JMU To Offer Freshmen Unique Research Experience

From: Public Affairs

HARRISONBURG—Up to 24 James Madison University freshmen will have an opportunity to do authentic research next fall, something JMU freshmen rarely get a chance to do.

Beginning in fall 2008, JMU will offer a yearlong course in phage genomics. Students in the course will earn one credit each semester for the work that will involve isolating bacterial viruses (phages) from soil, preparing viral DNA for sequencing, and annotating and comparing the sequenced genome.

Some of the funding and equipment for the course is being provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which chose JMU as one of 12 universities around the country to launch the Science Education Alliance. The goal is to immerse students in scientific processes and equip them with critical thinking and communication skills necessary for successful research careers.

Historically, freshmen science labs have resembled following a recipe to a predictable outcome, said Steve Cresawn, assistant professor of biology at JMU. The students who do the genome research will make discoveries and add to scientific knowledge. While the genomes they sequence may be similar to other sequenced genomes, "they almost assuredly will be unique in some way. The students will be answering questions without predictable outcomes and engaging in legitimate science," Cresawn said.

Biology Professor Louise Temple, who wrote a grant with Cresawn to be included in the Howard Hughes program, said the Science Education Alliance meshes well with JMU's efforts to improve opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). "We are a natural for this," she said.

Incoming freshmen will be able to apply for the course and will get information about it through the JMU Admissions Office and from a Web site. The course will be open to all freshmen regardless of their academic majors.

Other schools involved in the inaugural year of the SEA are the College of William and Mary, University of Mary Washington, Hope College (Mich.), Oregon State University, Spelman College (Atlanta), University of California-San Diego, University of California-Santa Cruz, University of Louisiana-Monroe, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Washington University (St. Louis).

More information about the Science Education Alliance is available at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Web site at www.hhmi.org/news/sea20071212.html and www.hhmi.org/grants/sea/.