CORE GROUP The core of the HHMI Education Group is composed of several remarkable individuals who have spent large quatities of time and effort to spearhead the Education Group projects.

Graham Walker is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and American Cancer Society Research Professor at the Massachusetts Instite of Technology. Throughout his career,Graham has balanced on a tightrope between devoting time to his research career and his efforts in undergraduate education. Along with creating and directing the group (a full-time occupation for most), Graham has focused his efforts on reviatlizing his large lecture classes through innovations such as Powerpoint enhancements to his blackboard lectures. Graham Walker's HHMI Professor Website Graham Walker's Laboratory Homepage

Dina Gould Halme is a postodoctoral associate for curriculum development with the HHMI Education Group. She was the first official member of the group, joining a few months before the grant was actually announced. She has focused her Education Group work on the creation of a Biology Concept Framework, developing in-class demonstrations, and designing and teaching a voluntary laboratory component for 7.01 the Introductory Biology class. Dina received her PhD from MIT in June 2002 having performed research on the development and function of CD8 T cells in the murine immune system.

Julia Khodor is a postodoctoral associate for curriculum development with the HHMI Education Group. She was the second official member of the group. She has focused her Education Group work on the creation of a Biology Concept Framework, personalized problem sets, and designing and teaching a voluntary laboratory component for 7.01 the Introductory Biology class. Julia was an MIT undergraduate double major in biology and math and received her PhD in computer science from MIT in June 2002 having made DNA count to three.

Melissa Kosinski-Collins is a postdoctoral associate in the HHMI education group. Melissa will join the group in the fall of 2004 and plans to be involved in curriculum development and design. Melissa's main educational focus will be on developing a protein structure viewing module that may be used on the high school or college level. Melissa will receive her PhD from MIT in Spetember of 2004. Her research focused on protein aggregation and misfolding in human cataract formation.

Brian White is a professor at UMass Boston where he teaches introductory biology. His research is in biology education; it focuses on the development and evaluation of curricula. He has developed a large number of wet- and computer-based laboratory exercises as well as a detailed curriculum for their use. Before moving to UMass, Brian was an instructor for Introductory Biology at MIT. He is on sabbatical with the HHMI Education group for the spring and fall of 2004.

EXTENDED GROUP In addition to the core HHMI Education Group, numerous talented individuals ranging from faculty members to undergraduates have participated in our activities at various levels. Graduate Students: Shannon Flaugh Welkin Pope Postdoctoral Fellows: Melanie Barker Frank Miskevich Instructors/Teachers: Eli Meir Megan Rokop Kate Bacon Schneider Kathy Vandiver (Middle School Science Teacher) Professors: Shoumita Dasgupta (Boston University) Helen Donis-Keller (Olin College) Judith Fischer (Lesley College) Vernon Ingram Jonathan King Eric Klopfer Boris Magasanik MIT Community Members: Rudy Mitchell More information about members of the extended Education Group

MORE CORE GROUP MEMBERS

Mandana Sassanfar received her B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University. She has extensive research experience in both academia and industry, where she spent four years working on the discovery of novel antimicrobial targets. She has also extensive experience in teaching undergraduates and working with high school science teachers to develop new laboratory exercises and curriculum materials for classroom use.

Michelle Mischke is an instructor for the Introductory Biology course at MIT. This coming Fall semester, she will be adding Genetics to her repertoire. Her insights gleaned from years of teaching and listening to students as they learn the basics of modern molecular biology has been an invaluable asset to the Education Group. Michelle received her PhD from Rutgers University.

Claudette Gardel is an instructor for the Introductory Biology course at MIT. Her enthusiasm for trying new teaching methods and activities has been an invaluable asset to the Education Group. Claudette received her PhD from Harvard University.