The Mother of Invention:From Desperation to

Collaboration

The Mother of Invention:From Desperation to

Collaboration

Christopher LearyColin Kremer

Rachel VanCottGregg Hartvigsen

SUNY Geneseo

6 January 2007 2

OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

6 January 2007 3

OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

6 January 2007 4

SUNY GeneseoSUNY Geneseo

• Public University• Undergraduate• Liberal Arts College

—5000 students

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SUNY GeneseoSUNY Geneseo

• Public University• Undergraduate• Liberal Arts College

—5000 students

•Bright, well-motivated students

•Strong tradition of undergraduate research in the sciences

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SUNY GeneseoSUNY Geneseo

• Biology Department• 15 Tenure-Track

Faculty• 650 Undergraduate

Majors

6 January 2007 7

SUNY GeneseoSUNY Geneseo

• Biology Department• 15 Tenure-Track

Faculty• 650 Undergraduate

Majors

•Mathematics Department

•15 Tenure-Track Faculty

•250 Undergraduate Majors

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SUNY GeneseoSUNY Geneseo

• Teaching Load• “12 contact hours per

semester”• 3 Courses

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6 January 2007 10

OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

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How not to educate biologists

How not to educate biologists

• Calculus sequence• Statistics offerings• Modeling offerings

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The Importance of New Hires

The Importance of New Hires

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The Importance of New Hires

The Importance of New Hires

• Gregg Hartvigsen

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OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

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Course DevelopmentCourse Development

• Biological Data Analysis• Statistics for biologists• Taught in the biology department

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Course DevelopmentCourse Development

• Modeling Biological Systems (300 level)• First offered Spring 2000• Every other spring basis• Co-taught, counts as a full class

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Course DevelopmentCourse Development

• Calculus II for Biologists• First offered Spring 2002• Taught every spring• Lots more modeling (qualitative DiffEq,

PDE, Discrete Dynamical Systems)• A solid five weeks of statistics• No series/sequences, less on

techniques of integration• Applications from biology--esp. ecology

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Meanwhile, back on the ranch

Meanwhile, back on the ranch

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OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

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Research DevelopmentsResearch Developments

• Tony Macula

• Arkadii Dyachov• Vyacheslav Rykov

• Grant support through Air Force• Bioinformatics• Lots of student research• Tie in with Biochemistry

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OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

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Grant WritingGrant Writing

• Late 2003• Pilot Grant for the UBM project

through NSF• Tony, Gregg funded for the summer

2004 along with several students

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Grant WritingGrant Writing

• Early 2004• Full-Fledged UBM grant written

• Macula, Hartvigsen, Pogozelski, Leary

• “Undergraduate Biomathematical Research Career Initiative at SUNY-Geneseo” (NSF 0436298)• $806,000• 2004–2009

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Goals of the Biomath Program

Goals of the Biomath Program

• Train undergraduates to perform research at the intersection of mathematics and biology• Research Support for Undergraduates• Curricular Changes• Change in Climate

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Eighteen students conduct sponsored research during both the academic year and this summer• Two major research groups• Strong recruitment efforts during the

year• Focus on bringing 1st and 2nd year

students into the program

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• DNA hybridization kinetics• Tony Macula (Mathematics)• Wendy Pogozelski (Biochemistry)

• Ecological/Epidemiological Modeling• Gregg Hartvigsen (Biology)• CL (Mathematics)

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Small meetings/conferences• Conversations on Biomolecular

Computing-DNA Word Design (March 2005)

• Biomathematical Explorations (June 2005)

• Jonathan Dushoff• Ben Bolker

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Student travel support• Hudson River Undergrad Math Conf

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Student travel support• Hudson River Undergrad Math Conf

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Student travel support• SMB/ECMTB

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Research ProgramResearch Program

• Student travel support• Joint Mathematics Meetings

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Curricular ChangesCurricular Changes

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Curricular ChangesCurricular Changes

• Grant-supported changes• One course per semester dedicated to

the grant• Modeling Biological Systems offered

every year• Computational Molecular Biology• Introduction to Nucleic Acids• Biomathematics Seminar (semi-

required)

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Curricular ChangesCurricular Changes

• Expansion by Absence• Other faculty members are brought

into the program by teaching the cross-disciplinary courses

• Use of the Slush Fund

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OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

6 January 2007 36

Where we are nowWhere we are now

• Both MBS and CalcII for Biologists are well-established parts of the curriculum

• Active research group in biomathematics

• More active collaboration among the departments

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OutlineOutline

• SUNY Geneseo• Where we were in 1998• Course Development• Research Developments• Grant Writing• Where we are now• Where do we want to go

6 January 2007 38

Where do we want to goWhere do we want to go

• Statistics offerings need improving• New 200-level Data Analysis Course• The importance of new hires

• Broaden support of interdisciplinary work • Bring more people into the mix

• Think about ways to continue the funding

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Where do we want to goWhere do we want to go

• Consider a Biomath track in the Math Department, or an interdisciplinary program

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The Law of Unintended Consequences

The Law of Unintended Consequences

• The Integrated Science Center

• New facilities• New equipment• More biology majors

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Lessons we have learnedLessons we have learned

• Time is of the essence• Faculty time

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Lessons we have learnedLessons we have learned

• Time is of the essence• Faculty time• Student time

• They are undergraduates

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Lessons we have learnedLessons we have learned

• The importance of the right people

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Lessons we have learnedLessons we have learned

• We have to work together

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Lessons we have learnedLessons we have learned

• It has been worth it.

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ThanksThanks

• NSF• Geneseo Foundation• My colleagues• My students