By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — Several school districts in Northeast Arkansas will be the primary beneficiaries of a $2.3 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY for an environmental and molecular biosciences program.

The title of the successful grant proposal is Environmental Sciences and Molecular Biosciences in the Natural State.

Funding will support a number of NSF graduate teaching fellows for K-12 education, said Dr. Alan Christian, associate professor of biological sciences. The theme of the program, “Land Use, Land Cover and Biodiversity in the Mississippi Embayment,” was developed based on environmental sciences graduate program faculty research that addresses “regional biodiversity across ecosystems and organisms,” according to an ASU press release.

Twenty school districts in Northeast Arkansas expressed interest in participating in the program, but funding allows for only five districts. The five chosen were Nettleton, South Mississippi County, Cross County, Armorel and West Helena, Christian said. Middle school students in grades 6-8 will benefit from the science instruction.

The final five were chosen based on the science teachers who demonstrated interest in the program and initial feedback from teachers and administrators. A minimum of two teachers and a maximum of four will participate in each district.

Eight doctoral-level NSF graduate teaching fellows per year in the five schools will teach lessons based on their research, as well as state and national standards, Christian said.

The goals of the program include improving the fellows’ skills in communicating science to a broad audience, gaining a deeper understanding of their own research, improving the science teachers’ knowledge and experience, piquing students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math and strengthening partnerships between ASU and public school districts, the release said.

Christian was the principal grant writer. Other ASU faculty who helped draft the grant proposal include Dr. Anne Grippo, associate professor of biology; Dr. James Tillman Kennon, associate professor of science education; Dr. Robyn Hannigan, professor of geochemistry and environmental science and director of the environmental sciences graduate program; and Dr. Cynthia Miller, director of the Northeast Arkansas Delta Institute for Math and Science at the Center for Excellence in Education.

Christian praised Miller for his work in fostering the relationship between ASU and the districts, Kennon for his expertise in pedagogy and teaching, and Christian, Grippo and Hannigan for their knowledge of science and science research.

Securing the grant

The team submitted a similar grant proposal to the NSF in 2006. While it received good reviews, it was not funded. The team addressed the reviews, reworking their proposal for several months before resubmitting it, he said. The grant was awarded this month.

Funding will be received over a 5-year period. During the first year, $445,000 will be awarded, Christian said.

On July 7, a 2-week summer workshop will kick off the program for the eight graduate fellows and 15 science teachers. Kennon and Dr. Mike Hall, assistant professor of mathematics, will work with the fellows assigned to the districts, who later will partner with the classroom teachers.

Christian emphasized that one of the best things about the program is the positive relationships built among the districts and the university.

“It shows the university is reaching out to help kids,” Christian said. “Ultimately, it could be a good recruiting tool ... It’s a 2-way street. Teachers get professional development on current research and ideas.”

At the end of the 5-year program, the program could be opened to other local districts, Christian added.

sherry@jonesborosun.com