The College will receive $1.8 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to enhance undergraduate research and upgrade facilities in the life sciences departments.
Dartmouth is among 62 colleges and universities to receive a portion of $86 million being awarded this year by the institute. Over the past six years, the institute has issued $290 million in grants, establishing itself as the largest philanthropic private organization in the United States.
"The institute is helping large numbers of students, including women and minorities, to carry out research in modern facilities," HHMI President Purnell Choppin said, according to a press statement. He emphasized hands on learning, saying, "students learn science best by doing science instead of just reading it."
The four-year grants issued this year range between $1 million and $2 million. Dartmouth's allocation was superseded only by those of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Cornell University, Oregon State University, University of Arizona, University of California at Davis, University of Miami, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, all of whom received $2 million.
The grants will allow 213 colleges and universities across the country to expand research opportunities, modernize laboratory equipment, appoint new faculty members and develop new and innovative courses.
Dartmouth's $1.8 million will be distributed among the biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental sciences and neurosciences departments.
The biology department will spend its portion to renovate two laboratory areas for undergraduate biology students.
Both the genetics and molecular biology laboratory and the ecology and evolutionary biology laboratory will gain "state of the art equipment," Biology Department Chair Mary Lou Guernot said.
Chemistry Professor John Bushweller said his department plans to expand the biophysical and chemistry major, adding that it is "a very hot area of research."
In addition, the department plans to upgrade its Chemistry 67 class, "Physical Biochemistry," and develop a second course, Chemistry 68, as a continuing intensive program, Bushweller said.
The funds distributed to the Engineering School for Biotechnology will be used to purchase equipment to upgrade the Engineering Sciences 42 class, "Introduction to Biotechnology," Engineering Sciences Professor Lee Lynd said.
Environmental Studies Chair Ross Virginia said her department will purchase equipment to help "create learning modules to use for demonstrations and exercises in environmental science courses."
The Neurosciences department plans to create a new and upgraded version of a computer program, called MacScope, which "turns a Mac into a laboratory oscilloscope," Physics and Astronomy Professor Elisha Huggins said.
