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Less noticed is the remarkable change taking place in undergraduate biology education. At colleges and universities across the United States, a generation of students is flocking to learn about the exciting developments in biology and related disciplines. They are getting involved in original research in addition to learning from lectures, textbooks, and the scientific literature. They are using powerful computers and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, and putting their new knowledge and skills to work in scientific settings and across society. This change in the classroom is as compelling in its way as the science itself. "Beyond Bio 101" examines how the trend is unfolding at research universities, liberal arts colleges, historically black institutions, and other campuses across the country. It focuses on institutions supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to tell a story that involves the broader, nationwide community. It is a story whose outcome affects not only scientists and educators, but also a larger society that is facing difficult choices about health care, the environment, the economy, and many other issues involving biology. HHMI, the nation's largest private philanthropy, is a nonprofit medical research organization dedicated to basic biomedical research and education. Its major mission, involving about 80 percent of its expenditures, is medical research carried out by HHMI investigators located in laboratories at more than 60 leading academic medical centers, universities, and hospitals throughout the United States. However, in addition to supporting cutting-edge research today, HHMI is committed to training the outstanding researchers of tomorrow. To that end, the Institute has awarded nearly $600 million through its grants program since 1988. Among its goals is the enhancement of the quality of science education for American students of all ages. The largest of the Institute's grants programs is directed toward biological sciences education at the college undergraduate level. More than 200 public and private colleges and universities have received several hundred million dollars in grants to expand research opportunities for students, update courses and facilities, attract talented women and underrepresented minorities to science, and reach out to science teachers and schools in their communities. This publication profiles only a sample of the programs supported by HHMI, which are themselves representative of the many colleges and universities that have begun to change how millions of young people learn about a science that is transforming their world. The goals, content, and practitioners of undergraduate biology education are all changing. "Beyond Bio 101" describes what is happening and why it matters to all of us. |
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cientists speak often of the revolution in molecular biology to describe
the current ferment and pace of change in our understanding of living organisms.
Over the past two decades a cascade of discoveries about the genetic origins
of diseases, molecular functioning of the brain, and other questions has
begun changing the face of the biological sciences and medicine. The breadth
and impact of this intellectual revolution continue to grow.
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