Bridging Biology and Physics Undergraduate Education through Nanoscience: A New Mexico Network Approach

生物科学（61）该项目正在开发一个国家级的教育网络，将社区学院的教师与研究型大学的教师联合在一起，围绕将纳米技术融入生物学课程这一共同主题进行共享教学。该项目的参与者包括来自新墨西哥州不同机构的生物学和物理学教师：研究机构（新墨西哥州立大学拉斯克鲁塞斯分校和新墨西哥大学阿尔伯克基分校）和社区学院（迪因学院、希普罗克分校和新墨西哥州立大学阿拉莫戈多分校）。纳米科学之所以成为主题，是因为它是一个重要的跨学科科学领域，并没有很好地融入这些机构的生物学和物理学本科课程。项目目标是通过一系列的研讨会来实现的，主要集中在三个方面：(1)纳米尺度的测量：探索不可见的；(2)纳米科学和能源技术；(3)纳米结构和生物系统。这些研讨会包括讨论教学方法，以及制作学习材料（如课程模块、案例研究和演讲）的时间和资源。这些信息通过由6所州立大学组成的新墨西哥生物医学研究基础设施网络（NM-INBRE）通过其ACCESS网格、新墨西哥州立大学教学学院、新墨西哥州立大学荣誉学院和一个专门的项目公共领域网站进行传播。一个咨询委员会正在监督和评估项目进展情况。知识价值。该项目将物理学和生物学领域的广泛教员联合在一个共同的企业中，开发一个合作教育网络，使用跨学科的方法生产适合生物学和物理学本科课程使用的纳米科学材料。除了促进将纳米科学引入两个不同的学科之外，该项目还包括：在研讨会环境中提供教师发展经验，并鼓励考虑在城市和农村环境中与不同社会经济背景的学生一起工作的教育工作者所面临的教学挑战。教育部分补充了参与研究教师的研究和教学兴趣；因此，这些活动有助于教师在课堂上架起研究和教育的桥梁。更广泛的影响。这一合作团队将新墨西哥州少数族裔高等教育机构的教师联合起来。生物和物理系的女性和少数族裔教员在项目参与者中也有代表。该项目制作的材料正通过宣传工作免费提供。这个项目正在新墨西哥州发展一个致力于科学教育的网络，他们正在制定跨越学科和机构界限的协同战略。一个较长期的目标是把在新墨西哥州发展起来的校际网络扩大到更广泛的全国规模。

Biological Sciences (61)This project is developing a state-level educational network that unites faculty at community colleges with faculty at research universities in a shared teaching enterprise around the common theme of the integration of nanotechnology into biology classes. The project participants include biology and physics faculty from a diverse set of institutions in New Mexico: research institutions (New Mexico State University, Las Cruces and University of New Mexico, Albuquerque) and community colleges (Dine College, Shiprock, and New Mexico State University, Alamogordo branch campus). Nanoscience is the topical theme because it is an important interdisciplinary scientific area that is not well integrated into biology and physics undergraduate courses at these institutions. Project objectives are being achieved through a series of workshops focusing on three general areas: (1) Measurement at the Nanoscale: Exploring the Invisible, (2) Nanoscience and Energy Technology, and (3) Nanostructures and Biological Systems. The workshops include discussion of pedagogy and time and resources for production of learning materials such as course modules, case studies, and lecture presentations. These are being disseminated through the New Mexico Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (NM-INBRE) of 6 state universities via its ACCESS Grid, the NMSU Teaching Academy, the NMSU Honors College, and a dedicated project public domain website. An Advisory Committee is providing oversight and assessment of project progress.INTELLECTUAL MERIT. The project unites a broad spectrum of faculty in physics and biology in a common enterprise, development of a collaborative educational network that uses an interdisciplinary approach to produce materials about nanoscience appropriate for use in undergraduate courses in biology and physics. In addition to promoting the introduction of nanoscience into two diverse disciplines the project is: providing faculty development experiences in a workshop setting and encouraging consideration of the teaching challenges faced by educators working in urban and rural settings with students of different socio-economic backgrounds. Educational components complement the research and teaching interests of the participating research faculty; therefore, the activities help faculty bridge research and education in the classroom. BROADER IMPACT. This collaborative team effort unites faculty from postsecondary minority institutions across the state of New Mexico. Women and minority faculty who are members of biology and physics departments are represented among the project participants. Materials produced by the project are being made freely available through dissemination efforts. This project is developing a network of committed science educators in the state of New Mexico who are developing synergistic strategies that cut across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. A longer term goal is to enlarge the intercollegial network developed in New Mexico into a broader national scale effort.