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School Mission

With strong ties to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the College’s Mission is to develop the “whole student.” Academic excellence is the institution’s top priority, and it is achieved through a student-centered and nurturing approach to learning supported by excellent teaching, teaching-related research, and service. The College believes that one’s intellectual capability coupled with social and spiritual growth is essential to the development of a well-rounded individual. In keeping with this Mission, the College offers creative and enriching academic programs to prepare students for their chosen careers; and encourages active student engagement to cultivate life-long learning.

Division of Natural and Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The goal of the Division is to promote scientific, mathematical, and computer literacy with an emphasis on the process, content, and interdisciplinary nature of these disciplines.  The Division offers Bachelor of Science degrees in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics.  In addition, the Division provides courses necessary for student completion of General Studies curriculum.

Our long-term goal is to increase the number of Lane College students entering graduate or professional school.  Our current initiatives are aimed at enhancing student learning of core content in science and mathematics through active learning pedagogies with an emphasis on critical thinking and quantitative reasoning.  Our students are engaged in course-based undergraduate research experiences and outreach projects funded through grants from the National Science Foundation (HRD #1623340 and DUE #1833960).

STEM Scholarship Excellence Program

With funding from the National Science Foundation S-STEM program, this project is providing scholarships for academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who show promise of success within a STEM discipline. The overall goal of this project to increase the number of underrepresented minority students entering STEM fields through scholarship support and high impact practices.  This program provides additional support for the development of a co-curriculum for first-year students aimed at improving persistence in STEM, such as first-year seminars, course-based undergraduate research experiences, service learning, community outreach, and participation in discipline specific conferences.

This work is funded through NSF DUE #1893360.

Infusion of Peer-Led Team Learning and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences

With funding from the NSF HBCU-UP Targeted Infusion Project, this project provided support for faculty to create a peer-mentoring program incorporating peer-led team learning and other active learning strategies within the General Biology and General Chemistry course sequences.  This project supported 10 peer-mentors who served as supplemental instructors and mentors for first and second-year students.  In addition, this project supported the implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in Biology and Chemistry laboratory courses.  Lane College is a member of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a consortium of over 100 colleges and universities, that provides projects and curriculum for genomics CUREs (http://gep.wustl.edu).  As part of this project, Biology faculty have incorporated GEP gene annotation projects and curriculum within the General Biology I laboratory courses.  This project also provided funds for CUREs focused on biodiversity in General Biology II and undergraduate research experiences for peer-mentors in Biology and Chemistry.

This work is funded through NSF HRD #1623340 to M. Van Stry and DUE#1431407 to S.C.R. Elgin at Washington University in St. Louis.

Lane College Science Club Activities

10 Blocks Project

The Office of Academic Affairs created the 10 Blocks Projects, where Lane College faculty and students engage in community outreach in East Jackson.  With funding from the ASCB MAC Linkage Fellowship award, the Lane College Science Club students created a program that engages elementary children in science.  The Science Club visits local elementary schools and provides science demonstrations in biology and chemistry for children in grades K-5.

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Student Chapters

The Lane College Science Club is affiliated with the ASBMB Student Chapters and collaborates with the Center for Biomolecular Modeling at the Milwaukee School of Engineering CREST program.  Science Club students create 3D models of proteins to illustrate a molecular story related to research presented at the ASBMB annual meeting.  This project allows undergraduate students to explore the scientific literature while learning about enzymes and 3D molecular structures.  The students share their 3D models at the ASBMB annual meeting through formal and informal presentations.  The highlight of the meeting is the “CREST Conversations” where the students and researchers come together to share the models and discuss the science behind them.

This work is funded by NSF grant DUE#1725940 to M. Franzen and T. Herman at MSOE.

Related Links
http://www.asbmb.org/education/studentchapters/
http://cbm.msoe.edu/crest/new2.php Science Diffusion Article
https://www.scientia.global/dr-melanie-van-stry-challenging-students-to-reach-further-in-scientific-education-2/ PodCast
http://www.scipod.global/challenging-students-to-reach-further-in-scientific-education-dr-melanie-van-stry-lane-college/ LANE---VanStry,-Melanie---Photo

Melanie Van Stry, PhD

Associate Professor of Biology
Chair, Division of Natural and Physical Sciences

Read more about Dr. VanStry »

LANE---Miller,-Bill---Photo

Bill Miller, PhD

Adjunct Professor
Department of Biology

Read more about Dr. Miller »

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Contact us if you want to learn more about our program and the progress we are making to support the goals of the Science Consortium of Minority Schools.

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