This project addresses an unmet need for educational materials demonstrating applications of modern discrete mathematics and algebraic statistics to pressing problems in molecular biology. Growing out of two successful Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) projects (DUE-0126740 and DUE-0340930), this project is producing a collection of 8-10 twenty-page modules for undergraduate mathematics courses beyond calculus, including finite mathematics, discrete structures, discrete dynamical systems, linear algebra, abstract algebra, graph theory, probability, biostatistics, and mathematical modeling.
Intellectual Merit: Reflecting the current trend of increased importance of these fields in biomathematics research, the materials bridge the existing divide between theory and applications in courses throughout the mathematics curriculum. By drawing from the research areas of the faculty involved, ongoing research at the Virginia Tech Bioinformatics Institute, and recent advances in computational methods in biology and mathematics, these modules address a crucial national need to train students at the math-biology interface beyond calculus. Students employ open-source computational algebra software to learn these new integrated approaches.
Broader Impact: Being developed and subsequently tested at Sweet Briar College (a selective four-year liberal arts college for women) and Western Michigan University (a large Carnegie Research I regional state university), the modules are designed for use in a wide variety of courses beyond calculus. The self-contained modules can be easily adopted by a broad spectrum of undergraduate institutions for use in courses ranging from general education mathematics to teacher preparation to advanced undergraduate courses. Moreover, the modules are flexible: faculty looking for an exercise for a single course hour may choose part of a module, while faculty willing to commit more class time to these biomathematical applications can use the modules more extensively. The modules are being made available nationwide through the National Sciences Digital Library (NSDL), facilitating broader faculty development and greater student impact. Most importantly, by providing current, research-based applications for use throughout the mathematics curriculum, this project is further increasing student engagement and expertise at the critical nexus of molecular biology and mathematics.
