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Gateway Sciences Initiative

Gateway Sciences Initiative Logo

About GSI

The Provost’s Gateway Sciences Initiative is a multi-dimensional program to improve and enrich learning of gateway sciences at Johns Hopkins University for undergraduate and graduate students.  Through a grant program, a Symposium on Teaching Excellence, and a new Faculty Forum on Teaching series, the University seeks to improve our understanding of how students learn and to promote pedagogical innovation in courses that form the foundation for, or provide a gateway to, more advanced work in sciences, engineering, and quantitative studies. As a part of this initiative, Johns Hopkins will provide grants to support a variety of competitively selected instructional enhancement projects.  All projects will align with sound pedagogical practice and will include rigorous assessment plans.  Our goal is to generate and disseminate evidence of educational excellence to the deans, chairs, directors, and faculty who make decisions on curriculum development and instructional resource allocation at Johns Hopkins.

White Paper

The Johns Hopkins Gateway Sciences Initiative seeks to advance our understanding of how students most effectively learn gateway sciences and promote pedagogical innovation that permits students to attain competency at the introductory level as rapidly as they are capable of doing.   A background document that explains the genesis of this initiative can be found here:
A Proposal for the Johns Hopkins University Gateway Sciences Initiative. [PDF]

Media Coverage

The JHU Newsletter, January 31, 2013
University holds symposium to discuss Gateway Sciences Initiative

The JHU Hub, January 23, 2013
New perspectives on teaching science

Voice of America, May 18, 2012
Colleges Innovate to Fill Science Job Surplus

The Johns Hopkins Magazine, March 1, 2012
So Long, Lecture Hall

The Washington Post, February 15, 2012
Colleges Looking Beyond the Lecture

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter, February 1, 2012
University hold Symposium on Teaching Excellence in the Sciences

Inside Higher Ed, January 23, 2012
Standing Up for Teaching

Welch Library Blog, January 19, 2012
Interview with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County

The JHU Gazette, January 9, 2012
Inaugural GSI Grants Announced: 10 Pilot Programs to be Unveiled at Jan. 20 Symposium

The JHU Gazette, December 5, 2011
Ratcheting Up Teaching of Sciences: Daylong Session Will Gather Experts to Share Ideas 

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter, September 15, 2011
Gateway” is Intro to Intros

The JHU Gazette, August 29, 2011
Can We Build Better Science Courses?
Gateway Sciences Grant Applications Wanted

Faculty Steering Committee

Gateway Sciences Initiative Faculty Steering Committee Members

Name Position School Email
Joel Schildbach Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education; Professor, Dept. of Biology KSAS joel@jhu.edu
Marie Diener-West Chair, Master of Public Health Program;
Abbey-Merrell Professor, Dept. of Biostatistics Education
BSPH mdiener@jhsph.edu
David Andrews Dean of the School of Education and Professor SoE davidandrews@jhu.edu
Richard Brown Director of Undergraduate Studies; Assoc. Teaching Professor, Dept. of Mathematics KSAS brown@math.jhu.edu
Michael Falk Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering WSE mfalk@jhu.edu
Chris Falzone Teaching Professor, Dept. of Chemistry KSAS falzone@jhu.edu
Sharon Gerecht Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering WSE gerecht@jhu.edu
Elaine Hansen Executive Director, Center for Talented Youth

elaine.t.hansen@jhu.edu

John Harrington Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs; Professorial Lecturer, International Economics Program SAIS jharrington@jhu.edu
Howard Katz Professor and Chair, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering WSE hkatz5@jhu.edu
Tom Koenig Assoc. Dean for Student Affairs; Asst. Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science SoM tkoenig@jhmi.edu
Jon Links Professor, Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences BSPH jlinks@jhsph.edu
Maria Merritt Assoc. Professor, Dept. of International Health BSPH mmerritt@jhsph.edu
Dan Reich Professor and Chair, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy KSAS reich@jhu.edu
Ben Schafer Swirnow Family Scholar Professor and Chair, Dept. of Civil Engineering WSE schafer@jhu.edu
Edward Scheinerman Vice Dean for Education; Professor, Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Statistics WSE ers@jhu.edu
Stephen Wilson Professor, Dept. of Mathematics KSAS wsw@math.jhu.edu
Ex officio
Scott Zeger Director of Hopkins inHealth; Professor, Dept. of Biostatistics BSPH sz@jhu.edu
Candice Dalrymple Assoc. Dean of University Libraries and Director, Center for Educational Resources CER cdalrymple@jhu.edu
Kelly Clark Program Manager PO kelly.clark@jhu.edu

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