Undergraduates in Gonzaga's Biology and Chemistry departments have the opportunity to enhance their college experience through independent research in a faculty mentor's laboratory. Gonzaga's HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) supported programs in the Biology and Chemistry Departments provide internships both over the summer and during the academic year for hands-on research experiences.
For Biology majors, the new Research Option provides research-interested students additional advising and research experiences, as well as requires additional classes in mathematics and participation in local outreach programs. This program consists of a number of courses and experiences designed to prepare students to pursue research in some venue (graduate school, industry, government, medical school, or science education) after graduation.
For Chemistry majors, the Senior Thesis provides a year-long independent research project for students during their senior year. The required senior thesis, under the mentorship of a faculty member, allows students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in an independent setting and provides valuable experience for continuation of their scientific careers.
The Hughes Undergraduate Biology (HUB) Program enhances the undergraduate biology experience by offering a multidisciplinary, quantitative approach to biology. The thematic focus of the program is the quantitative analysis of complex biological systems. One of the greatest challenges of the current scientific era is to understand the organization and operation of complex biological systems, from macromolecular complexes to the human brain. No single discipline commands the perspective and depth to surmount the intrinsic challenges in elucidating the structural, organizational, and mechanistic principles of complex biological systems. In order to achieve our program goals, we focus on vertical integration of the undergraduate biological sciences program, the enhancement of student research opportunities, the enhancement and continuing development of precollege and college-level outreach programs as well as faculty development through our Master Teacher Series.
In 2006 Oregon State University was granted a renewal of funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HHMI, for improving science education at both the precollege and college level. Funding from the Undergraduate Science Education Program of the HHMI is used to provide support to three areas of science education: K12 outreach, undergraduate research, and undergraduate level curriculum development. Each program has a unique mission. However, the overarching goal for all our programs, improving science education for all students, provides many opportunities for our programs to collaborate. These collaborations allow the OSU HHMI funded programs to impact science education through the entire spectrum from primary through university levels.
Current programs include:
Science Education Partnerships, SMILE, Science Connections, Undergraduate Research, Undergraduate Curriculum Development
Montana Integrative Learning Experience for Students (MILES) brings the excitement of cutting-edge research to undergraduates at The University of Montana. Funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), MILES provides opportunities for students to conduct original research through internships and honors fellowships with mentoring by nationally and internationally recognized faculty researchers.
The mission of MILES is to link faculty and students from diverse backgrounds into a more integrated learning community through innovative teaching and research opportunities with attention to mentoring. We will build on the science reform movement underway at the University of Montana to catalyze, assess, and sustain innovations that better connect teaching and research with learning in all life science courses.
The UW-HHMI programs aim to increase the diversity and success of students and mentors in the biological sciences and drive innovations in biology education and outreach. Our programs help undergraduates take full advantage of the exciting learning and research opportunities available in the biological sciences at the UW. The Biology Fellows Program supports a diverse community of beginning students who are interested in learning skills essential for success and careers in the biosciences. The Integrative Research Internship Program and the Friday Harbor Labs Research Apprenticeships support undergraduate researchers, most often for their first research experiences, and emphasize the value of peer interactions and teamwork. UW-HHMI also invests in postdoctoral scientists. Our Future Faculty Fellows Program and Teaching Apprenticeships prepare postdocs for successful careers that combine research, service, and undergraduate mentoring and teaching. We also have a summer institute (SILS) and a quarter-long course (QuILS) for in-service K-12 teachers to train them in methods to teach "hands-on" investigative science in the classroom.