PROmoting Sustainable Partnerships in Education and Research (PROSPER)
Ethan Wells (left), a recent graduate of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College visits NDSU for a research experience with Dr. Trung Bao Le (right).
PROSPER is the broadening participation arm of ND-ACES (New Discoveries in the Advanced Interface of Computation, Engineering, and Science). The goal of the PROSPER group is to provide education and experiences designed to build a diverse workforce, to enhance partnerships and collaborations with various stakeholders, and to inform North Dakota resident about the scientific advancements achieved by the ND-ACES project. PROSPER has four components: Broadening Participation, Education and Workforce Development, Partnerships and Collaborations, and Communication and Dissemination.
PROmoting Sustainable Partnerships in Education and Research (PROSPER)
PROSPER is comprised of scientists with expertise in psychology (including multicultural vocational psychology and rural psychology and integrated care) and other disciplines; asseessment of student learning, implementation of community engaged learning; affective outcomes in science education; and effective pedagogy for and challenges to undergraduate learning. PROSPER is led by Hollie Mackey, NDSU Associate Professor of Educational and Organizational Leadershiop and Lisa Montplaisir, NDSU Professor of Biological Sciences and Education.
Education and Workforce Development
Led by Danielle Condry (NDSU).
PROSPER Broadening Participation Element Leadership
Led by Giancarlo López-Martínez (NDSU), this PROSPER component supports American Indian students along the biosciences pathway.
PROSPER Partnerships and Collaborations Element Leadership
Led by Colleen Fitzgerald (NDSU) and co-led by John Mihelich (UND) and Jolynne Tschetter (ND EPSCoR), this initiative builds research infrastructure and strengthens ND’s research competitiveness through industry partnerships and other collaborations.
Colleen Fitzgerald
Vice President for Research and Creative Activity, North Dakota State University, Contact Colleen Fitzgerald
John Mihelich
Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University of North Dakota, Contact John Mihelich
Jolynne Tschetter
Executive Director, ND EPSCoR, Contact Jolynne Tschetter
PROSPER Communication and Dissemination Element Leadership
Led by Justin Walden (NDSU), this ND-ACES wide initiative keeps all stakeholders informed about the progress of the project; supports the harmonious interactions of all ND-ACES groups; assists research and programmatic participants in disseminating their work to legislative, scientific, and citizen stakeholders; and develops materials for audiences across the State.
Justin Walden
Associate Professor of Communciation, North Dakota State University, Contact Justin Walden
PROSPER Members
The PROSPER team includes representation from all 10 participating institutions and from the Center for Cellular Biointerfaces in Science and Engineering (CCBSE).
Austin Allard
Pre-Engineering Instructor, Turtle Mountain Community College, Contact Austin Allard
Aaron Bergstrom
Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Manager, University of North Dakota, Contact Aaron Bergstrom
Mikhail Bobylev
Professor of Chemistry, Minot State University, Contact Mikhail Bobylev
Deniz Cakir
Associate Professor, Physics & Astrophysics, University of North Dakota, Contact Deniz Dakir
Archana Dhasarathy
Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Contact Archana Dhasarathy
Nicholas Galt
Assistant Professor of Science, Valley City State University, Contact Nicholas Galt
Kerry Hartman
Environmental Science Chair and Academic Dean, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, Contact Kerry Hartman
Khang Hoang
Center for Computationally Assistant Science and Technology (CCAST) Research Scientist, North Dakota State University, Contact Khang Hoang
Mark Hoffmann
UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean for Research, University of North Dakota, Contact Mark Hoffmann
Khwaja Hossain
Professor of Biology, Mayville State University, Contact Khwaja Hossain
Dinesh R. Katti
Jordon A. Engberg Presidential Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Contact Dinesh R. Katti
Kalpana S. Katti
University Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Contact Kalpana S. Katti
Sanku Mallik
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Contact Sanku Mallik
Mafany Ndiva Mongoh
Ag/Science Instructor, Sitting Bull College, Contact Mafany Ndiva Mongoh
Mike Parker
Pre-Engineering Instructor, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Contact Mike Parker
Marcus Fries
Chair, Department of Mathematics & Computer Science & Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dickinson State University, Contact Marcus Fries
Ryan G. Summers
Associate Professor of Science Education, University of North Dakota, Contact Ryan Summers
Hilde van Gijssel
Professor of Science, Valley City State University, Contact Hilde van Gijssel
Brent Voels
Science Instructor, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Contact Brent Voels
John C. Wilkinson
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University, Contact John C. Wilkinson
Julia Xiaojun Zhao
UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Contact Julia Xiaojun Zhao
Integration with CCBSE (Center for Cellular Biointerface in Science and Engineering)
The PROSPER group is fully integrated with the scientific arm of ND-ACES: the Center for Cellular Biointerface in Science and Engineering (CCBSE). The goal of the ND-ACES team is to expand the research capacity in biosciences in the State of North Dakota, and to make the State more competitive in that area. To work toward that end, members of PROSPER work closely with all three pillars of the CCBSE: Materials Design at Biointerfaces; Cellular Systems at Materials Interface; and Computation, Machine Learning, and Predictive Modeling.
Researchers in the Materials Design at Biointerfaces pillar work on biomaterial scaffolds relevant to tissue engineering, particularly in the area of design methodologies of biologically inspired materials for diverse 3D tissue architectures.
In the Cellular Systems at Materials Interface pillar, scientists use in vivo-like 3D cell cultures to eventually allow the team to partner with regional health care providers, and serve as a resource for personalized medicine approaches to cancer.
Computational Approaches are what make the work of ND-ACES unique. Researchers in this area complement the traditional approaches to researching cancer by using multi-scale modeling, machine learning platforms, and experimental biomaterials and cellular data, all of which work toward an evolutionary in-silico platform to predict tumor growth. The knowledge and understanding of 3D systems created in this pillar can lead to future therapeutic/mitigation alternatives.
Undergraduate student Madison Koppelman works in Dr. Sanku Mallik's lab at NDSU.
Acknowledgment
The ND-ACES NSF Track-1 cooperative agreement is a federal-state partnership to manage a comprehensive research development plan. ND EPSCoR manages the Track-1 award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Current funding is provided by the State of North Dakota and NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track-1 (RII Track-1) Cooperative Agreement Award OIA #1946202. The ND-ACES Principal Investigator (PI) and Project Director (PD) is Colleen Fitzgerald, Ph.D., NDSU. The Co-PI is John Mihelich, Ph.D.; UND.