Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Grants
By Victoria Brito Morales
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 2, 2024 – The UTRGV School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (SMSS) has been awarded an almost $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to coordinate calculus instruction between UTRGV and South Texas College (STC).
The “HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Enhancing Student Success in Calculus to Strengthen STEM Pathways at Hispanic-Serving Institutions,” is intended to increase student success and decrease the average time students take to complete their calculus requirement by standardizing content and instruction between the two schools.
In the long run, the project is designed to help improve the transition between courses from Pre-Calculus through Calculus II and ease the transfer between institutions for students.
Principal investigator (PI) on the project is Dr. Baofeng Feng, a professor in the SMSS. Co-PIs are Dr. Timothy Huber, associate professor and school director of SMSS; Dr. Roger Knobel, associate professor of SMSS; Dr. Kaitlyn Serbin, assistant professor in SMSS; and Mario Morin, chair of the Mathematics Department at STC.
Feng said the grant award is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of the teams at UTRGV and South Texas College.
“This grant will enable us to significantly enhance calculus instruction and support, ultimately improving student success and retention in STEM fields,” he said. “We are excited to embark on this transformative journey that will positively impact our students and the community."
As part of the project, students will be supported in-class with activities and interventions, such as early-semester supplemental instruction, in-class peer assistants and exam retakes.
Instructors will receive professional development focused on teaching key groups, such as first-generation college students, students from low-income families, students repeating Calculus I/II and those taking a calculus class with long time gaps between prerequisite courses.
This joint agreement will enhance experience for calculus students at both schools. Implementation begins this fall and runs through summer 2027.
“We are thrilled to receive this significant grant from the NSF,” co-PI Huber said. “This funding recognizes the collaborative efforts of UTRGV and STC to bring calculus instruction into the 21st century and support student success in STEM fields. The project will create a robust support system for students and will allow all students to thrive in calculus and pursue successful careers in STEM.”
Feng said a group of UTRGV colleagues contributed to developing the proposal and making it possible to secure the NSF grant, including Susan Brown, assistant vice president, Office of Strategic Analysis and Institutional Reporting (SAIR); Yvette Espindola, pre-award manager in the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP); Melissa Garza, research services coordinator in OSP; Roxanna Garcia, post-award manager in OSP; and Ruth Lozano, executive director of Research Administration in OSP.
“Without their support, it would have been impossible to get this $1 million grant,” he said.
For more information on the UTRGV School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/math/index.htm
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.