SBU was recently awarded a $1.9 million grant from the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute (HHMI) in order to support its biological sciences education programs.
SBU was chosen along with 43 other institutions nationwide, and is recognizedas the only public institution in New York to receive such an award. This alsomarks the third time the University has received support from HHMI, which todate totals almost $5 million.
This award will serve to enhance education from grade school through the graduateschool levels, affording the University the financial leeway to support severalsignificant activities.
For instance, SBU will broaden its work with local school districts, teachers,teachers-in-training, and students to revitalize primary and secondary educationby integrating more current science concepts into K-12 education.
While the SBU will continue to supply its undergraduate students with its nationallyrecognized biology program, it will create new problem-based electives, suchas bioethics, computational biology, and science teaching.
Through these grants, the Institute is providing resources to help universitiesbring their undergraduate science teaching up to the level of their researchprograms,’ stated HHMI President and Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, ThomasR. Cech.
The University will more closely link research and education by expanding itsteaching education programs and by making teaching fellowship opportunitiesavailable to its graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
‘These efforts will allow us to continue to increase the quality and reachof our already outstanding programs,’ said Dr. David Bynum, Associate Professorof Biochemistry, who will be in charge of directing the grant.
Dr. Bynum also directed successful grant applications to the school in 1994and 1998. The major expenditures and activities of the grant will be carriedout by the Long Island Group Advancing Science Education (LIGASE), an organizationfounded by Dr. Bynum in 1996.
‘Receiving this award for the third time at increased funding levels validatesour work as an innovator and leader in science education,’ Dr. Bynum said.’Stony Brook students and students throughout Long Island are the beneficiaries.’
