Advanced Technological Education .

Welcome to the ATE Central Connection! Published the first Tuesday of each month, the ATE Central Connection is meant to disseminate information to and about ATE centers and projects, providing you with up-to-date ATE news, events, reminders, as well as highlighting new centers, projects, and resources. In addition, we will also highlight an educational topic with complementary resources found within ATE Central to help illustrate how ATE resources can be used in the classroom.

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In This Issue

Featured Resources: Bio and Chemical Technologies

From InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center:

Futurelab+ Genentech Science Ed Biotech Courses: Biomedicine

futurelabplus.com/classroom-instruction/biomed

These free, online biotechnology and biomedicine course materials from Futurelab+ make up a 40-week course that explores "the next generation of innovative and equitable medicine being made possible by biotechnology breakthroughs, from data-based diagnosis to wearable medical devices." The course consists of four units, each featuring an introductory video, various lessons with lab elements, one core lab, and one final project. Each lesson and lab has a downloadable instructor's guide with student worksheets. Along with lesson content, the instructor's guides include pedagogical framing, national learning standards met by the lesson, and more. Editable versions of the student materials are available in both English and Spanish. Additionally, each unit includes a pacing guide, lesson flowchart, and lab materials

From Developing Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experiences in Antibody Bioengineering:

Evaluating the Potential for Immune Escape: How Likely is an Antibody to Protect Against a Specific SARS-CoV-2 Variant

qubeshub.org/publications/2913/1

In this activity, provided by Digital World Biology, students use free, online biotechnology resources to investigate how well different commercial antibodies might work against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Students will first use NextStrain.org to locate and detect the spike proteins of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Next, they will "use iCn3D and BLAST to align the sequence of the variant spike protein to a sequence of a spike protein that is bound to a commercial antibody." After identifying mutations in the antibody binding site, students will then compare "chemical bonds that would be formed between the original amino acid and the antibody with the predicted bonds that could be formed by the variant amino acid and predict whether their antibody will be effective against their variant."

From Developing Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experiences in Antibody Bioengineering:

Comparison of Cryopreservation Conditions on the Performance of NISTCHO Cells

zenodo.org/records/13315670

This 10-page article, from the Journal of Advanced Technological Education (J ATE), covers a study that investigates "... the performance of NISTCHO cells following cryopreservation at temperatures of -80C and -150C." The study compared initial cell viability, maximum cell density in culture, and monoclonal antibody production for cells that were cryopreserved for as long as 30 weeks. The cells were thawed and cultured at two-week intervals to observe their growth patterns, peak cell densities, and levels of antibody production.

Community Connection

Building the Future of AI: How NAAIC Bridges Education and Industry

The National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NAAIC) is revolutionizing workforce development by connecting community colleges with industry leaders to meet the growing demand for skilled AI professionals. Through partnerships with tech giants like Intel, AWS, Microsoft, and Google, NAAIC empowers students and faculty with cutting-edge training, certifications, and mentorship. From groundbreaking AI degree programs to industry collaborations, the consortium is already shaping the future of AI education and career readiness. Curious about how NAAIC is transforming lives and industries? Read the full blog on ATE Impacts to explore inspiring success stories, innovative programs, and how you can get involved!

ATE Success Tips: Websites

Understanding Website Data Analytics

Tracking the performance of your project's or center's website content offers a great deal of insight. Data analytics allow users to learn what pages are performing best, where website traffic is coming from, how many unique or returning visitors enter your site, and how users navigate the site. However, the number of metrics available may overwhelm even the most experienced analytics users. By centering a few key areas of analysis, you can efficiently focus on the elements of site performance that matter most:

  • Unique sessions showcase how many visits your site is getting overall. Sessions are defined as a collection of interactions on your site by one user, so sessions can encompass multiple interactions and pageviews. Users can open and leave multiple sessions per day, and these sessions end either by expiring time limit or if the visitor exits and re-enters in a different manner. Examining the number of unique sessions is a great starting place for your outreach team. It also provides a useful metric to check in on your progress and set tangible, data-driven goals for your website performance.
  • Traffic sources tell you how people found your site. Some examples of how visitors might enter include: via search engine listings, clicking through from social media posts or email links, via links on other websites, or by directly entering the URL of your project's or center's website into a browser. This offers important insight about whether your outreach team's related efforts, such as social media campaigns, are effective in driving traffic to the website.
  • Time visitors spend on the site helps your outreach team identify whether visitors linger on your site or not. Websites that are intended to showcase the work and output of projects or centers should retain visitors for a while, since they are content-driven. If you see that visitors are not spending a lot of time on your site, it may indicate that you should redesign the landing page or pages through which they tend to enter. It is also helpful to consider your project's or center's website bounce rate in combination with this metric.
  • Conversion rate is extremely useful when examined in concert with the previous two metrics. Website conversions are when visitors complete an action on the site that your outreach team is hoping those visitors will take. For example, users might subscribe to a blog or sign up for an email newsletter. Conversions may also be as simple as clicking on and reading particular pages. The overall conversion rate is calculated as a percentage of conversions divided by visitors.
  • New and returning visitors can also be distinguished using website analytics. Tracking this metric will inform your outreach team as to whether your site traffic is coming mostly from visitors who already know about the site, or from new visitors who are seeking out the site. If your outreach team has a related campaign going on, such as a social media push or a networking event, it will also lend information about how successful that event was in driving new visitors to your site. Knowing which outreach efforts are paying off will help your project or center determine what to invest time and resources in going forward.

These metrics are available using many free analytics tools. For more information on data analytics, check out the Social Media Tools & Metrics resources on the ATE Central's Outreach Kit.

Did You Know?

Early college or dual enrollment courses are growing in popularity. According to the Community College Research Center, the number of students taking early college classes nearly doubled between 2011 and 2021.

Select STEM Education Resources

A few online STEM resources from outside of ATE, that you may find of interest:

InnovATEBIO Education Resources

innovatebio.org/resources

The InnovATEBIO consortium of centers was established in 1998 with funds provided by the National Science Foundation. The motivating factor behind creating this consortium was "to improve and expand educational programs that prepare skilled technicians to work in the high-tech fields that drive the U.S. economy." Along with creating a series of bricks-and-mortar regional centers, they have also worked to develop this online clearinghouse of instructional materials related to biotechnology technician education.

Bioentrepreneur

www.nature.com/bioent

Life scientists interested in commercializing their research can look to Bioentrepreneur -- a comprehensive Web portal from Nature Publishing Group -- for "authoritative, independent advice provided by experts and industry insiders." Bioentrepreneur offers current business development news, a resource toolkit, profiles of life sciences companies, and much more. Users must create a free personal account with Bioentrepreneur to access all features of the Web site.

National Center for Biotechnology Information

pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

From the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), "PubChem contains the chemical structures of small organic molecules and information on their biological activities. It is intended to support the Molecular Libraries and Imaging component of the NIH Roadmap Initiative." PubChem users can search the chemical structure database by chemical properties, structural similarity, and descriptive terms. PubChem utilizes three connected databases--PubChem Compound, PubChem Substance, and PubChem BioAssay--all of which operate inside the Entrez/PubMed information retrieval system. In addition, the site offers the PubChem Structure Search tool for quick similarity searches. The site also links to contact information for the Structure Group research staff, and selected online publications

Do you have some great STEM resources you'd like to share with ATE Central? Email us with your ideas at info@atecentral.net.

ATE Events

Upcoming Events
– Gen ACTE CareerTech VISION San Antonio, TX
Bio/Chem BIOTECH Pathways: Workshop December 2024 Bel Air, MD
Mfg Regional HTEC Conference Hosted by SUNY Suffolk Community College Brentwood, NY
– Info 2024 NICE K-12 Conference San Antonio, TX
– Info The AI Summit New York New York, NY
– Ag/Env 2024 Diesel Technology Competition Williamsport, PA
– Info 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-58) Waikoloa, HI
– Mfg 2025 FCPN Symposium Jensen Beach, FL
Eng Combatting vs. Integrating Student AI Use Online
– Bio/Chem BioMADE Workshop on Bioindustrial Manufacturing Berkeley, CA
– Gen AACC Workforce Development Institute Coronado, CA

For more events, please visit the ATE Central Events page or, if you have any upcoming events that you would like posted on ATE Central or in the ATE Central Connection, please submit them online.

News & Reminders

Upcoming Event: AI Summit New York

The AI Summit New York returns for its ninth year, taking place December 11-12, 2024, at the Javits Center in New York City. A premier event in the AI industry, the summit highlights the commercial potential of artificial intelligence, providing attendees with insights on optimizing business processes, driving innovation, and creating tangible value with AI-driven solutions.

Geared toward professionals, businesses, and students, the event offers a valuable platform to network with industry leaders, explore the latest AI technologies, and deepen strategies for sustainable success in the AI space. Registration options range from a $29 Expo Pass to a $1,499 Delegate Pass, accommodating up to 5,000 participants ready to shape the future of AI. Register on the AI Summit website.

New UDL Case Studies from CAST

In partnership with equitable learning leader CAST, AccessATE has published four new case studies that utilized CAST's Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework for inclusive and accessible education. Each case study documents and examines strategies for the implementation of UDL in community and technical colleges. The new case studies include:

The complete list of UDL case studies can be found on AccessATE's Case Studies page.

ATE Impacts 2024-2025 Book Promotes Technical Education and Celebrates 30 Years

The ATE Impacts 2024-2025 book showcases the work of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Community. This edition includes a foreword from National Science Foundation Director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, and features the work of 24 centers and 35 projects across the seven ATE areas, as well as applied research. By highlighting the ATE community's successful and innovative work, the book encourages broader participation in the ATE program by academic institutions, educators, and industry partners. Dissemination of the ATE Impacts book advances understanding of the importance of technician education and its role in supporting the high-tech industries that drive the United States' economy More information on the book can be found on the ATE Impacts website.

ATE Central Outreach Kit

The ATE Central Outreach Kit was developed as a tool to assist ATE Principal Investigators (PIs) and staff in effectively planning, monitoring, and executing outreach activities.

ATE Central has given the Outreach Kit a refresh with a new design and content, accompanied by a downloadable Template. The new kit is designed to guide you through a step-by-step process and helps you explore how to identify your primary audiences and stakeholders, determine the partners and resources that can support your efforts, and start considering aspects such as branding and messaging.

By utilizing the kit and template, you will make significant progress towards developing a comprehensive plan that enables you to achieve the objectives of your grant, effectively communicate your outcomes and impacts, and showcase the valuable work of your project or center to a diverse range of stakeholders.

The Outreach Kit can be found on ATE Central's website, under the Resources tab.

Check out ATE Central's Calendar Feed

The ATE Central Calendar Feed is an easy to customize tool that enables calendar feeds from the ATE Central Events Calendar to quickly be added to either the Outlook or the Mac Calendar app, and will then automatically display upcoming events of interest based on the keywords you include. You can use the feed to populate your personal calendar or to add lists of upcoming events to your ATE center or project website. For WordPress-based sites, free plugins like ICS Calendar will allow you to use a calendar feed to display a list of upcoming events on your WordPress site. You'll need to sign in to your ATE Central account to create a feed - and it's easy to change your selection of keywords to add or subtract areas of interest over time. We look forward to hearing from you as you utilize this new service and as always, we'd love to get your feedback or comments. Don't hesitate to reach out to the team with any questions at info@atecentral.net.

Follow ATE Central on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all things new at ATE Central and in the ATE Community as well as in the world of STEM Education.


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