Claremont Colleges Receive $3.6 Million To Spur LIife Science Leaders

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has awarded $3.6 million to The Claremont Colleges to support efforts that prepare undergraduates to become leaders in science research and medicine.

The five undergraduate colleges (5C)—Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona and Scripps—submitted a joint proposal to the 2012 HHMI Colleges Initiative outlining a plan to instill quantitative and computational approaches in their life science courses and increase the persistence of all students in the sciences. While each school has its own emphasis and strengths, together they form a complementary group of adjoining campuses with a combined population of 650 faculty and more than 5,000 undergraduates.

HHMI received 182 proposals and The Claremont Colleges’ proposal was one of only 43 funded. It was also the only joint proposal to receive HHMI funding.

“Collaboration is a vital activity that drives science forward,” said HHMI President Robert Tjian. “We believe that collaboration among institutions can have a similar catalytic effect on science education, and we look forward to seeing these schools work together to develop new science and teaching programs that inspire their students.”

The award comes at a unique time in the 5Cs history. The life science programs at all five of the undergraduate Claremont Colleges have expanded considerably in the past 20 years, and with a shared academic schedule and a strong tradition of cross-registration, the schools now stand ready to build new, substantive and synergistic collaborations across their institutions.

“Our science departments have a long history of interaction, but this funding allows us to truly integrate our efforts,” said David Hansen, Weinberg Family Dean of Science, W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College and Scripps College. “I am most excited about new initiatives for the support of students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science.”

“This HHMI funding represents an exciting opportunity for the Claremont Colleges to be at the very forefront of curricular innovation at the intersection of biology, computer science and mathematics,” said Robert Drewell, associate professor of biology at Harvey Mudd College. “In addition, the creation of an integrated summer undergraduate research program across the five Claremont Colleges is very significant, as it will build on the existing interactions between research groups on the different campuses.”

Original source here.