CISMI STAFF
Associate Professor Fernán Jaramillo, Director 2008- , Co-Director 2006-2007
Hulings 303A
Fernán Jaramillo (Biology) is a neurobiologist. He is interested in how the nervous system acquires, processes, and relays information. His current research interests include the study of mechanoelectrical transduction, molecular motors in the hair cell, the role of noise in sensory processing, and the physiology of synaptic transmission. In Biology and Carleton's Neuroscience concentration, he teaches Neurobiology, Cell Biology, and part of Introductory Biology. Fernán has been the CISMI Co-Director since the fall of 2006 and is Director starting in January 2008. He will also be the HHMI Program Director for Carleton's 6th grant (currently pending).
Associate Professor Arjendu Pattanayak, Co-Director 2007-
Olin 337
Arjendu Pattanayak is a theorist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He is interested in nonlinear systems, including those involving chaos and quantum chaos. He is also interested in the integration of education and research and teaches occasionally in Carleton's Cross-Cultural Studies Program. Arjendu has been active in building communities at Carleton around computational modeling and broadening access to science for students from underrepresented groups. He became the CISMI Co-Director in 2007.
Mary Drew, Administrative Assistant
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Mary Drew is the able administrative assistant for CISMI and Carleton's HHMI grant. See is also the administrative assistant for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Liz Ciner, Associate Dean of the College
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Liz Ciner has been at Carleton since 1982 and has served as Associate Dean of the College and Senior Lecturer in English at Carleton College since 1987. Prior to that, she ran the college writing center, directed the writing program, supervised the tutoring office and Math Skills Center and coordinated a Student Observer Program. For the past twenty years, she has had oversight responsibilities for the off-campus and international studies office, the Registrar's Office, academic advising, and the college writing program. As a standing member of both the college's Education and Curriculum Committee and Academic Standing Committee, she has been deeply involved in the assessment of academic programs and in students' academic progress. She recently collaborated with Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Studies Kathleen Galotti on a project studying decision making and students' choice of major. She is also involved in an on-going research project concerning students with language learning disabilities. In CISMI, Liz plays a key leadership role in assessment and in broadening access to science programs, including the HHMI-funded Science Scholars Workshop and the FrISC-E cohort (Freshman Interdepartmental Science Cohort Experience) that is being piloted in 2007-2008.
Professor Bev Nagel, Associate Dean of the College
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Bev Nagel is the Ada M. Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of the Social Sciences and Associate Dean of the College. As a member of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, she has research interests in rural development, grassroots action, and social change in Latin America. She has been engaged in research on agricultural development, ethnic relations, and social movements on Paraguay's eastern frontier. She has also conducted research on rural development and migration patterns in Mexico, and has served as a consultant on both urban and rural development projects for the Inter-American Development Bank and the Fundación Intermon. In addition to introductory sociology, she has taught courses on social research methods, Third World development, population, social movements, and the ethnography of Latin America. Bev helps out with budgeting for CISMI and Carleton's HHMI grant and is a member of the HHMI/CISMI Advisory Board.
Professor Trish Ferrett, Director 2003-2007
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on sabbatical Jan-Dec 2008
Trish Ferrett (Chemistry) has coordinated CISMI and Carleton's 5th HHMI grant since the summer of 2003. She has taught many interdisciplinary courses in areas that include environmental science, biophysical chemistry, molecular electronics, the chemistry of art restoration, and abrupt climate change. Her research background is in chemical physics. She currently does research in the scholarship of teaching and learning tied to integrative and interdisciplinary science-rich education. As a 2005 Carnegie Scholar with partner Joanne Stewart (Chemistry, Hope College), she is studying integrative learning in first-year science courses. Trish will be working on editing a book volume of scholarly essays on integrative science learning during 2008, when she will be a Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Professor Susan Singer, Co-Director, 2005-2006
Hulings 308
Susan Singer (Biology) has been a key player in CISMI and was the CISMI Co-Director in 2005-2006. In addition to teaching introductory biology with problem solving and courses in plant biology and development, Susan has extensive experience with interdisciplinary teaching in her dyad and triad first-year courses at Carleton under the theme of "Origins and Mind". Susan has an active and NSF-funded research program in plant developmental biology where she studies flowering in pea with Carleton undergraduate researchers. Susan also serves on a number of national committees, including the Project Kaleidoscope National Steering Committee and the National Research Council Board on Science Education.