September 3, 2014 Image Caption: To positively affect the participation differences in large classes, researchers from Arizona State University and University of Washington recommend using a pre-sorted list of student names to randomly call on them, rather than allowing students to raise their hands. The research team says that while students may be resistant to the method at first, it is a more equitable way to structure classroom discussions. Credit: Sandra Leander Sandra Leander, Arizona State University Identifying forces behind inequities important next step Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are traditionally heavily dominated by males, which is of great concern to universities as they try to improve student retention and achievement. One exception to that trend is in the field of biology. Of undergraduate biology majors, more than 60 percent are female, and about half of biosciences graduate students are women. Given that, a common assumption is that biology is one STEM field that no longer faces gender inequalities. However, researchers with Arizona State University and the University of Washington have proven otherwise. In the largest known analysis of gender differences in introductory college-level biology courses, researchers have found evidence of gender-based gaps in both achievement and class … Continue reading →

Press Release -- Seven undergraduate students studying biology in the University of Louisiana at Monroes School of Sciences are gaining attention for their work as part of grant-funded research programs across the state. Students Kyle Gresham and Grant Gallien, both of West Monroe, presented the results of their research at a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) SEA-Phages Symposium. The symposium was held at the HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus in Ashburn, Va. During the symposium, the students presented a poster detailing their groundbreaking discovery of a previously unidentified bacteriophagea type of virus that infects bacteria cells. It was found by simply taking a small soil sample from under a bridge, said Gresham. I then had the opportunity to give this bacteriophage a name. Since it came from under a bridge, I decided it should be named Hobo. Meanwhile, biology students Adebanjo Adedoja of Lagos, Siddhartha Dhakal of Kathmandu, Similoluwa Ogundare of Garki, Kristina Ok of Monroe, and Nabin Timilsina of Kathmandu took part in a summer research program at two locations in Louisiana. Adedoja and Ok pursued research activities at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, and Dhakal, Ogundare, and Timilsina took part in laboratory efforts on the … Continue reading →