Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia has been awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant to advance the incorporation of cell culture-based research into undergraduate classes.
With the grant, the university said that it is now leading a national effort for innovation in undergraduate biology education.
Before receiving this grant, OBU hosted a three-year pilot program focused on cancer metastasis and neuron differentiation. The program was funded by the Arkansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence and the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering.
“Since we started this journey three years ago, we’ve been able to improve and expand the modules created in the initial pilot research project,” Nathan Reyna, associate professor of biology, said in a news release. “This course-based research experience will transform the cell biology learning experience for our students because they will be able to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and directly apply it in the lab.”
As part of the consortium, students work on new techniques to use in research and develop written and video protocols for those techniques. They also have the opportunity to interact with scientists from around the world to expand their professional development experiences and create their own independent research projects.
Students are building on class projects as independent research projects as well. To date, 16 students have worked in Reyna’s lab and have co-authored a cancer research publication.
“This innovative, student-centered approach was recognized by the National Science Foundation and was one of the deciding factors for our funding,” Reyna said. “Students are more engaged, have ownership of their projects and are growing in their knowledge of cell biology.”
The ultimate objective is to send more OBU students into graduate level coursework or directly into the workforce.
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