Keck Foundation LOI

1) Opening

Specific amount that we are requesting.

Computational methods are now an important part of basic research in all of the natural sciences, yet few undergraduate programs have such components. Earlham is very well positioned to develop a template for incorporating computational methods into science curricula, e.g. our interdisciplinary approach and the high percentage of our graduates that go on to earn Ph.D.s in a science. These methods are just one type of scientific inquiry covered by our curriculum modules. /* Is this paragraph placed correctly? */

2) Description

This project will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and curriculum development among the natural and physical sciences departments at Earlham College, including biology, chemistry, computer science, geosciences, mathematics, and physics. It is clear that cutting-edge scientific research is becoming more interdisciplinary and collaborative at all levels; therefore, it is essential to train our students to develop multi-faceted approaches to problem solving. This project will introduce an important scientific problem and ask students to collect and analyze data, as well as make interpretations, using different disciplinary perspectives in both coursework and independent research projects with faculty. We believe this idea of collaborative learning will transform our undergraduate curriculum in the sciences and provide a model for interdisciplinary curricula for other liberal arts colleges.

In choosing the scientific problem around which to construct this project, we have tried to generate topics centered around faculty expertise, student interest, and local impact. We anticipate that if this approach is successful, both scientifically and educationally, we would be able to expand topics to reflect the changing interests of students, faculty, and the community. Therefore, our selection of the research problem is purposefully flexible, although any topic must meet the following explicit criteria:

• It must be broadly relevant to the scientific community (research results should be publishable in more than one venue).
• It must be easily adapted to both student/faculty research and the undergraduate science curriculum.
• It must involve field work, laboratory work, and computational analysis.
• It must be interdisciplinary in nature.
• It must have local impact or be important to the local community.

We will focus on the following metals:

• Mercury
• Lead
• Uranium
• Arsenic
• Selenium
• Vanadium
• Moly

Water flow through soil both experimentally and computationally.

The courses will we incorporate these modules into include:

• Introductory Classes
  • EcoBio
  • Environmental Science and Sustainability
  • Programming and Problem Solving
  • Introduction to Computational Science
  • Statistics
  • Principles of Chemistry

• Upper-level Classes
  • Equilibrium and Analysis
  • Hydrogeology
  • Geochemistry
  • Modeling
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Instrumental Analysis

The environmental impact of local industry and geology on ground water sources would be studied using such methods computational modeling, analytical techniques, and effects/evidence of metal uptake by plants or aquatic life. Again we could employ Clear Creek as our study site. Snapping turtles are potential heavy metal reservoirs, as such they would provide us with one particularly good angle with which to approach this which builds on significant faculty expertise.

Course Modules

• Test plot to examine ground flow and uptake
• Year round
• Longitudinal
• Off-site plot maintenence

Summer multidisciplinary research community

• Continue maintence/development of local plot
• Off-site plot research
• K-12 teacher professional development workshops, prep for class visits during the school year by those same teachers.

3) Purposes, Aims, and Impact

See how modern, collaborative, science is done

Outreach to local community, science in the context of real life

Research projects and curriculum modules for a variety of introductory and upper-level classes.

For science and non-science majors, a better understanding of both computational and experimental research methods, model development and verification, and interdisciplinary science research. For example, students in both majors and non-majors versions of general chemistry should come away with some understanding of how computational methods, chemistry, biology, and geology, work together to deepen our understanding of the problem.

Science outreach activities for local K-12 students and teachers. Earlham's Joseph Moore Museum has developed a significant outreach program for local school districts in the natural sciences. We propose to develop new programs, based on the project theme, to be delivered by the Museum.

Introduce students to scientific problems which incorporate local and regional issues and resources.

4) Timetable

4 years, full summer of activity in 2007

Include a statement that shows that Earlham will carry this on supported by funds that are described in the current capital campaign menu.

5) Justification for why Keck and not some other funding source

It is difficult to obtain funding from government agencies, e.g. the NSF, for cross disciplinary work such as we describe here. This puts Keck in a somewhat unique position as a sponsor for this project.

Multidisciplinary curriculum development is hard to find public funding for.

Modest size. NSF and similar agencies look to fund much larger, more narrowly focused projects than the one we envision.

Appendix A - Budget

Equipment:

• Ultrasonic Nebulizer (Boorman? Leave it here for now). $15K
• Large freeze drier $20K
• Acid digestion system $20K
• Field monitoring equipment (one per location) ~$1.5K per, about 6
  • Temperature
  • PH (digital)
  • Conductivity
  • Redox (reduction oxidation potential)
  • Computer, packaging, uploading
  • Nitrate selective probe through the summer?
• Sampling equipment (what depth do we need?) $1K + lots
  • Lake sediment cores to 2m
  • Shelby soil cores to some unknow depth
  • One time install for monitoring wells and equipment for drawing
  • Sounds like different approaches for different locations. Springwood has wells that we could sample (possibly)

Software and hardware $5K

• Groundwater flow analysis, Do we need cycles? Talk to Mic about this

Workshops

• Faculty stipends - 10 per workshop (year) over 4 years
• Meals and supplies
• Intructor stipends
• Topics (possible, refine before submission)
  • Computational Science Methods - general and domain specific
  • Environmental Geology
  • Hydrology
  • Soil Chemistry
  • Analytical Techniques
  • Biochemistry and metabolism of metals
  • Computational Chemistry
• PDF would pay for faculty stipends, Keck would pay for instructor costs and general stuff.

Supplies

• Per faculty, per course, per student researcher

Faculty and student stipends for summer prep of curriculum modules

Faculty Release Time during the academic year for first offering

Faculty and student Stipends for summer research projects based on this

Appendix B - Reviewers

We'll need complete addresses, telephone, and fax

Lew Reilly 
Ursinus College
Department of Physics
Collegeville, PA
	
Scott Brooks - BioGeoChemist
Environmental Sciences Division, POB 2008
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN  37831

Mic's friend
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN

Bob Panoff
Shodor Institute
Raleigh, NC

Brock Spencer
Beloit College
Department of Chemistry
Beloit, WI  53511

Biologist?

Geoscientist?

Appendix C - College Collateral

Fact sheet

Background on each department, orange flyers?

Division Brag Sheets - EllieV's revisions? SaraP?