Sciences

Investing inWorkforce

Development through the

a FoCuS oF ourmiSSion at SouthernConnecticut State Universityis to provide our studentswith the foundationalknowledge and skills theyneed to be key contributorsin areas of workforcedemand in our state. One such area is the STEMdisciplines — science,technology, engineering andmathematics — and in recent times, Southern has seenimpressive programmatic and enrollment growth inthese fields.

Recently, for example, the National ScienceFoundation announced the extension of a multi-milliondollar grant supporting an innovative materials sciencepartnership between Southern and Yale University.Southern was also one of just 12 colleges or universitiesto be chosen to participate in a national genome projectas part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ScienceEducation program. And, Southern will soon be thehome for the state’s first-ever center dedicated to thecutting-edge field of nanotechnology.

ese and other developments highlighted in thepages of this booklet underscore Southern’s commitmentto be recognized as a center of excellence in the STEMdisciplines through our teaching and research. euniversity seeks to become a regional leader indeveloping scientifically literate citizens of allbackgrounds by cultivating interest in scientificdiscovery and the study of new technological advances.

ese are exciting times for the sciences at Southern.e construction of a new, state-of–the-art Academicand Laboratory Science building, due to begin in 2013,will enhance the ongoing expansion of our scienceprograms and our capacity to educate more students inthe STEM fields. I thank our outstanding faculty, ourleaders in government and higher education and ourfriends in the community for supporting these and allour efforts to support workforce development inConnecticut.

Visione Sciences at SouthernConnecticut State University willbecome recognized as a center of excellence in science through its teaching and research in thescientific disciplines. Our facultywill engage in outstandingresearch and will challengestudents to reach their fullpotential through engagement in either independent study orresearch thesis projects.

In collaboration with the School of Education, the sciences willstrive to enhance the preparationof secondary science teachers andelementary teachers in thesciences by modeling bestpractices of student engagement in the science classroom. roughcareful assessment of our fiscal,human, physical, and techno-logical resources, we will endeavorto provide our students abundantlearning opportunities that alignwith the workforce needs of thestate, strengthen the foundationalcore of our science programs, andcultivate interdisciplinaryprograms and collaborations.

e Sciences at Southern willbecome widely known within theregion for its contribution tocultivating interest and study inthe sciences and providingsupport and mentoring for womenand under-represented groupparticipation. rough the Centerfor Excellence in Mathematics andScience, we will provide, to theGreater New Haven communityand region, professionaldevelopment opportunities,educational partnerships, andcommunity services.

Sincerely yours,

mary a. Papazian, Ph.D.President

ESPONDING TO STATE AND NATIONALCONCERNS about declining studentnumbers in the fields of science,technology, engineering and math —and a resulting lack of expertise inthese areas — Southern Connecticut

State University is playing a leading role increating new opportunities for study and potentialemployment in the STEM disciplines.

In the past five years, enrollment in STEM coursesat Southern has increased by 21.6 percent: from785 students in spring 2007 to 1001 in fall 2012.Of the 1001 students, 425 (43 percent) are womenand 245 (24 percent) are minorities.

e number of physics majors at Southern hasnearly doubled in the last four years, while currentgraduation rates are in the top 15 percentnationally.

Southern’s Physics Department has three ongoingmajor initiatives that enhance the university’sreputation as a regional leader in the STEMdisciplines and are tailored to meet the needs

• Biology B.A., B.S., M.S.• Biology B.S. with secondary certification• Chemistry B.A., B.S., M.S.• Chemistry B.S. with secondary certification• Chemistry 4+1 B.S./M.S.• Chemistry M.S.

Professional Science Master’s Program• Computer Science B.S.

General Concentration, Computer Information Systems Concentration

• Computer Science M.S. • Earth Science B.A. • Earth Science B.S.

Environmental Concentration, General Concentration, Geology Concentration

R Undergrad Grad Total

Biology

Chemistry

Computer Science

Earth Science

Mathematics

Physics

Science Education

336

85

224

46

139

68

15

12

16

21

8

39

351

97

240

46

160

68

39

ENROLLMENT IN SPECIFIC STEM PROGRAMS*

In addition, Biology, Chemistry and Physics supportthe large pre-nursing program at SCSU throughprerequisite course offerings. *As of Fall, 2012.

• Mathematics B.A., B.S.• Mathematics B.S. with certification• Mathematical Education M.S.• Physics B.A. • Physics B.S.

Engineering Concentration, General Concentration

• Applied Physics M.S.• Environmental Education M.S. • Science Education M.S. • Sixth Year Certificate Program

Institute for Science Instruction and Study

3

Southern offers the following programs in math and science

of Connecticut’s high-tech industry: an engineeringconcentration, an interdisciplinary M.S. program inapplied physics and a 12-credit nanotechnologycertificate program.

Discover our diverse and dynamic university. A Leading Partner inMaterials Science

OUTHERN RECENTLY R ECEIVED ITS LARGEST-

EVER RESEARCH GRANT — $1,763,000 — aspart of a partnership with Yale University thatpromises to expand cutting-edge scientificresearch and bolster educational opportunities

for students and faculty at Southern in the New HavenPublic Schools. e National Science Foundation hasallocated a six-year, $13 million grant to enhance theuniversities’ joint materials science center, known as theCenter for Research on Interface Structures andPhenomena (CRISP).

Materials science is a discipline that includes thecreation of technologically-advanced items, ranging fromcomputer chips to biological implants. e center enablesstudents to create and examine new materials at theatomic level. It also helps to foster interdisciplinaryresearch by faculty and students at both institutions infields such as physics, chemistry and engineering.

“is grant is extremely important as it supports bothinnovative research and teacher development at a crucialtime for Southern and the state of Connecticut,” saysSCSU Physics Department Chairwoman ChristineBroadbridge (le), who is the center’s director ofeducation. “Math and science have taken on anincreasing importance for our state and nation’s future.”

Broadbridge says one of the major benefits to thegrant is the ability to work even more closely with theNew Haven School District to encourage students toconsider the math and science fields. Workshops offeredby CRISP have sought to improve the professionaldevelopment of local science teachers during the last six years.

S

5

A Center forNanotechnology

ith the helP oF a$750,000 grant from the U.S.

Department of Energy, Southernand the Connecticut State

University System are poised to be atthe forefront of a new frontier in science with thecreation of Connecticut’s first-ever research centerdevoted solely to nanotechnology.

Based at Southern, the new center will also be thefulcrum of a new graduate certificate program innanotechnology set to begin at the four CSUSuniversities in the fall of 2013. e 12-credit graduatecertificate program will offer courses such as materialcharacterization, physics and chemistry of nanoscalematerials, fabrication techniques, nanoscaleapplications, microscopy with emphasis on atomicforce, transmission and scanning electron techniques,and applications in nanobiology and nanomedicine.e first nanotech graduate course was offered atSouthern this summer.

e new nanotechnology center will includespecialized equipment, including a state-of-the-artscanning electron microscope, which uses electronsto image materials on the atomic scale.

Nanotechnology is the study and manipulation ofmatter on the nanoscale, which ranges from 1 to 100nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.A human hair, for instance, measures about 10,000nanometers in diameter, while a sheet of paper isabout 100,000 nanometers thick.

e National Science Foundation estimates that 2 million workers will be needed to supportnanotechnology industries worldwide. e science is currently being used to produce new medicines and improved medical imaging tools, more durablebuilding materials for infrastructure, as well asenergy-efficient power sources like fuel cells, batteriesand solar panels.

W

7

Promoting the STEM Disciplines

outhern’S Center ForexCellenCe in mathematiCSanD SCienCe (CemS) is helping tobolster both the quality and quantity ofstudents pursuing careers in the STEM

(science, technology, engineering and math)disciplines, especially students from the Greater NewHaven region.

e need for a larger number of college graduateswith degrees in those fields has been expressed withincreasing urgency by education and governmentalleaders. In fact, the National Science Board has saidthat the nation’s global primacy in those fields hasfallen significantly in recent years with increasingcompetition from East Asian nations, such as China.

CEMS oversees several initiatives, including thePAcE scholarships (Pathways to AcademicExcellence) and the SWIMS (Southern Women inMathematics and Science) program. SWIMS aims toprovide support for women interested in those fieldsbecause females have traditionally beenunderrepresented in math and science.

e center has also reached out to local K-12students in an effort to encourage them to pursuemath and science, such as coordinating the NationalScience Foundation’s 2010 pilot Family EngineeringProgram. Southern education, math and sciencestudents coordinated fun hands-on activities forparents and children that showed them theimportance of engineering in everyday life.

Among the goals of CEMS is to break down thepsychological, cultural and social barriers to pursuingmath and science. It provides strong role models,supportive environments and other opportunities.

S

9

12

Genomics on aNational Scale

early two Dozen FreShmenin Southern’s Honors College arejoining hundreds of undergraduatestudents throughout the country thisfall in an innovative genomics researchprogram created by the Howard

Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).Southern was among 12 colleges and

universities — and the first in Connecticut – chosen for full membership in the Science EducationAlliance, a national network of scientists andeducators committed to the improvement ofundergraduate science education in the United States.In 2008, the alliance created the National GenomicsResearch Initiative, a program in which collegestudents participate in cutting-edge researchtechniques, such as DNA analysis. A dozen collegesand universities are picked each year for fullparticipation in the program. It enables students toengage in scientific discovery, a vital component insparking scientific curiosity.

During the two-semester genomics course, the Southern students will isolate unique bacterialviruses, or phage, and decode their genomes. ey will later purify the phage and extract its DNA, which will then be sent to the Los Alamos NationalLaboratory in New Mexico to be sequenced. Studentswill later receive files about their phage’s DNAsequence and use bioinformatics tools to analyze and annotate the genomes from their phage.

“We are thrilled to become part of a nationalnetwork of science educators who seek to improvestudent learning and generate excitement aboutauthentic scientific discovery,” says Nick Edgington,associate professor of biology.

N

1311

Health and Human Services

Examining the Healthof Long Island Sound

outhern’S Central loCationalong the heavily urbanized Connecticutcoastline in close proximity to a variety ofdiverse natural habitats provides excellentopportunities for research and educationfocused on environmental preservation.

Southern’s Center for Coastal and Marine Studies(CCMS) draws on the advantages of its location tofocus on faculty-directed student research designed toaddress environmental issues of local and regionalimportance. For example, faculty and students havesampled and determined heavy metal content insediments from Norwalk, Bridgeport, New Haven,Branford and New London harbors. Supported by afederal grant, studies have also been made of thehealth of the Connecticut oyster population in LongIsland Sound and the resulting effects on the state’soyster industry.

e research and educational programs ofSouthern's CCMS have received a major boostthrough more than $400,000 in support from theWerth Family Foundation, which provides fundingtargeted toward student environmental research. efoundation support has enabled the center to pay astipend to students over the summer, allowing themto further their own research or career goals. eWerth gi also funds boats, chemicals and othersupplies and the center has been able to buy state-of-the-art equipment to help the students with theirresearch.

Pamela Werth, who established the foundationwith her husband, Peter, says the center’s research hasthe potential to be “a valuable resource for developingand improving Long Island Sound.”

S

13

Scholarships forMath/ScienceStudents

ith a nationalShortage of students

pursuing the science andmathematics fields, Southern has

established a new, National ScienceFoundation-supported program providing $600,000in scholarship funds for students who wish to majorin these disciplines.

Pathways to Academic Excellence (PAcE)scholarships pay for any allowable educationalexpense up to $10,000 per year for four years of studyat Southern to students showing academic promisewho also have financial need. For the 2011-2012academic year, 12 students were accepted into theprogram. Five of the 12 (42%) accepted students arefrom under-represented groups drawn from NewHaven (4) and Bridgeport (1) and four of the twelve (33%) students are women.

e students’ success will be enhanced throughearly involvement in faculty-mentored research andinternships, and through the formation of cohortgroups and learning communities. Students will alsotake part in a service learning course that will takethem back into the primary and secondary schoolsthey attended to serve as mentors for the nextgeneration of scholars.

PAcE is one of a number of programs developedunder the umbrella of Southern’s Center forExcellence in Mathematics and the Sciences, whichhas the overarching goal of increasing the number,quality and diversity of students pursuing careers inthese fields.

W

15

A New Home for Science

outhern’S ongoing expansion of itsscience programs will be greatly enhancedwith the planned construction of a new,98,332-square-foot academic andlaboratory science building.

Designed by Centerbrook Architects, the newbuilding will be “L” shaped to close a “science enclave”in concert with the pre-existing science building,Jennings Hall. Embracing innovative sustainabledesign, it will predominantly house teaching andresearch laboratories for nanotechnology, physics andoptics, the earth sciences, the environmental sciences,cancer research, astronomy, biology and chemistry.

e building’s two wings will be interconnected at all floors by a meandering “village street,”windowed along its southern exposure that faces thenewly formed science enclave. Along this path,aquaria, enlarged mock nanotubes, optics displays,rock formations, biological specimens andastronomical videos will be interspersed among sun-filled lounges, all to encourage interaction amongdifferent scientific disciplines.

Pitched roofs will shelter two attics full ofindustrial fans exhausting 83 fume hoods. ey havebeen designed to accept photovoltaic solar collectorson their south-oriented slopes. A portion of the roofswill be le flat to accommodate six experimental,Dobsonian astronomical telescopes that will exita storage garage located under the pitched roof and be wheeled into formation for experimentsthroughout the year.

S

17

Workforce Impacte following is an overview of

the various scientific fields at

Southern and their influence on

graduate studies and employment

in the sciences.

Southern’S Biology Program provides students with thesolid foundation in knowledge, skills and research experienceneeded to build their own exciting careers in biology, combinedwith the focus of a strong liberal arts background. e programprepares students to pursue opportunities in teaching, research,medicine, marine ecology, or entomology. Recent graduates havefound employment at companies including Allerquest,Pharmalytica, and Quest Diagnostics, or have continued on tomedical school, including the University of Missouri.

the ChemiStry Program at Southern is accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Both undergraduate and graduate students find employmentwith many Connecticut companies including McDermid, U.S.Surgical, Unilever, Quest Diagnostics, Arch Chemical ConnecticutAgriculture Center, Perkin Elmer, Analytical Consulting TechnologyInc., Smiths Detection, Bristol-Meyers Squibb and BoehringerIngelheim.

Students who pursue graduate study attend the University ofConnecticut (chemistry, materials science, pharmacy), Brandeis(veterinary), Oxford University, the University of Kentucky(chemistry) and McGill University (chemistry).

Southern’S ComPuter SCienCe Program is accreditedby ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering andTechnology). Both undergraduate and graduate students find em-ployment with Connecticut companies including PharmaceuticalData Services, Source Medical VA Research, Sikorsky, FactSet,Derby School System, Sonalysts, Somerset Capital Group, SCSUOIT, Fairfield University OIT, and Yale ITS.

Students who pursue graduate study attend UConn, FairfieldUniversity, Rutgers, Washington University at St. Louis and theUniversity of Delaware.

e Computer Science Department also has a strong relationshipwith a small group of Connecticut companies that providerepresentation to the Technology Advisory Committee within thedepartment. ese companies are Digital Surgeons, Yale-New HavenHospital, Sikorsky, e Hartford, Travelers, SNP Technologies andSource Medical.

19

Chemistry

Computer Science

Biology

the earth SCienCe DePartment at Southern offersseveral post-graduate opportunities. Students completing the Bachelorof Science degree with grade 7-12 teaching certification normally findjobs as teachers in secondary schools. Students completing Bachelorsof Arts degree or Bachelors of Science degree with a concentration in geology or environmental earth science typically attend graduateschool and/or find employment with companies in the geotechnical or environmental service industries.

Graduate school opportunities in the earth sciences aresomewhat limited in Connecticut. Many earth science graduatesattend graduate school in other states and return to employmenthere aer completion of their graduate degrees.

e majority of private geotechnical and environmental serviceemployers in Connecticut are relatively small companies. Entry-levelpositions typically involve technical fieldwork that involves a stronggeoscience background. Some of the firms that have hired earthscience graduates in recent years include: Onyx Environmental Inc.,Newington; East West Technical Services, New Britain; CleanHarbors, Inc., Milford; Hygenix Inc., Stamford; Veolia EnvironmentalServices, Groton; Environmental Compliance Services, Branford; U.S.Geological Survey, Hartford; Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford; andNortheast Utilities, Berlin.

moSt StuDentS majoring in mathematiCS atSouthern (about 80%) are certified to teach mathematics ingrades 7-12 and obtain employment in the Connecticut publicschools. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs inmathematics education have been approved by the national Councilfor Teachers of Mathematics. On average, one student per year goeson to graduate school in mathematics. In the past year alone, onegraduate received a teaching assistantship at Worchester PolytechnicInstitute and entered the Ph.D. program in mathematics. Appliedmathematics majors find employment as actuaries, in computerscience areas, in statistics, in financial mathematics or in otherindustries. Examples of employers include PriceWaterhouseCoopers,Danbury Hospital, e Hartford, United Healthcare, Aon Benfieldand K2 Advisors.

Mathematics

Earth Science

21

Southern PhySiCS graDuateS find employment in thehigh-tech industry, such as United Technology, MIT Lincoln Labs,and Perkin-Elmer, as researchers/technicians in universities such asPrinceton and Yale and with the NASA Exoplanet Science Center(California Institute of Technology). In addition, graduates areemployed in public schools as physics teachers. Others have beenaccepted to graduate study in physics or engineering at UConn,University of British Columbia and the University of Massachusetts,Dartmouth.

the DePartment oF SCienCeeDuCation/enVironmental StuDieS does not offerundergraduate degrees, but is responsible for the certificationrequirements of all science majors and offers two popular minors.e science certification program certifies between 15 and 30students a year for employment in public schools as secondary (7-12) science educators. Even with the more challenging job market in recent years, about 85 percent of students find a job upon graduation.

e undergraduate minor programs in environmental and marinestudies provide students with experience and skills beyond theirmajor — giving them an advantage in finding employment in thoserelated fields. Students who complete these minors have beenemployed at the state Department of of Energy and EnvironmentalProtection, Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium, the state Bureau ofAgriculture-Marine Fisheries and as environmental technologists.ey have pursued graduate studies at UConn, SUNY/Buffalo, Yale University and various law schools.

e M.S. in environmental education prepares students to workin a wide variety of professions and industries. One recent graduateis working at Northeast Utilities as an environmental specialist,another at Mystic Aquarium, and several at the state Department of Environmental Education, while others have taken theentrepreneurial route, developing their own ecotourism andconsulting businesses.

In the M.S. in science education, the majority of students arecompleting the graduate work requirements needed to keep theirteaching credentials. Most are certified science teachers while some are completing certification and the M.S. at the same time.

Science Education/Environmental Studies

Physics

23

501 Crescent Street • New Haven, Connecticut SouthernCT.edu

For more inFormationContact Southern’sDevelopment office at (203) 392-6515