The Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University has increased its enrollment from 510 in 1991 to 1234 majors in 1996. Though the Department has adequate funds for regular supplies and maintenance of physiological labs, it lacks funds for upgrading equipment to introduce new technologies and challenging experiments to undergraduate students. Our existing physiological equipment and outdated APPLE IIE computers are inadequate for providing rigorous lab courses. The requested Biopac Systems and computers with modems, Windows 95 and CD-ROM will provide numerous precise, accurate physiological recordings, on-line instant analysis of the recorded data, efficient reference search, internet group discussion, and multi-media applications. Students will be able to use new advanced technologies to conduct innovated physiological experiments. It is estimated that the requested equipment will benefit approximately one-thousand eight-hundred students per year in physiological experiments in seven courses. The requested computers with interactive CD-ROM for multimedia applications can also benefit many other courses. Funding for this project would significantly enhance the development of our future physiology program and attract many talented students physiological research. *
