Impact of TFN on Undergraduate Science Education

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Impact of TFN on Undergraduate Science Education

• Ignatios Vakalis
• Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
• Executive Director, Center of Computational
  Science
• Capital University
• Columbus OH 43209
• Email ivakalis_at_capital.edu

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If we are to succeed as a state, terms like fuel
cells, bioscience, polymers, IT, liquid crystals,
and advanced manufacturing must become part of
our everyday vocabulary. Ohio must be the place
where new knowledge is used to create new
products, new businesses, new companies and new
jobs (Taft, 2003).
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• The challenge facing Ohio educators is to prepare
  future scientists to fill these jobs, excel in
  this new science environment, and usher the TFN.
• TFN is about building a knowledge economy in
  Ohio, which includes bioscience, medical imaging,
  regenerative medicine, fuel cell research, and
  technology based business.
• TFN will allow the integration of technology,
  computer visualization, mathematical modeling,
  and science.

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TFN will...

• advance the teaching of all aspects of
  traditional science, computing and engineering
  (eg., access to instrumentation, visualization
  tools)
• facilitate the proliferation of the new field of
  Computational Science (Undergraduate, Graduate,
  and K-12)
• enhance teaching and research at undergraduate
  institutions in fields such as parallel/high
  performance computing, scientific visualization,
  and modeling

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Computational Science is...

• an emerging and interdisciplinary field that
  integrates mathematical modeling, computing and
  visualization to solve complex problems from
  physical, natural, behavioral sciences as well as
  from the fields of engineering and
  finance/economics
• computing in the sciences (while computer science
  is the science of computing)
• a methodology in the development of scientific
  knowledge alongside theory and experimentation

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Capital University is a national leader in
curriculum development of undergraduate
computational science education through its
Computational Science Across the Curriculum
program.Funded by NSF, W.M. Keck and Battelle
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Computational Science curricula include the
following

• Computer Visualization/ Mathematical Modeling to
  answer contemporary questions in science
• Student training in diverse fields (delivered via
  TFN)
• Student experience in different software packages
  (via TFN)
• Participation in Undergraduate Research (UR)
  Experiences that includes real-world problem
  solving with industry partners
• UR is the ultimate form of active learning
• UR involvement with industry partners deepens the
  student engagement in real problems
• UR using state of the art computational tools
  (TFN will eliminate physical distances)
• GRI, OSC, Wright Centers of Innovation,
  Biomedical Informatics, Childrens Hospital,
  Battelle, etc.

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Computational Science curricula include the
following

• Engagement in Interdisciplinary conversations
  within cross-functional teams
• Industry science necessitates collaboration of
  teams
• Team based learning and research across
  institutions and research labs (TFNvehicle)
• Undergraduate multi-disciplinary training
  (BIO-2010, MATH-BIO-2010)
• Exploration of the creative nature of science,
  mathematics and computing
• Science is the creation of new knowledge, a
  creative endeavor, while the popular conception
  of science is that is dry and lacking in
  imagination and ingenuity
• Computational science targets creativity by
  requiring scientists to make new connections and
  use visualization and modeling tools in novel
  ways to solve new problems

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Why is it imperative to push computational
science at the undergraduate curriculum?
Business and Industry
Primary-Secondary School
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Teacher Education
Faculty Training

• TFN is the vehicle to deliver the curriculum
  throughout the educational pipeline
• Capital will continue to play the lead role in
  promoting undergraduate computational science in
  the state of Ohio using capabilities of TFN

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VISION

• The physical infrastructure of the TFN will allow
  multi-dimensional partnerships (e.g, K-12,
  undergraduate, graduate, research centers,
  industry) and will transform Ohio to become a
  national model, while advancing the state into a
  leadership position in seeking and obtaining
  federal funding and thus national recognition.