The seminal report Vision and Change outlined improvements necessary for undergraduate biology courses to accomplish widely recognized learning objectives. Over the past 8 years, we have developed a two-semester introductory biology course that incorporates the core concepts and competencies recommended in Vision and Change Using published research on how students learn, we focused our efforts ...

This study is intended to encourage appropriate social norms among multiple agents. Effective norms, such as those emerging from sustained individual interactions over time, can make agents act cooperatively to optimize their performance. We introduce a “social learning” model in which agents mutually interact under a framework of the coordination game. Because coordination games have dual equi...

Supervisors direct people, but mentors are valued and trusted advisors. Recently, the author took a course in supervising postgraduate research, which included surveying the literature as well as discussions with colleagues who have various levels of experience in research supervision. Through this exercise, some basic ideas for best practices in research mentoring became clear, particularly fo...

In 1981, personal saving in the United States was $106.6 billion, or 4.4 percent of personal income? Net corporate saving, as defined by undistributed profits net of estimated economic depreciation, was $49.5 billion, or 44.0 percent of after-tax corporate profits? Thus, net private saving was just 6.0 percent of net national product, which was $2.6 trillion. This level of savings is low by his...

in this commentary, we argue that financial incentives are only one of many key components that employers should consider when designing and implementing a workplace wellness program. strategies such as social encouragement and providing token rewards may also be effective in improving awareness and engagement. should employers choose to utilize financial incentives, they should tailor them to ...

Acknowledgements I'd like to express my deep gratitude to my Ph.D. advisers Professors James Lepowsky and Robert Wilson for their insightful advice, constant encouragement, and interesting lectures. Being one of their students, I have learned from them not only mathematics but also English writing. I am grateful to Professor Chongying Dong for many stimulating discussions and for helpful advice...