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EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
While I am not specifically involved with ‘cooperative extension’, I will use this section to review: (1) my outreach activities through the non-profit organization called lifeedu.org; (2) my involvement and contributions as a local and national invited speaker; and (3) my various involvements with biotechnology companies involved with educational outreach.
(A) Description of programming responsibilities and introduction to lifeedu.org
lifeedu (pronounced, life e-d-u) is a nonprofit organization established for the creation, production, and distribution of educational materials on DNA, genetics, and modern biotechnology for middle school, high school, general undergraduate and the general public. The organization was founded to meet a growing educational need that is fundamental to the life sciences and the general education of our society.
Currently, there is a wide disparity between the knowledge of the general public about DNA and biotechnology and the actual science and its’ applications. This gap is growing wider every day and has created a current educational crisis about DNA, how life works and biotechnology. This lack of fundamental knowledge has resulted in much uninformed debate and even protests about biotechnology.
The goal of lifeedu is to bridge this gap in understanding and fundamentally change the way people think about life. The biological, health, and environmental sciences have been rapidly transformed by the introduction of DNA-based technologies that allow for the precise manipulation and examination of the genetic material of plants, animals, humans, and microbes. The advancements have been so rapid and extensive and have far exceeded the public knowledge base that crucial decisions are being made by default. Embryonic stem cell research, cloning, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food, genomic research and informed consent, are current controversies. The tools of biotechnology are currently being applied across the biological sciences to address problems in medicine, pharmacy, agricultural crop improvement, marine sciences and aquaculture, forensics, bioterrorism and public health. The introduction of this field has been extremely rapid and has created a tremendous educational need to keep pace. A working knowledge of DNA, genetics, and biotechnology has become as fundamental to a basic education as an understanding of the solar system. The more our society understands the fundamentals the better equipped they will be to participate, affecting career opportunities, economic development, policy and decision making, as well as general consumer education in a life long learning process. lifeedu is dedicated to the production and development of the most reliable, comprehensive and accessible educational materials about biotechnology. Educational kits and materials are developed in a modular approach that is auto-tutorial for both teachers and students and is fully up-datable.
lifeedu has established a broad base of industry, academic, and government support and expertise. Our highly respected Founding Board of Directors has enabled us to attract a diverse group of talented experts.
This Founding Board of Directors initiated the program and aims to be integral in biotechnology education in the State of Connecticut and nationwide and includes the following individuals: Directors: Albert Kausch, Ph.D. University of Rhode Island, Stephen Dellaporta, Ph. D. Yale University Elora Weringer, Ph.D. Pfizer, Inc. President, Albert Kausch, Ph.D. Co- Vice Presidents, Bioethics; Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D. Lawrence Rothstein, Ph.D. University of Rhode Island, Vice President, Middle School and High School Curriculum Reform David Moss, Ph.D. University of Connecticut, Vice President, General and Undergraduate Education Development T. Page Owen. Jr., Ph.D. Connecticut College Vice President, Training Program Development Gregory Paquette, Ph.D., CLS, University of Rhode Island, Vice President, Marine Biotechnology Education Marta Gomez-Chiarri, Ph.D. University of Rhode Island, Vice President, Vocational Agricultural Education, Govind Sharma, Ph.D. Alabama A&M University, Vice President, E-Learning and Biopharmaceutical Corporate Liaisons, Paul A. Armond, Ph.D. Pfizer, Inc. Vice President, Multimedia Productions, Chip Longo
lifeedu makes educational materials on biotechnology, such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, videos, textbooks, written lesson plans, demonstrations, kits, and other materials to facilitate teaching and information transfer about DNA, genetics and biotechnology. We believe it is now necessary to involve these materials and approaches throughout the life long learning educational sectors with an emphasis on introducing these materials early and throughout the education process. Help us change the future.
lifeedu.org
President and Founder Albert P. Kausch
(A) (2) Outside funding for lifeedu.org
AMGEN Foundation Rhode Island. Titled-“Production of a Distance Learning Course and Auto-tutorial Educational Materials on DNA, Genetics, and Current Topics in Biotechnology.” Albert Kausch and lifeedu $ 98,000.00 (active)
Pfizer Foundation. Titled-“Production of a Distance Learning Course and Auto-tutorial Educational Materials on DNA, Genetics, and Current Topics in Biotechnology.” Albert Kausch and lifeedu $ 50,000.00 (active)
Pfizer Foundation. Titled-“Production of a Distance Learning Course and Educational Materials on DNA, Genomics, and Current Topics in Biotechnology.” Albert Kausch and lifeedu $ 15,000.00 (active)
Corporate Sponsorships from Scotts Co., Delta Pine and Land Co. John Deere Co., Monsanto Co., EPIC Wisconsin Inc., HybriGene Inc., Bayer Crop Science, and Tee-Green Corp. Titled-“Gene Confinement for Genetically Modified Grasses.” A Symposium co-sponsored by Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects, Yale University New Haven, CT and lifeedu.org $40,000.
AMGEN Foundation Rhode Island. Titled-“Production of a Distance Learning Course at URI and Auto-tutorial Educational Materials on DNA, Genetics, and Current Topics in Biotechnology.” Albert Kausch and lifeedu $ 35,000.00 (pending)
Monsanto Foundation St. Louis. Titled-“Production of a Distance Learning Course at URI and Auto-tutorial Educational Materials on DNA, Genetics, and Current Topics in Biotechnology.” Albert Kausch and lifeedu $ 50,000.00 (pending)
(See also Appendix 5 in the section on Teaching)
(B) Innovative aspects of the program: On-line and Distance Learning for URI
By all accounts life edu is making a unique contribution. The work accumulated here has resulted in the successful development of the BCH 190 course and what will become URI’s first on-line course for non-matriculated students. As soon as on-line registration is accomplished for URI (Feb. 2006) this course will be available world-wide with a projected 1000 students per semester. The revues possible are obvious.
(C) (1) Description of Program activities
Summary of lifeedu Program Service Accomplishments for 2004-05
lifeedu (pronounced, life e-d-u) is a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization established for the creation, production, and distribution of educational materials on DNA, genetics, and modern biotechnology for middle school, high school, general undergraduate and the general public. Visit our web site at www.lifeedu.org The organization was founded, with Pfizer Inc. as the charter Sponsor, to meet a growing educational need that is fundamental now to the life sciences and the general education of our society. The Founding Board consists of members from the biotech industry, as well as leading academic institutions in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. This project would be in collaboration with a number of academic institutions including URI, Yale and Cornell and their affiliates as subcontractors to life edu.
The year of 2004-05 has brought significant program growth and service accomplishments for lifeedu. In Sept. 2004 lifeedu received the first of two grants from The AMGEN Foundation to fund the presentation of a series of lectures titled The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology during the Fall semester. This lecture series was presented as a course through the University of Rhode Island Kingston campus for college credit for students and open to the public free as an audit. The grant also supported High School teachers to take the course for free as part of their profession development. During the Fall semester this course was taken by a total of 85 participants: 31 undergraduates, 29 High School teachers (funded through the grant), 5 High School students; and, approximately 20 students comprising the general public took the course free of charge as an audit.
In addition, the funding provided the ability to film and edit the series that has been developed into a thirty DVD set that covers the entire course. This edited series has now been presented free of charge over Public Access television throughout Rhode Island (through Cox Cable 15) and southeastern Connecticut (through New London Public Access 21). This series is also the basis for the development of an on-line ELearning course that could be delivered anywhere in the world (see below). We have received very positive feedback from the public on these presentations. This DVD series provides the basis for lifeedu to present the entire course on-line or through public access television for college credit to a potentially national or international audience. Accreditation for this type of course has been arranged through the University of Rhode Island Special Programs.
The AMGEN Foundation, together with Pfizer, provided funding for the presentation of the same series in the Spring semester 2005. The Spring semester series was presented at the University of Rhode Island Providence Campus and was attended by 32 High School teachers, 7 undergraduates, and approximately 14 members of the general public as an audit. In addition this series was used as a beta test for the live teleconferencing of the course to 20 students at South Kingston High School who received college credit through the University of Rhode Island Special Programs. Both the live course and the tele-conferencing presentations were a success as determined by student evaluations conducted by the University of Rhode Island.
In May 2005 lifeedu organized a one-of-a-kind conference on the scientific advances, issues and bioethics of pharmaceutical production and gene confinement in genetically modified plants set for May 12-14 at Yale University in New Haven, CT. The event was co-hosted by Yale University Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project and lifeedu (see www.lifeedu.org). The symposium was funded through corporate sponsors of lifeedu including: The Scotts Co., Monsanto Corporation, John Deere Inc., Ceres Inc. Turf-Seed Inc., Tee-2-Green Inc., Bayer Inc., and EPIC of Wisconsin. The goal of this conference was to bring together information from a science-based perspective to discussions on advances in crop modification and gene confinement. Approximately 100 people attended the event presented by twenty of the world’s experts in the field. The first day of this symposium, Thursday, May 12, 2005 examined Genetically Modified Plants for Producing Pharmaceutical Products: Scientific Advances, Bioethical and Policy Issues, and was sponsored by Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects.. The second day of the symposium, Friday, May 13, 2005 for a complete list of corporate sponsors focused on “Gene Confinement for Genetically Modified Grasses: Gene Flow and Grasses” and was sponsored by lifeedu.org. The invited speakers addressed issues concerning gene flow and mechanisms for the mitigation of gene flow that can be applied to genetically engineered grasses and other perennial crops. On Saturday, May 14, 2005 a Workshop on Gene Confinement for Genetically Modified Grasses was held at The Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale sponsored by lifeedu.org. The Workshop consisted of a panel of experts from industry, academics and government who discussed the science and issues relevant to gene confinement in genetically engineered grasses and other perennial plants. The symposium series was free and open to the public. In addition the series was filmed and now available on the Yale web site.
High School Outreach is a natural outcome of the lifeedu program. During 2004-05 period Dr. Albert Kausch made general assembly presentations with approximately 100 students each, to several High Schools in Rhode Island and Connecticut including; Ponagansett High School RI, West Warwick High School, RI LaSalle Academy RI, Classical High School RI, Narragansett High School RI, North Smithfield High School RI, West Warwick Vets High School, RI, Stonington High School CT, and New London High School CT reaching over 900 students. Dr. Kausch also presented several lectures, free of charge and open to the public through lifeedu at several Universities including, Yale University, The University of Connecticut and Fort Valley State University in Florida. Funding from the RI School to Career Program provided a hands-on laboratory experience in Genetic Techniques for Plant Biotechnology attended by 20 High School students from five Rhode Island High Schools. These students gained exposure and experience in advanced techniques used in plant biotechnology for the genetic engineering of rice.
We are currently presenting the course lecture series at the University of Rhode Island Kingston campus, funded through AMGEN, Pfizer, and private donations. We have developed a fantastic series of Guest Speakers including Dr. Ken Miller (Brown Univ.) on Evolution and Intelligent Design; Dr. Robyn Rose (USDA APHIS) on Issues in Agricultural Biotechnology; and a Town Hall meeting on GMOs and Food with Dr. Michael Doane (Monsanto Company) Dr. Andrew Bent (International Food Council) and Dr. Ian Sussex (Yale Univ); Dr. Michael Morin on Biotechnology and Cancer, What the public needs to know (Pfizer); Dr. Michael Adamowizc (Connecticut State Police Crime Lab) on DNA and Forensics and several others. The course is presented live to approximately 120 students and it is now a General Education course at URI that will fulfill Science requirements for non-majors. We have developed on-line testing system for all the students which are instantly graded.
This semester we have extended our participation of various Rhode Island High Schools that are receiving the course through live tele-conferencing. This distance learning approach is through collaboration with RINET and URI Special Programs. The High School students receive three college credits through the University of Rhode Island Special Programs at a cost of $155 per student. We have included seven Rhode Island High School with approximately 20 students each These High Schools include: Ponagansett High School RI, West Warwick High School, RI LaSalle Academy RI, Classical High School RI, Narragansett High School RI, The MET Big Picture High School RI, West Warwick Vets High School, RI reaching a total of nearly 140 high school students.
Given these recent advancements we are now fully prepared to deliver this on-line as an E-learning course. We have established the capability of streaming the DVD set through collaboration with OSHEAN. Together with the on-line testing capabilities we are now set to deliver this course anywhere in the world. We are currently working with the University of Rhode Island to develop on-line registration capabilities for non-matriculating students. The course pricing will be $625 for (3) college credits; $800 for (3) graduate credits; and $155 for High School student receiving (3) college credits. Our surveys indicate that we could attract over a thousand students each semester to a world-wide market potentially generating over $1.5 million per year in revenues. Our web-site has recently been updated and expanded with a great new look and new added features.
We are currently preparing for the Spring Semester which will be hosted at the Peabody Museum at Yale University and will generate new lectures that will further augment the existing curriculum. We will be live tele-conferencing those presentations as well.
We are very grateful to our sponsors this year that have allowed this progress.
(C) (2) Chronology of activities including guest lectures, symposia and meetings (last five years only)
GMOs, Food, and the Taco Crisis. National Food Safety Symposium. Providence RI. Oct 3, 2000 (invited speaker).
GMOs and Agricultural Crop Improvement. Pfizer Symposium on GMOs and Food: Risks and Benefits, SCEC Education Center, New London, CT Feb. 17, 2001 (invited speaker).
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. Classical High School Providence, Rhode Island. March 3, 2001
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. New London High School, New London, Connecticut. March 3, 2001
Agricultural Biotechnology: The Future is Now. The University of Rhode Island. Honors Colloquium. Nov 5 2002 (invited speaker).
Biotechnology and Education. The Annual Meeting of The Southern AgBiotech Consortium For Underserved Communities (SACUC) Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley Florida December 12. 2002
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. Stonington High School, Stonington CT. November 3, 2002
The Way We Work With Life: A One Day Workshop for Science and Non-Science Staff in the Pharmaceutical Industry. AMGEN West Greenwich, RI (weekly) January 15-present, 2003
DNA Day. Narragansett High School Narragansett , Rhode Island. March 23, 2003
A One Day Workshop for High School Teachers On Agricultural Biotechnology. Sponsored by Pfizer. March 24, 2003.
DNA Day Stonington High School, Stonington CT. April 25, 2003
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. Ponagansett High School Ponagansett, Rhode Island. May 10, 2003
An Educational Platform for Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life. The National Agricultural Biotechnology Council Meetings. Seattle WA June 1, 2003
An Educational Platform for Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life. In Vitro Biology Meetings Portland OR, June 2, 2003.
A One Week Workshop for High School Teachers On Agricultural Biotechnology. Sponsored by Ponagansett High School Ponagansett, Rhode Island. June 23-27, 2003
Male sterility and the need for prevention of transgene escape in turfgrasses. 75th Annual Golf Course Superintendents Show. San Diego CA February 13, 2004
Environmentally Responsible Grasses: The need for prevention of transgene escape in turfgrasses. Third Annual South Central Turfgrass Meetings Richmond Virginia February 26, 2004.
The Prevention of Transgene Escape in Perennial Plants: Molecular Strategies. Entomological Society of America Northeast Region Meeting New Haven, CT March 1, 2004
Agricultural Biotechnology: The Turfgrass Connection. Annual Alumni Association Meeting. Pennsylvania State University. State College PA. September 10, 2004.
Transgene Flow and Male Sterility in Turfgrasses. Boyce Thompson Institute. Cornell University. Ithaca NY. September 13, 2004.
Agricultural Biotechnology and Issues of Transgene Escape. Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects, Yale University New Haven, CT November 11, 2004
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. North Smithfield High School North Smithfield, Rhode Island. December 4, 2004
Stem Cell Research: Controversies and Reality for the Public Interest. Yale University Student Interest group on Biotechnology. Yale University New Haven, CT December 9, 2004
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. Classical High School Providence Rhode Island. December 13, 2004
The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. A survey presentation for the general high school audience. LaSalle Academy Providence Rhode Island. December 13, 2004
DNA Day. Narragansett High School Narragansett Rhode Island. February 17, 2005
Genetically Modified Plants For Producing Pharmaceutical Products. (Organizer and Chair) A Symposium co-sponsored by Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects, Yale University New Haven, CT and lifeedu.org May 12, 2005
Gene Confinement for Genetically Modified Grasses. (Organizer and Speaker) A Symposium co-sponsored by Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects, Yale University New Haven, CT and lifeedu.org May 13, 2005
(D) List of media contributions for educational materials and workshops presented
See also collection of DVDs on Biotechnology education
Selected (only) Educational Materials (CD-ROMs, DVDs and Workshops, etc.)
1. Issues in Biotechnology: Meeting the Current Educational Crisis on Biotechnology. A General Course. 1999. (CD and Course Materials) Albert P. Kausch.
2. Issues in Biotechnology: A General Course on Biotechnology. (CD and Course Materials) 2000. Albert P. Kausch
3. The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. 2001-2002 A lecture series On the Principles, Applications, & Ethics of Biotechnology (CD containing nineteen lectures contributed by several co-authors) Albert P. Kausch, Editor.
4. An Educational Workshop for Investment Professionals: The Introduction of Concepts and Applications Regarding DNA, Biotechnology, and the Life Sciences Industries. 2002. (A CD and Workbook package produced and delivered to Connecticut Innovations, Inc. and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) May 18 2002) Albert P. Kausch
5. A Workshop for High School Teachers on the General Principles and Applications of Biotechnology. 2002 (A CD & Workbook package produced in collaboration with Pfizer, Inc.) Albert P. Kausch and Chip Longo
6. Agricultural Biotechnology: A teaching module for fifth and sixth grade. 2002 Albert Kausch and Chip Longo.
7. The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. 2002 A Lecture Series On the Principles, Applications, & Ethics of Biotechnology (CD containing twenty three lectures contributed by over fifteen renowned authors, Presented at Connecticut College, Sponsored by Pfizer, Inc,) Albert P. Kausch, Editor.
8. A Workshop for High School Teachers on an Educational Kit for Instructional Use on Agricultural Biotechnology 2003. (A CD & Workbook package including materials for learning oriented activities produced in collaboration with Pfizer, Inc.) Albert P. Kausch and Chip Longo.
9. A One Day Survey Workshop for Science and Non-Science Staff in the Biopharmaceutical Industries on the Principles and Applications of Biotechnology. 2003. (A CD and Workbook package designed and produced for the Science and Non-science Staff of AMGEN.) Albert P. Kausch
10. The Way We Work With Life: Issues in Biotechnology. 2003 A Lecture Series On the Principles, Applications, & Ethics of Biotechnology (CD containing twenty three lectures contributed by over fifteen renowned authors, Presented at Connecticut College, Sponsored by Pfizer, Inc,) Albert P. Kausch, Editor.
11. A One Week Workshop for High School Teachers On Agricultural Biotechnology Albert P. Kausch and Chip Longo. June 2003 albert P. Kausch
12. A One Day Survey Workshop for High School Teachers. 2004. All Matters Biotechnology. (A CD and Workbook package designed and produced with the Science and Non-science Staff of AMGEN.) Albert P. Kausch
13. Plant Biotechnology for the Developing World. Fort Valley State University June 12, 2004. Albert P. Kausch
14. The Way We Work With Life: A Thirty DVD set from the Issues in Biotechnology course series. 2005
15. A Workshop on Gene Confinement for Genetically Modified Grasses. (Organizer) May 14, 2005
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