A sizable portion of the Wesleyan student body has probably never been to Hall-Atwater, much less used one of its state-of-the-art labs. In some cases it seems like sciences at Wesleyan are just a dirty secret; in reality, the University is providing exceptional research and educational opportunities for undergraduates.
With the introduction of the bioinformatics certificate, Wesleyan has the opportunity to expand its renowned science department to a larger portion of the student body that may have never previously cared about the difference between a gene and a chromosome. By combining such varied fields as biology, computer science and even philosophy, the bioinformatics certificate could provide a template for spreading the sciences at Wesleyan across the entire liberal arts field.
While focusing primarily on biology and computer science topics through analyzing data culled from genetic research, electives within the bioinformatics certificates can be taken from the economics, astronomy, physics or philosophy departments. This inter-departmental collaboration is at the very least unusual, and possibly an indication of the direction academics may go in the future.
At a school where a disconnect is often felt between the sciences and the humanities, endeavors such as the bioinformatics certificate are crucial for linking that gap. When new tour guides are recruited, the admissions office often specifically requests science majors, but it has been to no avail. Already courses such as the Science and Modernism FYI exist that forge a connection between topics like chemistry and art. Were more classes like this to exist, Hall-Atwater may no longer be a foreign wasteland for a studio art major.
By thinking in the direction of combining multiple fields of study, the bioinformatics certificate will not only provide a unique educational experience for those who pursue it, but could bring prestige through the University through its uniqueness, thrusting the sciences in the spotlight they have long deserved.
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