The University of Rhode Island is offering a free course on “Issues in Biotechnology” at its Feinstein Providence Campus to educate students, schoolteachers and the public about the field. The semester-long course, which began Jan. 18, runs every Tuesday through May 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Paff Auditorium. It is open to the public, though space is limited.
Through a grant from the Amgen Foundation, URI is also providing free graduate, non-degree credit to up to 35 high school and middle school teachers who take the course.
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“We’re taking this very complicated subject and making it accessible to the public because it is so socially relevant today,” said Albert Kausch, URI adjunct professor of molecular biology and president of Lifeedu.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about biotechnology. “People don’t realize the impact it has on their daily lives, so we’re trying to fill that knowledge gap.”
The class is a general survey of recent advances in biology as it relates to biotechnology, including discussions of DNA, gene cloning, stem cells, ethical issues, career opportunities, and applications in medicine, forensics, cancer, agriculture, marine and other fields. Weekly lectures, discussions and demonstrations will include guest speakers from around the country.
“Everybody should have a working knowledge of this topic,” said Kausch, who also serves as vice president of research at Hybrigene Inc., a West Kingston-based biotechnology company. “I even encourage high school students to sign up, too. We’ve had them in the class before, and they often challenge themselves to do as well or better than the undergraduates.”
The Amgen Foundation has provided a $98,000, two-year grant to help fund the course. In addition to supporting guest speakers, course materials, and graduate credit for teachers, a DVD will be created of each class that will be available to teachers, along with additional educational materials, for use in the classroom.
The general public is admitted free to the course, but registrants do not receive college credit. For more information or to view the course syllabus, visit www.lifeedu.org.
