scholarly journals Preparing the “New” Biologist of the Future: Student Research at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah I. Duncan ◽  
Pamela Bishop ◽  
Suzanne Lenhart
Keyword(s):  
Research Process ◽  
Biological Synthesis ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Summer Program ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
University Of Tennessee ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University ◽  
Faculty Mentors

We describe a unique Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Veterinary students summer program at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The program focused on interdisciplinary research at the interface of biology and mathematics. Participants were selected to work on projects with a biology mentor and a mathematics mentor in an environment that promoted collaboration outside of the students' respective disciplines. There were four research projects with teams of four participants and two faculty mentors. The participants consisted of a mixture of 10 undergraduates in biology- and mathematics-related disciplines, four veterinary students, and two high-school teachers. The activities included lectures on both the biological and mathematical backgrounds of the projects, tutorials for software, and sessions on ethics, graduate school, and possible career paths for individuals interested in biology and mathematics. The program was designed to give students the ability to actively participate in the scientific research process by working on a project, writing up their results in a final report, and presenting their work orally. We report on the results of our evaluation surveys of the participants.

scholarly journals A Report from the NIMBioS/DySoC Investigative Workshop on the Mathematics of Gun Violence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelby Scott
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Gun Violence ◽  
Biological Synthesis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
University Of Tennessee ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The University

Gun violence is a central public concern in the United States, annually leading to the deaths of 36,000 individuals and the non-fatal injuries of 85,000 others. It has been called an epidemic and a public health crisis. In May of 2019, a diverse group of researchers participated in a workshop at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This workshop was sponsored by the Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity (DySoC) and the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). The objectives of this workshop were to review the existing approaches on the mathematics and modeling of gun violence, identify and prioritize areas in the field that require further research, develop cross-disciplinary collaborations to gain new perspectives, and suggest research and data collection that could assist evidence-based policy recommendations. The purpose of this report is to present some of the responses to the mentioned objectives and to suggest areas of future research .

Motivation of play: from ethological to neurological perspectives

Behaviour ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 153 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 655-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Palagi ◽  
Hillary N. Fouts
Keyword(s):  
Biological Synthesis ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
University Of Tennessee ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The University

The collection of papers presented in this Special Issue is the outcome of a series of workshops on the evolution of play held between 2011 and 2013 and sponsored by the National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN, USA). These workshops were aimed at stimulating a multidisciplinary discussion about one of the most debated and controversial behaviours in the Animal Kingdom. Although neglected for a long time by researchers studying non-human animals, play research seems to be having a new Renaissance and the last ten years have been extremely fruitful in highlighting some important functions and in delineating key correlates of this activity. Obviously, it is impossible to fully represent such a multifaceted topic as play in a handful of papers; however, the articles in this Special Issue bring to light some over-arching themes and together provide innovative perspectives on play.

scholarly journals Adaptive Learning: A Stabilizing Influence Across Disciplines and Universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Dziuban ◽  
Colm Howlin ◽  
Patsy Moskal ◽  
Connie Johnson ◽  
Liza Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Organization ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
University Of Central Florida ◽  
Mathematics Courses ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

This study represents an adaptive learning partnership among The University of Central Florida, Colorado Technical University, and the platform provider Realizeit.  A thirteen-variable learning domain for students forms the basis of a component invariance study. The results show that four dimensions: knowledge acquisition, engagement activities, communication and growth remain constant in nursing and mathematics courses across the two universities, indicating that the adaptive modality stabilizes learning organization in multiple disciplines. The authors contend that similar collaborative partnerships among universities and vendors is an important next step in the research process.

scholarly journals Profile Analysis of Faculty-Researchers in STEM Education in a Philippine University

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Bryan Mallillin Nozaleda ◽  
Jhoanna Battung Calubaquib
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The University

The aim of this study is to create a deeper analysis of the individual backgrounds of higher education educators who are involved in research on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in a state university in the Philippines.  To meet this objective, the study used a quantitative research design utilizing descriptive analytical tools. The participants were 104 teachers from the five campuses of the university that offers STEM undergraduate programs. Essentially, the study concludes that from the data gathered, the university has a gender-neutral participation in terms of doing research. The profile further creates an image that doing research in the university is not prejudicial to teachers with lower academic ranks. Meanwhile, the STEM educators have started doing research after some years of teaching and on average, teachers spend half of their academic experience in doing research. On another note, almost all of the respondents had more teaching loads than doing research and had less than four years of research experience on average. Based on these findings, for a university aiming to build a strong research culture, it is recommended to apportion more work time for conducting research in addition to teaching and strengthen the university research support to the faculty members by providing them opportunities to participate in research conferences, publish research outputs, and conduct research in the university.

scholarly journals Morphological plant modeling: Unleashing geometric and topological potential within the plant sciences

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bucksch ◽  
Acheampong Atta-Boateng ◽  
Akomian Fortuné Azihou ◽  
Mathilde Balduzzi ◽  
Dorjsuren Battogtokh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Morphology ◽  
Open Science ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Topological Descriptors ◽  
Biological Synthesis ◽  
University Of Tennessee ◽  
Plant Modeling ◽  
Plant Sciences ◽  
Plant Form ◽  
And Mathematics

AbstractPlant morphology is inherently mathematical in that morphology describes plant form and architecture with geometrical and topological descriptors. The geometries and topologies of leaves, flowers, roots, shoots and their spatial arrangements have fascinated plant biologists and mathematicians alike. Beyond providing aesthetic inspiration, quantifying plant morphology has become pressing in an era of climate change and a growing human population. Modifying plant morphology, through molecular biology and breeding, aided by a mathematical perspective, is critical to improving agriculture, and the monitoring of ecosystems with fewer natural resources. In this white paper, we begin with an overview of the mathematical models applied to quantify patterning in plants. We then explore fundamental challenges that remain unanswered concerning plant morphology, from the barriers preventing the prediction of phenotype from genotype to modeling the movement of leafs in air streams. We end with a discussion concerning the incorporation of plant morphology into educational programs. This strategy focuses on synthesizing biological and mathematical approaches and ways to facilitate research advances through outreach, cross-disciplinary training, and open science. This white paper arose from bringing mathematicians and biologists together at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) workshop titled “Morphological Plant Modeling: Unleashing Geometric and Topological Potential within the Plant Sciences” held at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in September, 2015. Never has the need to quantify plant morphology been more imperative. Unleashing the potential of geometric and topological approaches in the plant sciences promises to transform our understanding of both plants and mathematics.

Undergraduate Materials Research Initiative: Providing Active Research Experience

2000 ◽  
Vol 632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethanie J. H. Stadler ◽  
Ingrid L. St. Omer
Keyword(s):  
Materials Science ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Materials Research ◽  
Active Research ◽  
International Aspects ◽  
Academic Year

ABSTRACTThe Materials Research Society's Undergraduate Materials Research Initiative (UMRI) is a program designed to introduce undergraduates to research and the excitement of discovery in materials science and engineering. Through an open competition process modeled after federal funding agencies, participants gain an understanding of the research process from proposal to final report. Each awardee receives a grant for the cost of a moderate research project (maximum $750). In addition, the student researcher receives an award of $250 upon completion of the project. The MRS awarded 20 grants for research performed during the inaugural 1998/99 academic year, and it has awarded 40 grants this academic year. In addition to financial assistance, the MRS also provides positive exposure for both the UMRI undergraduate researchers and their advisors in order to highlight the importance of an active research experience. Past and present UMRI awardees have been invited to present their work in a poster session during this meeting. The educational impact of the program will be explored in terms of applicant demographics and survey responses from awardees. The review process, international aspects, and suggested research timeframes will also be discussed. The basic operating principles of this program have potential application to any academic, industrial or governmental program designed to increase faculty and student interest in undergraduate research. Such programs address the need to attract and retain talented individuals to technical careers.

scholarly journals Gidakiimanaanawigamig’s Circle of Learning: A Model for Partnership between Tribal Community and Research University

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M Dalbotten ◽  
Emi Ito ◽  
Susan Eriksson ◽  
Holly Pellerin ◽  
Lowana Greensky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Research University ◽  
Tribal College ◽  
Tribal Community ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
12Th Grade ◽  
Education Community ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

Since 2002, the National Center for Earth-Surface dynamics has collaborated with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, the University of Minnesota, and other partner institutions to develop programs aimed at supporting Native American participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and especially in the Earth and Environmental Sciences. These include the gidakiimanaaniwigamig math and science camps for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Research Experience for Undergraduates on Sustainable Land and Water Resources, which takes place on two native reservations, and support for new majors at tribal colleges. All of these programs have a common focus on collaboration with communities, place-based education, community-inspired research projects, a focus on traditional culture and language, and resource management on reservations. Strong partnerships between university, tribal college, and Native American reservation were a foundation for success, but took time and effort to develop. This paper explores steps towards effective partnerships that support student success in STEM via environmental education.

Communicating Mathematics and Science: Teaching and Tutoring Writing in a Summer Program for High School Students

2019 ◽  
pp. 623-628
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Wickliff
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Summer Program ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematics Program ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Talented Students ◽  
The University ◽  
Mathematics And Science

Supplemental instruction and tutoring in writing, genre, and document design and illustration, can improve the quality of formal mathematics and science papers and presentations composed by rising high school junior and senior students in a four-week summer program. This paper discusses the program history and goals, its structure, the methods of instruction and tutoring, and the professional and student writing samples delivered through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics program. The program is a no-cost, state-funded program for academically talented students who aspire to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Participants reside on the university campus for four weeks and conduct research around topics of their own interest individually or in collaboration with like-minded peers. Participants engage in research under the supervision of university faculty.

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