Monroe Duboise Teaches Maine’s Teachers How to Teach Future Scientists Thanks to Federal Grant
November 5, 2009
Professor Duboise (r) observes school teachers in his lab.
As an associate professor of molecular biology and microbiology, Monroe Duboise is, with the help of federal grants, bringing Maine’s public school teachers to his USM lab, instructing them how to get their students ready to pursue careers in the sciences. To date, the program has served more than 40 Maine teachers.
Last summer, third- through eighth-grade teachers were introduced to such disciplines as microbiology, immunology, cancer biology and the physics of light. The first step of the project introduced them to detailed, visual images of microorganisms and cells using USM’s advanced lab equipment, including a digital transmission electron microscope. In subsequent phases, faculty and staff in USM’s Department of Applied Medical Sciences and the USM Southworth Planetarium worked with teachers to develop visual resources for elementary and middle school classroom uses.
Ten Maine teachers from middle and high schools in Portland, Lewiston, Falmouth, Scarborough, and South Bristol spent six Saturday mornings this fall getting a good look at the invisible world of microorganisms and cells with the help of USM faculty using highly specialized microscopes.
The program is funded through a five-year Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) and a $1.3 million grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and the National Institute of Health (NIH).
For more information about this program, contact USM Professor of Molecular Biology Monroe Duboise, 780-4446.
