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December 17, 2007
University of California San Diego Selected for Nationwide Science Education Program
The University of California, San Diego has been selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as one of 12 inaugural institutions to participate in a new educational initiative, the Science Education Alliance, a national network of scientists and educators working collaboratively to develop and disseminate new materials and methods for science education.
As part of this innovative network, UC San Diego's Division of Biological Sciences will participate in the first nationwide genomics course, which will allow freshman at UCSD and 11 other institutions to engage in actual research.
"This is an authentic research experience and the data generated by the students will contribute to our broader understanding of genomics-the study of genes and their function," said Gabriele Wienhausen, associate dean for education in UCSD's Division of Biological Sciences. "The students will isolate bacterial viruses from local soil, prepare virus DNA for sequencing and annotate and compare the sequenced genome. The students and faculty at the participating campuses will communicate with one another during the 2008-2009 academic year and, at the completion of the course, travel to HHMI's Janelia Farm Campus in Northern Virginia to present their data."
The UCSD course will be jointly taught by Kit Pogliano, a professor of biological sciences, and Joe Pogliano, an assistant professor of biological sciences. It addresses a key limitation that many large research institutions have in educating students who hope to become scientists.
"All of us agree that undergraduates can and should participate early on in authentic research," said Wienhausen. "The scientific method and a scientific way of thinking needs to be taught through hands-on experiences. Furthermore, being involved in solving a real research problem should spark scientific curiosity in students. The typical approach to undergraduate research, which is one professor working with one or two students during independent study or a summer session during the junior or senior year of a student, does not work at big research universities. This nationwide HHMI initiative shifts the research experience to an integrated part of the students' core curriculum-reaching much larger numbers of students."
UCSD currently has 4,750 biology majors and Wienhausen believes this new program will be a significant recruitment tool, increasing the attractiveness of UCSD to high school seniors and increasing the number of students who eventually become working scientists. Numerous studies have shown that students rank undergraduate research experience as the most important factor when deciding whether to pursue graduate studies or a career in research.
"We are trying to catch students early-before they have a chance to become bored or overwhelmed by the typical large introductory science course," said Tuajuanda C Jordan, HHMI senior program officer and director of the Science Education Alliance.
"Our goals for the national genomics course are to improve science education at the national level and to increase the number of college students who continue to be science majors, and possibly go on to careers in science," said Peter J. Bruns, vice president for grants and science education at HHMI, which is committing $4 million to support the first four years of the Science Education Alliance. The support will provide resources to develop the course, reagents and laboratory components, computing support and software and an internet-based networking infrastructure for all participants. Jordan hopes that by 2011 more than 700 students will be taking the course at 36 institutions.
"Being able to participate in this innovative course will jump start us on a path we were keen on pursuing," said UCSD's Wienhausen. "It will create a proof-of-concept example that will demonstrate how we could achieve our goal to increase undergraduate participation in research through curricular innovation. It will also support our goal to teach students that communication and collaboration are key elements of doing sciences, hence, that honing one's oral and written communication skills and one's ability to work effectively in a team are essential."
Media Contact: Kim McDonald, 858-534-7572
Comment: Gabriele Wienhausen, 858-534-3105
Source: University of California, San Diego
December 17, 2007
Pratt Graduate Student Yasamin Keshtkar Awarded
Prestigious $20,000 Dedalus Foundation Fellowship
Pratt Institute graduate student Yasamin Keshtkar was recently
awarded a 2008 Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship in painting and sculpture. She was
one of two awardees selected by a committee of distinguished artists and critics from a national pool of
applicants for the $20,000 fellowship.
Keshtkar’s graduate work at Pratt is rooted in the exploration of the formal properties of painting.
Keshtkar is influenced by the elaborate window displays in New York and compares the surface of the
glass window to the surface she creates on canvas. Kestkar’s paintings from 2007 comprise such
figurative subject matter as toy dolls, candelabras, and figurines, which stem from her interest in what she
calls “the visual and conceptual dichotomies that define the modern American.”
Pratt Fine Arts Chair Donna Moran said: “We are very proud of Yasamin and we are also proud that
someone who works with paint on a canvas was awarded this prestigious fellowship.”
Keshtkar received her bachelor of fine art’s degree from Tulane University in 2006 and will graduate
from Pratt in May 2008.
The Dedalus Foundation’s Master of Fine Arts Fellowships are intended to serve as a bridge for young
artists making the transition between being a student and an independent artist. They are awarded to finalyear
students of painting or sculpture student currently matriculated in an American college, university, or
art school.
The Dedalus Foundation, which was founded by artist Robert Motherwell, supports public understanding
of modern art and modernism by facilitating research, education, publications, collections, and exhibitions
in the field. In addition to the Master of Fine Arts Fellowships in painting and sculpture, the Dedalus
Foundation also awards an annual doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in the history of modern art, and
Senior Fellowships in modern art history and criticism.
Keshtkar is from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Source: Pratt Institute, New York
December 14, 2007
California State University Launches Recognition of 50th Anniversary with Commemorative Website
California State University, Stanislaus will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a series of activities and special events through 2010. As an initial tribute to its half-century of higher education service, the University has launched a commemorative website this month titled "Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence 1960-2010."
Founded as Stanislaus State College in 1957 as the 15th campus in the California State University system, the new college conducted its first classes at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in 1960 and then moved to the current CSU Stanislaus site in Fall 1965. Since opening in 1960 with 756 students and gaining university status in 1986, CSU Stanislaus has awarded more than 37,000 degrees and seen its enrollment grow to nearly 9,000 students.
"California State University, Stanislaus takes great pride in its rich history and in providing thousands of students with degrees that have helped them realize the American dream," CSU Stanislaus President Dr. Hamid Shirvani said. "Our 50th Anniversary gives us the opportunity to celebrate that history along with our present-day achievements.
"During this time of celebration, we welcome alumni, friends, and former faculty and staff to visit CSU Stanislaus and witness the rich heritage forged by the University in just 50 years," Shirvani continued. "CSU Stanislaus and its students are an important part of the state's promise for the future and commitment to higher education in the Central Valley. Over the next 50 years, the University will continue to develop as one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the United States."
Featured on the University's 50th Anniversary website at www.csustan.edu/50th are photos and highlights from each decade of CSU Stanislaus history, a gallery featuring each of the presidents, and an interactive site for alumni and others affiliated with the University to share memories and photos about experiences and favorite moments from the past.
Special events and programs, capped by a gala celebration in 2010, will be held over the next two years to mark the University's 50-year milestone. Alumni are encouraged to loan CSU Stanislaus memorabilia (photos and film, old uniforms, programs, awards, etc.) to the University that can be displayed during the 50th festivities. They can make arrangements to do that by sending an e-mail to 50th@csustan.edu.
Source: California State University, Stanislaus
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