From the Dean

Biosciences initiatives top the University’s list of academic priorities

It was a big day for CBS when President Bruininks announced his top eight academic priorities at the State of the University address this fall. They are...

Clearly, CBS will play a leading role in the first two. But we also have parts in many others.

There are lots of external factors contributing to our position. Biology's time has come because of advances in genomics and biotechnology. And the world is looking to biologists to feed the planet's growing population, find alternatives to fossil fuels, and restore our ecosystems.

But the history goes back much further than that, reflecting decades of work at the University and CBS. In the 1940s Raymond Lindeman published a paper based on research at Cedar Creek Natural History Area that established modern ecosystem ecology. And in the 1950s, Regents Professor Eville Gorham did groundbreaking research on acid rain, chemical pollution of ecosystems, and global warming. David Tilman and others in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior carry on their legacy.

Similarly, our strength in microbial biochemistry and biocatalysis dates back to Regents Professor Stanley Dagley, who in the 1970s and 1980s used microbial enzyme pathways to carry out novel chemical reactions. Dagley attracted many talented young biochemists, including Larry Wackett, who is now Distinguished McKnight University Professor and head of the microbial biochemistry division. In turn, Larry attracted other talented young scientists, such as Claudia Schmidt-Dannert. Daniel Bond is the newest rising star to join that group.

The new initiatives are also a continuation of the 1997 Molecular and Cellular Biology Initiative and the reorganization of the biological sciences. Since those events, 41 new faculty have been hired and several facilities have been constructed or renovated.

While it's an honor for CBS to figure so prominently on the President's list of academic priorities, it's also a responsibility. The University and the State are depending on us for leadership in areas that are critically important to the future of Minnesota and the planet. Our goal is to make a difference in how the world deals with challenges presented by a growing population and overextended ecosystems. We'll do our best to meet those challenges.