derby sign link below to learn more and to register:
Voyageurs Field Fellows: Investing in the Next Generation Conservation Leaders
The Voyageurs Field Fellows program increases accessibility and professional development opportunities at Voyageurs National Park. Fellowships offer students and recent graduates a stipend-paid internship to gain hands-on experience in the park conducting field work, research, and program development.
OPEN FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
* The 2023 application window is open! *
Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Field Fellow
Cultural Resources Field Fellow
Wetlands and Wildlife Field Fellow
If you are interested in either fellow opportunity, please click on the specific link above for more information regarding qualifications, application deadline, and position length.
We welcome applicants of all races, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant program are encouraged to apply.
About the Fellowship
The Voyageurs Field Fellows program offers paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students to develop professional experience in Minnesota’s national park.
Fellows conduct park research, engage in field work, develop new educational programs, and more. Students apply their studies and work in one of the most ecologically and historically rich classrooms in the nation.
The Voyageurs Field Fellows program enriches the personal development of young adults, while preserving the wild character of Voyageurs National Park for generations to come.
UpTurnships Information Sessions
UpTurnships works with sophomores, juniors, and seniors of any major who are interested in business.
Sign up at: upturnships.org/info-session
- Tuesdays 10am – 10:30am
- Thursdays 4pm – 4:30pm
Specific backgrounds they're currently looking for:
- Sophomores/ Juniors – interested in Business-to-Business Sales
- Juniors – interested in accounting and finance.
They also have opportunities for students who are studying in Duluth as well:
- IT, HR, and Marketing
Information sessions are an important part of the UpTurnships application process. During the sessions you will learn about their Program Model, application process, and ask questions. Two sessions are held weekly. To learn more, interested students are invited to attend a mandatory information session.
Minnesota SciTech Internship Program
SciTech connects college STEM majors to paid internships at small Minnesota companies -- it's a one-stop shop for finding STEM internships statewide! Gain hands-on experience, network with pros, build your resume, and "earn while you learn."
In order to be eligible for SciTech internships, students must meet the following criteria:
- Minnesota resident OR living in and attending college in Minnesota
- At least 18 years of age
- In good academic standing (2.5+ GPA)
- College junior or senior (at least 60 credits completed) OR
- Technical or community college student (at least 24 credits completed) OR
- Enrolled in a STEM degree at an accredited U.S. college
- Legally eligible to work in the U.S. (international students may participate if they have CPT/OPT work authorization)
Deadline to apply: Varies
For more information on how to apply and to view a list of current internship opportunities, visit https://scitechmn.org/.
STEM Blog
Interested in learning more about advocacy, research and how it relates to the human experience? Click below:
- NSF-supported research impacts nearly every field of science and engineering. NSF's influence reaches from the ends of the Earth to the depths of the oceans and to space and beyond. Our Multimedia Gallery has some of the most stunning images from NSF’s research legacy. We have pulled some of the most beautiful gallery images for you to use as a virtual background.
Do you have suggestions for opportunities to include in the upcoming newsletter? Feel free to forward them to stem@augsburg.edu.
Augsburg STEM Programs
Email: stem@augsburg.edu
Website: https://www.augsburg.edu/stem/
Location: 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone: (612) 330-1042