Forming a biomathematical learning alliance across traditional academic departments

Abstract

Across the United States, many generalized programs have focused on retention of minority students in the sciences with varying degrees of success. Paradoxically, this challenge exists despite expanding career opportunities in industry, academia, and government for those skilled at the intersection of biology and mathematics. Here we describe a cross-departmental learning alliance (iBLEND- an Integrative Biomathematics Learning and Empowerment Network for Diversity) which directly targets these recognized challenges. Our goal is for the iBLEND project to have significant spillover effects for our university by developing new interdisciplinary collaborations that benefit our students. The iBLEND is a proactive, intensive approach in order to bridge campus chasms for both faculty and undergraduate students by positively influencing academic programs through interdisciplinary training coupled with strong evaluation and assessments. By leveraging our recent surge of competitive research activity, innovative instruction, and collaboration, the iBLEND advances our transformation to the next level by establishing a broader bridge for our undergraduates at the interface of mathematics and biology. In working together, the math and biology students learned to bridge language barriers inhibiting interdisciplinary explorations. Students were closely involved with faculty mentors in core laboratories and developed cross-disciplinary research skills that enhanced their post-graduate career opportunities. Using systems biology tools combined with targeted mathematics classroom work, students merged data from their lab bench experiments with mathematical models to determine how various changes impacted an overall organism and its functions. The students had hands-on training with a myriad of computational, simulations, data mining and data analysis tools needed in approaching their projects.