Now more than ever, scientists need to understand the ethical, political, and religious context in which science operates in order to judge which scientific endeavors best advance the common good. Funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Ursinus College Center for Science and the Common Good fosters that quality of judgment in its science majors by encouraging them to make the most of the liberal education that Ursinus offers. Through a series of programs, outlined below, the Center engages science majors more closely with the humanities and the social sciences on campus.
The Center provides opportunities for all Ursinus students to think, speak, and write about the impact of science on the common good by maintaining a seminar series, hosting a Science Writer in Residence, and developing new courses. In addition, the Center focuses on two specific groups of science majors for further leadership development: [1] Fellows of the Center, who are prepared explicitly for both scientific and civic leadership, and [2] FUTURE Students of the Center, members of underserved populations in science who are given research opportunities early and often to ensure that they remain in science and have the opportunity to become Fellows of the Center.
|