I will be on sabbatical from Millsaps College in the Spring of 2002. My sabbatical will focus on modeling, simulation, and data visualization in the Sciences. In particular, it will focus on the PC Spartan package distributed by WaveFunction, ArcView Software for data visualization, and Environmental simulation software to be specified later. The expected outcome of my sabbatical will be materials to be integrated into the sciences’ curricula at Millsaps College and other ACS institutions.

Modeling, simulation, and data visualization have become essential tools in chemistry. However most liberal arts schools have not integrated these tools into the sciences’ curricula adequately. For example, Millsaps College has an ACS accredited department of chemistry but one major deficiency in the curriculum of the department is the lack of any formal presentation of molecular modeling. Any of our graduates who go on to graduate school are lacking preparation in an important area of chemistry. Further these are essential tools in research. Our students should be using these tools as part of their undergraduate research experiences. Typically no one in the sciences is adequately prepared to take responsibility for this new curriculum area.

As part of a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, we were able to take the first steps toward integration of these tools into our curricula. What is lacking at Millsaps College and at most ACS institutions is the training and acquired knowledge necessary to fully integrate modeling, simulation, and data visualization into our programs. I have extensive experience with much of this type software and am a professor of both Chemistry and Computer Science at Millsaps College. I intend to use my sabbatical to master the prerequisite software and to develop modules that can be incorporated into the existing curricula by a typical faculty member in the sciences. For example, an experiment which uses the PC Spartan Molecular Modeling Package could be added in the Physical Chemistry course. In addition, I intend to produce the tutorials needed by the instructor and student in order to use the modules.

My sabbatical begins in January of 2002. My work will continue through the summer of 2002. I expect materials to be available for class use in the Fall of 2002.

The hardware support for this project will be provided by Millsaps College.

I have been awarded a Faculty Development grant by Millsaps College for $2500 in partial support of this project. This money along with the ACS support will be used to purchase the necessary software, attend appropriate training workshops, pay for production and distribution of project products, and employ student assistants as needed. Some of the money from Millsaps College has already been used to support attendance at the NSF Chautauqua on ArcView Software which was held recently in Memphis at Christian Brothers Univeristy.

As a result of my sabbatical, a necessary topic in the sciences can be added to our curricula in the sciences. These tools of modeling, simulation, and data visualization will enrich our students’ undergraduate experience and they will be better prepared for professional work or study.

An evaluation form will be produced and distributed on the cd-rom containing a tutorial and module. The form will be web-based and automatically sent to a specified email address. Each faculty and student using the materials will be encouraged to compete the form to assist in revisions of the products.

Tutorials and modules will be written to cd-roms for easy distribution. In addition, much of the products from the project will be web-deployed.