A national movement is afoot to bring science education into the new millennium, and DePaul University is helping to chart the course. Its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LA&S) has established an Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (IST) Center to address the rapidly growing impact of science, mathematics and technology on our lives.

The center is directed by Carolyn Narasimhan, associate dean of the College of LA& S and director of DePaul’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Center for Education and Outreach. A mathematician with 21 years of university experience, Narasimhan was appointed by Michael L. Mezey, dean of the College of LA&S, who referred to the center as “the site for the maintenance of state-of-the-art technology for use in teaching and scientific research.

“As we look to the future, the major component of the center’s work will be the development of programs that address today’s need for a high level of science attentiveness among professionals, educators and the public at large,” said Mezey. “This will include new degree programs for the training of science professionals and science educators, as well as opportunities for public discussions on the ethical, religious and social dimensions of science and technology in this time of rapid change.”

By the 2001-2002 academic year, Narasimhan hopes to offer degree programs that reflect the innovative and practical reshaping that is needed in science education. A new bachelor’s degree program, entitled Scientific Modeling and Visualization, is being developed by faculty from DePaul’s mathematics, science and computer science programs. It will provide students with an interdisciplinary science degree that incorporates mathematical modeling, data analysis, programming and the use of technology tools applied by today’s scientists.

A master’s degree program for science teachers will focus on the integrative areas of space, earth and environmental sciences, while infusing quantitative methods and the use of technology. Through collaboration with DePaul’s School of Education, the program eventually may be expanded to include certification opportunities for new high school and middle school science teachers, according to Narasimhan.

A model for DePaul’s new, interdisciplinary approach to science and mathematics is already being offered as part of the university’s general education program. Quantitative reasoning teaches students to use computer applications, to write reports incorporating charts and graphs, to analyze data and to support their arguments in PowerPoint presentations.

The interdisciplinary course has been taught by faculty from several departments, including physics, environmental science, psychology, political science, sociology, history, computer science and mathematics. “I realized the need for a course like this when I was teaching calculus,” explained Narasimhan. “Many math classes use story problems that don’t relate to real data. In quantitative reasoning we have real data, real sources, real results. We teach students to not only understand numbers but to understand how they can be used.”

Narasimhan cites an environmental science course currently taught by associate professor Liam Heneghen as another example of the kind of curriculum that the new science programs will include. Students in this class have embarked on an ongoing longitudinal study of a remnant of tallgrass prairie north of Chicago. Students work in teams on assignments designed to benefit a community organization, known as the Lake Forest Open Lands Association. “The scientific objective of the course is to develop a comprehensive description of important ecosystem variables for a particular ecology,” said Narasimhan. Over time, the course data will provide an important resource for the study and management of the site.

In addition to developing programs that prepare educators and students in the science disciplines, the IST center will:

· Coordinate extracurricular activities that enhance the science community at DePaul, such as mentoring, tutoring, workshops and research experiences;

· Support the development of a science, mathematics and technology community that is accessible to a diverse group of students and faculty;

· Support a variety of activities that promote public understanding of the nature of science, with particular emphasis on the needs of elementary and secondary teachers (the center contains a Teacher Resource Room dedicated to this purpose).

Initial funding for the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Center has come from NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NASA’s Office of Space Science established the space science education and outreach center at DePaul two years ago. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided a grant to establish DePaul’s urban forestry program, now in its third year.

The IST Center is currently housed in a suite of offices at 990 W. Fullerton Ave., where Narasimhan is joined by assistant director, Victoria Simek. The center incorporates the NASA Space Science Center and its staff.

DePaul’s mission in creating a science center that meets the needs of changing technology is a challenge that all educational institutions are struggling with, according to Narasimhan. “There is an important science education reform movement taking place today. Part of the reform movement is establishing standards – descriptions of what students should know and be able to do in science, mathematics and technology,” explained Narasimhan.

What is especially good is that, thanks in part to the technology involved, science is a lot more accessible. “Science is getting both big and small,” said Narasimhan. “You don’t have to invest millions in very expensive equipment. I can sit at my computer and collaborate on a very important, huge project. Students and science teachers should be able to do that as well.”