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University Communications

University of Richmond Professors Awarded Science Reform Grants from Associated Colleges of the South

June 9, 2006

Five University of Richmond biology professors have been awarded grants from the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) science reform program.

Funds were provided to ACS by the W.M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles for projects that address the problem of science literacy and fluency among non-science majors.

Joseph Gindhart, associate professor of biology, received a grant of $6,750 to develop a new non-majors course, “Biotechnology and Society,” to help students understand better the scientific, commercial and ethical issues of biotechnology.

Malcolm Hill, associate professor of biology, received a $14,210 grant for “Making the Land-Sea Connection in Inner-city Richmond Classrooms.” The project will get students from the “Marine Biology of the Chesapeake Bay” course involved in elementary science classes.

Paula Lessem and Maren Reiner, directors of the biology labs at the university, received a $7,800 grant to develop a non-majors course on “Emerging Infectious Diseases: Biology, Historical Significance and Public Policy.” In the class, students will investigate disease-causing microbes and the danger diseases can present to local and world communities.

Gary Radice, associate professor of biology, was awarded a $10,000 grant for the project “Teaching Biology According to How People Learn.” The project will redesign a lecture-based non-majors course called “Biology of Human Development” into one based on active learning.