This is science’s newest Golden Age. Young people today are inspired by generational heroes like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg that were filled in the relative recent past by the likes of Michael Jordan and Mick Jagger. The fact that today’s students can dream of emulating role models who achieved their status using their minds and curiosity is a good thing.

However, there is one significant drawback. The rock star status of today’s scientific celebrities encourages aspiring scientists to focus on the retail possibilities that can result in fast fame and wealth. While understandable, this unwittingly neglects a crucial part of the scientific equation — basic research.

For example, let’s look at the way the music industry has changed over the last decade or so. Instead of going to a record story, most people now get their music electronically via MP3 files through an online store like iTunes, and download it to portable MP3 players like iPods. Each of these products — MP3s, iTunes and iPods — was created to fill a specific commercial void. Scientists identified a need and developed a product. That is applied research.

But these would not exist if not for the anonymous scientists at the Swiss laboratory CERN whose research led to the development of the internet, or the no-name physicists in the 1920s whose abstract discoveries in electronics and sub-particles paved the way for today’s computers. These unheralded breakthroughs are products of basic research.

Basic research is the foundation on which applied research is built, and feeds the pipeline for the products and services we consume. But too few of today’s and tomorrow’s scientists are showing interest in laboring unknown in the back labs of basic research. The money and the notoriety, it seems, comes from advancements championed through applied research.

Compounding the problem are the funders. America’s top companies used to provide significant dollars to basic research, recognizing it is a perquisite for innovation that led to viable commercial products, among them the transistor, nylon and Teflon. But basic research is expensive, time consuming and there are no guarantees of a billion-dollar breakthrough. Without the robust support of private companies like The Bell Labs and Dupont, the homegrown pipeline begins to run dry. The financial pressure then falls squarely on government funding and university research.

When public dollars are being used, there is frequent pressure to focus on applied research, rather than appropriate revenues for experimentation with no known conclusion. Earlier this week, an advisory panel recommended to federal agencies shutting down the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, home of last remaining particle collider in the U.S, because of tight budgets. The collider smashes gold ions and protons together, which enables scientists to study the formation of the universe. Research like this is too important to be penny foolish.

On a recent trip to Israel, I met with the head of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the country’s leading research institution. Their students and fellows focus almost exclusively on basic research. Weizmann is Israel’s smallest university, yet it is one of the top five highest earning institutions in the world because of its patents and their subsequent commercialization.

The United States, and its stable of excellent colleges and universities, needs to learn from the Weizmann model. We know basic research is valuable. Weizmann shows us it can be profitable, too.

One of my role models is Mary-Claire King. A researcher who spent nearly 20 years studying breast cancer, she faced a barrage of criticism for wasting time and money. Eventually she discovered the breast cancer gene, which has helped tens of millions of people survive breast cancer. Her stubbornness and perseverance in basic research saved lives and resulted in billions of dollars in direct and indirect economic impact.

We need more scientists like Mary-Claire King. Yet it is doubtful many students who are planning on careers in science have heard of her or are planning to emulate her. But she, and countless anonymous basic researchers, unquestionably had as great an impact on their future careers as Jobs and Zuckerberg and the other rock stars they one-day hope to follow.

Great Science requires curiosity—but that’s not enough. Great scientists are skilled at asking questions and also passionate about finding the answers to make a difference. Great scientists and great artists are thinkers and doers. At WPI, our reputation for producing graduates who get things done is well-earned. We are indeed a world-class STEM institution and are rightly proud of our strength in producing successful innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs. We know that we are able to do so consistently because our curriculum is also grounded in fueling creativity, encouraging diverse perspectives, and fostering critical thinking to bring new ideas to life. Here, we instill teamwork from the first year, in virtually every class and most definitely through the WPI project approach. Thinking and doing. Theory and practice. Science and arts. You need it all to solve the world’s complex and compelling problems.

I believe that the art and passions driving innovation are as powerful as the knowledge and skills essential for discovery. I know that there is beauty and wonder in all aspects of science and the humanities. To break through and make a difference, it’s certainly critical to delve deeply into a specific field. But no less critical is the need to reach outward and seek divergent ideas and connections with experts across disciplines. From there we find the metaphors and analogies. From different points of view we can find ways to converge. Through commonalities of ideas and patterns we can break away from traditional thinking to find new ways to solve problems.

Kristie Charish wrote something several years ago that has stayed with me as a reflection of the beauty of Arts & Sciences and my good fortune as Dean. “Art leads to scientific innovation and science inspires art. Like a pair of bookends they work best in tandem and change the way we knew the world.”

I think of WPI as that good book between two powerful bookends.

Our world has become flat as geographical, political, and communication barriers have been removed by technological revolutions BUT it doesn’t mean we look at information the same way when it comes to problem solving, experimentation, and interpretation of meaning. We have different experiences, different cultures with our sciences and different histories from which we build our understanding. In fact, we view information differently and, if not shared, we may miss some of the most salient ideas that could emerge from a more diverse international perspective.

In reflecting, I began to ask the following questions about the future of information sharing, knowledge discovery, and innovation: How do we maximize what each of us has to offer to strengthen the impact of successful local and national programs to the benefit of our global society? How do we find the niche areas where we can contribute most effectively? How do we develop the new skills in leadership and communication that are needed in this increasingly global marketplace?

WPI, through our faculty, students, alumni and staff, can be a catalytic force providing solutions and leadership in the development of global partnerships for the sharing of technology and innovation. WPI is poised for this role with its rich history of removing barriers and creating networks between industry, government, and education establishing truly successful partnerships around the world. We have long recognized that by the addition of international perspectives, we not only speed the transformation of knowledge to application but also advance discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers. Through these global partnerships, we can leverage what is known on a local scale to the interpretation and modification of the international community and by doing so strengthen the original ideas. With our project based programs and terrific international alumni networks, WPI makes a difference.

Our WPI diaspora around the globe is both strong and committed. Join us in making things happen.

In the WPI Plan, we achieve excellence through a peer learning and inspiring model. Our projects, whether they are design or implementation focused, utilize the best of our talents to solve problems and to be relevant to our community. Being inspired by peers leads us to a state where we raise not only the ceiling for our most talented community members but also the floor of our expectations for all.  At WPI, the power of evidence, the continual assessment to improve quality, and the environments for learning stand as a foundation of the WPI Plan and our collective excellence.

The power of this education is more than a single faculty member’s crucial contribution. That power also lies within our community of learners and the culture they establish at WPI. So how are we establishing the culture of excellence at WPI? How are we using the power of the presence of others?

As the Dean of Arts & Sciences, one of my most important tasks is to promote creativity, innovation and balance between the scholarship of teaching and the scholarship of discovery. Our proud tradition as problem solvers requires the rigor of research aligned with an appreciation and understanding of the problems facing our generation and beyond. Researchers as teachers, learners as inventors, and community members as partners working together make up the culture of excellence in the Arts and Sciences at WPI.

I would like to invite you to be a more engaged member of this community. I am certainly proud to be part of an institution that respects the talents of others and one that works together to form the community we call WPI. As Arendt’s words remind us, we need to draw on all our talents, time and treasures and I hope you will lend yours as we continue to educate the future leaders of tomorrow.

Courtesy of NASA.gov.

By Karen Kasmanian Oates

I was inspired by Sally Ride.

Being a woman, maybe that isn’t too surprising. As the first American woman in orbit, Sally Ride became a hero and inspiration to millions of girls during the historic shuttle launch that took her into space in 1983.

The difference is that I wasn’t a girl and I was already a professional scientist. By the time Ride, who died July 23rd from pancreatic cancer, lifted off into the national consciousness 29 years ago, I was already a tenured professor of biochemistry.

Young girls watched and dreamed of their future when images of Ride working in zero gravity were broadcast back through their televisions. But watching as they did, I was transported into my past, to the time when I was the only girl in my high school physics class and the teacher would start every day, “Gentlemen … and Karen.”

There were female role models in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) world Sally and I grew up in – women like Rachel Carson, a marine biologist who was one of the first leaders of environmental movement – but they were few and far between. And, more importantly, they were not enough of a household name that would inspire teachers to inspire girls.

That was the magic of Sally Ride. She used her celebrity to not just reach girls in school but to also encourage teachers to excite their female students about the wonders of science. She spoke publicly about the responsibilities of universities to introduce girls, minorities and other under-represented groups to courses of study that would prepare them for careers in STEM fields.

Ride’s pronouncements echoed through colleges everywhere and allowed many of us in the higher education field to focus on that rather than the “publish or perish” pressure professors often face.

During that period, I was moved to create a camp for middle school girls at George Mason University, where I taught, called Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Camp. Hundreds of girls came to campus over several years and were introduced to the stimulating experiences that math and science offer.

Today, there are more opportunities and possibilities for girls interested in STEM than the 1983 Sally Ride could have imagined. Nearly 50 American women have traveled to space, almost all of them anonymous to non-NASA employees, a testament to the extraordinary path that Ride blazed.

Millions of women are working in science and technology-related fields. More and more are majoring in STEM subjects in college and many are deciding to take their education into the classroom to inspire a new generation of girls, mirroring Ride’s vision.

At WPI, we have a long-standing history of training STEM teachers. Earlier this year, we launched the STEM Education Center at WPI, where undergraduates can earn teaching certificates while working toward their Bachelor’s Degree. Current teachers can study for a Master’s Degree or fulfill professional development requirements. The first classes begin this fall.

WPI also hosts Camp Reach, a week-long science camp for seventh-grade girls. Now in its 15^th year, Camp Reach was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring by President Obama in a White House ceremony last year. The first day of camp this year was Monday, the day Ride died.

Every year, we see the same look on the campers’ faces when they realize they are not the only girls their age that love math or think science is cool. There is a good chance that before this week, they had never heard of Sally Ride. And there is a great chance that, after this week, they will never forget her.

None of us will.

It has been a great year getting to know the WPI community! Since joining WPI, I’ve been meeting with alumni, faculty, parents, corporations, and current students; I am continually impressed with our community of scholars.

We are increasingly a global community; that’s one reason Provost Eric Overström has charged me with convening a task force on the globalization of WPI. We’re reaching out to distinguished alumni and friends to help us better understand the global impact of a WPI education. Over the coming months, the task force will develop recommendations for intersecting with global issues in all areas of scholarly inquiry, community service, and technological change. Many of the WPI projects are already pursued all over the globe; you will see us extending and enhancing this impact as we move forward.

As a biochemist, I know we can also enhance our impact through the life sciences. Over the last year, I’ve been working to position WPI as the destination for students who want careers in human and animal health. I firmly believe WPI should be the first choice for pre-health students pursuing a variety of majors; our project-based curriculum is tailor-made for exposure to these professions. This fall, we welcomed our first cohort of Pre-Health Scholars. These talented students (shown in the photo above) are recipients of special Dean’s Fund financial aid and are also joining me in a reading group that examines the many aspects of healthcare, race, and socioeconomic issues—actually, the Arts and Sciences. We’re using The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as a springboard for scholarly discussion of the limits and possibilities of the life sciences.

WPI is fortunate to have a whole array of possibilities for future growth. I know we must be strategic and targeted in growing the Arts & Sciences. As I travel around Massachusetts and the country visiting with alumni and friends, my primary goal is to thank you for your support; annual and special project support gives us the flexibility we need to pursue our mission in the most targeted ways. Your support also sends a signal to major foundations and others that we are making an impact. And, I’d like to learn from you how we can enhance our programs and strengthen our alumni network.

I look forward to meeting you. There is a lot on my plate but I’m loving every moment as I move to increase the visibility of the good work we do both here on campus and in the larger community. In the meantime, please enjoy this newsletter—a small sample of many exciting alumni, student, and faculty achievements—and thank you for warmly welcoming me to WPI!

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Join the conversation: click here for more information on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Do you know a talented student who wants to pursue a health-related career? Click here to learn more about Pre-health at WPI.

Want to support a Pre-health student or program? Contact us for more information.