FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY [Professorial]
JUNE 15, 1999
OUTLINE
I. Self Assessment
A. Current Strengths in Teaching, Research, and Citizenship
B. Research Field and Research Opportunities
C. Citizenship Opportunities.
D. Areas for Development
II. Teaching Goals
A. Philosophy
B. Teaching Goals
C. Course Development Project
D. Relationship of Teaching Goals to University Aim
E. Resources Needed to Accomplish Teaching Goals
III. Research Goals
A. Philosophy
B. Research Goals
C. Research Project
D. Relationship of Research Goals to University Aim
E. Resources Needed to Accomplish Research Goals
IV. Citizenship Goals.
A. Philosophy
B. Citizenship Goals
C. Citizenship Project
D. Relationship of Citizenship Goals to University Aim
E. Resources Needed to Accomplish Citizenship Goals
V. Appendices
I. SELF ASSESSMENT
A. Current Strengths in Teaching, Research, and Citizenship
My decision to join the faculty at Brigham Young University was influenced by many considerations, but one of the strongest was a great love for youth and a desire to promote their spiritual well being and growth. In this regard I have a strong witness of the love of our Heavenly Father for His children even to the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that a way might be opened to all to return to Him and to receive eternally of His love. I have felt of His deep and abiding love for the youth of the Church and share this desire to prepare the arising generation for great things in their current lives and eternally.
My teaching skills present a less established record. I have mentored many post-doctoral fellows, medical students and a few graduate students in my 15 years at Harvard Medical School. I have also taught an instructional series to both pathology residents and to 4th year medical students. These were short series of tutorials presented to a few individuals and not in a formal classroom situation. I have also taught a short summer course on radioimmunoassay at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences for several years. Student enrollment was between 10-20 students. In addition to these experiences I have given several seminars, talks, and other presentations. These occasions have allowed me to develop the ability to communicate ideas and concepts logically and understandably. Although my teaching experiences have not included the consistent teaching of a large class, they nevertheless were successful and I have developed strong interpersonal skills: I enjoy people. I can listen well. In those settings I was able to convey complicated ideas in ways that were readily understood.
My research strengths, skills and competencies are drawn from 5 years of mentored research and over 15 years of independent research. During this period I have been able to accomplish seminal research in my field. I have been able to conduct both clinical and bench research and have been successful in attracting external funding and in producing a reasonable publication record. I enjoy the enterprise of unraveling the enigmas of human physiology and pathophysiology and have developed the ability to ask questions in my field in ways that can be answered and which yield important insights into important issues. Of course, this undertaking requires my being successful in acquiring funding to underwrite this effort. I am, in general, well organized and can usually articulate my thoughts and findings well.
I have served in significant administrative capacities as well. I was the director of a busy clinical laboratory (100,000 reportable results each year) with a staff of 10-15 individuals and had responsibility for budgets, personnel evaluations, training, quality control, technical trouble shooting, planning and innovation, reports and grant applications. I served on several hospital and departmental committees. I am a team player and reasonably good in building consensus but have also shown personal initiative in moving work forward and in completing tasks. I am thorough and have been creative as needed. I am most comfortable working behind the scenes but am willing to take risks to accomplish worthwhile things.
B. Research Field and Research Opportunities
My research has been and continues to be in a few areas: 1. I have spent several years in isolating and characterizing a factor that causes blood vessels to narrow or constrict. This factor may be a hormone meant to regulate sodium ions and fluid levels in the body by inhibiting a specific cell membrane enzyme. This narrowing of blood vessels (which may result from the effects of this inhibitor) underlies a substantial portion of essential hypertension, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and affects ~60 million people in this country alone. It also appears to explain the hypertension in women who develop preeclampsia, a life-threatening complication of pregnancy. In addition to the study of this factor I have explored other factors or systems that control sodium and blood volume in individuals with essential hypertension or in women with preeclampsia to understand the interplay of this hypertensinogenic factor and other hormonal regulars in these same diseases. 2. I have also begun exploring the target enzyme of this inhibitory factor. I have studied the expression and molecular genetic regulation of this critical membrane enzyme which is termed the sodium pump or the [Na,K]ATPase. It would appear that the number of active units of this enzyme are modified in some diseases, including preeclampsia and cataract formation. In addition, other complications of pregnancy, such as intrauterine growth retardation may also be affected by the number of active sodium pump units in placental membrane transport, which is critical to the normal development of the fetus. 3. Finally, as a clinical chemist I have a substantial interest in innovative approaches to the measurement of biomolecues important in medicine. In particular I have collaborated for many years with Dr. XXX in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry on novel instrumental approaches to clinical measurements of molecules for which current assays are unavailable or problematic.
C. Citizenship Opportunities.
As indicated above, I have served for many years on several departmental and hospital committees. I have served and continue to serve as a reviewer for several medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine.
D. Areas for Development
My research is well established and I will work to maintain or increase the level of performance in this area. However, the area that will receive somewhat greater attention in my first few years is in the area of teaching.
II. TEACHING GOALS
A. Philosophy.
What I do should positively affect the learning of the student. The students should not only learn the fundamental knowledge and skills associated with the discipline but they should also learn about themselves, about the processes by which truth is obtained (including a healthy dose of how little is actually known), and about their divine relationship with God and His constant interest in their growth, development, and productivity.
B. Teaching Goals.
1.Deepen and heighten student learning and interest in chemistry and biochemistry
a. Attend the classes of effective and innovative colleagues to acquire ideas.
b. Require more student preparation outside of class to afford better use of class time in large, survey courses.
c. Evaluate and respond to students’ needs.
2. Improve learning in and out of the classroom.
a. Provide and optimize visual learning experiences in class.
b. Provide hands-on laboratory experiences that reflect processes or concepts studied in class.
c. Create in-class opportunities to discuss and write about concepts and problems considered to be fundamental to the subject.
d. Organize increased student-student and student-teacher contact to facilitate more individualized learning.
e. Create high expectations in students.
3. Instill faith.
a. Work to know students, to display respect and interest in their lives.
b. Be open about the strengths and weaknesses of human inquiry and my own knowledge base. Teach that having the Spirit facilitates the acquisition of truth.
c. Instill and reinforce the message that all can learn and increase in knowledge and understanding and that students’ individual potential far exceeds their vision and my own vision and is glorious.
d. Explore, acknowledge and demonstrate my own faith in Christ.
C. Course Development Project
I will focus my attention on Chemistry 101 (a draft of a syllabus is provided as Appendix 1), although my aims when accomplished would have more generalized application to other large, introductory survey courses in chemistry and biochemistry. This course is challenging in a number of aspects. The class is typically large, having as many as 200 students in a section. The students have highly variable previous exposure to chemistry and other science classes in high school. None of the students are science majors and many are required to take this course for their majors but have little or no interest in the subject matter. Many of these students ‘dislike’ science, have had a bad experience with science, or believe they have no ability to learn science. The assignment and expectation of the department is that we will cover the breadth of introductory inorganic and general chemistry in this course which means that the pace of the class is overwhelming with little or no flexibility in subject matter and little or no ability to spend added time with difficult concepts.
1. To accomplish my first goal of deepening learning and heightening interest in chemistry, will require better preparation on my part but also on the part of students to afford a better learning experience in the classroom. To this end, a) I will attend the classes of colleagues within my department and across other disciplines considered to be innovative teachers who effectively deal with large, introductory classes to learn effective methods for facilitating learning in that environment. New approaches will be tested. This class will be part of a teaching partnership with Dr. XXX as the senior faculty member and Doug Harris, a graduate student. We will meet weekly to plan and discuss the class. It is clear that too little time is one of the greatest obstacles to effective learning in a large class setting, therefore b) I will ask that the students study the basic terminology, named reactions or laws, numeric constants and review carefully selected portions of the text (these will identified in advance) prior to coming to class. If students have questions regarding this material, these will be handled at the beginning of class, however, I will not use class time to simply repeat the materials in the text. This will afford more time to discuss the more challenging concepts, to ask and answer more questions, to work more example problems, to have additional demonstrations, and to have in-class small group discussions. c) I will develop assessment tools and employ assessment frequently to monitor both the classroom atmosphere and the learning. Specifically, I will carry out two mid-term and one final survey written by the students. The first evaluation will involve the students creating and forwarding an E-mail response to a few questions exploring the effectiveness of the class and the general sense of well being after the first exam (3 weeks into course). The second evaluation will be administered by either a student evaluator or by another faculty member during class in my absence. This will involve the students responding to a series of questions as small groups to develop a consensus and then, as a class, identifying the problems with the broadest impact, and eliciting possible solutions in conjunction with the problem. There is also the final class evaluation. I will also invite both peer reviewers and student reviewers to attend class and make comments and suggestions, particularly toward the beginning of the term.
2. To accomplish the second aim to improve learning in and out of the classroom, I will modify a number of current approaches and provide some innovative initiatives to improve learning. a) Specifically, I will increase the number of demonstrations in the classroom, linking the display to the concept being taught, sometimes repeating the display for emphasis or to allow a slight modification to test a hypothesis. b) I will modify the exploratory lab to complement much more closely what is occurring in the class. In many instances the students will carry out the same experiment demonstrated in the class both to reinforce learning and to indicate the repetitive nature of scientific exploration. c) I will introduce weekly, in-class, small group discussions of questions posed to the class related to demonstrations, sample results, sample calculations, etc. As part of some of these discussions, I will have the group develop a written explanation, definition, or hypothesis or solve a problem that will be turned in for credit. All students participating will include their names and will receive the credit. I anticipate allowing each student to write a question and detailed solution that might be incorporated in an exam, participation will result in extra credit. These will be highly varied, highly interactive, short (5-10 min) and meant to help the students consolidate what they are learning and identify what they do not yet know, to develop critical thinking skills, to make the class more interesting, and to help them feel more a part of the class. d) I will require students doing poorly to attend review sessions and to meet with me personally to receive more individualized help and I will provide increased office hours to meet with other students. As part of those experiences, I will invite the students to work problems with my assistance rather than to simply provide a secondary lecture. e) I will provide every opportunity for success in the class. Class expectations will be consistent, clearly defined, and high.
3. To instill and enhance faith, a) I will use the time prior to the start of class to sit with and get to know students in the class, especially those that seem quiet or distant. I will try to learn as many student names as possible and use them. I will vigorously invite those students in the class to meet with me individually, especially those having problems. b) I will teach my subject as rigorous but also as fallible, citing examples of apparent successes and failures of the scientific process. We will begin each class with prayer, inviting the Spirit to facilitate our learning and increase our retention of what we have learned. c) In all my interactions, especially with those that are individual, I will emphasize that every student is important, each has remarkable capacities and can increase their understanding, even of chemistry, and that if they work at the subject, they will be enriched by the experience. d) I will use the last few minutes of each class to share a spiritual message, ideally arising from some topic for that day, and sharing my faith and testimony of the Gospel.
D. Relationship of Teaching Goals to University Aims.
My goals complement the university’s aims of intellectual rigor, of instilling individual worth, identifying faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ as indispensable tools in gaining useful knowledge, and in accepting personal challenge to afford growth and increased capacity with the intent of bettering themselves and the world around them.
E. Resources Needed to Accomplish Teaching Goals.
1. Limiting course load to 2 courses in a given year with reasonable longevity in the course.
2. Evaluations via evaluators and evaluation instruments applied during the courses.
3. Collaboration with a senior faculty member or a member of the faculty development center to develop customized approaches to large introductory scientific classes that facilitate spoken or written learning experiences.
RESEARCH GOALS
A. Philosophy.
If a discipline is important enough to be taught, then it should also merit our participation in its growth. Ultimately practical knowledge in chemistry and biochemistry is acquired by doing research and such skills are not conveyed in the abstract by the educator in a classroom but in working at the side of a mentor and example. The potential of our research is realized in the demonstration that what we do can be applied to the vexing challenges of life and make a difference--in our understanding, in acquiring greater control of our environment, even in accomplishing good and relieving human suffering.
B. Research Goals.
1. Establish a highly visible, well regarded research program.
a. Attend and present at 2 national or international meetings each year.
b. Publish (or have accepted for publication) 3 manuscripts each year.
2. Maintain an active, stable research effort.
a. Invest in my students and post doctoral fellows.
b. Write 2-3 extramural grant applications each year.
c. Work to develop intellectual property that may generate revenue.
C. Research Project
I will continue actively to conduct research in three broad areas. In the briefest of terms they are: first, the characterization of an endogenous sodium pump inhibitor, second, the regulation of the sodium pump in hypertensive pregnancy and other medical conditions, third, the development of instrumental analysis of biomolecules where accurate assays are not currently available. These were discussed above. This continuation requires the following intermediate goals.
1. To establish a nationally recognized laboratory I will need a) to attend and present at 2 or more national or international meetings each year. In addition to attending and presenting it will be important to meet people, cultivate relationships and discuss research with them. b) I will continue to write original research papers for submission to good quality, refereed journals. I will publish at least 3 manuscripts (ideally one per area) each year.
2. To maintain a productive laboratory I will need to be forward thinking in several areas. a) I believe that providing a stimulating and highly interactive environment for my research students and postdoctoral fellows will yield better researchers, higher quality results and greater output. I plan to have a weekly group meeting and weekly one-on-one with each researcher in my lab. b) I will identify the most promising of my research efforts and development them into 2-3 major research grant applications (ideally one per area) each year. c) I will also seek opportunities to capitalize on significant research findings by seeking ways to develop and offer intellectual property in ways that may generate research revenue.
D. Relationship of Research Goals to University Aims.
My goals conform completely with those of the university. I am expected to achieve academic excellence as a means of promoting the stature of the institution, maintaining the vitality of the discipline, and of providing skills to students necessary to be competent in their field to contribute to human progress and provide service to others though their discipline.
E. Resources Needed to Accomplish Research Goals.
1. Limit teaching load during the first 3 years of my appointment to 2 classes per year.
2. Provide seed money through university and college grants
3. Have help in identifying students with potential research interest in my lab.
4. Maintain strong collaborative relationships
5. Obtain external funding
CITIZENSHIP GOALS
A. Philosophy.
I believe in investment in the community and my having responsibility to improve the health of the whole organization. I recognize that this requires not only my commitment to the concept but a contribution of time and effort on my part. In particular I feel a responsibility not only to do well but to help others do well at the University. I have a healthy disdain for committees. My experience is that they are frequently an excuse for inaction and lack of personal responsibility--a safe but passive response. I understand the need to build consensus but I am not adverse to taking risks if it will forward the process and better meet real needs. I fully believe that all process must serve the needs of individuals and that change begins with my practice and my service.
B. Citizenship Goals.
Many types of citizenship activities are to some degree dependent upon the invitation of others. My goal are as follows:
1. I will be a strong colleague for members of my and possibly other departments.
2. I will serve willingly within the department, college or ultimately the university as an active and contributing member.
3. I will try to develop relationships across disciplines, whether it be relevant to instruction, communication, resource development or policy.
4. I will endeavor to serve in some capacity related to students beyond those commitments entailed by my course work.
5. I will serve my discipline.
C. Citizenship Project.
My involvement in citizenship will of necessity be constrained over my first few years if I am to meet university expectations. Nevertheless, the following activities are likely to occur.
1. I will support my colleagues and the professional activities of my colleagues. This may involve meeting with other faculty and discussing issues of importance to them. I will provide training for the students of other faculty as needed. I will be a sounding board for my colleagues’ ideas and proposals when asked. I will attend their relevant talks. I will collaborate with other faculty as occasion allows. Currently I am collaborating actively with Dr. XXX in my department.
2. I will be a responsive and responsible member of my department and will work for my own success and the success of my colleagues. I will attend departmental meetings, seminars and socials as I can. I will willingly serve on committees within my department and/or college. This service will probably entail my serving on 1-2 committee assignments during my first 3 years, anticipating additional involvement thereafter.
3. With time I anticipate having opportunities to initiate or spearhead new programs on campus at the college or university level that will benefit colleagues in several disciplines.
4. I am confident that service to students beyond class time or participation in programs meant to initiate or improve any aspect of student endeavor will be available over the next several years.
5. I will continue to serve as a reviewer and if invited as an editor for journals in my discipline.
D. Relationship of Citizenship Goals to University Aims.
My goals are meant to reinforce the aspirations of the university to be a community of strong and capable individuals each in turn having a commitment to the community as a whole. My goals are meant to reflect my own sense of ownership of and responsibility to the University, demonstrated best through my support of students and other faculty, but willing to serve in any reasonable capacity to facilitate the improvement of the University and the accomplishment of its missions.
E. Resources Needed to Achieve my Goals.
In this type of environment there is virtually no limit on opportunities if I am willing and serve well.
V. APPENDICES
