Friday, February 20 12:00-12:40 PM--Plenary Session III: Gulf Hall.

Dr. Joseph A. Cameron received the Ph.D degree from Michigan State University in 1973. He currently holds the position of Professor of Biology at Jackson State University and has held this position since 1978. During his tenure at Jackson State University, Dr. Cameron has developed many graduate and undergraduate courses and has been appointed as coordinator of the graduate program since 1985. He has also served as Interim Dean, School of Science and Technology. Dr. Cameron's greatest contribution to Jackson State University is his desire to enhance and generate an interest in science throughout the educational pipeline, i.e. high school, junior college, college and doctoral degree levels. NIH has funded Dr. Cameron since 1985 to encourage students at these various levels. From 1986 to 2002, Dr. Cameron served as the Director of the Minority Institutional Research Training Program at Jackson State University. The program was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and had an annual budget of 193,000 dollars. The program was a cooperative research-training project between Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The primary purpose of the program is to identify, motivate, and train talented minority institutional pre-doctoral students. Dr. Cameron is also the former Director and Chief Administrator for the Community Mobilization component of the Jackson Heart Study. The program is sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute in conjunction with the Office of Research on Minority Health. The program is a cooperative, interinstitiutional, epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease between Jackson State University, Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Cameron also serves as Director of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program at Jackson State University. The program is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and has an annual budget of 200,000 dollars. The program is a cooperative research-training project between Jackson State University and Hinds Community College involving the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics. The program encourages Community College minority students to seek B. S and higher degrees. Dr. Cameron also serves as Coordinator of collaborative Bridges to the Doctorate Degree Program with Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis and the University of North Texas at Forth Worth. These are just a few of the many federally funded programs for which Dr. Cameron has served as director. Dr. Cameron is well respected at NIH and has served as Chair/Member of many Special Emphasis Panels at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, as well as Member of many Special Emphasis Panels at the National Center for Minority Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Cameron has also found time to publish as well as mentor students. He has published numerous journal articles and has produced over 40 Master level students. Dr. Cameron's goal is to serve his community through education.

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Title: BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM: A METHOD TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

The goal of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program at Jackson State University and Hinds Community College is to facilitate the transition of underrepresented Community College students into Baccalaureate Degree Programs. The University of Mississippi Medical Center consults and assist program faculty with the provision of programs strategies, including academic enrichment activities, laboratory techniques and research experiences. Modern technological concepts, cognitive skills and diagnostic laboratory procedures in Chemistry, Computer Science and the Biological Sciences are reinforced in academic year activities. The academic year component has been an effective preparatory strategy for summer research activities as indicated by student interest and mastery of biotechnological research techniques and concepts. A Southeastern Regional Bridges Research Conferences is held annually to allow students in participating Bridges Programs the opportunity to present research results before regional interstate peers and program faculty. Faculty, student and interstate peer assessment of student and program activities also reflect the success of academic enrichment and summer research-training activities. Additional program provisions include: curricular enrichment, guest faculty lectureships, mentoring tutoring, counseling, senior college course credits and exposure to biomedical professionals. Activities are conducted on Saturdays during academic year and weekdays for eight weeks in the summer. The goal of the Bridges to the Doctorate Degree Program is to facilitate the transition of underrepresented masters level students to doctorate degree programs in the biomedical sciences at IUPUI and the University of North Texas at Forth Worth. Students are provided research support, mentoring, travel to scientific meetings and exposure to biomedical professionals at the doctorate and masters level institutions.

Dr. Joseph A. Cameron, Professor and Director of Graduate Program Director of Minority Institutional Research Training Program Former Director of Community Mobilization, Jackson Heart Study Director of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program Department of Biology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS