In The News

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are highly competitive full-cost scholarships. They are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

The University of Maryland will receive $1.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to support education in the life sciences. This marks the fifth time since 1992, and the fourth consecutive time that Maryland has received the prestigious HHMI grant, which is aimed at strengthening undergraduate and precollege science education nationwide. With the support from HHMI, the University of Maryland has developed a highly successful undergraduate research fellowship program, strengthened its undergraduate science curriculum, provided hands-on science immersion programs for high school students, and offered professional development opportunities for both university scientists and high school biology teachers.

The annual Universities at Shady Grove Scholarship and Donor Recognition Luncheon honors outstanding undergraduates, generous donors, and Board of Advisors - Kendall Service awardees. Held on February 19, 2010, the Shady Grove community celebrated the opportunities and student success supported by these awards. Five biological sciences majors received Rattner Family Scholarships, and two HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellows were recognized. Nancy Noben-Trauth, lecturer and assistant program director of biological sciences at Shady Grove, received the Kendall Excellence in Teaching Award.

Twelve talented undergraduates received an Howard Hughes Medical Institute undergraduate research fellowship this Spring. The competitive HHMI Fellowship program, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the College of Chemical & Life Sciences, supports the research activities of undergraduates working under the direction of a faculty mentor. The program's goal is to give talented students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the investigative process, increase their aptitude for research, collaborate directly with faculty, and strengthen their dedication to a career in medical, biological or life sciences.

CLFS faculty and graduate students have been diligently working on curriculum initiatives to improve the teaching and learning for students in our college. The record number of poster presentations at Bioscience Day reflected the creative and immense efforts undertaken to bring the most recent innovations to the teaching and learning arena. The growing engagement of our faculty in the scholarship of teaching and learning has resulted in a surge in external funding in support of instruction.

Read abstracts from the 16 posters related to education and curricular innovation.