NEURO
HOME PAGE FACULTY COURSES RESEARCH
and GRANTS INFO
for STUDENTS
KECK
GRANT (Neuroscience
and the Humanities)
The Brain and the Humanities:
W. M. Keck Foundation Funds New Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Curriculum
at Allegheny College MEADVILLE, Pa. - March 7, 2001
The W. M. Keck Foundation of Los Angeles recently awarded $400,000
to Allegheny College to support the College's neuroscience program.
The grant will fund four new interdisciplinary courses: "Neuroscience
of Dance and Movement," "Neuroscience of the Visual Arts," "Mind and
Brain" and "History of Neuroscience." In addition to funding the development
of the new curriculum, the grant will provide for technological equipment,
supplies for senior research projects, support for faculty and students
to attend professional conferences, and an outreach program that will
allow the College to more actively pursue presentations at other institutions
and regional schools.
"The grant from the Keck Foundation is very generous," says Jeffrey
Cross, Allegheny professor of psychology. "One of the program's missions
is to reach beyond neuroscience in a liberal arts context to create
linkages with other disciplines - and these funds will help us to ensure
that."
All four courses will expand the interactions that the neuroscience
program has with departments in the humanities. Taught by Dance Studies
Program Director Jan Hyatt and Jeff Hollerman, assistant professor of
psychology, "Neuroscience of Dance and Movement" will study the effects
of dance on brain activity. "Neuroscience of the Visual Arts" will incorporate
neuroscience, communication arts and studio art. The course will be
taught by Michael Keeley, chairperson of the communication arts and
theater department, Professor of Psychology David Anderson and Professor
of Art George Roland.Examining the philosophy of the mind, "Mind and
Brain" will be taught by Eric Palmer, associate professor of philosophy,
and Evelyn Buday, assistant professor of psychology. Finally, "History
of Neuroscience," taught by Cross, Assistant Professor of History Ken
Pinnow, and Associate Professor of Biology Lee Coates, will examine
the history of the neural system - which dates back as early as 5 B.C.
- and the differing opinions of philosophers and physicians in the study
of mind, brain and soul. All of these new courses will feature a laboratory
component, facilitated by Alexander Dale, professor of psychology.
The impetus for the new interdisciplinary courses in the program stems
from a recent prototype course titled "Neuroscience of Music Comprehension,"
a collaborative effort among Cross, Dale and Professor of Music and
artist-in residence Alec Chien. The three professors engaged students
in interdisciplinary approaches to neuroscience, electrophysiology and
classical music. Allegheny's program in neuroscience brings faculty
and students together to study the brain and the nervous system, using
principles from both the natural and social sciences.
Developed from a 25-year alliance between the College's well-known
biology and psychology departments, the major also requires a common
core of biology, chemistry, math and psychology courses. Students choose
to study cellular and molecular neurobiology or behavioral and cognitive
neuroscience, with several opportunities to explore interdisciplinary
topics through various seminars and research projects.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., the W. M. Keck Foundation is one of the
nation's largest philanthropic organizations. Established in 1954 by
the late William Myron Keck, founder of The Superior Oil Company, the
Foundation supplies grants for projects and programs that emphasize
medical research, science and engineering. The Foundation also maintains
a grant-awarding program for liberal arts colleges.
Allegheny College is a selective, nationally ranked college of the
liberal arts and sciences located in northwestern Pennsylvania. Founded
in 1815, Allegheny is ranked in the top five percent of all liberal
arts colleges in the number of graduates who go on to earn Ph.D.s and
in the top four percent in producing U.S. business leaders. Allegheny
is a learning community and a leader in collaborative undergraduate
research, creative exploration and experiential learning.
