Goals and Objectives

FEScUE has two major goals, each with a number of objectives.

Goal 1 -- Student Scientific Development:

To prepare students in mathematics and life sciences for interdisciplinary scientific careers through an appropriate blend of research experiences and coursework.

Objective 1.1 - Language and communication

Students must be sufficiently exposed to partner disciplines in order to effectively communicate with co-workers from different scientific fields. This will be achieved through gateway courses and cross-listed advanced fusion courses which introduce sophisticated material at the interface of two disciplines, and through the Team Research and Interdisciplinary Scientific Seminars. This training will be incorporated into undergraduate minors. 

Objective 1.2 - Scientific discovery

Students will engage in interdisciplinary research clusters  supervised by pairs of faculty mentors, one from mathematics or statistics and one from the life sciences. Students in FEScUE will be financially supported during four semesters and two summers.

Objective 1.3 - Formulation of interdisciplinary problems

Students will be trained to develop research problems that involve new discovery in both the mathematical and life sciences. Research projects will be an integral part of mentoring and the Team Research and Interdisciplinary Scientific Seminars.

Objective 1.4 - Develop ambition to pursue graduate education

Students will be encouraged to matriculate into graduate programs. This will be achieved through GRE preparation courses, career counseling, and travel to scientific meetings where opportunities for recruitment will be realized.

 

Goal 2 -- Institutional Change:

Create permanent curriculum and cultural changes to support interdisciplinary education and research at the interface of the mathematical and life sciences.

Objective 2.1 - Curricula changes

Establish interdisciplinary minors and a growing selection of upper division cross-listed fusion courses.

Objective 2.2 - Faculty interactions

Increase interactions between the mathematical and life sciences faculty resulting in greater interdisciplinary research activity and grants.

Objective 2.3 - Increase diversity among FEScUE students

Recruit and retain students from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM disciplines, and matriculate them into graduate programs.  This will be achieved through active recruitment, collaboration with existing undergraduate outreach programs and career development mentoring and seminars.

Objective 2.4 - High school recruiting

Establish targeted high school recruiting, emphasizing recruitment and retention of the highest achieving students in Colorado.

Objective 2.5 - Alumni development

Establish alumni development activities to support undergraduate research at the interface of the mathematical and life sciences.