Haynes believes this change has been spurred, at least in part, by the enriched science curriculum Morehouse has been able to offer its undergraduates since 1988, when it was awarded a five-year grant of $400,000 by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Bethesda, Md. The college used the money to add two new science faculty members, one of whom also counsels students interested in pursuing science careers, and to establish genetics and biochemistry laboratories. "We try to expose students to compelling research experiences," says Haynes. "Once they do an experiment that actually works, they get hooked--which may explain why more of them are considering careers in research." What Morehouse College has accomplished fits in with the goal of HHMI's Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Initiative, instituted in 1987. This philanthropic program aims to recruit talented students into the sciences, especially women and minorities who are underrepresented in scientific fields. HHMI, ...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Enriches Undergrad Science Studies
This year, five graduating seniors from Atlanta's Morehouse College, one of the top historically black institutions in the United States, plan on attending graduate school in science. "That's up from zero last year, so this represents a giant step forward," says J.K. Haynes, chairman of the biology department at Morehouse. "If one college can place five minority students in graduate science programs every year, that's making a major contribution. And we see this trend continuing." Haynes belie
Written byLinda Marsa
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