Carleton's Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Grant

CISMI was launched with USD800,000 from HHMI covering the time period of September 2004 through August 2008. This is Carleton's 5^th consecutive 4-year grant from HHMI. HHMI projects are noted below. Interdisciplinary target areas in the grant include:

• Complexity (study of complex and integrated systems included in areas below)
• Computational Modeling
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Neuroscience
• Medical Physics
• Environmental Science

CISMI will continue to grow to be larger than those activities funded solely by HHMI. Carleton College is funding some new efforts in CISMI, including compensation for leadership efforts by faculty. The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Carleton is working aggressively with CISMI to identify funding beyond HHMI for new programs and activities.

Professor Trish Ferrett (Chemistry) is the Program Director of the current HHMI grant. Please contact her if you have questions.

Summer Student Research Support

• Student stipends, travel, and research supplies for summer student-faculty research at Carleton (14-16 each summer)
• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary research with Carleton faculty in Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, and Psychology
• Summer interdisciplinary seminar series with faculty talks on their research
• Annual Fall Science & Math Poster Session showcasing student research

2005 Science Scholars Sara Lopez (left) & Lisa Short (right)

Broadening Access to Science

• Creation of a faculty/staff steering committee, the Transitions Group, to guide program development that helps a more diverse student body transition from high school to science learning at Carleton.
• New winter break Science Scholars Workshop for 10 students from under-resourced high schools. Includes problem solving, mentoring, community building, and project internships with Carleton faculty.
• Summer 2006 internships at Carleton's Science Education Resource Center (SERC) for two Science Scholar students (Sara Lopez and Lisa Short, '09). Part of their work involved creating a literature resource list and a list of programs elsewhere for broadening access to science and math.
• Educational programming for faculty on how to effectively structure group work for a more diverse student body.
• Cross-departmental articulation for entering students of various pathways into and through the first two years of Carleton's science and math curriculum.
• Collective planning for future programs, resources, and integration of all programs with the curriculum. Includes planning for a new science learning center.

Interdisciplinary Science Instrumentation

• Digital imagers for use in Biology and Chemistry research labs and courses/labs in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, and Immunology
• Medical Physics equipment for 2 new labs

Faculty & Staff Development

• Interdisciplinarity & Epistemology. December 2004 workshop
• What is Carleton's Energy Future? December 2005 workshop
• Interdisciplinary Computational Modeling Workshop (with Bob Panoff). April 2006
• Lunch Workshop Series on Problem Solving. Summer 2005
• Retreats on Broadening Access to Science. December 2004 & July 2006
• Various events highlighting HHMI and CISMI work, in collaboration with Carleton's Perlman Center for Learning & Teaching
• Many regular lunches, discussions, and events for faculty and staff working on CISMI

Curriculum & Lab Development

Interdisciplinary senior capstones:

• Senior Comprehensive group project on RNA for Biology and Chemistry faculty and majors (Joe Chihade, Chemistry & Susan Singer, Biology)

Computational Modeling:

• New computational modeling course with interdisciplinary student projects (Arjendu Pattanayak & Bill Titus, Physics/Astronomy & Susan Singer, Biology)
• Computational modeling exercises for environmental chemistry (Will Hollingsworth, Chemistry)

Interdisciplinary courses:

• First-year linked seminars on paradigm shifts in science including abrupt climate change and the mind-brain relationship (Larry Wichlinski, Psychology & Trish Ferrett, Chemistry)
• New course with problems at the boundaries of computer science and economics (David Liben-Nowell, Computer Science)

Interdisciplinary labs:

• DNA microarray lab for for research-style project in Molecular Biology lab (Stephan Zweifel, Biology)
• New course and lab in Bioanalytical Chemistry (Steve Drew & Deborah Gross, Chemistry)

Interdisciplinary case studies:

• Case study development, testing, publication, and assessment of student learning in Biology courses (Susan Singer & Debby Walser-Kuntz, Biology)
• Case studies for a course on environmental and science policy (Cam Davidson, Geology)
• Statistical and exploratory data analysis exercises for statistics courses, based on data about Carleton College's energy consumption and usage (Laura Chihara, Math)

Problem solving emphasis:

• Problem design for introductory biology (Bio 125) with problem solving (Debby Walser-Kuntz & Susan Singer, Biology)

Integrative learning:

• Study on integrative learning in interdisciplinary and disciplinary science courses for first-term first year students (PIs Susan Singer & Debby Walser-Kuntz, Biology & Trish Ferrett, Chemistry & Larry Wichlinski, Psychology)

Program Assessment & Administration

• The HHMI/CISMI Advisory Board meets regularly to oversee many aspects of CISMI and plans for its future (at right).
• With the help of the Advisory Board, the CISMI Director and Co-Director administer faculty workshops and events, curriculum development, funds for summer research, program assessment, and the HHMI grant budget. When possible, CISMI collaborates with other college initiatives.
• Staff in Carleton's Office of Institutional Research & Analysis (Jackie Lauer-Glebov) and in the group for Ethnography and Evaluation Research (Anne-Barrie Hunter) at the University of Colorado at Boulder help with assessment and evaluation.
• Administrative assistant Mary Drew works with CISMI.
• Staff Sean Fox and Cathy Manduca at the The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton helps with the CISMI web page and project dissemination.