narrative final
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Catalyzing Connections in the Sciences
“The collection of facts is [just] the starting point....Only when an explanation...melts separate ideas
together in the fire of thoughtful synthesis [do we satisfy] the seeking spirit.” Hans Reichenbach
Introduction
Great achievements in science rarely occur in isolation. Today more than ever, we face vast
amounts of information, and crucial questions require diverse expertise. Scientists of the future must
acquire skills beyond the traditional confines of one field and collaborate effectively in teams whose
membership spans multiple backgrounds. For students and faculty in the sciences, realizing a synthesis
that “satisfies the seeking spirit” often hinges on making connections—among individuals, disciplines,
institutions, and ideas.
Pacific Lutheran University seeks funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Undergraduate Science Education Program to catalyze these new connections, at PLU and beyond. In
choosing this approach to energizing research, teaching, and learning in the sciences, we are building on
the most distinctive element of PLU culture: deep concern for educating the whole person and nurturing a
learning community. We are also building on our mission “to educate students for lives of thoughtful
inquiry, service, leadership and care...for other persons, for the community and for the earth.”
Our current long-range plan, PLU 2010, commits to undergraduate research as one of three
especially effective ways to meet the goals of this mission and further academic distinction. This
commitment builds on the formal Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research (UR) program that began in
1995 with support from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust and is now partially funded through an
endowment. In addition to work on research projects, UR students meet as a group weekly to develop
communication skills and interact with researchers from other departments. This program has been highly
successful, but limited in number and types of projects, as well as in initial student preparedness.
The UR program is a natural core around which to organize improvements in all components of
science education here. With Hughes funding for Student Research, targeted new UR positions will
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create a more diverse research group and increase opportunities for collaboration. Faculty will work
together across departments, designing new course modules that will stimulate pursuit of knowledge in
other disciplines. These modules will change the Curriculum to help students understand the
interconnectedness of knowledge in different fields, and apply their understanding to solving problems
in novel ways. A new interdisciplinary research course will help students internalize how science is
done, compare methodologies, and prepare for summer UR positions. Equipment acquisitions will
further incorporation of research-based inquiry and engagement with learning in laboratories and
senior capstones. Outreach to other institutions and laboratories will expand opportunities for students
and faculty to participate in a broader research community and experience different research
cultures. Commitment to these activities is high, with 40 percent of science faculty participating this
summer in their planning. We anticipate even greater participation in activities supported by a Hughes
grant.
We will build on a tradition of collaboration and the strength of a faculty highly dedicated to
innovative teaching based on findings from pedagogical research. The Catalyzing Connections program
will draw from a common philosophy and implement manageable, realistic changes that can be readily
integrated, developed, and sustained, transforming the system more profoundly than could a single
dramatic change. In-depth Assessment by our Social Sciences faculty will guide evolution of the program.
PLU cherishes its emphasis on curricular integration and active learning, and senior
administrators strongly support philosophies and activities proposed. The Provost is actively involved in
discussing the intended outcomes and is fully committed to supporting them by giving high priority to
rewarding efforts to innovate and by reallocating existing resources and seeking new ones. The VP
Development/University Relations leads efforts to raise the remainder of our $2 million UR endowment.
The VP Finance/Operations is active in grant-writing and overseeing equipment and capital spending
plans. For PLU, Catalyzing Connections in the Sciences is a logical next step in the evolution of a
mission-based, learning-centered undergraduate program.
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Student Research and Broadening Access to Science
The Natural Sciences Division (NSCI) has a strong foundation in undergraduate research (UR).
We are building on a UR endowment that, with other institutional funds, supports five faculty and 10
students each summer. These teams, along with several faculty-student teams supported by individual
grants, form a small but cohesive research community. UR students work with mentors on substantive
projects intended to contribute to publication. They participate in every part of research, including
literature searches, experimental design, data collection, equipment and procedure design and trouble-
shooting, data collection/analysis, and result presentation. In the coordinated program, they attend weekly
seminars that promote interactions and oral presentation skills, write abstracts, and present at the annual
Murdock College Science Research Conference. Some present at discipline-specific conferences and co-
author papers.
The UR experience is tied to the curriculum through senior capstones. These are substantial
projects that culminate and advance the program of an academic major. They are guided by faculty but
driven by independent student inquiry. The end product is presented to an open audience (often at our
annual Academic Festival) and is critically evaluated by faculty in the student’s field. This university
graduation requirement, in place since 1997, may be satisfied by either library or laboratory/field
research. An inquiry-rich undergraduate experience will encourage more seniors to design capstone
projects based on laboratory and field research.
With steady funding and infrastructure for a core UR program in place, we begin a targeted
expansion to improve research productivity and student learning. The impact of this expansion will
extend far beyond the UR group, as student research projects are exhibited in a display case, abstracts are
posted online, UR talks are given to the university community, and UR students interact with many others
during the academic year.
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Academic year research positions for veteran and beginning UR students
One drawback of the summer program has been the steep learning curve. Several weeks are spent
getting oriented, leaving less time for actual research. Related difficulties have been maintaining
coherence between summers, engaging students sooner, and capturing UR students’ progress to benefit
other students.
To address these issues, we will provide academic-year research positions for two veteran UR
students and two less-experienced assistants. UR students and assistants will apply to a committee of
mentors before fall, to continue summer projects or design their own. Selected students will continue
throughout the academic year.
Both students in each pair will benefit from meaningful jobs related to their professional goals.
For veteran students, extended projects will facilitate research-based senior capstones. Training assistants
will foster mentoring skills and help assimilate knowledge. The assistant will speed progress, perhaps
increasing faculty-student publications. For assistants, low-pressure work will help build confidence as
task complexity increases. Assistants will see techniques, problem-solving, and independent learning
modeled by veteran students, and practice repeatedly. They may begin to see themselves as scientists,
apply scientific methods to other areas of their lives, and understand science-related social issues. If
chosen for summer UR, they will be ready to do more meaningful work.
Although the veteran student will assume primary responsibility for the assistant, faculty will
mentor the pair. This will keep faculty connected to their research and reduce the time needed for start-up
when summer begins. Faculty and students have shown strong enthusiasm for the veteran/assistant
positions. The idea has been tested over the years on short projects, and this fall will be piloted through a
continuing microbiology project.
Expanding UR participation
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We will add four student UR positions to encourage greater participation from our Mathematics
and our Computer Science and Computer Engineering (CSCE) departments, as well as from faculty
across the division who do pedagogical research. Funds for three currently funded student positions are
also requested, to cover PLU’s support for two new faculty mentors needed for the four added students.
Projects in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geosciences have strongly predominated for several
reasons. First, the Murdock Trust formally supported UR only in those departments. Second, our
Mathematics and CSCE departments have been housed distantly and with inadequate student-faculty
research space, leading to unintentional isolation. Third, some faculty from those disciplines are interested
in pedagogical research and software development, projects not clearly encouraged previously.
All these factors are now shifting. The UR program may now include the entire division as we
leverage the track record established during the period of Trust support to obtain external grants to cover
the gap between our consistent funding base and our vision for the program. By 2005, a new building will
house Mathematics and CSCE immediately adjacent to the other science departments. The ample space
for student-faculty research included in the building’s design, plus funding for targeted positions, will
allow faculty from Mathematics and CSCE to offer UR projects. Their increased participation will benefit
the entire UR group, as students and faculty hear about each other’s projects at the weekly meetings and
gain insight into other fields. Coupled with our new cross-disciplinary course modules, increased
diversity and inclusiveness in our UR program will enhance cross-disciplinary understanding and
collaboration.
Writing Workshop
An optional one-week writing workshop following summer research will address students’ need
to communicate research results effectively. The workshop will offer an unusual chance for science
students to have an intensive focus on scientific writing not offered by either English or science classes.
Immediately following UR, students will have the theoretical knowledge, concrete experience, and
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concentrated time needed for productive writing. In an informal summer 2003 survey, nine out of 11 UR
students said they would like to attend a writing workshop.
Students in the workshop will produce research reports for disseminating results, recruiting UR
students, and contributing to papers, grant proposals, and applications. They will analyze and assimilate
their research experience, increasing their understanding of effective writing strategies and scientific
writing conventions (and their preparation for capstone reports).
Students learn to write by writing—and by analyzing the writing of experts, participating in
structured peer review, and internalizing the art of revision. This workshop will engage students in these
activities and provide exercises in organization, sentence and paragraph structure, concision, coherence,
flow, and emphasis. A unique feature will be use of Calibrated Peer Review, “an Internet-based
instructional tool that teaches students to articulate ideas coherently and to critically evaluate both their
peers’ and their own work.” The workshop instructor has a biology and scientific writing background,
teaches a writing course with a genetic engineering theme that uses CPR, and coordinates the UR
program. Faculty mentors will ensure scientific accuracy of reports.
Northwest UR Partnership
PLU and other small schools share the distinction of producing a large percentage of graduate
school attendees, perhaps because of the close student-faculty interactions possible. But a related
challenge is faculty isolation and limited UR projects. The new NSF pilot program for Undergraduate
Research Centers (in chemistry only) addresses these issues, calling for expanding UR collaborations
among institutions to broaden opportunities and enhance research capacity and culture.
PLU is uniquely situated among Northwest PUIs to initiate a similar pilot program that includes
all our science departments. Having worked aggressively to build stable funding, we now have a firmly
grounded core summer UR program. With well-developed administrative procedures and a reliable UR
tradition, we can reach out to other schools in our region also working to institutionalize UR. By sharing
UR resources we can increase opportunities for students and faculty at all collaborating schools. The
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partnership will be a natural extension of our commonalities: our Northwest location, our liberal arts
traditions, and our participation in the Murdock College Science Research Conference (held each year at a
different school to showcase the region’s UR projects). PLU will be the hub institution for five partner
schools: Central Washington University, Pacific University, Seattle Pacific University, Walla Walla
College, and Whitworth College. Components of the association will be UR student exchanges, increased
faculty collaborations, and a shared UR and teaching website.
The UR exchange will fund two PLU students each summer to join research teams at partner
schools, and two partner-school students to join PLU teams. We will begin as a pilot program, ideally
expanding with future funding so all students may apply to all projects and so more projects are available.
Partner schools have expressed strong support for the potential collaborations. One school formally
invited all partners to use its island research station; a PLU faculty member already sees opportunities for
microbiology research there and is encouraging a student application for related CUR funding.
Selection for the UR exchange will conform to procedures already established for our UR
program. Using guidelines developed by a UR Task Force in 2002, the division’s Chairs Council selects
faculty through an application that describes the research and the students’ roles. Partner-school faculty
will complete the same application, applying for student funding only. Partner-school projects (plus PLU
projects funded by our program and independent grants) will be advertised at PLU, and vice-versa.
Students will complete an application, indicating two preferred projects and including a faculty member’s
endorsement if applying off-campus. With partner-school faculty, PLU faculty who provided
endorsements will select PLU students for partner-school positions. Funded PLU faculty will choose
students for PLU positions. PLU’s UR coordinator will handle logistics, working with personnel at
partner schools.
In addition to the UR exchange, the partnership will stimulate and support collaborations among
faculty and administrators at all schools. Ideas include collaborating on research, sharing laboratory
exercises, developing course modules, exchanging guest speakers in courses, and sharing procedures for
managing UR programs and grants.
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As a venue for sharing resources and initiating collaborations, we will develop and maintain a
website. We will post available research projects (with links to descriptions and homepages) and student
abstracts and reports. Shared resources will include lists (of other off-campus research opportunities,
student research journals, and UR grant opportunities) and guidelines (for talks and posters). A forum will
facilitate sharing of ideas. We believe the excitement generated by these novel connections will also lead
to ideas not yet foreseen. The pilot program will provide fertile ground for exploring the potential of
expanded research and learning communities.
Other UR connections
To further catalyze connections in the sciences, we will fund student-faculty teams to collaborate
with third parties as opportunities arise. Examples include travel to other research sites, time on
instruments, field trips, training, conference attendance, and hosting an expert for workshops. These
experiences will help students bring textual knowledge to life and situate their research in a broader
context. Faculty here have established relationships with federal laboratories (PNNL, NIST), industry
contacts (Amgen, ICOS, Zymogenetics), university laboratories, and alumni that could help arrange these
experiences. The coordinator will help identify resources and post them on the UR website.
Sustainability
The enhancements to our UR program are carefully targeted to address current limitations and
help increase inquiry and appreciation of multidisciplinary approaches. Strengthening our UR program is
also clearly tied to the university’s commitment to undergraduate research. PLU’s president has
committed to support our UR program at the current level and expand our UR endowment to $2 million.
Because of such institution-wide commitment, we believe we can build the financial base to support
continuing improvements.
Ongoing UR efforts will provide leverage to faculty and students for additional grants. Four
faculty submitted proposals recently to NIH, NSF, Research Corporation, and the Murdock Trust, and a
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Chemistry UR mentor was awarded a third NSF-RUI, which will fund 10 students over three years. New
types of projects such as pedagogical research and connections with Social Sciences may reveal new
funding avenues. These connections and increased visibility through a UR website may attract new
donors. Faculty from departments that have participated most in UR now have a track record with which
to secure outside grants. We anticipate four faculty-student teams each year funded this way in the future.
These individuals could count as part of our overall program, freeing support for extra positions proposed
here. Divisional composition will change over the next decade, as many faculty retire. Emphasis on UR
will influence hiring decisions, and new faculty will be more likely to participate in UR and seek outside
grants.
To help sustain the NW UR partnership, PLU students may be funded for off-campus research
through the restructuring described above. Participating schools may write joint proposals to fund a true
colloquium, in which all students could apply to all projects. Since partner schools are investing in their
own UR programs, some will devise ways to support this partnership if it proves valuable. Chemistry
departments could apply to the NSF-URC program, which may expand to include other departments.
Faculty collaborations between institutions will be mostly self-sustaining, with travel funds provided by
schools. Once established, the website will be maintained by PLU’s UR website staff.
The writing workshop will be sustained through the UR endowment or other grant funding.
Alternatively, it could count as part of capstone work, or become a PLU course offering in the summer or
January-term. Some responsibility for administrative components will be distributed among the dean,
chairs, and interested faculty and will count as service to the university, replacing other activities.
Faculty Development
To support grant activities, we will provide focused opportunities for faculty development
through module-development funds, workshops, a seminar, and travel funds.
Module Development Funds
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Each summer, three pairs of faculty from different departments will be funded to develop
multidisciplinary modules for courses. The modules will bring topics from one discipline to a course in
another field (described further under Curriculum). While each module will have a unique budget,
funding may cover training and travel costs, student assistance, and faculty summer stipends. Faculty
have submitted descriptions of many potential modules, including microorganisms’ roles in
biogeochemical cycles, statistics using case studies, modeling embryonic development, database
searching and bioinformatics, electrical properties of excitable cells, nanotechnology for health science
research, use of biological systems to synthesize proteins, computer simulations in proteomics, error
analysis as an application of differentials, and computer scripts for GIS.
The Division’s Chairs Council or designees will select faculty in early spring for summer module
development funds, based on applications giving backgrounds and roles of collaborators, courses for
module use, module content and rationale, and proposed budget. Once developed, modules and their
creators will be resources to other faculty. Small internal grants (Center for Teaching and Learning,
Regency Advancement Awards) may support further module development; a precedent is Regency
support given to develop a biostatistics course.
Module Development Workshop
To stimulate division-wide interest in module development and to guide teams, we will offer two
week-long summer workshops led by outside experts in multidisciplinary collaborations.
January-Term Research Course Workshop
A new January-term research course is described under Curriculum. PLU science faculty will
organize and lead one-week summer workshops to plan this multidisciplinary effort. Chemistry faculty
already teach a Research Methods course in that department, and many of our faculty have participated in
multidisciplinary course development. Faculty who will teach the course, including those from
Humanities and Social Sciences, will participate. In summer 2004, they will draft a new course proposal
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for PLU Educational Policies Committee review. The summer 2006 workshop will prepare additional
faculty to help teach the course. Those teaching Research Methods will cross-train each other to allow
greater staffing flexibility and enlarge the skill set of each participant. Once the course is developed and
faculty are cross-trained, no further funding will be needed.
Collaboration Seminar
The multiple strands of Hughes grant activities will be tied together with Collaboration Seminars,
which will fit into existing traditions. Each fall, we will invite an outside expert to hold a three-hour
session at our annual university-wide Fall Conference, inviting faculty from all areas. The Hughes
director will review grant goals and activities, and the outside facilitator will lead discussions on relevant
topics, such as interdisciplinary work, UR programs, or increasing inquiry in courses. During the
academic year, one-hour follow-up seminars will be held during established Division Meeting times.
Faculty, staff, and students funded by Hughes will plan and attend these seminars, and others will be
enticed by interesting presentations and discussions. Participants will present the work they have done
under grant funding, such as module and courseware development, inter-institution collaborations, writing
workshop activities, mentoring of Preparing Future Faculty graduate students, participation in GCAT, and
using new equipment to increase inquiry in labs. We anticipate that these discussions will influence
curricular developments, the UR program, and Hughes program administration as well. New
collaborations will be solicited for work on problems that cross traditional boundaries, such as
bioinformatics and geographic information system databases. The group will discuss what is working,
what is not, and what should happen next. Seminar information will be included in the NW UR website.
Seminars at the end of each semester will help us assess our progress toward meeting program goals.
Sustaining the seminar after Hughes support will be easy, since the format fits into existing meeting
structure.
Travel Funds
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Faculty travel is described in the Student Research section and under Module Development.
Curriculum and Equipment
Shared goals for improving student learning have emerged over years of divisional discussion.
Faculty from all departments won funding from the Murdock Trust and the W.M. Keck and Kresge
foundations for division-wide programs. In 1999 all departments participated in a two-day follow up to a
CUR workshop, each drafting a mission statement. In 2002 a UR Task Force spearheaded division-wide
discussion of fostering research readiness, and biweekly Division Meetings have focused on our UR
program, pedagogical research, and teaching techniques. The science building itself is designed to foster
collaborations between departments, with all offices encircling an open common space.
NSCI faculty who will contribute to curriculum development are involved in professional
organizations (as president of National Association of Geoscience Teachers, for example) and attend
teaching workshops (supported by university travel funds). Some innovations are supported through
grants (described under Increasing Inquiry), and some through associations with educational groups (such
as Special Interest Groups in Computer Science Education). Several faculty (Craig Fryhle with Graham
Solomons, Organic Chemistry, for example) are coauthors of major texts. With our emphasis on
catalyzing connections, more experienced curriculum developers will mentor less experienced faculty,
helping bring their ideas to fruition.
Modules
Recognizing that contemporary science requires teamwork involving different perspectives,
faculty have embraced the idea of developing multidisciplinary modules for existing courses. Instructors
will collaborate with a faculty expert from another field to present accurate, relevant material that could
not otherwise have been included in a course—sometimes material not yet included in discipline-based
texts. Each module will be unique; it may require one class session, a week, or a large portion of a course.
Either the course’s instructor or the collaborator may teach the module. Teaching responsibilities will be
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orchestrated among the six faculty funded each year, so that none is overburdened and each course is
covered. Enthusiasm for this idea has arisen from several realizations: it will help students increase and
integrate problem-solving skills; see concrete applications of a discipline’s concepts; and understand
relationships among courses, disciplines, and their own vocation. In addition, faculty will enjoy the
interactions with colleagues and benefit from keeping current with how other disciplines intersect with
theirs. They will be stimulated to seek and apply knowledge from other fields to their own teaching and
research. We anticipate wide participation under the impetus of grant funding and associated workshops
and seminars. As a library of modules is developed, the need for financial support will decrease
significantly.
Cross-departmental module development is a logical extension of an NSF-CCLI grant recently
awarded to our Mathematics Department. The grant’s principal investigators completed an extensive
needs analysis that included interviews of 18 faculty representing every NSCI department. Many
interviewees indicated that students must be better prepared to apply mathematical skills in their
disciplines. Under the CCLI, modules will be designed to strengthen understanding of the relationship
between calculus and computer science. For example, one module will study relative growth rates of
functions representing time taken to execute computer algorithms. CCLI faculty will also create modules
bridging Mathematics and Physics.
January-term course
PLU has a 4-1-4 academic calendar; fall and spring semesters sandwich a one-month January-term.
Although we offer J-term science courses for non-majors, few are offered for majors. A new, four-credit
J-term course for all science students will increase student understanding of how science is done and
prepare them for possible UR positions. We have enthusiastic support from the Dean of the School of
Education for including sections for students interested in K-12 science education. The morning portion,
Introduction to Scientific Research, will include literature searches, research records, conventions of
scientific writing, statistical tests, science ethics, and ways of knowing in various disciplines. This portion
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will be team-taught by faculty from across NSCI and potentially from outside NSCI, to introduce the
larger context of diverse approaches to scholarly work.
Afternoons will be devoted to Research Methods. Faculty from all laboratory science departments
will teach one-week blocks of laboratory and field techniques, such as biochemical, molecular, or
environmental methods. Students will choose three blocks and do directed independent inquiry the fourth
week, using techniques just learned.
This course takes advantage of our 4-1-4 academic calendar, which we have not done fully before.
There is great (and typically unmet) demand for J-term courses, so we will have a large pool of
prospective students. Also, the intense one-month format allows students to concentrate their energy on
one course. Earlier introduction to research will help students be more productive if they participate in
summer UR, and the course will prepare students better for upper division courses.
Offered primarily for sophomores, the new course will bridge classes and research, lower and
upper division, and coursework and capstone. Most science majors will have just completed their
foundation courses and will be likely candidates for the following summer’s UR program. The course
could drive evolution of upper-division courses: students will have new skills and expectations, and
faculty will respond with more inquiry-based laboratories.
At a 2003 NSF workshop exploring the concept of undergraduate research centers, participants
proposed a curriculum to enhance UR productivity including research methods years one-two and
investigative research years three-four. Our proposed J-term course matches that recommendation.
Developing the course will require significant faculty collaboration, which we will accomplish
through summer workshops. Several faculty will teach each course; a biologist may teach molecular
techniques for a week, and a philosopher may teach ethics for one three-hour block, and so on. We
anticipate offering two sections each J-term during the developmental phase. Because the teaching
responsibilities will be an overload, we request two course releases/year. The released time will be
“banked” by faculty who help teach the multiple-instructor course. We anticipate that departments will
revise their curricula over time, modifying upper-division offerings to make room for the new course,
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especially if it becomes a requirement for majors. Thus, once the course has been developed, it should be
sustainable.
Increasing inquiry
Faculty have been working to increase inquiry in courses for some time, such as through an NSF-
ILI for biology laboratory equipment allowing independent projects and a Chemistry NSF-CCLI allowing
student use of modern equipment for semester-long projects based on current journal articles. Within two
years, conventional laboratories will be eliminated from Advanced Cell Biology and Developmental
Biology, and a stand-alone inquiry-based laboratory course will be introduced. Chemistry has
incorporated research-rich activities into an Organic Special Projects course.
Through Hughes funding inquiry activities will be increased in several ways, allowing students to
creatively construct, not merely confirm, knowledge. In Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and the new J-
term research course, we will introduce microarrays, joining the Genomics Consortium for Active
Teaching (GCAT). GCAT provides gene chips, a chip reader, reduced-price reagents, and sharing of
expertise. Students currently use a DNA sequencer purchased through a collaborative NSF grant to
generate and analyze novel data. With GCAT, students design and perform experiments to isolate RNA
for analysis on species-specific chips. Arrays are sent to a centralized scanner and data returned to PLU
overnight. Two faculty members will be trained in microarray technology and incorporate it into courses.
They will train other faculty, who may introduce microarrays into other courses and UR. Reducing the
isolation that encourages overuse of “safe” exercises, GCAT will provide hands-on experience with a
powerful, current technology.
Inquiry will also be increased by providing advanced students opportunities to assist in courseware
and laboratory development. This will both improve courses for all students and increase independent
learning and engagement for the student developer. For example, to graphically demonstrate derivatives
and slope, a Mathematics faculty member recently developed a computer program that a CSCE student
could further develop to illustrate other concepts. A biology student could adapt a protocol to identify an
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unknown bacterial strain using PCR, sequencing, and GenBank. Students could also help develop
modules, allowing faculty to gain a sense of student skills required. To sustain these opportunities,
departments will gradually reallocate their student help budgets, and university allocations may shift in
response to this technique’s demonstrated effectiveness.
Equipment
Requested equipment will allow us to fully exploit opportunities presented by our existing
curriculum and Catalyzing Connections curricular innovations. Additionally, new equipment will expand
our current capabilities by extending ways in which existing equipment can be used, often permitting
multidisciplinary applications.
Through the new J-term research course and increased emphasis on independent work, our
students will participate in an inquiry-rich undergraduate experience. Modern equipment will permit
exposure to contemporary techniques, important so that students are well prepared for employment or
graduate education. The foundation established in coursework will influence the nature and quality of
senior capstones and UR. Drawing on their experiences, more seniors will choose to do laboratory and
field-based projects rather than library research. Similarly, UR projects will take on new dimensions as
faculty can plan investigations that require sophisticated equipment for experimental procedures and
analysis.
Selected examples illustrate how requested equipment will permit full and meaningful
implementation of Catalyzing Connections.
Phosphorimager: Provides a contemporary approach to visualization and quantification of
radioactivity; short exposure times permit use of Southern and Northern blots in the J-term course, other
laboratories, and UR.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computers and other equipment: Allow application and
interpretation of a new fundamental literacy in geology, biology, and environmental studies. Use of GIS
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to make maps will enhance connections among these disciplines, permit expanded mapping applications,
foster collaboration with community partners on local issues, and increase UR opportunities.
Multi-angle light scattering detector for an existing liquid chromatography system: Allows
chemistry and biology students to study molecular weight and thermodynamic properties of
macromolecules, and expands student polymer research opportunities in one of our most active UR
programs: the Chemistry mentor was just awarded a third NSF-RUI grant, which will support 10 UR
students over three years.
Isoelectric focusing system for two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: Coupled
with a newly-acquired MALDI-mass spectrometer, introduces students in the J-term research course and
several existing courses to the fundamentals of proteomics, a major focus of biological research in the
post-genomic era.
Outreach
The need for universities to train graduate students for future careers as faculty members is gaining
attention, spurred by undergraduates who are dissatisfied with TA’s, employers of new Ph.D.’s, and
graduate students themselves. The University of Washington, just one hour from PLU, is beginning a
Graduate Certificate in Professional Development: Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program to address
this need, building on a 1994 national initiative. By participating in PFF, we will strengthen our
connections with UW and serve the teaching profession while strengthening our own programs. Through
PFF our faculty will mentor advanced doctoral students, helping them explore teaching, research, and
service aspects of a faculty career. PFF students will come to PLU for one-two terms. During the
academic year, they will observe classes, help design lectures or labs, and teach a few sessions, with
mentor observation and evaluation. In the summer, they may join faculty-student UR teams. They will
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also observe a service activity (such as a committee meeting) and perform a service (such as helping with
journal club).
The connection is important to both institutions. The UW Graduate School has been planning the
program for several years, and is in the final stages of approval, with enrollment to open for fall 2004.
Establishing PFF partnerships with local schools is critical. Helping meet the clear need for better faculty
preparation is connected to our mission, educating for lives of inquiry and service, and will be rewarding
both personally and professionally. Our faculty look forward to association with advanced graduate
students, who will reduce disciplinary isolation, introduce current research techniques, stimulate
reflection, and help foster additional relationships with UW faculty. In some cases, PFF students will help
with teaching and mentoring loads associated with the proposed J-term course and expanded summer UR
teams. In the longer run, PLU’s participation in PFF may increase the applicant pool for faculty positions
here.
We have discussed PLU’s involvement with PFF carefully with the program’s director and
associate director. Almost all PFF students will have completed their graduate coursework and will be
selected based on career interests, GPA, and previous experience. Participants will be well prepared and
motivated for their work at PLU and will devote the time needed for a successful internship. There will
likely be a good match between the number of potential participants from both schools. The program will
be flexible, and several plans for logistics seem feasible. After an intensive three-week pre-autumn
seminar at the UW to lay the groundwork for partner-school internships, PFF students will meet with
PLU mentors to arrange an activity plan and schedule. Fall interns may stay to help design and teach part
of the one-week technique blocks planned for our J-term research course. Those here in the summer may
help mentor UR students, especially for three-student teams. They may also develop activities for the UR
program or work with a mentor teaching a summer class. UW is enthusiastic about the growing
partnership with PLU and has incorporated it as a fundamental element in their PFF Certificate
programming, while several PLU science faculty are already eager to begin as mentors.
Another outreach activity, the NW UR Partnership, is described under Student Research.
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Administration
The changes initiated through Hughes support will be integrated throughout many divisional
activities. Coherent administration will help ensure maximum involvement and effectiveness and
encourage thoughtful evolution of activities as modifications seem warranted and new possibilities arise.
Therefore, a director/coordinator team will (respectively) provide oversight and manage details of Hughes
grant activities, following the administration structure of our current UR program. The core
administration team will involve faculty, staff, administrators, students, and outreach participants in
planning and decision-making to the greatest extent possible, including open discussion of important
grant-related policies and procedures. The tradition of such involvement is already well established.
The director, Dr. Tom Carlson, was chair of Biology for nine years and is now dean of Natural
Sciences. He has shown tireless devotion to students and is a legendary advisor, winning PLU’s 2002
Faculty Excellence Award in Advising (and a national award) and advising students through the Health
Sciences Committee for 25 years. Single-handedly establishing a Mentoring Award for PLU faculty, he
encourages similar devotion to students in others. As a strong advocate for UR, he has been a volunteer
mentor in the program three times, provided UR opportunities through three PLU Regency Advancement
Awards, and contributed magnanimously to the UR endowment and a Biology UR Fund he established.
Three students from his lab have won Goldwater Scholarships, and six have earned NSF or Howard
Hughes fellowships. Dr. Carlson’s interest in multidisciplinary work has led to team-developed courses
with Chemistry and English faculty and participation in Writing Across the Curriculum workshops and
regional meetings. His course development experience has included two J-term inquiry courses for
advanced biology students and implementation of an NSF-ILI grant he co-authored supporting
investigative laboratories. Outreach activities include annual classes for “I’m Going to College” day,
work with fifth-grade gifted students in Project Excel, and presentations in Advanced Placement biology
courses.
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We believe the most effective coordinator will have a background in science, writing, and higher
education administration as well as significant experience working with faculty and grants. The division’s
current UR coordinator has this background and has been directly involved in the UR program’s
development. This work has been in addition to other divisional responsibilities as administrative
associate. PLU will fund a new assistant position to manage the more routine divisional tasks. The current
UR-coordinator/associate will move into a 3/4 time Hughes coordinator position, with the remaining 1/4
time devoted to a new position supporting university-wide grant activities. This synergistic arrangement
will maximize our current expertise and help faculty focus on teaching innovations and grants. For the
coordinator, the university-wide perspective will be useful in tying Hughes activities to the work of other
PLU schools and divisions and to the university’s mission. An even greater focus on grants activities will
augment the coordinator’s ability to identify UR grants resources and assist in grant writing. PLU
commits to continuing the position after Hughes funding ends.
Administration of Hughes activities will fit in with administrative structures already established,
such as our Chairs Council and semi-weekly Division Meetings. Administration of our expanded UR
program will follow the pattern already established for our core program, as described under Student
Research. In conference with the Hughes director, the coordinator will manage communications and
procedures, as well as website development, writing, and maintenance. Faculty mentors and chairs will
select UR participants. Faculty will plan the J-term and Module Development workshops, with
coordinator assistance. Many of our faculty are interested in pedagogical innovations and will be
enthusiastic about bringing expert facilitators to campus. The overarching Collaboration Seminars, held
during regular Division Meeting times 3-4 times/year, will allow Hughes grant faculty to communicate
about their achievements (and about improvements needed), help attract new faculty to grant efforts, and
instill a habit of discussion of collaborations. The Division’s Chairs Council or designees will select
faculty for module development funding as described earlier. The Hughes director will distribute funds
for faculty short-term visits to other resources on an as-needed basis. Students doing courseware or
laboratory development will be funded by a similar process. If there is strong competition for these funds,
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we will develop an application process, which will include a mechanism for faculty participation in
decision-making. Some responsibilities here given to the director, coordinator, or chairs may be fulfilled
instead through faculty committees if grant participants express a need for different mechanisms.
The Hughes coordinator will serve as a liaison between the UW Graduate School and PLU faculty
interested in mentoring PFF students, publicizing the program and recruiting participants. The coordinator
will also research avenues for disseminating results of grant activities, help faculty prepare materials for
dissemination, assist the assessment team with tracking faculty and students, and help find further grant
support to sustain initiated activities.
Assessment and Dissemination
Faculty-student research teams from PLU’s Social Sciences Division will design and implement a
comprehensive formative and summative assessment plan using quantitative and qualitative measures.
Each summer, one team will join our UR program, bringing new awareness of different research
perspectives to participants and further informing pedagogical research. Planned assessments are listed
under program objectives below.
Foster interdisciplinary connections through modules
Formative surveys address perceptions of effectiveness (student questions: preparedness, module
relevancy, post-module appreciation for multidisciplinary approaches; faculty questions: effectiveness of
module development/presentation in fostering cross-departmental collaboration, faculty learning).
Summative assessment investigates student ability to synthesize and analyze material across disciplines
through coursework performance.
Increase student understanding of how science is done and improve preparedness for research positions
through J-Term Research Introduction/Methods course
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Formative assessment uses focus groups throughout the course to identify changes in student
appreciation for science’s role. Summative evaluation includes course documentation, faculty
involvement, and assessment of course effect on student preparation for UR and upper-division courses.
Increase independence and mentoring skills of experienced UR students and provide earlier introduction
to research for beginners through academic year veteran/beginner UR pairs
Formative assessment surveys beginning student attitudes toward veteran mentor (comfort with
soliciting help, accessibility of research skills) and veteran attitudes toward mentoring (comfort with
status, understanding of learning). Summative evaluation documents opportunities for, and utilization of,
student research-mentoring positions, student authorship and presentations, and faculty success at
maintaining research groups.
Expand and diversify UR program by adding positions for underrepresented departments and
pedagogical research and supporting NW UR exchange
Formative assessment includes pre- and post-research student/faculty surveys. Summative
evaluation documents number of students/faculty from each department who apply for positions, and
quality of capstones from UR students versus those from non-UR students.
Increase student inquiry and engagement by joining GCAT and supporting advanced student
development of courseware and laboratories
Formative surveys and focus groups assess perceived impact on student inquiry, independent
investigation, and engagement. Paired tasks/questions determine courseware’s effect on learning.
Summative evaluation details GCAT participation: learning experiences provided, ease of use, lab
restructuring, evidence of increased independent investigation. Instructors will survey students to
determine effectiveness and utilization of student-produced courseware.
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In addition to the PLU-based assessment described above, we will participate in the HHMI-
funded online UR survey by Sarah Elgin (Washington University-St. Louis) and David Lopatto (Grinnell
College).
Disseminating results achieved under Hughes funding is a high priority. The director and
coordinator will explore traditional and novel opportunities and ensure that participants are encouraged
and supported. Accomplishments will be shared locally through the Hughes UR website, Collaboration
and departmental seminars, divisional and campus newsletters, and NSCI’s annual Academic Festival.
Collaborating schools will share accomplishments similarly. Traditional dissemination avenues in the
sciences (oral, poster, panel, and workshop presentations at regional/national conferences; publication in
peer-reviewed and online education journals; digital libraries) will be pursued (a quick survey of faculty
yielded over 50 possibilities). A new resource for sharing CSCE modules is the Consortium for
Computing Sciences Northwest Regional Conference and website; our CSCE department has been
instrumental in establishing this group over the last few years. In addition, we will share results in venues
outside the sciences, such as:
PFF: AACU conference, UW information/roundtable presentations, alumni talks, articles
Writing Workshop: Written Communication, Association of Teachers of Technical Writing,
Calibrated Peer Review assignment library
Assessment: Western Psychological Association meetings