Funded Research | Tougaloo College

Tougaloo offers preparation for students desiring to enter health professions. In recent years increasing numbers of students have entered schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, medical technology, nursing, public health, cytotechnology and pharmacy. There are now more than 200 health-related occupations which utilize training in sociology, psychology, art, and music as well as science. For details on any particular career, consult the Pre-Health Office.

All pre-medical or pre-dental students should endeavor to complete at least the minimum requirements for professional schools. While a student may, with careful planning, fulfill the requirements for medical or dental school within any major, we strongly suggest that students concentrate on their science and math courses and that they go beyond the minimum by enrolling in additional science coursework and shadowing medical professionals in the intended field. It is recommended that the courses below be completed at least one year before entering medical school or dental school.

Suggested courses for students interested in attending medical or dental school:

First Year
CHE 115	General Chemistry I	Fall	3
CHE 117	General Chemistry I Lab	Fall	1
BIO 111	General to Biology I	Fall	4
CHE 116	General Chemistry II	Spring	3
CHE 118	General Chemistry II Lab	Spring	1
BIO 112	General to Biology II	Spring	4

Second Year
CHE 225	Organic Chemistry I	Fall	3
CHE 227	Organic Chemistry I Lab	Fall	1
PHY 123 or 223	Intro/General Physics I	Fall	4
CHE 226	Organic Chemistry II	Spring	3
CHE 228	Organic Chemistry II Lab	Spring	1
PHY 124 or 224	Intro/General Physics II	Spring	4

Third Year
BIO 221	Cell Biology	Fall	4
CHE/BIO 412	Biochemistry	Fall or Spring	4
SOC 111	Introduction to Sociology*	Fall or Spring	3
PSY 112	General Psychology II*	Fall or Spring	3
BIO ?	Upper level biology	Spring	4
*Only needed by pre-medical students.

Fourth Year
Complete major and college requirements. Apply for professional school.
After the junior year students should concentrate on developing test taking skills for the MCAT or DAT.
Throughout their college career, students should shadow a variety of health professionals to solidify their motivation and commitment to their profession.

Early Identification Programs for Medicine

Tougaloo College has Early Identification agreements with Brown University, Boston University, and the University of Buffalo medical schools which allow students to be identified for admission as early as the sophomore year. The University of Mississippi’s Med-Corps Direct and Rural Physicians programs provide other pathways to medical or dental school after the sophomore year. For further information on these programs or on medical or dental school in general, contact the Pre-Health Advisor.

Veterinary Medicine Agreement with Mississippi State University

Mississippi State School of Veterinary Medicine has an early identification program for Tougaloo students. Sophomore students who have taken Biology 111-112, General Chemistry 115-118, and Math 103 or above, with GPA 2.8 or above (3.4 in sciences) and with demonstrated interest in the field, can apply to this program. They will be accepted to the program in their junior year based on their academic performance in science courses and their demonstrated interest in the field, and will be accepted to the school in their senior year.

Pharmacy Agreement with the University of Mississippi

Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi Pharmacy School have a Preferred Admission agreement. Interested freshmen may apply to the program during their second semester at Tougaloo. Successful applicants will have a GPA of 3.25 or above in required pre-pharmacy courses (Biology 111, Chemistry 115/117, Math 103 or above) with no grades below C, as well as evidence of volunteer experience. In successive years identified students must continue to achieve at this level in required coursework. Seniors must have a PCAT score of 400 and a writing score of 3.0. Students who achieve at this level will be automatically admitted to the Ole Miss Pharmacy School.

Dual Degree Program with Xavier University of Louisiana School of Pharmacy

Tougaloo College and Xavier University of Louisiana School of Pharmacy offer a dual degree in pharmacy. Students will be identified for early acceptance into the Pharmacy School during their sophomore year at Tougaloo College. Students who are accepted will be required to meet the guidelines of the program prior to their transfer to Xavier after their junior year at Tougaloo. On successful completion of the first year of pharmacy school Tougaloo will accept Xavier courses toward the completion of a Tougaloo science major and BS degree. Students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or above.

Pre- Nursing

Most Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs follow the “2+2” program, where the first 2 years of prerequisite coursework are completed at the college or university of the student’s choosing. The last 2 years are finished out at a nursing school and the student graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the nursing school. This is what is known as the Traditional BSN program. Two other programs that are offered by the University of Mississippi Medical Center are the Freshman Early Entry Program and the Accelerated BSN program. Please see the Pre-nursing Brochure for more detailed information about the Traditional and Accelerated BSN program.

Through the partnership of Tougaloo College with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, (UMMC) this program allows freshmen pre-nursing students to be accepted into the UMMC nursing school as a freshman and securing a spot and to avoid the competitive selection process as a sophomore/junior. This is offered annually to outstanding high school seniors and freshmen.

Applicants who wish to be considered for early entry status must meet the following minimum criteria:

-ACT score of 25
-Cumulative high school GPA of 3.5
-College GPA of 3.0 when accepted into the program and completion of all prerequisites with a grade of “C” or higher

INBRE grants

Dr. Caixia Chen

Topic: Numerical Study on Fluid Dynamics of Swallowing Process

This project is to understand the human swallowing process and help guide more reasonable treatments on dysphagia and the design of novel, physically rational treatment equipment for dysphagia. The goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms of the liquid food flow in the human swallowing process and determine the parameters which impacts flow significantly. The methods presented in this study, as well as the resulting numerical solutions and mathematical model, can pave the way for a mechanical model of human swallowing followed by principles to test in the clinic. Total awarded amount $110,000.

Dr. Rajashekkhar Kanchanapally

Topic: Development of cell penetrating peptide-expressing autologous exosomes for efficient delivery of Paclitaxel to breast cancer cells and overcome drug resistance

MS-INBRE program helps to build research infrastructure in the colleges and universities of Mississippi. The program funded our lab, $300,000 for three years, for a project titled “Development of cell penetrating peptide-expressing autologous exosomes for efficient delivery of Paclitaxel to breast cancer cells and overcome drug resistance”. Brest cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among African-American women. Inefficient drug deliver is a major cause of therapeutic failure. As part of this project we aim to develop a drug-delivery strategy for delivering cancer therapeutics at the target site, without causing any harm to normal cells. The project also aims to train underrepresented minorities in STEM field.

Research Initiation Award (RIA)

Dr. Lianna Li received the Research Initiation Award (RIA) from National Science Foundation (NSF) with the project title of “Molecular Mechanisms for DCLK1 Tumorigenesis Revealed by Pathway Analysis using RNA Sequencing Data”. The award period of performance starts from 09/01/2021 and ends at 08/31/2024. The total award amount is $299,997. For this NSF founded project, my research is focused on the elucidation of association of individual doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) isoform with tumorigenesis and chemoresistance of colorectal cancer. DCLK1 has 5 isoforms. Currently, which isoform of DCLK1 is more closely related to tumorigensis and chemoresistance and the underlying molecular mechanism are unclear. My overall research goal is to develop a more effective therapeutic strategy by targeting DCLK1 for cancer treatment. Currently, my research goals are: 1) reveal and compare association of different DCLK1 isoforms with stemness of cancer cells; and 2) discover molecular mechanisms of different DCLK1 isoforms in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)

The HBCU-UP at Tougaloo College presents a multilayered approach to broaden opportunities for African-American students to succeed in STEM majors. This project will engage students from the pre-college level, during the first year, and up until graduation by using holistic strategies to identify, inform, motivate, and support students for success. These intervention strategies are anticipated to increased enrollment in STEM disciplines, higher success rates in gatekeeper courses, increased retention of freshmen, and increased students entering into the graduate school and STEM workforce. The program receives $1.3 M support from the National Science Foundation.

Our HBCU-UP Goals and Objectives:

This Implementation Program has three main objectives: 1) To increase recruitment and retention of STEM majors by revamping the summer bridge program and developing an interdisciplinary freshman curriculum; 2) To provide students with the opportunity to see the value of STEM in addressing real life problems through research; and 3) To revitalize faculty by creating a learning community with comprehensive training in a student-centered learning pedagogy.

The Sherman Fairchild Foundation’s Scientific Equipment Program (SEP)

The Sherman Fairchild Foundation began a program of grants to liberal arts colleges in 1983 with the purpose of providing scientific equipment for student laboratories. Through 14 grant phases resulting in 64 awards, the Foundation’s Scientific Equipment Program (SEP) has evolved to support not only modern laboratory and field equipment for college science departments, but also technical and facilities support for the SEP equipment. Tougaloo College is awarded $500,000 for SEP Phase XV. The goal of the Program remains the enhancement of college students’ understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of modern science. This includes not only students’ classroom and laboratory experiences, but also their participation in scientific research. Funds have been used to upgrade basic equipment in introductory labs, for highly sophisticated equipment used in capstone courses and senior theses, and for everything in between. Funds have been used to hire a technician who oversees the equipment and trains faculty and students to use that equipment. Schools have used Foundation grants to support new pedagogical approaches and to facilitate the development of interdisciplinary programs and collaborative research projects.

Jinghe Mao, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Division Dean of Natural Sciences
Professor of Biology
601-977-4450
jmao@tougaloo.edu

Cybersecurity

The Tougaloo College Cybersecurity program provides education, research, outreach and workforce development that produces highly-trained students for Cyber careers, and provides solutions to our nation’s technical and complex problems through partnerships and direct connections to government and industry. The program is supported by the NCAE-C Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative (CEDI) $300K Grant.

Cybersecurity Goals and Objectives:

Our mission is to build a robust Cyber infrastructure to serve national defense interest, produce skilled students ready to enter the demanding and ever changing field of Cybersecurity and Privacy, establish collaborative partners to ensure deliverance of relevant and up-to-date teaching and research, and support workforce demands through certificates, degree programs and continuing education.

Professor Sharron T. Streeter
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Computer Science
601-977-7760
sstreeter@tougaloo.edu

Dr. Caixia Chen
Chair of Mathematics and Computer Science Department
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Phone: (601) 977 - 7856
cchen1@tougaloo.edu

Data Science

The Data Science Program at Tougaloo College will prepare students for data-related graduate programs and the emerging and high-growth fields of digital information and big data. The long-term goals of this project are to increase the pool of highly skilled data science students and enhance the quality of overall preparation of undergraduates who will become leaders in those fields. The program receives support from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation and Title III.

Data Science Goals and Objectives:

The Data Science program 1) collaborates with local high schools, provides innovative programs, research opportunities, and mentorship to stimulate and nurture students' interest in data science 2) strengthens the base of participating faculty and students' knowledge of data science and 3) encourages students to pursue further training for future data science careers.

Numerical Study on Fluid Dynamics of Swallowing Process

This project is to understand the human swallowing process and help guide more reasonable treatments on dysphagia and the design of novel, physically rational treatment equipment for dysphagia. The goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms of the liquid food flow in the human swallowing process and determine the parameters which impact flow significantly. The methods presented in this study, as well as the resulting numerical solutions and mathematical model, can pave the way for a mechanical model of human swallowing followed by principles to test in the clinic.The project receives $110K support from MS-INBRE.