Science
and math for all
In
2003, Yale College set a new direction for several aspects of the undergraduate
curriculum. One of these recommendations called for beefed-up requirements for
courses in science and "quantitative reasoning," coupled with a new Science and
Quantitative Reasoning Center to help students. The new center, now in its
second year of operation, continues to expand its services. With one full-time
and three part-time faculty, the center offers students tutoring in the science
and quantitative reasoning disciplines as well as opportunities for
undergraduate research and learning.
Douglas
Brash, professor of therapeutic radiology and genetics, coordinates
undergraduate research and runs "Perspectives on Science," a year-long course
that introduces freshmen to the full range of scientific disciplines through
lectures and small group discussions with some of Yale's most distinguished
faculty. Applied mathematician Frank Robinson directs the Science and Quantitative
Reasoning Tutoring Program, which offers one-on-one tutoring to students who
are experiencing academic difficulty in a specific course. The program also
helps professors bring new teaching methods to the sciences and assists
students in developing their quantitative reasoning skills. Kailas Purushothaman,
associate research scientist in diagnostic radiology, runs the residential
college tutoring program, which offers help at scheduled times in the center
and five nights a week in the residential colleges, in all areas of math and
science.
Shepherding
the SQR Center is Associate Dean for Science Education William Segraves, a
faculty member in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and the 1996
winner of the Hixon Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Natural Sciences.
New
dean to direct Native American Cultural Center
The
Native American Cultural Center will soon have what the Afro-American, Asian
American, and Latino cultural centers already have: a college assistant dean as
its director. The new dean will manage and oversee the NACC and will work with
undergraduates to develop services, organize activities, and sponsor events.
The dean will also work with university administration to define an appropriate
identity for the center and plan for its support and nurture; consult with
deans and faculty on academic advising, counseling, and guidance; and assist
the dean of admissions and his staff in the recruitment and admission of new
students. The new position has been made possible through the gift of Fred C.
Danforth ’73 and his wife, Carlene Larsson.
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