Experiential Learning Opportunities:Internships and practica with local industries (TVA); with local physicians and regional hospitals; in local bio-molecular, analytical, environmental laboratories. Formal Summer Research Programs at National laboratories (ORNL, Savannah River, Argonne, Livermore, Batelle, Brookhaven) or at NSF-funded summer research (REU) programs (UTK, UK). A summer undergraduate research program on characterizing G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) in yeast run from the natural science division at Maryville College. This research is funded by both the NIH and the ACA. Ongoing faculty-sponsored research projects in the east Tennessee region and in northern Manitoba, Canada offer students the chance for one-on-one experience. Faculty ProfileName: Drew Crain
More often than not, Dr. Drew Crain finds that scientists are stereotyped as withdrawn, boring people. This is a perception that Crain is working to change. As lively and engaging in class as he is in person, the biologist with an affinity for things that crawl, creep or slither (namely, reptiles and amphibians) is a favorite among Maryville College students, faculty and staff. As a teacher, Crain understands his greatest challenge to be helping students make practical connections between what classroom learning and the larger world. Not surprisingly, labs for Crain’s classes are never optional. “For me, lab is not ‘in addition’ to the lecture,” says Crain. “It is part of the lecture.” And by insisting that his students actually “do science,” rather than simply learn about it, Crain’s classes have become some of the most popular on campus. In his continuing quest to put aside incorrect stereotypes, Crain stresses both written and oral communications skills in his classes. “Being a good scientist requires one to be a good communicator.” Hence, the writing and speech courses in Maryville’s core curriculum are, in Crain’s estimation, just another necessary prerequisite for a solid foundation in the sciences. Drew Crain teaches more than just biology – he has a talent for teaching his students to see the larger, interconnected perspective, the “whole forest, not just the individual trees.” Whether he is teaching about birds, pressing environmental issues, or the hard-to-answer questions that science and religion both raise, Crain helps keep the “everyday importance” of his lessons in view. “I want every student to come out of class saying, ‘Wow, I’ve really learned something useful.’” |
Meet The Faculty Natural Science Faculty and Staff:
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