HU Receives $1.2 Million to Enhance Biology Program

http://www.hhmi.org/news/college20080422.html

http://www.hhmi.org/news/college20080422_list.html



Hampton, VA - Hampton University was recently awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The grant will be used to enhance the biology program at HU to fit the recommendations made in Bio2010, a set of changes recommended for biology programs as described by the National Research Council.

The grant will provide HU with faculty development opportunities, an updated biology curriculum, a renovated laboratory and the development of a modern student research and training laboratory. The laboratories will allow students to focus on areas of emerging biology like genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, molecular evolution and metagenomics.

Dr. Edison R. Fowlks, HU professor of biology and HHMI program director at HU, designed the biology initiative to be an inquiry-based, research-driven, interdisciplinary experience. The goal of the initiative is to develop the relationship between biology, computer sciences and mathematics disciplines in hopes of creating research teams that not only understand biology better but are able to solve biological and biomedical problems from a perspective of diverse disciplines.

"Combining these three disciplines is a brand new paradigm in biology," stated Fowlks. "HU is becoming a leader in bringing these three disciplines together. We are on the forefront in developing a genome-inspired biology curriculum."

A five-week paid residential pre-college summer program will introduce incoming freshman biology, computer science and mathematics students to genomics and bioinformatics. Students from the summer program who maintain a 3.3 GPA will be able to compete for ten pre-Ph.D. scholarships during their sophomore year. Fowlks believes, if students learn about the benefits of fusing the three disciplines early in their education they will yield more scientific discoveries.

"We hope to see more students in Ph.D. programs and more professors from diverse populations teaching in major universities," said Fowlks. "It would be great if a future Nobel Prize recipient were a product of this program. Our nation needs more Ph.D. scientists to develop strategies to solve important societal crisis such as energy and pollution, food and water shortages, and emerging human and animal diseases."

One of the world's largest philanthropies, HHMI is a nonprofit medical research organization that employs hundreds of leading biomedical scientists. HHMI invited 224 colleges to submit proposals for the grant. Hampton University was one of 48 schools and one of five Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) that received an award.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DrBlackbeard,

quote:

The goal of the initiative is to develop the relationship between biology, computer sciences and mathematics disciplines in hopes of creating research teams that not only understand biology better but are able to solve biological and biomedical problems from a perspective of diverse disciplines.

The laboratories will allow students to focus on areas of emerging biology like genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, molecular evolution and metagenomics..

Cutting-edge stuff!

Good job