Initial Publication Date: January 26, 2007
CISMI STAFF
Joe Chihade, Director 2010-2012
Mudd 170
Joe Chihade will be CISMI Director starting in fall of 2010. He teaches organic chemistry, biochemistry, and is Director of Carleton's Biochemistry Concentration. His research interests are in the broad areas of protein-RNA interactions and RNA structure. These areas lie at the intersection of biology and chemistry, and encompass wide variety of scientific perspectives. These range from the "biological" questions of which proteins interact with particular RNAs, what the consequences of these interactions are to the living cell, and how particular interactions evolved, to the more "chemical" questions of how a specific functional group influences a macromolecular interaction or changes the structure of a macromolecule, and how a simple chemical reagent can be used to elucidate biological function.
Trish Ferrett, Director 2003-2007, Co-Director 2008-2012
Mudd 165
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 environmental science courses. Trish is working on editing a book volume of scholarly essays on integrative science learning, which involved being a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2008.
Fernán Jaramillo, Director 2008-2010 , Co-Director 2006-2007
Hulings 321
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 acted as CISMI Co-Director since the fall of 2006 and has been Director since January 2008. He will also be the HHMI Program Director for Carleton's 6th grant (2008-2012).
Arjendu Pattanayak, Co-Director 2007-2010
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.
Nathan Grawe, Associate Dean of the College
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Nathan Grawe is currently Associate Dean and is residing in Laird Hall through June, 2012. While in the economics department, he taught Economics of Inequality, Econometrics and Industrial Organization. His research interests focus on the role of family in perpetuating inequality. He has published several articles examining the correlation between parent and child income and is now studying the "family size effect" (why children from large families, on average, earn less than those from small families). Nathan is one of the primary Dean of the College Office connections to HHMI, CISMI and science and math issues at Carleton.
Liz Ciner, Associate Dean of the College
Laird Hall 134
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 FOCUS cohort for first- and second-year students that began in 2007-2008.
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.