"Progress made in harnessing fusion as energy source."

"World water crisis worsening."

"Brain research reveals clues to dyslexia."

"Meat suppliers asked to cut antibiotic use."

"CDC reports first cases of monkey pox."

"U.S. sues over ban on genetically modified foods."

Everyday headlines like these underscore the pervasive influence of science in our lives.

While the study of science has long been considered part of a well-rounded liberal arts education at Augsburg, it has grown more important than ever in a world increasingly shaped by scientific and technological developments.

"Science matters come up in the public debate continually, as we confront issues such as environmental quality, advances in medicine, and the complexity of human behavior," says Nancy Steblay, professor of psychology and faculty liaison to Augsburg's Science Advisory Board.

"As a society, we need both capable professionals in scientific and related fields and informed citizens with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to evaluate the impact of scientific developments and weigh their moral, ethical, and social implications," she said.

Augsburg has a strong track record on both fronts, especially the remarkable number of scientists placed in industry, public service, education, and social service organizations. Among them are K-12 teachers, physicians, and other health care and mental health professionals.

In chemistry, for example, half of all graduating majors over the past 25 years have gone on to either earn Ph.D.s or become doctors, dentists, or pharmacists. In the same time frame, more than half of all physics majors have entered graduate school. A similar proportion of biology graduates go on to professional and graduate programs, including medical school. In psychology, about half of all graduates pursue advanced study in areas ranging from behavioral genetics to counseling psychology as well as law, medicine, and theology.

Other science majors begin their careers immediately after graduation, many as elementary or secondary teachers. Augsburg's strong internship connections lead others to professional opportunities in industry and the nonprofit world. Augsburg science graduates can be found at Medtronic, SciMed, General Electric, Guidant, and many other both large and small corporations. At 3M in St. Paul in particular, Augsburg maintains a large presence because of its longtime partnership with the corporation for training of scientists. Similarly, hospitals, counseling agencies, and environmental and health nonprofits employ graduates from Augsburg's science departments.

This record of achievement grows out of Augsburg's uniquely enriching educational environment—rigorous science coursework within a liberal arts curriculum, outstanding opportunities for student-faculty research and internships, and strong faculty mentoring and program support.

"Our science programs set high expectations of what our students can achieve," said Mark Engebretson, physics department chair. "While Augsburg is only moderately selective compared to some other liberal arts colleges, it's what we do with and expect of our students that is different."

One indicator of quality is the fact that in the past seven years, five Augsburg science majors havebeen awarded Goldwater Scholarships, a premier national undergraduate science award for students in science and mathematics. Only 300 students across the country are selected each year.

Augsburg's most recent Goldwater Scholar is senior physics major Victor Acosta. He has conducted independent and team research in the College's solid-state physics lab as well as summer research at both Stanford University and the University of California-Berkeley.

Hard work, big rewards
Students attain these high levels of scholarship because Augsburg's programs are demanding, said William Capman, chair of Augsburg's biology department.

"Science at Augsburg is hard work, but it pays off," he said. "Our students develop the strong foundation needed to succeed in graduate school and in science professions."

Augsburg's biology program is designed to develop both breadth and depth of knowledge in the field. "Our program is broadly based so that students have more opportunities than they would with a more specialized degree," he said. "Students graduate well-prepared for many different paths."

While each program requires coursework in other science disciplines, many students pursue a second major or a minor, often combining biology and chemistry or a science discipline with mathematics.

Mathematics is a popular choice because it is "the language of science," said mathematics professor Rebekah Dupont. "It's complementary to so many other disciplines."

For example, Jennifer Palmer ’99 combined a math major with a chemistry minor. She went on to earn a master's degree in biostatistics at the University of Minnesota and is now a biostatistician at Boston Scientific Corporation in the Twin Cities.

With changing scientific trends and workplace requirements, the programs not only stress mastery of the fundamentals but also acquaint students with emerging fields of scientific endeavor. Curriculum enhancements include recently-developed courses in polymers, medicinal chemistry, materials science, behavioral medicine, and developmental psychopathology. In addition, practicing scientists come to campus as adjunct faculty and guest speakers, helping Augsburg stay on top of science's rapidly changing developments

But perhaps nothing is more relevant and influential in developing tomorrow's scientists, doctors, educators, and health and behavioral specialists than Augsburg's commitment to undergraduate research, offering opportunities unmatched in most other small colleges.

Questioning, exploring
Science education advisory panels have long stressed the value of undergraduate research experiences, especially the opportunity to look for new, as opposed to expected, results.

"Although standard laboratory courses convey knowledge about current technology, it is difficult for them to convey a sense of scientific exploration because students are usually expected to duplicate known results," said Engebretson of physics.
At Augsburg, students are digging into new territory in every discipline, working alongside Augsburg faculty on independent research projects and within coursework.

Best known is Augsburg's work in space physics over the past quarter century, funded with grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA. Under the direction of Engebretson and fellow physics professor Ken Erickson, students have been actively involved in numerous space physics projects, both on- and off-campus, and many have presented results at national science conferences and in academic publications (see the "Summer in the physics lab" story to the right).

Similarly, chemistry student Jennifer Hagen devoted her summer to assisting chemistry professor Ron Fedie on a project to further knowledge of block copolymers conducted at the University of Minnesota, as part of the NSF-funded Research Site for Educators in Chemistry (RSEC) program. This grant provides funding for faculty and students from smaller, primarily four-year colleges to collaborate and engage in cutting-edge research at research universities equipped with sophisticated instrumentation and chemistry resources necessary for this work.

Engebretson said graduates repeatedly tell him these kinds of experiences were a key factor in their decision to pursue advanced degrees and science careers.

"Their research background gave them an important sense of direction both during their studies and during their later careers," he said.

While many students assist in research outside of the classroom, research experiences are also embedded into the curriculum. For example, in biology, several courses within the major include what Capman calls "non-trivial" original research as major components of the laboratory work. Every biology major completes at least two or three such research projects before graduating.

"Through these long-term projects, students experience science the way a scientist does," Capman said. "They have to figure out the hypothesis, design and conduct the experiments, and interpret and present the research, which often means dealing with the ambiguities of results."

Working in small groups, students review the work of previous class projects to figure out the next logical question for study.

"Through these student projects, we're actually building our own body of scientific literature on population genetics, protozoan ecology, yeast growth, and other topics," Capman said. He added that this level of student research goes far beyond many undergraduate programs.

In psychology, a research project is required of every major, and many students go on to do further work with a faculty member. "We stress research in our program because our students need to become critical thinkers. We want them to question why claims are made, and to recognize both the strengths and limitations of research findings," said Bridget Robinson-Riegler, chair of Augsburg's psychology department.

Research experience at Augsburg often leads to intensive off-campus opportunities and internships.

Last summer, for example, junior physics major Ryan Nevin went to Penn State University for a research experience, while junior Greg McKusky and sophomore Nigel Milbridge took part in projects with Augsburg physics professor Ambrose Wolf at the University of Minnesota's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.

Sometimes an off-campus experience leads to a job. Goldwater Scholar Jared Trost ’00, for example, pursued his interest in ecology through a senior year research internship at the University of Minnesota's Cedar Creek Natural History Area. After graduation, he was hired as a research field manager in the program, and plans to continue to graduate school for an advanced degree in ecology.

Augsburg science students have also participated in research at the Mayo Clinic, Argonne National Laboratory, National Institute of Health Summer Research Program, and the University of Minnesota Supercomputer Institute, to name just a few.

Besides enriching student learning, Augsburg faculty-student research also contributes to the wider community by advancing scientific understanding, contributing to new applications, and, in some cases, informing public policy.

In psychology, Steblay's research on false identification in police line-ups, for example, has contributed to the U.S. Department of Justice's new procedural guidelines for law enforcement regarding eyewitness evidence. An examination of poverty patterns and the census in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood by Dupont and mathematics students helped a non-profit organization frame its advocacy efforts.

On yet another level, research serves as a "battery-charger" for faculty, according to Engebretson. "Research can be very exciting. It also reminds us that we as faculty are still learners and helps us maintain humility in the face of the universe. We don't have all the answers."

A culture of caring
Stroll through Science Hall and you'll usually find groups of students hanging out in the departmental office suites. A strong sense of community is enjoyed by science faculty and students.

"Because we teach our own labs, have small classes, and advise our own majors, we spend a lot of time with our students and come to know them well," said Capman.

Robinson-Riegler's psychology students call her by her first name. "I like that. Augsburg is a place where I can get to know students well enough to help guide them through this very tumultuous time in their lives."

A mentoring relationship with students often leads to what chemistry's Sandra Olmsted calls "head-to-head, soul-searching academic advising."

"Sometimes a student picks a career path based on admiring someone, not necessarily on his or her own calling," she said.

Recalling a student who had always wanted to be a doctor, Olmsted said that while working at a part-time job at a hospital near campus, the young man discovered he didn't like being around sick people. As his adviser, Olmsted helped him explore other paths. He eventually went on to Yale University and became a medical researcher. "We try to help students discover their unique talents and what brings them joy," she said.

Many Augsburg science graduates probably would not have considered majoring in science or pursuing science careers without this level of faculty involvement and Augsburg's support programs. Science faculty work closely with students in Augsburg's Center for Learning and Adaptive Services (CLASS) and Access Center (for students with physical or learning disabilities) and the StepUP program (for students in recovery from alcohol and drug dependency).

Augsburg has also supported students from underrepresented groups in pursuing graduate studies after college with a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement grant.

"Inclusivity in our programs is key to Augsburg's mission," said Dupont. "By giving them the tools and experiences to build their confidence and competence, students who might have been written off can end up succeeding."

Robinson-Riegler characterizes Augsburg's approach to science education as "a launching pad for young people. You learn their dreams, you see what they're good at, and you cheer them on."

Cynthia Hill writes frequently about Augsburg College and is a partner at Rummel, Dubs and Hill.