Center for BioMolecular Modeling staff receive awards
| Published: 03/15/2011 |
|
Dr. Ann Batiza, program director for MSOE's Center for BioMolecular Modeling, received the WSST Excellence in Science Education Award. The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) presents this award annually to a person who has made outstanding contributions to the improvement of science education in Wisconsin. The purpose of this award is to foster excellence in science instruction and to recognize that excellence. The award consists of free WSST membership for one year and a plaque. 
Dr. Timothy Herman, director of MSOE's Center for BioMolecular Modeling, received the WSST Friend of Science Award, which is given annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the support of science teachers by individuals, groups, corporations, or foundations outside the science education community. The award consists of free WSST membership for one year and a plaque.
Batiza's background reflects her strong interests in biology, education and writing. She received her undergraduate degree as an interdisciplinary major in biology and chemistry (emphasis biology) at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., in 1969 and attended Yale University in the Department of Microbiology. She later earned both an M.A. in education in curriculum and instruction (San Diego State University, 1977) and a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology (UW-Madison, 1998).
Batiza has taught at many levels: pre-K, middle school, high school and college and was in charge of developing the educational content of the then new Discovery Room at the St. Louis Science Center. While in St. Louis, Batiza wrote grants for the St. Louis City School desegregation effort and also developed curricular materials for an education publisher. More recently, she wrote a book for young adults called Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics: Getting the Big Picture published by Chelsea House. At the CBM Batiza was an early contributor to the Tactile Learning Curriculum, is the principal investigator of the SUN (Students Understanding ENergy) Project, and is developing additional educational projects to help learners understand the molecular basis of life.
Herman received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Nebraska in 1972 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Oregon State University in 1976. He pursued post-doctoral studies in molecular biology at Harvard Medical School from 1977-1980. He joined the biochemistry faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1980, and for the next 18 years, taught graduate and medical students while directing research programs in areas ranging from the synthesis of chemically cleavable biotin-labeled nucleotide analogs to the development of novel approaches to structure-based drug design.
In 1997, Herman began working with the MSOE Rapid Prototyping Center to apply this additive manufacturing technology to the production of physical models of proteins. He officially joined Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1998, as director of the newly-created Center for BioMolecular Modeling. Dr. Herman's current research interests are focused in two areas: the application of rapid prototyping technology to the production of physical models of molecular structures, and science education research projects designed to measure the impact of physical and computer-based models of molecular structures on student learning.
MSOE is an independent university with 2,600 students. MSOE offers 18 bachelor's degrees and 10 master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, building and infrastructure engineering, computer, business, nursing and health-related fields. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; and extremely high placement rates and starting salaries. MSOE graduates are well-rounded, technologically experienced and highly productive professionals and leaders.