Over the summer, the trustees at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) awarded the College a four-year, $1.3 million grant to expand its undergraduate life science programs. The money will be used to improve current curricula and expand the depth of knowledge among the faculty, while providing research and learning opportunities for students and the community.

Professor of Biology David Ratner, who was integral to the development and writing of the grant, said a portion of the grant will support the hire of a new faculty member with expertise in genomics, a field which scientists hope will improve the ability to understand and treat conditions with genetic components.

The new faculty member will play a key role in reforming the biology curriculum at the College by incorporating genomics material into pre-existing courses. "To ensure that non-science majors at Amherst also have the opportunity to engage with genomic concepts that touch so many aspects of our lives, we expect the new hire to develop either a First-Year Seminar or a larger lecture course to serve this constituency," said Professor of Chemistry David Hansen.

In addition, the biology department will sponsor three new courses funded by the grant.

Ratner explained that the grant will allow the department to continue its sponsorship of student research. "We're going to continue to support undergraduate research," he said, through stipends to students for a 10-week research period during the summer.

Another portion of the grant will be consumed by outreach activities. In the past, the College has welcomed secondary school teachers wishing to participate in research during the summer months. The grant will allow these efforts to expand into a two week institute, held in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The institute will draw 25 high school teachers from around the country who have innovative scientific techniques and help them implement their ideas in their schools.