Astrobiology is a relatively new field of study in science, one that has found a home in the curriculum of many major universities. It is a multidisciplinary field that draws participants from a range of scientific specialties: geology, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science, and of course biology and astronomy. At the middle level, it…

Discusses: (1) the architecture of expert systems; (2) features that distinguish expert systems from conventional programs; (3) conditions necessary to select a particular application for the development of successful expert systems; (4) issues to be resolved when building expert systems; and (5) limitations. Examples of selected expert systems…

Reviews books for intermediate and older readers on astronomy, the history of computers, and geology. (CRH)

Reports the use of computer-managed instruction in introductory undergraduate geology courses in order to provide increased individualized instruction in large class situations. (SL)

When Congress created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 25 years ago, it directed that information derived from the agency's pursuit of knowledge through space exploration and aeronautical research be made available to all Americans. This has been accomplished through a series of scientific and technical publications. One…

Described is an undergraduate interdisciplinary project encompassing physics, computer science, and geology and involving a number of students from several academic departments. The project used the topic of the occurrence of in-home radon. Student projects, radon sampling, and results are discussed. (CW)

In 1988, the Office for Undergraduate Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (USEME) convened a series of disciplinary workshops designed to obtain a better understanding of the conditions and trends in undergraduate education in the United States in seven critical areas: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geosciences,…

This book presents the life stories of 10 women who work in various fields of science as well as information on education and financial aid and getting a good job (focusing on jobs in academia and industry). The life stories, based on interviews with women scientists, are organized according to their academic fields: (1) biology--Dr. Beatrice…

As members of the faculty of the same college, the State University of New York at Potsdam, the fifteen contributors to this book have the unique experience of working from the same pool of students in order to explore how to improve teaching, enhance learning, and make the classroom more interesting. Together professors from thirteen different…

As part of a study of the implementation of affirmative action in academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, interviews were conducted with the heads of ten of the eleven departments and programs of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FNSM). The data received were combined with written data available in…

This catalog includes abstracts of each of the papers delivered at the Arctic Science Conference. The conference was divided into the following symposia: (1) "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"; (2) "An Update of Alaskan Science and Discovery"; (3) "Science Education for the Public"; (4) "Hubbard Glacier,…

This volume provides comparative data for faculty salaries in public and private colleges and universities, based on two surveys of institutions conducted in 1990-91 and 1993-94 respectively. Data in this report are from the 306 institutions that provided data for both years. Data are provided for the following disciplines: Accounting;…

This document provides comparative salary trend data for full-time faculty at 212 public and 337 private colleges and universities, based on two surveys, one for the baseline year 1992-93 and the other for the "trend" year 1995-96. For each of the 25 disciplines, a summary review provides a definition of the discipline; information on average…

The quality of doctoral-level chemistry (N=145), computer science (N=58), geoscience (N=91), mathematics (N=115), physics (N=123), and statistics/biostatistics (N=64) programs at United States universities was assessed, using 16 measures. These measures focused on variables related to: program size; characteristics of graduates; reputational…