Taylor Barbara E, Reynolds Arleigh J, Etz Kathy E, MacCalla Nicole M G, Cotter Paul A, DeRuyter Tiffany L, Hueffer Karsten
1University of Alaska Fairbanks Biomedical Learning and Student Training Program, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA.
2Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA.
BMC Proc. 2017 Dec 4;11(Suppl 12):13. doi: 10.1186/s12919-017-0092-7. eCollection 2017.
Most postsecondary institutions in the state of Alaska (USA) have a broad mission to serve diverse students, many of whom come from schools in rural villages that are accessible only by plane, boat, or snowmobile. The major research university, the University of Alaska in Fairbanks (UAF), serves a population whereby 40% are from groups recognized as underrepresented in the biomedical workforce. The purpose of this article is to describe the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD)-supported program in the state of Alaska that seeks to engage students from rural areas with a culturally relevant approach that is centered on the One Health paradigm, integrating human, animal, and environmental health.
The Biomedical Learning and Student Training (BLaST) program distinguished by broad themes that address recruitment, retention, and success of students in biomedical programs, especially for students from rural backgrounds. Targeted rural outreach emphasizes that biomedical research includes research on the integration of human, animal, and environmental health. This One Health perspective gives personal relevance and connection to biomedical research. This outreach is expected to benefit student recruitment, as well as foster family and community support for pursuit of college degrees. BLaST promotes integration of research into undergraduate curricula through curriculum development, and by creating a new class of instructors, laboratory research and teaching technicians, who provide research mentorship, course instruction, and comprehensive advising. Finally, BLaST facilitates early and sustained undergraduate research experiences in collaborations with graduate students and faculty.
BLaST's approach is highly adapted to the Alaskan educational and physical environment, but components and concepts could be adapted to other rural areas as a means to engage students from rural backgrounds, who often have a closer relationship with the natural environment than urban students.
美国阿拉斯加州的大多数高等院校肩负着服务多样化学生群体的广泛使命，其中许多学生来自只有乘飞机、乘船或乘雪地摩托才能到达的乡村学校。主要的研究型大学，位于费尔班克斯的阿拉斯加大学（UAF），其服务的人群中有40%来自在生物医学劳动力中被视为代表性不足的群体。本文的目的是描述阿拉斯加州由“建设促进多样性基础设施”（BUILD）资助的项目，该项目旨在以一种与文化相关的方式让农村地区的学生参与进来，这种方式以“同一健康”范式为核心，整合人类、动物和环境健康。
生物医学学习与学生培训（BLaST）项目以广泛的主题为特色，这些主题涉及生物医学项目中学生的招募、留用和成功，特别是针对来自农村背景的学生。有针对性的农村推广活动强调生物医学研究包括对人类、动物和环境健康整合的研究。这种“同一健康”视角使生物医学研究具有个人相关性和联系。预计这种推广活动将有利于学生招募，同时促进家庭和社区对追求大学学位的支持。BLaST通过课程开发以及创建一类新的教师、实验室研究和教学技术人员来促进将研究融入本科课程，这些人员提供研究指导、课程教学和全面咨询。最后，BLaST促进本科生与研究生和教师合作开展早期且持续的研究经历。
BLaST的方法高度适应阿拉斯加的教育和自然环境，但其中的组成部分和理念可以应用于其他农村地区，作为吸引农村背景学生的一种方式，这些学生通常比城市学生与自然环境有着更紧密的联系。
