Alumni Relations
Faculty Highlights
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There’s never been a better time than now to be a Berkeley
student interested in solving problems at the boundaries of traditional
disciplines. New degree programs have been established in the college,
and new institutes devoted to interdisciplinary education and research
have sprouted up, including QB3 (the California Institute of Quantitative
Biomedical Research) and the BBNI (Berkeley Nanosciences and Nanoengineering
Institute). New courses have been added on such topics as quantum computing
and chemical nanotechnology, and degree requirements have been tweaked
to address changes in both the professional world as well as in the laboratory.
“Education is following what happens both in research
fields and in the job market. In both cases there has been an increase
in activities in areas that fall between traditional disciplines. When
it is no longer obvious how to prepare students for changes in the workplace
using the more traditional majors, then the education needs to change,
evolving new majors and minors,” said Herbert Strauss, Associate
Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. Supporting Strauss’s observation, chemistry
professor Michael Marletta noted, “The traditional departments—
chemistry, biology, physics—were set up in British universities back in
the middle-ages, but they forgot to tell nature.”
Chemical Biology at the Undergraduate
Level
One of the major changes in the Department of Chemistry
is the new prominence of chemical biology at both the undergraduate and
graduate level. “We want to give students a strong background in traditional
chemistry combined with a new sensibility on how to apply it to biological
problems,” said chemistry professor Carolyn Bertozzi.
Undergraduates
in the college can pursue the new B.S. degree in chemical biology, which
teaches biology in the manner in which it is being used in research. “Biology
has changed enormously in the past decade, but the curricula had not.
The field is much more quantitative and molecular now, and there is a
large demand for chemists and biologists well-versed in the molecular,
structural, and computational areas,” explained chemistry professor emeritus
Ken Sauer, who had a lead role designing the new major.
“We have formalized and organized what was a natural evolution,
providing an administrative umbrella and a set curriculum to guide the
students,” said Marletta. “Solving problems doesn't have to occur at the
interface of disciplines, but unless a scientist has specific training,
diving into the unknown can be scary.”
This major is aimed at students who want to work in the
rapidly growing areas of research in molecular and quantitative biology.
And, as both Dean Heathcock and Chair
Harris mention in their columns, students are lining up for this program,
which has a current enrollment of 138 undergraduates.
Two new courses—Chem 103 and Chem 135—are aimed at chemical
biology students and are proving quite popular. Noted Marletta, who teaches
Chem 135, an introduction to biochemistry for chemistry majors, “I think
the department was surprised at how popular this degree is turning out
to be, Chem 135 being a prime example. The first time this class was taught
two years ago there were 20 students. This year there are 130 students,
mainly chemistry and chemical biology students or joint majors.”
Chem 103 focuses on inorganic chemistry in living systems and replaces both Chem 104A and 104B for chemical biology majors. Said chemistry professor Chris Chang, who is teaching the newly-offered course, “We have about 80 students enrolled, which is the same class size as Chem 104A. [Since it’s a new class, we’re] still hashing out the order and presentation of some topics, but I think we’re hitting a good pace now for everyone.”
Chemical Biology at the
Graduate level
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| Christina Shenvi, a graduate student in the CBGP, at a recent poster session, where students get out of their labs and mingle with one another and with faculty members |
In only its fourth year, the Chemical Biology Graduate
Program (CBGP) is already looking to expand. “We have a National Institutes
of Health training grant that supports six students per year, but our
actual target is ten students a year,” said Bertozzi, who co-directs the
program with Michael Marletta, a professor of chemistry and of biochemistry
and molecular biology. “But the funding is coming together: Chiron has
recently donated one fellowship, and we are actively looking for more
sponsors.”
The CBGP spans several departments, including chemistry, chemical engineering, molecular and cell biology, and bioengineering. Students apply to a home department first, and then later to the CBGP once they decide to matriculate at Berkeley. Once in the program, they have access to a wide pool of faculty members, as 36 professors from the four departments participate in the program. The CBGP also requires that graduate students complete three lab rotations in their first year so they can experience a multidisciplinary educational approach.
“I think that I really benefited from the rotation system,”
said Kevin McCusker, a CBGP student working with chemistry professor
Judith Klinman. “I found that it encourages collaboration and promotes
networking, because we are interacting with more scientists and getting
more exposure to different fields.”
There is also a social component to the CBGP. “Departments
provide a sense of community, loyalty and belonging, which is going to
be a challenge for interdisciplinary programs and institutes, which are
by definition bigger and more fluid,” observed Susan Marqusee,
a professor of molecular and cell biology. “The CBGP aims to provide that
community feel, hosting bi-monthly poster sessions where the students
get out of their labs and mingle with one another and with faculty members.”
Currently the CBGP is looking to establish a summer research program for undergraduates from groups that are historically under-represented in chemistry, allowing students in their junior year at California colleges and universities to complete a ten-week summer project here on the Berkeley campus. “This will both expose them to research and encourage them to apply here for graduate school as well,” said Karen Wong, CBGP administrator. “We are applying for funding from federal agencies to support this endeavor; however, we are asking pharmaceutical/biotech companies and private foundations to help launch this wonderful opportunity by providing seed funds.”
QB3
Beyond the degree programs, major institutes have
been set up to enhance education and research collaborations at the interface
of traditional disciplines. The California Institute for Quantitative
Biomedical Research (happily shortened to QB3) was developed as a cooperative
effort among three UC campuses—San Francisco, Berkeley and Santa Cruz—to
advance the coming biomedical revolution, in which our understanding of
biological systems at all levels of complexity will increase dramatically
because of the application of the quantitative sciences—mathematics, physics,
chemistry and engineering—to biomedical research.
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| Scheduled for completionin 2006, Stanley Hall will provide space for scientists from six colleges and will be the first building on campus operated by a program. |
To train a new generation of students able to integrate
fully the quantitative sciences with biology and medical research, QB3
has helped to create a computational and genomic biology program for graduate
students and additional new programs aimed especially at undergraduates.
"For example, we are starting a new internship program for undergraduates,”
said Susan Marqusee, the UC Berkeley QB3 Associate Director. “Students
can apply through the institute for a six-to-nine month full-time internship
after their junior year. It’s a good way for chemistry and physics students
to get training in biotech. Students receive an educational opportunity,
some cash, and more in-depth training.
“For graduate students, the new building—Stanley Hall—will
be key, providing clusters of expertise. There will be a lot of sharing
of equipment and techniques, allowing experts in different fields to interact
in a meaningful way,” continued Marqusee. Scheduled for completion in
2006, the new building will house researchers from six different colleges,
and will be the largest research building on campus according to Graham
Fleming, a professor of chemistry and the UC Berkeley QB3 Director.
“We hope to radically change interdisciplinary education,
and I am convinced that we are on the right path. Many of these multidisciplinary
institutions are being set up to meet the demands of the students. We
have an active group of faculty, and our students are very organized,”
emphasized Fleming. “Students can take advantage of state-of-the-art science
in various disciplines to study big problems.”
QB3 serves as a central information center for all three campuses, streamlining the distribution ofinformation about biomedical education and research to students and researchers through new seminars, symposia, and an active web site. The Institute also provides the administrative infrastructure to support large-scale multidisciplinary research projects that would not otherwise be possible.
Nanotechnology & nanoscience
Another institute fostering interdisciplinary education
and research is the Berkeley Nanosciences and Nanoengineering Institute
(BNNI). Nanoscale science, simply put, is the science of doing things
on a really small scale, and it is one of the hottest tickets in town.
It seems you can hardly open a newspaper today without reading something
about how nanoscience and technology will soon change our day-to-day lives.
Noted Geoffrey Owens, Dean of Biological Sciences, “Advances in nanoscale
science and engineering will catalyze changes of enormous social and economic
significance.”
Such large-scale changes in society and in science will
require a new type of education. As the National Academy of Sciences recently
concluded in its report, Small Wonders, Endless Frontiers: “The
new breed of student must have disciplinary depth but also be unafraid
to cross disciplinary boundaries, must be energized by talking with colleagues
in other fields, enjoy collaboration. He or she must learn the languages
and methods used by more than one field.”
“Berkeley will play a key role in educating the next generations
of leaders in science and industry,” said chemistry professor Paul
Alivisatos. “When nanotechnology begins to have a greater commercial
impact, the shortage of trained workers with the necessary skills is likely
to emerge as a growth constraint on the industry,” said Alivisatos. “We
have top-ranked programs in the relevant disciplines, which is critical
for creating a world-class program in nanoscale science and engineering.”
As disciplines evolve and expand, there is a demand from
students for these courses to be taught. BNNI is the umbrella organization
for expanding and coordinating Berkeley’s research and educational activities
in nanoscale science and engineering and is co-chaired by Alivisatos and
Tom Kalil, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Science and
Technology. The institute has over eighty participating faculty members
from diverse fields in seven departments and will bring in an additional
eight faculty members, expanding the research and educational opportunities
for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Noted Alivisatos, “Many faculty members involved in nanoscience
and nanoengineering report that they are unable to accommodate all of
the undergraduate interest in participating in their research groups.
They also report that many of their students are getting jobs directly
related to their experience as ‘nano-scientists’ as opposed to physicists,
chemists or engineers.”
In recognition of the growing importance of all things nano, the campus recently established the Designated Emphasis (DE) in Nanoscale Science to provide specialized multi-disciplinary training and research opportunities to doctoral students in 11 departments and programs. At Berkeley, acquiring a DE is like earning a “minor” with a Ph.D. degree and appears on the transcript. Participating graduate students have access to courses, research opportunities, seminars and internationally renowned faculty across disciplines.
Nano courses
An interdisciplinary curriculum is being established
that focuses on nanoscale science and engineering, with faculty members
developing new courses at the undergraduate and graduate level.
In the college, chemistry and chemical engineering professor Jean Fréchet has offered a freshman seminar called “Chemistry and the Interface of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.” In addition, chemistry professor Birgitta Whaley has team-taught a course on “Quantum Information Science and Technology,” targeted to seniors and first-year graduate students. “The course was very well received, had an interdisciplinary group of students from the Colleges of Chemistry, L&S and Engineering, and was very rewarding to teach,” said Whaley. “I think that all three professors, two teaching assistants and the students who took it last year would agree that they all learned a great deal.” This is a resounding theme among the faculty: they learn as much from the students as the students do from them.
The Berkeley Nanotechnology Club
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| The Berkeley Nanotechnology Club’s inaugural
event in May drew more than 340 participants, who heard notable speakers from the fields of banking, industry and academia. |
A large demand for nanotech information has been tapped
by the Berkeley Nanotechnology Club, which began when a Haas M.B.A. student,
doing an independent study on nanotech, sent out a mass e-mail soliciting
interest in a nanotech club. Six months later, in May 2004, more than
340 people attended the club’s inaugural event, which brought in speakers
from different fields in industry, banking, government and academia. The
events was cosponsored by the Colleges of Engineering, Chemistry, and
Letters & Science, along with the law and business schools.
The nanoclub and its website improve communication on
campus and with the outside world by allowing interested students and
friends to quickly and easily access the wealth of research in nanoscience
and nanoengineering on campus.
The club is also a way to break out of a narrow field and get exposure to other departments, according to Ryan Layton, co-president of the club and a graduate student in mechanical engineering.
Focused options in chemical
engineering
For chemical engineers, educational choices are quite
plentiful. In the chemical engineering department, the focused options
have long offered a way for undergraduate students to get intimately familiar
with a specialized area of research. The current focused options are biotechnology,
chemical processing, environmental technology, materials science and technology,
and applied physical science.
A few years back, the options were revamped—with the option
of “no option” being added to provide more flexibility in scheduling.
“I believe that the undergraduate years are ideally suited for a more
general education,” said David Graves, chemical engineering professor
and the vice chair of undergraduate affairs. “Students may not know what
they want to do straightaway, changing their field and subfields multiple
times. The ‘no option’ option allows students to take their technical
electives in various disciplines so they can learn a bit about lots of
fields, such as environmental, biological and materials sciences.”
“Adding required coursework based on evolving interdisciplinary
fields is always tricky because we either have to add on to the existing
requirements—which is done, as chemical engineering students now need
128 units to get their degree—or we have to take away hours from another
discipline, such as physical chemistry, in such a way that the students
still receive a comprehensive core of more-traditional chemistry and chemical
engineering,” said Strauss.
One course requirement that has been added is MCB 102. “Biology has become relevant to chemical engineers, since many of them go on to be employed in the biotech industry,” explained Strauss.
Still a few walls to knock
down
The interdisciplinary degrees and institutes are
meeting the demand from students and bringing together scientists from
distinct disciplines to work toward similar goals, but challenges to interdisciplinary
education and research still lie ahead. Hiring faculty members who work
at the interface is traditionally not easy to arrange. Joint appointments
require more paperwork and administration.
“It is a relatively new phenomenon to have people involved
with other appointments,” observed Dean Clayton Heathcock. “For
a long time, Judith Klinman and Jack Kirsch [who have joint appointments
with MCB] were unique. Now more than 20 percent of the college faculty
members have appointments in another department, including Arup Chakraborty
and Jean Fréchet, who have dual appointments in both of our departments.”
Another snag to offering multi-department courses is that,
historically, workloads are department-based and resources, such as staff
and TA positions, are allocated on this basis. “When courses are taught
by a team, it’s unclear which department gets credit,” explained Heathcock.
“We need new ways to track and credit this. There currently are not enough
multi-department classes for this to be a big problem, but as interdisciplinary
centers and majors gain in popularity, it is an issue that needs to be
addressed.” In addition, new and often cross-listed courses can be tricky
to coordinate in order to avoid duplication.
“We also need to guard against people having less loyalty
to their home departments. When professors start teaching in different
departments, it makes it harder to focus on administrative work or to
take a major administrative job in either department since their loyalty
is spread more thinly,” Heathcock continued. “This is not insurmountable,
just a new problem.”
Fortunately, Berkeley has the talented and ambitious people ready to work out any kinks that arise through these collaborative efforts.
Chemical biology B.S.: http://chemistry.berkeley.edu/ugrad_info/policies/degree_reqs.html
Chemical Biology Graduate Program: http://cbgp.cchem.berkeley.edu/
QB3: http://www.qb3.org/
Stanley Hall: http://healthsciences.berkeley.edu/facilities/stanley.cfm;
watch its construction at http://www.berkeley.edu/webcams/
Nanoscience Initiative: http://nano.berkeley.edu/nanosite/
Berkeley Nanotechnology Club: http://nanoclub.berkeley.edu