We will leverage previous NASA and NSF funding to capitalize on the rapidly growing enrollment of physical science and engineering majors at the university of the virgin islands (UVI) to develop and…

This is a $2,631,343 cooperative agreement awarded by NASA to the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to establish the first-ever 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy at UVI. The award will leverage previous NASA and NSF funding to support UVI's rapidly growing enrollment in physical science and engineering majors, as well as the university's expanding astrophysics research capabilities at the Etelman Observatory. The new "Physics and Astronomy with Authentic Research Experience (PAARE)" degree program will focus on education-through-research, involving both teaching and research activities to provide UVI students with high-impact research opportunities, both at UVI and at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. This award aims to help graduate new STEM majors from underrepresented groups and connect them to internships and employment opportunities in the NASA workforce, supporting the agency's diversity initiatives. The contract does not utilize any set-aside designations.

We will leverage previous NASA and NSF funding to capitalize on the rapidly growing enrollment of physical science and engineering majors at the university of the virgin islands (UVI) to develop and offer the first ever 4-year degree in physics at UVI. Thanks to the rapidly expanding astrophysics research component at UVI's etelman observatory (built in 2000-01 under support of NSF hbcuup grant 99-73 and renovated in 2013 under support of NASA epscor grant NNX13AD28A), uvis students have been introduced to the fields of physics and astronomy as potential career paths. Authentic research experiences available both locally at etelman observatory (EO) and at our partner NASA facility (goddard space flight center) are providing our students with valuable insight into and encouragement to pursue academic and career opportunities in stem areas. Moreover, UVI has seen a tremendous rise in the enrollment in physics and astronomy course offerings over the past 8 years (from 46 students enrolled in 2006 to 112 enrolled in 2014). Presently, however, UVI's physics staffing is not adequate to complete these students degrees. UVI currently offers only an associate of science degree in physics and a 3-2 engineering degree that requires students to leave UVI for the final 2 years of their degree, which is typically completed at one of uvis 3-2 program partner schools (university of florida, university of south florida, and columbia university). We will establish a hybrid physics and astronomy bachelor of science major to serve the grooving population of students enrolling in these courses, that builds on work already accomplished through previously funded NSF hbcu-up and NASA-epscor grants. The new physics and astronomy with authentic research experience (paare) degree program will be designed with a focus on educafion-through-research. The program will require all faculty to participate vitally in both teaching and research activities at UVI and to involve UVI students in their teaching and research activities. We will strengthen our rapidly growing collaborations with the college of charleston and nasas goddard space flight center (gsfc) to connect our students to research opportunities throughout the astrophysics community and, ultimately, to connect our graduates to employment opportunities in the united states virgin islands (usvi) and throughout the country. We will dramatically enhance the undergraduate experience of paare majors as well as the broader stem undergraduate community at UVI by providing increased access to high-quality peer-instruction at all levels, increasing the degree offerings at UVI, and providing high-impact research opportunities both at UVI and at gsfc. This will help to graduate new stem majors from historically underrepresented groups and we will encourage our students and graduates to seek out internships and explore employment options in the NASA workforce, helping to promote nasas diversity on all levels.