Revolutionizing Science Education: Texas State Professors Receive $3.2 Million Grant for Student Success

In a groundbreaking announcement, Carlton J. Fong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University, and his colleague, Kristy Daniel, Ph.D., have been awarded a grant worth over $3.2 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The funding is intended to improve the learning experience for more than 2,000 undergraduate students enrolled in science-related courses.

The grant will span five years and include a sub-award of $591,652 to Texas State University as part of a larger project called “Supporting Student Agency in Undergraduate Biomedical Education.” As part of this project, Fong and Daniel will collaborate with other institutions to investigate how targeted interventions that promote student agency and engagement can lead to sustained success in science courses for underrepresented undergraduate students.

Fong’s research will explore how targeted interventions can help students develop critical thinking skills and become more engaged in their studies. Meanwhile, Daniel will focus on developing strategies that support student retention in science courses. Together, they hope to create an environment that fosters student success and helps bridge the gap between underrepresented groups and their peers in the sciences.

The project is led by Erika Patall, Ph.D., from the University of Southern California, who serves as the principal investigator. With support from Fong and Daniel at Texas State University as well as other institutions across the country, this study has the potential to transform how we teach science to underrepresented groups and set them on a path towards success in STEM fields.