Dean's Message, Spring 2008

Dear friends of the college,

As this issue of Science Journal is about to go to press, we are thinking very much about and working on a new strategic plan for the Eberly College of Science. Our planning is part of a University-wide effort which will provide directions for the College and the University over the next five years. As we take a step back and think about what this College and University have accomplished and what we can to do improve our educational and research programs, I am impressed by what the College has accomplished and keenly aware that we have a big responsibility to work to ensure even greater success for the College and its graduates in the future.

We can trace the origins of the Eberly College of Science back to the chemistry program established by Penn State’s first president, Evan Pugh, over 150 years ago. The College and Penn State have come a very long way from the Farmers’ High School that Evan Pugh headed. Rankings now put Penn State among the top 50 institutions of higher education in the world. The College has developed great strengths in educational and research programs across the physical, mathematical, and biological sciences. Nearly 50,000 science professionals have graduated from the College, going on to apply their knowledge and skills in a wide range of businesses and professions. Research accomplishments by students and faculty in the College regularly appear in premier science journals and are not infrequently highlighted in news publications around the world.

So, we have much to be happy about and proud of—our students, our alumni, our faculty and staff, and our contributions to society through education, research, and outreach. We know, however, that we have the potential to do even better, and we must continue to adapt to changes in the scientific disciplines and in the world. In this letter, I’ll mention a few things that are on my mind as we go through the planning process. Of course, the plan that we adopt will be enhanced and improved by the input from many, many members and friends of the college.

My personal view is that in addition to looking for improvements in our core academic programs, we need to give our students the kinds of information and experiences that will prepare them better for the world they will live in. For example, headlines regularly make clear the need for high ethical standards in business, in government, and in the professions—including the academic professions. While our students do encounter some kinds of ethical questions in their courses and programs, I am convinced that we should integrate into the curriculum substantial encounters with both theoretical and practical ethical issues, ideally not just in the College, but across the University.

In addition, as I have said in a previous letter, given the world that we live in and even more so the one that today’s students will live in, ideally every student in the college should have a significant international academic experience before graduating. Given the very low present rates of participation of Eberly College of Science students in international programs, this could well be a significant financial and perhaps curricular challenge, but we need to find ways to make it happen.

An area where we do a pretty good job now—and so we have a strong foundation to build on—is to give each student direct engagement with the scientific process that has been so hugely successful at developing new knowledge and has had such a beneficial impact on society. Every student in our college should have an opportunity for substantive participation in the creation and/or application of new knowledge. Ideally, I’d like more of our students to engage in research early during their time in our College.

My examples above have focused on enhancing opportunities and experiences for our students. There also are many other things we need to think about as we plan for the next several years. Most importantly, we need to be looking to better support the efforts and success of the talented, hardworking, and increasingly accomplished faculty of the College. Our students are fortunate to be taught by and to train with this world-class faculty. A highlight of the last year was the award of the National Medal of Science to Willaman Professor of Life Sciences and Evan Pugh Professor of Biology, Nina Fedoroff. The National Medal of Science is the nation’s highest award for achievement in scientific research. Professor Fedoroff is one of the country’s most prominent researchers in the life sciences and biotechnology. Many of our students have benefitted not only from her scientific instruction and career guidance, but also from experiencing her vision that scientists have a critical role to play in improving conditions for life on our planet.

As we plan ways to enrich the learning experience of our students and to foster the research creativity and achievement of our faculty, I am struck by what a privilege it is to be part of this remarkable college of ours.

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Larson
Dean, Eberly College of Science