Proposal to Direct COSMOS

1. Proposal to Direct COSMOS Miguel F. Aznar October, 2005

2. Staff Administration Curriculum Instructors Materials Students

3. Discovery Lectures & • Enrichment Sessions • Student feedback • Science seminars • Informal after-dinner discussions w/ UC faculty (voluntary, < 30 students) • Modeling thinking process & • crossing disciplines through • Panel Discussions • Debates • Game shows • Video production Discovery Lectures 2005 Some Great Challenges for 21st Century Scientists Magnets and Semiconductors: Fundamental Science, Technological Applications, and “Magic Tricks” Understanding Great Earthquakes and Killer Tsunamis The Milky Way, Schroedinger’s Cat and You Bioluminescence, Biology & Biotechnology: Glowing Jellies of the Deep Mad Cow Disease- the Agent is “Alive” Within Us Beyond CSI: What Forensic Anthropologists Really Do Enrichment Sessions 2005 Study Skills for The Sciences Careers in Science Health Sciences Preparing for College (A-G) Applying to College Life After High School Financial Aid Student Panel Science Seminars 2004 UC faculty-led Informal discussion near dorms during study hall Voluntary for students ~30 students Possible Panel Discussions Plagues Biology (what is a virus or a bacteria?) Evolution(how do they change?) Genetic engineering (feasibility?) Epidemiology (emergent property) Public policy (tradeoffs, politics) Ethics (value of life, risk assessment) Global warming Physics (energy, work, temperature) Environmental sci (balance, sources) Economics (retrofit cost) Public policy (tradeoffs, politics) Engineering (inventing solutions) Accelerating change Biology (rates of evolution) Engineering (Moore’s law+) Sociology (Future Shock) Ethics (Posthumanity) Possible Debates Evolution Punctuated equilibrium vs. smooth Mutation vs. symbiosis Global warming CO2 vs. sun cycles vs. unknown cycles Latency, impact, solutions Genetic engineering New cures vs. new diseases Healthier vs. divided population Game shows Bad Science Panel of 3 scientists describe their alleged discovery. Students ID the 1 that is false, looking for bad science. Peril Based on the synonymous TV show, students answer questions in various scientific categories. Video Production Student production (intern) or UCSC Media Services Webcasting Useful for other COSMOS campuses Streaming/download Student makeup of missed session Market to students / teachers / donors General education of the public

4. Clusters • Include areas of UCSC prominence? • ? Complexity theory (“chaos”) • ? Genetics (human genome project, • bioinformatics) • √ Marine biology (well-covered in COSMOS) • ? Engineering / Computer science (partly covered w/ nanotechnology & robotics) Cluster in 2005 1. Logic and Probability: Truth and Uncertainty 2. Engineering the Future: Robotics, Nanotechnology... 3. Under the Sea: Exploring Marine Organisms and Their World 4. Everyday Chemistry: From Perfumes to Pollution 5. Ocean Dynamics: From Wind to Whales 6. Chemistry and Mathematics: From Life to Thought 7. Stars, Sight, and Science 8. Marine Mammals in the Past, Present, and Future 9. Particle- and Astrophysics: Investigations of the Minuscule to the Massive

5. Transferable Skills • General Skills • · Research (e.g. critical thinking, problem solving, analysis) • · Communication (e.g. oral, written, non-verbal) • · Interpersonal (e.g. leadership, networking, teamwork) • · Personal (e.g. self-management, flexibility, goal setting, commitment) • Discipline-Specific Skills • · Problem Formulation/Solving • · Data Interpretation/Analysis/Presentation • · Laboratory • · Computer • · Fieldwork • Promote goals of COSMOS clusters & program • · Cluster math/science course curricula, • · Student final projects and presentations, • · Other program components as required. Evaluatingsources of informationimportant in studentresearch

6. Recruiting Professors • Motivation to teach COSMOS • Concern for K-12 education (especially if has children this age) • Joy of teaching highly-motivated students • Financial compensation • Satisfy NSF grant educational requirement • Career advancement • ? • Career advancement priorities • Funding • Research & Publishing • Recruiting good grad students • … • … • … • … • Teaching COSMOS • Promotion • Dean-supported breakfast presentation to professors recruited 2 for 2. One professorretired months earlier than plannedjust so he could teach COSMOS. Others maybe similarly motivated by the tabula rasaopportunity to teach motivatedstudents. • Career advancement priorities • Funding • Publishing • Recruiting good grad students • Teaching COSMOS • … • … • … • …

7. Recruiting Teacher Fellows • Marketing • Word of mouth • Flyers to schools • Direct contact to principals • Conference presentations • Motivation to teach COSMOS • Financial compensation • Joy of teaching highly-motivated students • Chance to work with UC faculty in cutting edge areas • Career advancement • ? Training is informal. Template Transferable Skills curriculum isoften cluster topic specific. Teacher fellows work out curriculum with professors incluster.

8. Selecting Students • Two-stage approach • Staff screen by numbers • Faculty review whole package • Can we predict performance? • Prediction • Grades • Essay • Performance • Can we recruit diversity?

9. Performance as Cluster instructor Feedback from staff Evaluated by UCOP Panoramic grasp of science,technology, and mathematics UC electrical engineering & computer science Published author on technology ina science / social context Developed curriculum on technological literacy Public speaker on education and technology Experience managing large projects Bicycle tour of 150 people over 8 days (2004, 2005) Going beyond the required Saturday movies: Mindwalk, Future of Food Faculty vs. student soccer games Scholarships, escort of students to Stanford conference Qualifications