Educational Initiatives
Numerous programs and initiatives enhance science education for students at Carnegie Mellon and beyond.
Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Science Laboratories
The Undergraduate Science Laboratories provide state-of-the-art space for interdisciplinary laboratories incorporating chemistry, biology and physics. Open, flexible space in these "mega-labs" promotes collaborations across disciplines and creative learning opportunities. Recent courses included EUREKA, a first-year laboratory that involved using forensic techniques to solve a fictitious murder. A current interdisciplinary course taught there is Cellular Response to the Environment in which students explore a multifaceted view of the cell as it responds to environmental changes.
Cross-College Initiatives
The Science and Humanities Scholars Program is an innovative program that is designed to enable talented students to develop an undergraduate curricular program that builds upon their interests and achievements in the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, or social sciences.
The Health Professions Program provides preparation and advising for students from a wide variety of majors across the university to help them pursue interests in medicine, dentistry, and other health-related professions.
New Courses
The Mellon College of Science offers creative courses that delve into the fundamentals of science as well as emerging topics relevant to today's society. Some of the newly instituted courses are:
- Phage Genomics — original research course where first-year students identify and study new bacteriophages
- Kitchen Chemistry — lab-based course on molecular foundations of cooking techniques offered for both chemistry majors and nonmajors
- Physics for Future Presidents — covers social and political topics that are intimately related to science in general and physics in particular
- Biotechnology Impacting Our Selves, Societies and Spheres — global perspectives on current issues in Biological Sciences
Find information about other new courses on the College Council Web site.
Online Resources to Enhance Science Teaching and Learning
ChemCollective develops and assesses innovative online resources for introductory chemistry education, including a Virtual Lab and an online stoichiometry course.
Genetics Cognitive Tutor provides support for student problem solving, based on cognitive models of student learning, to make genetics accessible to all students.
Green Chemistry leadership in the Mellon College of Science includes online resources for students and faculty building on the first university course in green chemistry, which began at Carnegie Mellon in 1993.
Modern Biology is available as an innovative online course through Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative. Modern Biology covers topics found in the fields of cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics as preparation for advanced courses in biology.
