NSF seeks advice from campus on biology research and education

In a September 1996 workshop, some 60 faculty and staff members, administrators, students, and corporate leaders gathered on campus to discuss ways to successfully integrate research and education in biology. Also attending was James Edwards, executive officer for the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences. The event was sponsored jointly by the NSF and the Division of Biological Sciences.

Right: Workshop participants convened at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

The objectives of the day-long workshop were to provide the NSF with guidance on oppor-tunities for future program support and development, and to catalyze further improve-ments in UC Davis' biology curriculum, says Dean Mark McNamee.

During the workshop, participants learned of innovative programs that have earned the campus a national reputation for providing high-quality science education to a large and diverse student population. Among these are the highly successful Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) for underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students, and a vibrant training-grant program in plant cell biology.

The participants also formed small groups to discuss selected topics. One group focused on research in the undergraduate curriculum, discussing, for example, the need for salaries for undergraduates conducting laboratory research and the value of personal connections between faculty members and undergraduate researchers. Another group discussed the changing face of graduate education, focusing particularly on training grant programs as an innovative approach to combining research and education in graduate studies.

The workshop closed with a wide-ranging discussion of new technologies and their application to teaching and research in biology. Participants identified the World Wide Web, computer simulations, three-dimensional animation, genomics, data acquisition, interactive modules, the "virtual university," and statistical packages as technologies that have the potential to improve or supplement instructional programs.

Right:NSF Executive Officer James Edwards told participants, "I'm here to have you tell me what the NSF should be doing."

In summarizing the workshop activities, coordinator Barbara Webster, former Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and a member of the NSF Advisory Committee for Biological Sciences, said that one of the most impressive outcomes was a recognition of the enthusiasm and versatility of the faculty in organizing and implementing innovative educational programs.

"It is evident that the biology faculty looks to the future with a willingness to put forth extraordinary efforts to develop a research-centered education in biology."