Newswise — BEREA, Ohio--The international Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has named Baldwin Wallace University’s neuroscience program the Undergraduate Program-of-the-Year.
“What really seemed to impress the selection committee was the 3-step peer mentoring program that engages everyone who's involved in neuroscience at BW,” said Dr. Andrew Mickley, emeritus professor and founding neuroscience chair. “It provides a very special bond between groups of students working in faculty labs, as well as bonds between students and faculty. These are career-long relationships that are maintained well beyond BW graduation.”
The prestigious SfN award recognizes BW’s multidisciplinary program for “excellence in educating neuroscientists” and applauds the University for “providing innovative models to which other programs can aspire.”
“BW’s neuroscience program has risen to a place of international distinction through the hard work of many people across campus, especially Andy Mickley,” said BW president Robert C. Helmer. “We’re delighted that the Society for Neuroscience has acknowledged the remarkable results of these efforts."
"We’re also pleased that the success of the students enrolled in our program offers continual evidence of BW’s highly effective approach to teaching neuroscience.”
Neuroscience major Morgan Rogers ’14, praised the early exposure to neuroscience research and peer mentoring, saying the BW model has “accelerated my maturation, leadership skills and confidence.”
Neuroscience undergraduates at BW benefit from research opportunities right from the start, and often publish papers, present at international scientific conferences and win federally funded student internships at leading universities. Those who have applied to graduate programs or medical school have enjoyed a remarkable 95 percent overall acceptance rate.
“I presented my research at my first SfN meeting in Miami during the fall of my sophomore year,” said Dr. Cynthia Kenmuir, a “proud graduate of the Baldwin Wallace neuroscience program” and neurology resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “When I interviewed for MD/PhD programs, I received feedback about how competitive my resume was compared to those from peers at top academic universities. I believe the BW neuroscience program is truly light years beyond the pack and has been so for the past decade.”
Dr. Christopher Turner, who took over as director and professor of neuroscience at BW earlier this year, said, “We continue to build on the exceptional reputation that BW has earned in neuroscience education.” Turner, who came to BW from Wake Forest University, holds The John Baldwin Professorship in Neuroscience, established by the university administration to further advance the national prominence for neuroscience studies at BW.
“The most enjoyable aspect of my time at Wake was developing the undergraduate research program in my lab,” Turner said. “My ultimate goal was to help students establish the foundations that would allow them to develop as independent investigators, and many of the undergraduate students who trained in that environment went on to pursue advanced degrees in science or medicine. At BW, I found a program that shares that goal and I’ve been impressed by the layered, rich and diverse activity of neuroscience students here.”
International Recognition From a Growing Field
The “Undergraduate Program-of-the-Year” award, which includes a $1,000 prize for BW’s neuroscience program, was presented at SfN’s “Neuroscience 2012” conference in New Orleans. Annually, the event draws more than 32,000 neuroscientists from the elite universities of Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and the U.S., who gather to discuss the latest findings in the field.
“BW students have presented regularly at this meeting for many years now, as they did again this year,” said Turner.
“Neuroscience is booming!” Mickley said. “With all the growth in the discipline and the terrific educational opportunities that are available worldwide, we’re so pleased that SfN selected BW for this honor and recognized the program's innovative approaches to neuroscience education and research.”
BW Neuroscience Program Now a Global Role Model
Moving forward, SfN will use BW’s neuroscience program as an international role model, featuring the program on its website and disseminating details to “the global neuroscience community as a means of sharing successful practices in neuroscience education and training.”
The BW neuroscience program began as a minor in 1995 with a major first offered in 2000. The curriculum, which blends psychology, biology and chemistry courses, is research-intensive and all students are required to produce an empirically based senior thesis.
Neuroscience graduates work at colleges/universities, medical schools, research institutes, industry and government organizations. Neuroscience majors with a bachelor's degree find positions in biotech firms, government labs, and pharmaceutical firms, as well as public policy, among other areas.
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