Engaging Science, Advancing Learning:
General Education, Majors, and the New Global Century
Program Highlights
Opening Keynote
Thursday, November 6, 2008, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Envisioning the Place and Practice of Science Education
Science faculty more and more are reshaping their courses to connect key concepts and questions with students’ early and active involvement in systematic investigation and research—in doing science as science is done—in the classroom, laboratory and community. Dr. Gentile will address the kinds of knowledge, skills, and abilities that today’s students should possess to effectively evaluate and use scientific information and to be innovators and leaders in a variety of career fields. He will also discuss strategies for teaching science “scientifically”—in ways that deepen student’s understanding of the physical and natural world and that prepare them to successfully navigate the scientific complexities of the twenty-first century.
James Gentile, President—Research Corporation
Dr. Gentile is a distinguished leader in transforming undergraduate education through the integration of scientific research and education. Prior to his presidency at the Research Corporation, Gentile held an endowed professorship in biology and served for twelve years as Dean for the Natural Sciences at Hope College. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Illinois State University and spent two years in postdoctoral studies in the Department of Human Genetics at Yale School of Medicine.
Plenary
Friday, November 7, 2008,
9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Teaching and Learning Science: Why Change and How?
Change in science learning comes with understanding the synergy between contemporary goals for student learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and contemporary and historic goals for liberal education. The process of educational change involves institution-wide attention to this synergy and to the contextual issues that influence the work of agents of change. These include: mental images that faculty have about how students learn; institutional policies for supporting leadership for change; institutional expectations of what students should know; and broader societal calls to action regarding what American college graduates should know and be able to do. Opening remarks will be followed by participant discussion of case studies addressing specific “how to” questions; report-outs and reflections will conclude the session.
Jeanne Narum, Director, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL)
Dr. Narum advises projects and leaders tackling key challenges and opportunities facing undergraduates in STEM. Narum works with an informal national alliance of STEM faculty, their administrative colleagues, and other individuals and associations committed to transforming the nation’s STEM learning environment for all undergraduates. She received a Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College and four honorary degrees for her work with PKAL.
Featured Address
(Separate registration and $50 fee required; lunch included)
Friday, November 7, 2008,
12:15 – 2:00 p.m.
Teaching and Learning for Sustainability: Imperative or Option?
As the human population grows and consumption of nature’s resources threatens the survival of species and ecosystems around the world, how is higher education helping students to understand how biodiversity, ecological integrity, and sustainability relate to the quality of their everyday lives? Dr. Sterling will address the imperative of connecting science learning to the natural world and nurturing personal and social responsibility for the conservation of Earth’s resources.
Eleanor Sterling, Director, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, and Director, Graduate Studies, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology. Columbia University
Dr. Sterling lead the development of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation’s Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners, which works to create and implement educational materials and teaching resources for biodiversity conservation at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels around the world. She holds a B.A. in psychobiology from Yale College and Ph.D. degrees in anthropology and forestry and environmental studies from Yale University.
Plenary
Saturday, November 8, 2008, 11:00 a.m. – Noon
Raising the Quality and Level of Science Learning for All Students
Drs. Kelley and Slakey will summarize some of the most compelling insights, models, and practices presented at the conference and share their own strategies for what participants can do to integrate these new ideas into their work upon return to campus.
Darcy B. Kelley, Co-director, Doctoral Subcommittee in Neurobiology, and Behavior and Professor, Biological Sciences—Columbia University and Linda L. Slakey, Division Director, Division of Undergraduate Education—National Science Foundation
Dr. Kelley has a long-standing interest in the public perception of science through portrayal in plays, movies and television. She received her Ph.D. from Rockefeller University and she was an Assistant Professor there before joining the faculty of Princeton University. In 1982, she moved to Columbia University where she co-founded the interdepartmental graduate program in Neurobiology and Behavior. Professor Kelley has been a scientific advisor to the Sloan and Fairchild Foundations. She currently is a Trustee of both the Wenner Gren and the Grass Foundations and Editor of Developmental Neurobiology.
Dr. Slakey supports teaching and learning initiatives with particular attention to engaging undergraduate students in research, promoting faculty development activities that foster the transition from lecturing to more engaged pedagogies, and advancing research on how students learn. Slakey received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Michigan and did postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the National Science Foundation in 2006, she held several positions at the University of Massachusetts Amherst including faculty member, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Dean of Commonwealth College.
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