THE HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE* (HHMI) is the largest private supporter of science education in the United States and one of our country's largest philanthropic organizations. Dartmouth College is one of 50 research universities in the United States currently selected to receive support from the prestigious Undergraduate Science Education Program of HHMI. The purpose of Dartmouth's Award is to strengthen and enrich undergraduate science education and teaching at research universities.

Our award has four components:

1. Student Research: The major component of Dartmouth's program is the establishment of HHMI research internships. HHMI interns are undergraduates who work on a research project in close collaboration with a Dartmouth faculty mentor during their sophomore year at the College.
2. Future Faculty Development: HHMI postdoctoral fellowships run for two years and are designed to train faculty in the arts of both teaching and research. Fellows conduct original research under the mentorship of a faculty member while also obtaining faculty mentored experience in the art of teaching. Through a series weekly meetings, educators from the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning will guide the Fellows' development as teachers of science.
3. Currriculum Development: An interdisciplinary science course taught by professors in different science departments has been developed.  This course represents a major change in the manner in which Dartmouth assigns science teaching duties. The course, entitle "The Biophysical Chemistry of Biological Motors and Their Filament Tracks" is taught in the fall by Chemistry Professor Kull, and Biological Sciences Professor Sloboda. The course integrates the quantitative aspects of chemistry into the study of biological processes and introduces imaging and subcellular morphology and relates it to chemical composition.
4. Outreach: Dartmouth faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students work collaboratively with the Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, VT) and the Rivendell School District (Fairlee, VT and Orford, NH) to conduct an in-school "Science Camp" for a half day on seven consecutive Wednesdays in January and February each year.

*More information about HHMI can be found at www.hhmi.org/about

Prof. Roger Sloboda
Program Director
Biological Sciences
306 Gilman
603-646-2377

Dean Margaret Funnell
Assistant Dean of the Faculty for Undergraduate Research
110 Wentworth
603-646-1632

Nancy Serrell
Director of Outreach
339 Blunt
603-646-9756

Program funded by:

and administered by: