September 23, 2002
Professor Manuel Ares awarded $1 million grant
for innovative approach to undergraduate science education
By Tim Stephens
Manuel Ares, a professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology,
will use a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) to pursue an innovative approach to teaching science to undergraduate
students.
|
Ares plans to use the grant to create an
undergraduate research laboratory in which students will learn by
conducting research in genomics. Photo:
Don Harris, UCSC Photo Services |
Ares wants to give more students the opportunity to learn in a real
research environment.
He is one of 20 scientists nationwide who have been appointed as HHMI
Professors, with the goal of making science more engaging for undergraduates.
HHMI solicited proposals last year from 84 research universities, hoping
to encourage fresh approaches to science education.
The HHMI Professors program aims to change the culture of research
universities, where teaching often tends to be valued less than research.
"We want to empower scientists at research universities to become
more involved in breaking the mold and bringing the excitement of research
to science education," said HHMI President Thomas R. Cech.
Ares will use the grant to create an undergraduate research laboratory
in which students will learn by conducting research in genomics. The
students will focus on certain features of the human genome and the
genome of the malaria parasite.
"I want to make it a one-room schoolhouse for genomics, where
students with different strengths will work together and learn from
each other," Ares said. "I envision a laboratory where students
have a set of research goals, state-of-the-art equipment, and access
to experts who can provide appropriate guidance; but the research will
be done by the students. The idea is to teach them how to operate in
a research environment where they won't know the answers to everything,
so they'll need to consult with others, read the literature, and conduct
experiments."
The undergraduate research group will consist of 10 to 15 students
at one time. New students will come in as the older ones graduate or
leave the program, and probably 30 to 40 will participate over the four-year
period of the grant. The students will be primarily juniors and seniors,
with majors in various disciplines, including biology, bioinformatics,
and computer science. In the course of their research, the students
will learn essential concepts of genetics, molecular biology, protein
structure and function, physiology, and evolution, Ares said. They will
also learn about the applications of computer science and mathematics
to problems in biology.
A special laboratory dedicated to the research group will be established,
complete with sophisticated equipment and technology. The students will
have their own set of interdisciplinary questions to address, but their
work will be integrated with the rest of Ares's research laboratory.
"We'll have joint lab meetings, and the whole lab will be engaged
in this," Ares said. "I'll probably spend a lot of time with
the students, but they will also be interacting with my graduate students
and postdocs, as well as with other faculty."
Ares said he hopes the experience will encourage students to think
of themselves not only as scientists but as scientist-teachers. He also
wants to engage students from groups traditionally underrepresented
in the sciences.
"I'm particularly interested in attracting students who may not
have seen themselves as scientists or science educators, and giving
them the opportunity to see the possibilities for themselves in that
area," he said.
In his proposal, Ares emphasized the close natural relationship between
teaching and research. Teaching should be established as an integral
part of research, in both formal and informal ways, he said.
"I think the key is to make self-learning, which is an intrinsically
self-satisfying activity, connect more directly to teaching, which is
an altruistic activity that generates satisfaction in the teacher indirectly
through its effects on others," Ares wrote in his proposal. "Research
is the act of teaching ourselves, and is accomplished using the same
elements we should be using to teach others. I have found that the best
teachers are also immersed in research and scholarly activity of their
own design."
Ares noted that his own experience doing research as an undergraduate
was a critical factor leading to his career as a university scientist
and teacher. His long-term goal for the project, which he hopes to continue
after the end of the grant period, is to help establish a new generation
of faculty who are committed to the value of integrated research and
teaching.
"The thing I'll most enjoy is if I find someone who hasn't recognized
that potential in themselves, who gets engaged and turns out to be a
really good scientist and teacher," he said.
Return to Front Page
|