BSC Offers Inaugural
“Bioinformatics/CyberInfrastructure” Courset

( Bluefield)—Following an intensive summer of training and planning, Bluefield State College is now offering its first-ever course in cyberinfrastructure and bioinformatics. The hybrid course (cross listed as Computer Science 490 and Biology 490) is being taught both live and through the Center for Applied Research [CART] “Course Management System,” combining the best mix of actual classroom instruction with web-based learning.

“This is an exciting, tangible step forward in demonstrating our course, following several months of collaboration between selected Bluefield State College faculty and representatives of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Galileo Magnet High School in Danville, VA,” explained Bruce Mutter, CART Director. “The training (underwritten by a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation) focused upon designing an introductory course in bioinformatics and cyberinfrastructure.” Cyberinfrastructure is a relatively new term for research environments in which advanced computational, data acquisition, and management services are made available to researchers through high-performance computer networks, he added.

The forward-looking initiative will demonstrate and assess the new course for continual improvement, broaden access of high school and collegiate undergraduate students to advanced computing technologies, and encouraged trained students to pursue careers in “informatics.”

Lionel Craddock (Associate Professor, Computer Science), Dr. Martha Eborall (Associate Professor, Biology), and Dr. Lewis Foster (Professor, Physics), and Bruce Mutter (Director/Center for Applied Research & Technology [CART] at Bluefield State College) participated in training at VBI to develop the interdisciplinary course. Dr. Stephen Cammer, Dr. Oswald Crasta, Dr. Susan Faulkner, Daphne Rainey, and Betsy Tretola from VBI worked with the BSC faculty in the plenary initiative. 

VBI, BSC, and Galileo Magnet High School designees have conducted a related series of meetings designed to jointly develop a wide range of materials, including projects, course notes, and an instructors manual to support a combination of lectures, and discussion groups.  One example will be a hands-on workshop requiring an emergency response to a hypothetical pathogen outbreak. For this scenario, students will work with the same online software used by experts in areas of infectious-disease management to generate, analyze and interpret a wide range of high throughput genomics data via these state-of-the-art analytical tools. Students will learn to assist experts in public health to develop appropriate control measures for a disease outbreak. The main focus will be integration of multiple disciplines such as biology, computer science, and engineering technology to solve ‘real life’ challenges.

“The chance to partner with VBI is an exciting one,” Mutter continued.  “We are grateful for the work of Dr. Susan Faulkner, Dr. Bruno Sobral (Director/VBI), and Frank Hart (Dean/BSC School of Engineering Technology & Computer Science) to coordinate this educational outreach effort involving BSC CART, VBI, and Galileo Magnet High School.”

August 28, 2006

School of Engineering Technology & Computer Science Website