Mandë Holford, a scientist specializing in marine mollusks, investigates how their venom operates with precise effectiveness. She recalls being astonished as a graduate student by a video showing a snail using venom to capture a fish. This experience inspired her to merge chemistry and biology to study venom’s potential medicinal uses. Holford, now a professor…
Marc Watkins recently delivered a keynote at the (Re)Imagining Liberal Arts & STEM Education in the Age of GenAI Conference at Harvey Mudd, discussing the significance of finding value and meaning in a world increasingly influenced by AI. His presentation built on previous insights shared on the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, providing deeper exploration…
Every galaxy, including the Milky Way, hosts a supermassive black hole at its core. When active, these black holes draw in material, forming a hot, swirling mass of gas and dust. As this material accumulates and falls into the black hole, it illuminates the surrounding area with immense energy. Quasars, the most powerful supermassive black…
The silicon used in most computer chips faces limitations in power handling, affecting the speed and energy efficiency of wireless systems. A potential solution lies in using gallium nitride transistors, which can meet the speed and energy demands of applications like 6G and satellite communications. However, these transistors generate significant heat, and when densely packed…
Teaching in the STEM field often involves a passion for the subject that educators hope to share with their students. However, it can be disheartening when this enthusiasm is met with disinterest. Student motivation is crucial for achieving learning objectives, yet it is often lacking because STEM instructors may not place their lessons within the…
Today’s faculty workload includes both apparent and hidden elements. Visible tasks encompass courses, syllabi, scheduled advising, and committee meetings. Hidden tasks involve facilitating discussions, managing student emails, providing late-night feedback, and dealing with cognitive fragmentation due to digital availability. In online teaching, work quietly and continuously expands, leading to blurred boundaries. This often results in…
Maha Bali frequently captures thoughts I’ve been pondering for some time. In “AI is Not a Tool: It’s a Medium-Institution,” Maha challenges the metaphor of AI as merely a tool. She uses the example of a hammer, noting that, unlike AI, when driving a nail, the direction is predictable. Maha argues that AI does not…
