Interdisciplinary Training in Mathematical Biology Through Team-based Undergraduate Research and Courses

JMM New Orleans9 January 2011

Interdisciplinary Training in Mathematical Biology Through

Team-based Undergraduate Research and Courses

Jason Miller, Ph.D.Department of Mathematics

1Sunday, January 9, 2011


Outline

• A couple questions

• ‘Convergence’

• Truman’s program, my mantra

• A Look at a Bigger Picture



Undergraduate Mathematical Biology

• Is there a need for undergraduate degree programs in mathematical biology?

• What would an undergraduate curriculum in mathematical biology look like?

• Where would a mathematical biology program live? In a math department? A biology department? Separate from both?













‘Convergent’ teamwork is going to be a defining characteristic of 21st century science and mathematics.

It can’t be taught through a series of lectures.

It can’t be taught from a textbook or by reading a journal paper.

It can’t be taught in a course for a (single) major.

The above activities can motivate students and prepare them to learn to be ‘convergent’



It can be taught...• Our experience provides strong evidence that

proper hands-on undergraduate research (or research-like) projects can train undergraduates to be ‘convergent’

• Essential characteristics:

• it’s a real research project to the mentors

• mentors from different disciplines

• undergraduates from different disciplines

• long-term immersion

• students have sense of significant ownership



At Truman...• We’ve been building and revising an interdisciplinary

training program in mathematics and biology

• Bridging the epistemological gap between mathematics and biology.

• NSF funded: UBM program (Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biology and Mathematics) in 2003, 2004, and 2009

These allowed us to make mistakes so that others wouldn’t have to.



“We are not trying to turn mathematics majors into biology majors, not are we trying to turn biology majors into mathematics majors. Rather, we are trying to bring both together at the intersection of the life and mathematical sciences to train them to work across disciplinary boundaries.”

Truman’s Program



Why, then?• Pre-Bio2010 selfishness!

• We had math faculty who wanted to re-engage in research, learn about mentoring undergraduates; open-minded biologists

• Students (in CS) were ahead of us, learning bioinformatics

• Had some limited internal support:

• Truman had a culture (outside the math department) that valued undergraduate research

• Summer research grants for students



Truman’s Program

• Our ‘program’ grew out of our undergraduate research program, conversations with others in our community

• HHMI, SMB, MAA BIOSIGMAA, BioQUEST, MAA PREP, NIMBioS, MBI, NSF UBM PI meetings, CUR, NCUR

• We have an interdisciplinary minor in mathematical biology

• The minor requires a high-quality, interdisciplinary research experience (on- or off-campus)



Why, now?• Having been institutionalized (curriculum), we have

internal and external pressures to continue to succeed

• Truman still values undergraduate research (even in the mathematics department)

• Faculty are getting results (publications, grants)

• Contributing to national need for ‘convergent’ or interdisciplinary scientists and mathematicians

• Desire to broaden participation in science and mathematics undergraduate degree programs



Looking back...

• The scope of what we have now would not be possible without the UBM grants

• The essence of what we are doing could continue without external funding *but not without internal funding)

• What we are doing, others can do.



There’s no STEM without an M

• Last week, the House and Senate reauthorized the America COMPETES act

• The America COMPETES Act is a response to ‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’ report

• The ‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’ report communicates the reasons America needs to increase its production of STEM professionals

• As a result, we have many ‘STEM Talent Expansion’ programs fromt he NIH, NSF, etc.



There’s no STEM without an M

• Preparing ‘convergent’ scientists is an aspect of this (scientists for the 21st century)

• This can’t happen without involvement from the mathematics community.

• What our small community is learning about how to collaborate with biologists can be (and should be) applied to working with other disciplines and multi-disciplinary teams.



Minor’s Outcomes• Data Acquisition

• Modeling

• Computation

• Statistics

• Research



Requirements

• Demonstrate proficiencies in each category (though research, courses)

• Earn 15+ credits doing so (must take Intro to MathBio course)

• Attend MathBio Seminar

• Participate in two half-semester program workshops/seminars



This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF UBM #0337769, #0436348, and #0926737. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

http://mathbio.truman.edu




Education

Interdisciplinary Training in Mathematical Biology Through Team-based Undergraduate Research and Courses