HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS

PROGRAM SUMMARY

FY 2001

Higher Education Programs

Science and Education Resources Development

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

August 2001

FY 2001 HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM

Launched in 1990, the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, administered by the USDA Office of Higher Education Programs, is designed to stimulate and enable colleges and universities to provide the quality of education necessary to produce graduates capable of strengthening the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional work force. It is intended that projects supported by this competitive grants program will: (1) address a regional, State, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or novel approach toward addressing the need which can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits which will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.

All U.S. colleges and universities that have a demonstrable capacity to carry out teaching in the food and agricultural sciences at the baccalaureate and first professional degree levels may submit proposals. Each grantee must have a significant ongoing commitment to the food and agricultural sciences and to the specific subject areas for which such a grant is used. Generally, the food and agricultural sciences consist of agriculture, natural resources, forestry, family and consumer sciences, veterinary medicine, and closely allied disciplines. Supported projects address the undergraduate or first professional level of study in the following targeted areas: (1) curricula design and materials development; (2) faculty preparation and enhancement for teaching; (3) instruction delivery systems; and (4) student experiential learning.

For the FY 2001 competition, $4,350,000 was appropriated. Of that amount, $4,058,311* was available for project awards after subtracting administrative costs. A total of 56 different institutions from 39 States and one US Territory submitted 107 proposals for consideration for funding in the twelfth year of the program. Funds were available to support a total of 37 grants. The 37 grants were awarded to 32 lead institutions in 28 States and 1 U.S. Territory. Six of the projects funded in FY 2001 were joint projects involving three or more institutions. When the collaborating institutions are included with the lead institutions, a total of 50 institutions from 35 states are being supported under the FY 2001 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program.

In May 2001, a 27-member peer review panel evaluated the grant applications. The panel was composed of faculty members from land grant and non-land grant institutions and other professions representing business, agriculture, natural resources, forestry, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences, and closely allied disciplines. The following tables summarize this year’s Higher Education Challenge Grants program competition:

Table 1. FUNDS REQUESTED/AWARDED BY EMPHASIS AREAS -FY 2001 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program -
TARGET ACADEMIC EMPHASIS AREAS	NUMBER OF ROPOSALS		AMOUNT OF FUNDS
	Requested	Awarded	Requested	Awarded*
General	28	12	$3,809,106.00	$1,619,062
Agribusiness Mngt. and Marketing	3	2	$256,386.00	$182,754
Agricultural/Bio. Engineering	3	1	$333,948.00	$100,000
Agricultural Social Sciences	4	1	$537,375.00	$100,000
International	5	1	$528,595.00	$47,480
Animal Sciences	7	3	$698,912.00	$298,913
Plant Sciences	6	0	$763,612.00	$0
Entomology (Plant)	1	1	$48,634.00	$48,634
Soil Science	2	0	$185,427.00	$0
Conservation (Including Forestry & Natural Resources)	9	2	$969,062.00	$171,987
Food Sciences	13	2	$1,479,725.00	$196,211
Environmental Sciences	2	2	$349,742.00	$137,736
Family/Consumer Sciences	3	1	$485,251.00	$245,728
Nutrition	7	3	$711,969.00	$225,133
Related Biological Sciences	3	2	$385,560.00	$285,561
Veterinary Medicine	11	4	$955,009.00	$399,112
TOTALS	107	37	$12,498,313.00	$4,058,311

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* Not all programs request the maximum funds allowed per institution under this grant ($100,000 - Regular proposals, or $250,000 - Joint proposals). These amounts represent the total Federal dollars awarded to each lead institution, including funds that will be subcontracted to collaborating institutions for joint projects. With fund transfer restrictions taken into account, no single institution will receive more than $100,000 (per regular proposals) or $125,000 (per joint proposals), under this program in FY 2001. All funded projects in this grants program require 1:1 non-Federal matching funds. Matching funds are not reflected in these Federal award amounts.

Table 2. FUNDED PROJECT INFORMATION and DESCRIPTIONS

- FY 2001 Higher Education Challenge Grants Program -

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03580	PROJECT TITLE	College of Agriculture and Life Sciences E-commerce Minor
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Arizona
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Kenneth C. Gehrt	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The support requested by this proposal will be used by the Retailing and Consumer Sciences (RCS) Division to launch a sustainable E-commerce Minor at the University of Arizona. The Division has a proven record of providing for the business needs of the College. We believe that the development of the E-commerce Minor is an effective response to the growing need for E-commerce knowledge and skills on the part of recruiters, including the Division's Advisory Board members. Adequate access to business and E-commerce curricula by this and other agriculture colleges is often unavailable. The approach of this program is to: 1) utilize existing E-commerce oriented courses, 2) integrate E-commerce content into appropriate preexisting courses, and 3) create new, predominantly technology-oriented, E-commerce courses. The new courses will rely on a hands-on approach to technology and will utilize the Division's JC Penney Muliti-Media Information Technology Lab. This is an opportunity for experiential learning in E-commerce that will provide the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students with a differential advantage. Besides covering the strategic aspect of E-commerce, the program will also cover the technological aspect of E-commerce and will provide students with the opportunity to build an E-commerce site from the ground up.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03615	PROJECT TITLE	Collaborative Program in Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of California, Davis
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Patrick H. Brown	FUNDS AWARDED*	$249,949
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project will establish an interdisciplinary and experiential learning program in Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development to be offered jointly by the University of California at Davis, Cornell University, Texas A&M University and Iowa State University in collaboration with the City of Knowledge, Panama, and its affiliated institutions. This program will consist of two integrated courses. The first course will involve an eight-week experiential learning program to be offered in Panama. The course ‘Tropical Ecology and Sustainable Agricultural Development’ will involve a multidisciplinary analysis of current regional development issues in Central America and experiential learning through integrated field activities, and collaboration with researchers and development of group projects. The second course will be an Honors/Senior Thesis/Seminar in Global Agriculture and Sustainable Development. This three-credit program will involve a faculty-guided independent study and thesis preparation on a topic of the student’s choice, and will include a program of seminars or weekly discussions with a final oral and written presentation. This project represents an innovative approach to develop an awareness of the global nature of the international economy and the multidisciplinary nature of most significant problems. Students will participate in courses with fellow students from other U.S. and international institutions. Faculty will be encouraged to internationalize the content of their courses and the curricula of their respective academic programs. It will provide the opportunity for interaction between faculty and students from diverse disciplines such as agricultural sciences and production, community development, tropical biology, environmental sciences and management, international development, human nutrition, plant physiology, and soil and water sciences. The experiential and problem-solving nature of the courses proposed will provide students with a set of essential skills for their future professional careers.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03656	PROJECT TITLE	Virtual Farm Animal Anatomy
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Colorado State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Sherry L. McConnell	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,245
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The goal of this project is to develop and deliver an online farm animal anatomy course. The objectives are to: 1) meet the changing and diverse needs of a large and growing population of undergraduate animal science, equine science and pre-veterinary students, 2) enhance the quality of education and broaden the teaching programs of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences while strengthening the relationships between these two colleges, 3) develop a creative and interactive medium to engage students in learning the applied and functional anatomy of farm animals, 4) assess the learning outcomes, and 5) make the course available to distance students across the nation if not internationally. WebCT® will be used as the foundation of online delivery, while interactive imaging using Flash software and Authorware will support a lively and engaging learning environment. The course itself will consist of a lecture component delivered via WebCT and a stand-alone laboratory/tutorial component delivered via CD-ROM. An instructional design specialist is included in this proposal to direct the development of the course and to assess the learning outcomes of the project. Our colleagues in the College of Agricultural Sciences will be consulted as advisers to ensure the needs of their students are met. Offering such a course through the Internet will allow rural students and those that have difficulty attending an institution of higher learning access to this information. Having the course based at a university will allow these students to obtain legitimate academic credit for their efforts. As a basic requirement, this course should be highly transferable to most institutions, and thus can be used toward graduation requirements. Expanding access will in turn increase the numbers of students who can contribute to careers in food and agricultural sciences in the United States.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03581	PROJECT TITLE	Biotechnology-Science & Socioeconomic Issues: Web-based Active Learning Modules
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Delaware
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Sherry L. Kitto	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The objective of this proposal is to develop innovative, active-learning ‘modules’ composed of animations of biological events, interactive mini-movies focused on recent media stories, and expert video mini-lectures (‘chunks’) for students enrolled in the course “Biotechnology: Science and Socioeconomic Issues.” Our long-standing educational objectives have been to provide students/people with the opportunity to develop an understanding about agricultural biotechnology, enable them to appreciate the controversies associated with biotechnology, and make informed decisions about biotechnological products. The underlying problem is that many science concepts associated with biotechnology are technically difficult and challenging. We propose to develop, evaluate, and deliver educational modules that can be used as a component of our biotechnology course, but because they will be housed on the Internet, they will be broadly available as components for new and existing courses, as a source of information and interactive, self-instruction for students both in traditional and web-based classrooms, extending learning experiences beyond the classroom. The modules proposed in this project use alternative instructional strategies (computers, media, and the web) to provide a variety of alternatives to reach those who learn in ways other than being ‘lectured’. This proposal brings together experts on biotechnology as a science as well as technology and educational evaluation who will contribute to the creation of effective modules designed to actively engage people through the use of active learning, animation, real-life media exercises, and expert scientists. The modules will be available for use in courses, seminars, workshops, in-service training via the web or CD.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03680	PROJECT TITLE	A Global Seminar on Human Sustainability, Agriculture and the Environment
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Florida A & M University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Verian Thomas	FUNDS AWARDED*	$37,736
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project includes inter-institutional faculty interaction regarding the adaptation of innovative instruction on sustainability. Funding will allow faculty and technologists from two 1890 land-grant universities, Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Alabama A&M University (AAMU), to be trained by personnel from Cornell University (CU) in the “cutting edge” distance-learning technologies involved in the delivery of the existing Global Seminar on sustainable agriculture which CU has successfully developed. The faculty will: a) be trained on case method curriculum teaching, and b) learn about the innovative multi-disciplinary curricula that will be adapted using web-based and video-conferencing technologies. Funding will afford teams of faculty, technologists, and administrators from FAMU and AAMU the opportunity to travel to CU to participate in the annual one-week professional workshop, which will be held in the 2001 fall semester. At this workshop, the FAMU and AAMU adaptors will work with faculty and support technologists from CU to study how the current model of the global seminar works, examine the core curriculum, the case-study materials, and the references for the seminar course, obtain skills in the development and refinement of case-method writing and teaching, explore the latest technology utilized in a fully interactive environment, such as interactive video, course information, desktop video conferencing, discussion boards, and chat rooms, and interact with expert faculty in terms of subject matter expertise, curriculum development, pedagogy, and delivery systems at CU and with the existing international collaborators. In the 2002 spring semester, both FAMU and AAMU will link up with CU to ensure that the videoconferencing systems are compatible and to participate in the global seminar.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03648	PROJECT TITLE	Developing a Critical Thinking Instructional Model and Skills Assessment Instrument for Food Biotechnology
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Florida
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Tracy A. Irani	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The major objectives of this proposal are to build on the existing foundation provided by a previously funded "restructuring for critical thinking " USDA Challenge Grant to foster and assess the continued development of critical thinking skills on the part of our graduates through targeting and applying those skills to the critically important area of biotechnology. Food biotechnology represents one of the most important domains of knowledge where the teaching of critical thinking skills will have great potential for enhancing the quality of education for students in the food and agricultural sciences. However, although instruments exist and are being used to assess a student's dispositional attitude to think and reason critically, limited work has been done in terms of developing an instructional model and skills assessment instrument for critical thinking that could serve as a guide for educators who want to develop course materials that lead to an actionable outcome in terms not only of knowledge gained but also with respect to attitude and behavior formation and change. The primary products to be derived from this project include the critical thinking instructional model and a reliable skills assessment instrument that will be designed and validated so as to test critical thinking skills development in the specific content area. For maximum dissemination potential, an upper-division course in food biotechnology will be developed for testing purposes from the instructional model. Materials from the course will also be packaged into a series of six interactive CD-ROM based course modules. The package, which will be accompanied by a curriculum guide, printed copies of the skills assessment instrument and score sheets and access to the project Web site, will be available for adoption by other institutions on a cost recovery basis.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03634	PROJECT TITLE	Three Dimensional Animations of Signal Transduction Mechanisms
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Georgia
PROJECT DIRECTOR	James N. Moore	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,999
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This proposal seeks to establish a series of 3-D animations of four signal transduction pathways that are key to educating animal and veterinary science students. These pathways play vital roles in physiological/pharmacological processes and in the pathophysiology of many animal diseases encountered by students in their graduate/clinical years. This innovative project brings cutting-edge technology to teaching of signal transduction mechanisms (STMs) and will have wide applications in the teaching of animal biology, disease processes and therapeutic strategies. Vital aspects of this project are: (1) provision of CD-ROMs containing 3-D animations that greatly facilitate the understanding of temporal and spatial interactions of signal transduction elements, and (2) refinement of animations as new information is discovered, and as feedback is received from participating investigators. Our central hypothesis is that the use of 3-D animations will significantly improve student learning of receptor-STMs. This is based on the enthusiastic responses of veterinary students to a 3-D animation depicting cell surface receptor-mediated effects of bacterial endotoxin. In contrast to previous years in which the same material was taught using traditional methods, the dynamic nature of the 3-D animation allowed students to quickly grasp the complex concepts and prompted many to ask probing questions related to the specific intracellular processes.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03594	PROJECT TITLE	Promoting Agricultural on the Pacific High Seas
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Guam
PROJECT DIRECTOR	John M. Woodard	FUNDS AWARDED*	$250,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project will enhance the capabilities of the University of Guam and Palau Community College in addressing the future human resource requirements for agricultural development across this region. The focus will be on devising innovative solutions for providing baccalaureate level degree training to the more than 150 uncertified and under trained vocational agriculture teachers working at schools on remote pacific islands and atolls. In addition, by forging sustainable partnerships between the University of Guam, Palau Community College and Florida A&M University, a well-integrated agricultural resource network will emerge that will have long-term impact on increasing the value of the region's agricultural production as well as serving as a vehicle for import substitution and the reducing dependency on imported food products

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03632	PROJECT TITLE	Integration of Molecular Biotechnology into Biological Engineering Curricula Using Green Fluorescent Protein as a Unifying Theme
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Hawaii
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Wei We Su	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project proposes to develop a set of novel educational materials that are coherent in content and useful for undergraduate biological engineering students to grasp the basic concepts and engineering applications of molecular biotechnology. These educational materials will be modular in nature for ready incorporation into biological and related engineering curricula. Each module will consist of lecture materials as well as research-based laboratory exercises. The specific objectives of the project are to: 1) design and develop lecture materials for a series of modules that integrate major aspects of molecular biotechnology into biological engineering curricula; 2) develop hypothesis-driven and inquiry-based laboratory exercises with effective incorporation of research elements to accompany the lecture materials, and 3) deliver the lecture materials and laboratory exercises using Web-based, interactive multimedia technology. A unified approach will be used in developing and integrating all of the modules and a new course in “molecular bioengineering” will be developed based on these modules. The unique and visually appealing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) will serve as a common vehicle that unifies the modules throughout the project. Discovered in bioluminescent jellyfish and sea pansies, GFP has recently become one of the most exciting and useful molecules in the field of biotechnology since its gene was cloned in the 1990s. In addition to its prevalent use in many aspects of science, there is a tremendous potential of applying GFP in bioprocessing. One of the most notable engineering applications of GFP involves its use as an in situ reporter for monitoring and optimization of recombinant protein expression and purification. GFP also finds its uses in food safety and environmental monitoring. To stimulate students’ interests and to engage them in active learning, state-of-the-art Web-based multimedia technology will be employed to deliver the educational materials. Evaluations from participating students, faculty, and external reviewers will be used to modify the materials and to enhance its effectiveness. The proposed educational materials will be made available to a broad base of users via the World Wide Web and the impact of the project should transcend the originating institution and grant period.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03659	PROJECT TITLE	International Experiential Learning Modules for the Multidisciplinary Study of Nutrition
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Iowa State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Grace S. Marquis	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,958
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The vision of this project is to provide an innovative, international nutrition course to be carried out in collaboration with the Instituto de Investigación Nutricional (IIN), a premier research institution located in Lima, Peru. There are four primary program goals: 1) to provide an international learning opportunity focused on diet and nutrition and offered in a culturally relevant setting that will help undergraduate students develop and excel in their profession; 2) to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the study of diet and nutrition through intensive course modules that emphasize team work; 3) to include extensive experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students that will increase their understanding of research; and 4) to develop web-based educational support that can be used to sustain the benefits and complement traditional classroom activities in the biological and social sciences. This international course will allow students to study food/nutrition/health problems among the poor in a developing country and to work toward solutions from a multi-disciplinary standpoint. We believe that this approach to the university experience of studying abroad will have a significant impact on the way students view the world from their respective disciplines. The four-week course will consist of 20 days, with 50% on experiential learning. Students will be assigned to work on two 9-day projects. Each team will be given a unique project to develop, for example to increase the dietary iron intake of pregnant women. The modules will focus on food and water safety, nutrition education techniques, clinical nutrition, community-based research, food programs. The module will consist of a mixture of theory, practical application, and fieldwork. Iowa State University visiting staff, the IIN researchers and local invited specialists will teach classes. As a team, the students will share their new knowledge with each other and work on the final development of the project. The group’s work will be assessed by the course staff and by the other students following presentation of the intervention and role playing the presentation of the project in the country context to assess to what extent the group have captured local culture.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03642	PROJECT TITLE	Genetic Simulation Software for Teaching Animal Breeding and Genetics
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Iowa State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Philip L. Spike	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,392
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this project is to develop a new generation of simulation models for teaching undergraduate animal genetics. Software will be developed in an object-oriented language like Java and later provided free of charge to educational institutions. The project will require three software development projects; a simulation program, genetic evaluation software and a student interface. The genetic evaluation software will use multiple trait best linear unbiased prediction to estimate breeding values. Industry standards for genetic evaluations in beef, dairy, sheep and swine are multiple trait best linear unbiased prediction. By simulating performance with major genes it will be possible to incorporate information into the genetic evaluations. Students can be taught to use economic information in the construction of selection indexes to combine the individual estimates of breeding value into an overall index of merit. The student interface will be through web pages. Reports on individual animal performance, major genes, genetic markers and estimates of genetic merit will be provided through web pages. By changing options for the amount of information available to students, it will be possible to increase the complexity of the student simulation as the course proceeds and new topics are introduced. Using a static economic environment, students can measure the impact of their breeding program on their herd. Information from performance testing, genetic evaluations and DNA testing each require a production cost. Comparing the economic impact of the student’s breeding program to associated costs of technology will help illustrate the wise use of technology. New simulations that are modern and reflect changes in the science of animal genetics are needed. These new programs and teaching aids will be an important tool for teaching animal genetics to students, and livestock producers.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03617	PROJECT TITLE	Food Science: Meeting Multiple Needs with Distance Education
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Idaho
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Jeffrey D. Culbertson	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,914
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this project is to develop, teach and assess four Internet based courses that will assist a diverse group of potential and existing undergraduates in the pursuit of their baccalaureate degree in food science. Two of the courses will be developed in both English and Spanish to address multicultural educational needs. Since many employees in the food processing industry in Idaho and the rural West are Hispanic, it is hoped that these courses will also provide an incentive or starting point towards their pursuit of a degree. Over two years, the project will develop and teach four web-based food science courses using the Internet. A bilingual consultant will translate and teach Spanish versions for two courses. The other two courses will be newly developed using WebCT® software. The success of the courses will be evaluated using several assessment techniques. Anyone with Internet access will be able to take the courses. Project results will be presented at national meetings and published in refereed journals

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03625	PROJECT TITLE	Community-Based Experiential Education in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Idaho
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Robert Mahler	FUNDS AWARDED*	$248,621
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The goal of this project is to meet the needs of traditional and non-traditional undergraduate students seeking experiential education in small acreage farming, ranching and market gardening. The impetus for this project came from an awareness that an increasing number of undergraduate students seeking on-farm educational opportunities are not finding what they need at universities and colleges in the Inland Northwest. The objectives of this project are to: 1) create a certificate program in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching (SSAFR) that is available to undergraduate on-campus and distance delivery education students at both the University of Idaho and Washington State University, 2) develop curricula, instructional videos and distance education support systems for the five courses that comprise the SSAFR certificate program, 3) create a networked pool of faculty, agricultural professionals and farmers who are trained and certified as site instructors for the SSAFR certificate programs and who will serve as resource people and mentors to undergraduate students seeking and engaged in experiential agricultural education opportunities, and 4) evaluate, refine and disseminate the SSAFR certificate as a model of experiential agricultural education that brings the resources and experience of multiple institutional partners, farmers, students and community members into on-campus and distance education classrooms as well as providing on-farm education and applied research experiences for university students. The first phase of the SSAFR program involves creating and offering a year-long on-farm education program (OFEP) to on-campus and distance education students during the 2001 to 2002 academic year. The second phase is to develop a SSAFR certificate. The SSAFR certificate, comprised of the three OFEP courses and two new introductory and capstone Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) courses, will be piloted in the 2002 and 2003 academic years. The project’s participatory evaluation is designed as a learning venue for faculty, administrators and students. Dissemination of the model through publications, workshops, conferences and the web will make it available for adaptation in other regions and institutions.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03578	PROJECT TITLE	Web-Based Soil and Water Quality Modeling to Enhance Student Learning
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Purdue University / Indiana
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Rabi H. Mohtar	FUNDS AWARDED*	$88,981
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Natural resources utilization and water quality protection offer unique opportunities for students to gain exposure to agricultural and natural resources systems with their complex mosaic of interactions. The overall goal of this project is to improve student understanding of complex natural resources and water quality systems by developing interactive, Web-accessible modeling systems, supporting databases, and supplementary educational material for natural resources models that provide experiential learning opportunities. The specific objectives are to: 1) develop and implement Web-accessible natural resources modeling systems, associated databases and supporting educational materials based on the GRASIM (GRAzing SImulation Model) and GLEAMS (Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems) models, 2) evaluate the educational effectiveness of the modeling systems and the supporting materials, and 3) disseminate the modeling systems and educational materials. Web-based interfaces will be developed for two models, GRASIM and GLEAMS. The Web interfaces will help students to interactively create model input files, run the models, obtain results, graphically display the results, and evaluate their output by comparing model output to actual field data. Online supporting educational materials will be developed to provide multimedia description of the models and of the complex systems they simulate. A series of case studies will also be developed that will serve as laboratory exercises for students using the modeling systems and the supporting educational materials. In addition, actual field data, including runoff and water quality data, will be available online to allow students to evaluate and compare their model results to observed data from the location they simulate. Chat rooms will be designed and supported to encourage students to share their experiences online with peers and instructors. The effectiveness of the Web-based modeling system and supporting materials will be evaluated as part of five courses at Purdue University. Students in these courses range from sophomores to seniors in agriculture and agricultural engineering disciplines who are enrolled in the principal investigators' soil and water quality courses. The hypothesis to be tested in this project is that student understanding of the complex natural resources and water quality systems will be greater with simulated hands on experience using the Web-based models and supporting Web materials compared to classroom lecture presentation. Results of the evaluation will be used to improve the quality of the materials generated by the project. The materials will be disseminated using the Web, and a workshop for instructors will be conducted in association with a national/international meeting of the ASAE (The Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems) and through the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) network (Big Ten Universities and University of Chicago). Publications will also be prepared to describe the outcomes of the project.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03591	PROJECT TITLE	Clinical Skills Builder for Food and Nutrition
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Murray State University / Kentucky
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Charles Jeffrey Frame	FUNDS AWARDED*	$25,231
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this proposal is to document the need for improving the clinical skills of our nation’s food and nutrition faculty. Enhancement of the clinical skills of the university faculty teaching foods and nutrition is an important function that requires periodic evaluation and upgrading in order to effectively link the classroom principles with clinical application realities. A written product, “ Clinical Skill Builder for Food and Nutrition”, will be a comprehensive document designed to assist university food and nutrition faculty deliver clinically-focused food and nutrition education in our nation’s classrooms. Information, data and procedures for the document will be collected and developed over a 36-month period through observation, data collection and training in six area hospitals in western Kentucky and Tennessee. Six clinical evaluators will review drafts of the final product. The final product will be presented to the 75,000 members of the American Dietetic Association through area meetings and will be made available nationally to all university food and nutrition faculty for enhancing classroom delivery skills.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03577	PROJECT TITLE	Watershed Management Initiative Enhancement
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Louisiana State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Dalton R. Gossett	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project proposes a complementary project to continue and expand the enhancement of undergraduate training in environmental science by implementing new courses, revising existing courses, and enhancing student experiential learning to advance the interdisciplinary environmental science program, with particular focus on watershed management. The primary objective is implementation of a major curriculum addition to our environmental science program by the inclusion of a comprehensive watershed and ecosystems approach in several new and revised undergraduate courses. The initial focus of the curricular enhancement and related experiential learning opportunities will be on the Red River watershed and ecosystems in our immediate region. Project activities include adding appropriate watershed management expertise, implement new courses and revising existing courses, student experiential learning, and enhancing cooperative partnership with other institutions/organizations. Dissemination will be aided via our tri-state Red River Public Radio network, through cooperation with the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Region 5 office headquartered on our campus, and through a new inter-agency working group composed of faculty and government agency personnel who are developing a broad regional watershed management initiative.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03668	PROJECT TITLE	Nutrition Therapy in Practice (NTiP): Strengthening Medical Nutrition Therapy Skills
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Michigan State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Norman G. Hord	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,944
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This proposal will assemble an expert panel of registered dietitians and educational design consultants to advise them on the curriculum design for instructional modules and medical nutrition therapy scenarios by Fall 2001. A course curriculum will be designed to incorporate interdisciplinary expertise in planning appropriate medical nutrition therapy didactic concepts and case study components to be addressed with curricula designed using LearningOnline Network – Computer-Assisted Personalized-Approach (LON-CAPA) software during spring and summer 2002. Pilot tests of the product using at least three distinct target audiences will begin by the Fall of 2002. After formative and summative evaluations, the final curriculum will be offered Spring 2004. Finally, the Web-based course will be disseminated through the MSU Virtual University; registration with Internet search engines and presentations at national meetings will begin the Fall of 2001. This project will result in the development of state-of-the-art modules teaching the principles of nutrition assessment, development of nutritional care plans, enteral and parenteral nutrition support, and evaluation of patient outcomes with nutrition therapy. The availability of this truly innovative course to a dietetic educator, student, or health professional will help to increase the successful learning and application of medical nutrition therapy concepts. This outstanding educational resource will thus increase the quality of nutrition therapy given by dietetics professionals nationwide and will serve as a resource for Dietetic educators. The Professional Core Competencies and Standards of Practice provided by the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and the American Dietetic Association Standards of Education will give guidance for curriculum development of this course. This Web-accessible curriculum will build on the success of Foodservice 2000®, a successfully marketed, CAPA-testing based Web course which teaches foodservice-related math skills. Features made possible with this Web browser-accessible software include unlimited opportunities to practice learned skills and the ability to tailor questions to each learner's level of competency.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03608	PROJECT TITLE	Global Field Research Experiences for Applied Science Undergraduates
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Southwest State University / Minnesota
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Neal S. Eash	FUNDS AWARDED*	$61,675
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project will develop meaningful, multidisciplinary learning experiences for geographically-constrained students in agronomy, environmental science, and agricultural communication. Building on an existing field trip project, the principle investigators plan to develop a yearly field trip program. This program will involve science students and agriculture professionals in yearly travel opportunities to study human interaction on the landscape that incorporates soils, agribusiness, environmental science and communication disciplines. Students will conduct hands-on research and study in agricultural regions other than their own, interact with professors in a field setting and network with working agronomists and agribusiness professionals in multicultural settings. They will consider communication obstacles and effective communication techniques within and outside the industry, as well as probe global and regional environmental and professional issues, which may impact the future of their professional agricultural/scientific endeavors.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03663	PROJECT TITLE	Enhanced Biotechnology Education
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Missouri
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Sharyn K. Freyermuth	FUNDS AWARDED*	$185,561
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This proposal proposes a joint biotechnology education project between the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU), a major provider of agricultural education in Missouri; the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES), a provider of agricultural education to minority students; and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), a large urban institution. Our main objective is to develop new curricula for teaching biotechnology to undergraduate non-life science majors, but this proposal is the first step to developing a set of materials suitable for all undergraduates. Our plan of operation calls for the foundation materials along with manuals for students and instructors packaged in CD-ROM format for distribution. The curriculum will be based on courses currently taught at MU and UCLA and will include ten new laboratory and demonstration modules. For maximum flexibility, we will produce three levels of laboratory and demonstration materials: Level-1, an intensive ‘wet-lab’ experience; Level-2, a hybrid demonstration/laboratory experience requiring only a demonstration bench; and Level-3, video laboratory demonstrations appropriate for institutions with limited laboratory facilities. A strength of our project is that we draw on the diverse experiences and characters of our three institutions. By exchanging and testing our materials at all three institutions we will ensure that they are easy to adopt at different institutions. Thus, dissemination is an integral part of our project. We expect our curriculum to have an impact on biotechnology education that transcends its immediate impact at our three institutions.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03679	PROJECT TITLE	Meeting Food and Fiber System Human Capacity Needs: An Integrated Curriculum Program Model
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Nebraska
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Linda D. Moody	FUNDS AWARDED*	$100,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this project is to determine the needs of business and industry and to create a model program that strengthens college graduates skills to meet the demands of the food and fiber system. The outcomes of this program will be: a seamless, articulated agricultural and natural resources curriculum involving business and industry in modifying curriculum; a model college leadership option; and a pilot cohort group of animal science majors trained not only in their technical areas but prepared for leadership positions. Most importantly, this proposal will result in strategies that are relevant, forward looking and easily adopted by other institutions. The plan of operation is divided into two thrusts: curriculum assessment and articulation, and developing a model pilot program. The first thrust is to identify the competencies taught in secondary and postsecondary agricultural sciences and natural resources curriculum and compare it to entry-level job descriptions. This process is important to determine the gaps between what is taught and what is needed in a new hire. This information will be used to modify existing and further articulate curriculum programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. The second thrust is creating and implementing a model pilot program integrating animal science curriculum with agricultural leadership curriculum. Research has found that business and industry are looking for new hires with leadership and interpersonal skills. Studies have identified what those skills are, but rarely does research describe how to integrate these skills into the students’ technical science program. Therefore, it is critical to create a model program that will demonstrate how to involve faculty, students, curriculum, and experiential and service learning into the college experience. Project results will be disseminated through a variety of trade journals and conferences. Target audiences are the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA), the Association for Leadership Education (ALE), and the Leadership Study Group of the American Association of Agricultural Educators.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03664	PROJECT TITLE	Escape: Exotic Species Curriculum for Agricultural Problem-Solving Education
INSTITUTION/ STATE	University of Nebraska at Kearney
PROJECT DIRECTOR	William Wyatt Hoback	FUNDS AWARDED*	$82,780
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this project is to develop Web-based instructional materials to enhance student learning of exotic species biology as a foundation for scientific literacy, ecological understanding, pest management, and scientific ethics. This topic is difficult for most students due to the complexity and inter-relatedness of the subject matter. Nevertheless, it is critical that students in agriculturally-related sciences including agribusiness management, entomology, horticulture, plant science, and food science as well as non-science majors explore the potential effects that exotic species exert when they become established. The project will develop a modular core curriculum with emphasis on experiential hypothesis-based learning for teaching the fundamentals of exotic species biology to undergraduate students. Web-based modules will include fundamental information on invasion biology, impacts and benefits of species introduction. The case-based modules will allow users to explore management options through presentation of real cases with associated evidence and questions. Among the unique features of the proposed Web site are the flexibility it affords in allowing use of computer-based training for a variety of audiences and educational goals, the use of problem solving as a mechanism for conveying information, and importantly the intrinsic ethical component as part of the educational experience. This project provides two levels of student learning while addressing multiple regional needs including development of new curriculum material for agricultural education, and provides a model project to educate the public about invasive species.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03652	PROJECT TITLE	Closing the Digital Divide for a Minority-Serving Institution Delivery Systems
INSTITUTION/ STATE	New Mexico State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Cynda Clary	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,933
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Closing the Digital Divide will provide faculty at the nation’s only Hispanic-Serving, Carnegie I Research Institution with Internet-based, asynchronous teaching skills and tools to prepare graduates for technology-enhanced agricultural and food science careers: 1) to encourage the integration of digital instructional systems across a broad range of agricultural and food science courses, thus enhancing teaching and student preparation to thrive in a technology-enhanced career environment, and 2) to increase faculty competency in using innovative technology and enhance their teaching activities through use of streaming media, and asynchronous (anytime-anyplace) Internet teaching techniques. The tools and techniques for workshops and on-going support of faculty competency in using real-time and asynchronous instructional systems will be shared with other universities across the nation through conferences, journal articles and the Internet.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03650	PROJECT TITLE	Improved Food Science Undergraduate Education Through Experiential learning
INSTITUTION/ STATE	Cornell University / New York
PROJECT DIRECTOR	Martin Wiedmann	FUNDS AWARDED*	$96,297
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
We propose to develop a Cornell University Food Science Summer Scholars Program (CU FSSSP) as an intensive experiential learning summer program with the goal of providing undergraduate students with an opportunity to gain research experience and develop research, critical thinking, team work, and leadership skills. Many of these skills are currently under-emphasized in traditional undergraduate curricula. The CU FSSSP Steering committee will match students accepted into the program with individual faculty members. Students will complete a 10-week research program with faculty mentors. Faculty mentors will have at least one formal meeting per week with students to discuss their research project and to help them develop independent thinking and critical analytical skills. The program will also include an introduction to laboratory safety, critical thinking, experimental design, ethics, weekly journal clubs and seminars by participants, as well as field trips to food industry and food research facilities. The program will be led by a steering committee comprising Cornell faculty members. Formal program evaluations by participants and faculty mentors will be conducted at the end of each year’s program. The careers of graduates from the program will also be tracked to assess the impact of the program. The existing advisory board of the Cornell Institute of Food Science will also serve as an external advisory board to regularly review the CU FSSSP.

PROPOSAL NUMBER	2001-03665	PROJECT TITLE	Development and Utilization of Animal Welfare Modules: Enhancing the quality of education for students of food animal agriculture and health
INSTITUTION/ STATE	The Ohio State University
PROJECT DIRECTOR	James E. Kinder	FUNDS AWARDED*	$99,722
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project will develop a series of core teaching modules designed to encompass various aspects of animal welfare for utilization in an array of courses within the Department of Animal Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, these modules will be used in youth and adult programming throughout the state of Ohio (and beyond as requested), and with students at the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. The Ohio State University’s teaching program in food animal agriculture and health, both at the baccalaureate and doctorate in Veterinary Medicine levels, will be strengthened by provid