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Tuesday, March 11, 2008. 

To all UMW Biology Majors: Announcing the unveiling of umwBiology.org

UMWBiology.org is a new website designed exclusively for biology majors, biology faculty, and alumni of the biology program at the University of Mary Washington. It offers a single site for the dissemination of information of interest to UMW biology majors, faculty, and alumni. This site will serve as the primary way in which the department chair and department faculty can keep majors informed of the activities of the department, information about the curriculum, etc.

We ask that each Biology Major create an account for themselves ASAP. There are many benefits to creating a biology major account. You will be able to receive e-mails from the department chair announcing important department business, and you will have access to a variety of resources, including a jobs and careers page.

1) click on the create new account link on the left sidebar of the site

2) select the type of account you would like - SELECT UMW BIOLOGY MAJOR

3) Fill out the requested information - only the items that are marked by the red asterisk are required.

4) Click the create new account button at the bottom of the page

If all the information you provided is OK, the page will come back with the following message:

"Your Profile has been created.

You can see by this message that your account needs to be approved. The site administrator will check to make sure you are a major. Once that is verified, your account will be approved. Note that while you wait for the approval, your password and further instructions will be sent to your email address.

Once you gain account approval, login to the site using your login ID and password. Browse the site and see what resources are currently available to registered majors. Please remember this site is brand new. Some of the features and resources need further development - the site is under continuous refinement and expansion.

The University of Mary Washington has been selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to participate in a nationwide genomics course that will give first-year college students the opportunity to use sophisticated research techniques. 

UMW is among 12 colleges and universities in the United States, three in Virginia, chosen by HHMI’s Science Education Alliance (SEA). The SEA, headquartered at Janelia Farm Research Campus in Northern Virginia, seeks to expand the teaching of science and inspire new generations of scientists. Other Virginia institutions selected are The College of William and Mary and James Madison University.
           
The course, known as the Phage Genomics Research Initiative, is being developed by the SEA and will begin in fall 2008. The SEA will cultivate a network of scientists and educators who will work collaboratively to develop and distribute new information and methods to the education community.

Kathryn Loesser-Casey and Lynn O. Lewis, both professors of biology at UMW, were principal investigators of the grant.

 . . . more from UMW [+]

 . . . more from The Howard Hughes Medical Institute [+]