CSUN Gets Grant to Train Science Teachers

Next summer, Cal State Northridge’s Center for Cancer and Developmental Biology will kick off a program to train elementary, middle and high school science teachers in state-of-the-art research methods in many science topics, university officials announced.

The six-week summer program, made possible by a $395,772 research fellowship grant from the National Science Foundation, teams Los Angeles Unified School District teachers with CSUN professors in research projects, said Steven Oppenheimer, CSUN biology professor and the center’s director. “The teachers will learn how to design, execute and analyze the experiments they’re taking part in,” said Oppenheimer, who will also serve as the program’s director.

Areas of research include molecular biology, ecology, plant physiology, neurobiology, developmental biology, cell biology, genetics and microbiology, he said.

“This program will have a major positive impact in dramatically upgrading science education in Los Angeles-area schools because if you teach one teacher how to do quality research, they will in turn train their students to do quality research,” he said.

The center will receive an initial award of $277,673 from the Arlington, Va.-based foundation later this month, Oppenheimer said. Approved continuation funds of $118,099 will be awarded in 2001, he said.

Each teacher who successfully completes the program will receive an $1,800 stipend, Oppenheimer said.

LAUSD teachers, from grades five through 12, who are interested in the research program can contact Oppenheimer at (818) 677-3336 or at his email address at steven.oppenheimer@csun.edu.