Premium
Undergraduate Laboratory Renaissance: research integration across the entire Biochemistry laboratory curriculum
Author(s) -
Roecklein-Canfield Jennifer,
Gurney Richard,
Lee Nancy,
Soltzberg Leonard
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.619.1
Subject(s) - capstone , curriculum , undergraduate research , general partnership , medical education , graduate students , chemistry , the renaissance , engineering ethics , engineering , computer science , psychology , medicine , pedagogy , political science , art , art history , algorithm , law
Traditional undergraduate chemical laboratory experiments do not prepare students adequately for performing research in graduate programs or industry. To address this need, we have implemented a fully research integrated laboratory curriculum across the undergraduate Chemistry major, beginning in the second semester of the freshman year. Students begin research integration in the first semester Organic Chemistry laboratory that continues right through to the senior capstone independent research experience. Students are actively engaged in the research agendas of each of the faculty members teaching their courses. Our program includes collaborations with biology faculty in selective courses in biochemistry and molecular biology as well. We describe here the Simmons Chemistry Laboratory Renaissance including the methods of switching from a traditional to a research integrated curriculum and the direct and indirect assessments of the program. We will illustrate the process for the traditional biochemistry track. We also describe a successful collaboration between the Genomics Education Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis and the biochemistry faculty to integrate novel genomics and bioinformatics research into the program.