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Pomona
College Professors in Group Receiving $480,000 Grant to
Develop Educational Materials
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Pomona College geology professors Eric Grosfils and Linda
Reinen are co-investigators on a new $480,000 National
Science Foundation multi-institutional grant to develop and
disseminate computational science educational materials at
the undergraduate level.
Computational science is an emerging area of research that
seeks to integrate computing, mathematical modeling and
visualization to help students explore complex problems in
physical, natural, behavioral, and social sciences.
“The use of computational capabilities,” explains Grosfils,
“allows us to explore interesting problems that would
otherwise be intractable, or much more shallowly accessible,
for students.” The modules can also expose students to
advanced mathematical, computational and scientific
techniques they might not otherwise see until graduate
school. This helps stimulate more sophisticated inquiry and,
it is hoped, students’ long-term interest in science.
One of the modules Grosfils will develop focuses on
landslides and slope stability. Geology students would go
into the field and gather data, for example along the Malibu
coastline or the cliffs eroding into the grounds of San
Onofre – home of a nuclear power plant. Once the
measurements are taken and observations made, students
return to the lab and, using a numerical model they develop,
gain deeper insight into where landsliding occurs and why
slope stability varies from location to location.
The NSF Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement grant
involves more than 25 collaborators from 15 colleges and
universities. Modules under development range from math,
engineering, biology and geology to economics and finance.
The grant continues work funded by the Keck Foundation.
Pomona College is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts
institutions, offering a comprehensive program in the arts,
humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The
College is known for the close relationships between
students and faculty, and a range of opportunities for
student research. For more information, visit Pomona College
on the Web at www.pomona.edu. |
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