University to Collaborate on Teaching Project with Greater Richmond Health Education Center
January 8, 2002
University of Richmond and the Greater Richmond Area Health Education Center will collaborate on a project to teach microbiology to college and high school students under a $144,813 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Through field and laboratory investigations, students will learn "critical thinking skills, as well as the process of discovery and the relevance of science to real-world problems," said Debra L. Wohl, assistant professor of biology. Wohl developed the proposal with Paula B. Lessem, director of biological laboratories at the university, and Julia B. Reed, executive director of GRAHEC.
Separate courses in microbiological research-focusing on bacteria and antibiotic resistance-will be created for the university's biology majors, its non-science majors, and high school students at GRAHEC's Science, Math and Technology Academy. In addition, selected academy students will participate in a month-long summer program, followed by an academic year research experience in a university biology lab. Undergraduates will serve as mentors to the high school students.
"Through this experience, we want students to appreciate the mystery of science," said Wohl. "They should be science literate in order to comprehend scientific advances they hear about in their lifetimes." Recent threats of anthrax exposure and biological warfare compelling reasons for educating all students about microbiology in the 21st century, Wohl said.
In their proposal, Wohl, Lessem and Reed emphasized that the high school participants "will experience the true nature of science, where accomplishment occurs slowly. They will also be recognized among their peers as role models who can encourage younger students to enroll in scientific research offerings of the SMT Academy."
The project is expected to begin this spring, Wohl said, with the first summer course in July 2002. Students will have several opportunities to present the result of their projects, including the university's Undergraduate Research Symposium, annual meetings of professional associations, and city and state science fairs.