The University often touts its efforts toward interdisciplinary study, creating specific centers that cross different fields of academia and encouraging researchers to do so as well. One award for such work, given annually, is the Barbara and Randall Smith Arts and Sciences Intellectual Enrichment Fund.
The fund, awarded to two Duke faculty members, was given this year to Henry Greenside, professor of physics, and Peter McIsaac, assistant professor of Germanic languages and literature.
The fund awards $5,000 to each professor to pay for books, travel and equipment expenses for a semester off to explore a new area of research that each candidate outlined in a proposal to the selection committee.
In addition to learning about ongoing research in neurobiology on the international level, Greenside plans to collaborate with Lawrence Katz, a James B. Duke professor in neurobiology, to develop and test theoretical models of mammalian olfaction, a process mammals use to identify and remember smells.
"I plan to use this award to explore current research in theoretical neurobiology, a completely new area of research for myself, and to try to build up a research group in the area of theoretical neurobiology," Greenside said.
The award also allows professors to bring together disciplines in arts and sciences.
McIsaac is using his award to combine his love for Germanic culture with biology. He is particularly interested in viewing the impact of science museums on German national history and culture from the late 18th to early 20th century.
"These collections are interesting because museums came into being at the exact same time the sciences came into being. We haven't completely understood what the relationship is--how sciences depend on museum collections and vice versa," he said.
McIsaac praises the award for its versatile applications.
"This program is really special. What is important for professors to do groundbreaking work is to have time and resources and this program gives you that. It's an example of why it's good to be a professor at Duke," McIsaac said.
Although McIsaac will not take leave until next fall, he has been taking introductory biology classes such as Biology 26 and Biology 100 and has been working with biology professors to get a head start.
Kathleen Smith, chair of the department of biology, has worked closely with McIsaac in helping him choose classes.
"I think this program is a great idea. While many faculty can't easily pull up and spend a semester in another department, for others it allows a real opportunity for in-depth interdisciplinary work. Duke has a great commitment to interdisciplinary studies, and this is one program that really Oputs its money where its mouth is,'" Smith said.
Greenside agrees that the award will benefit more than its recipients.
"Not only does an individual like myself benefit, but I think that the group that sponsors a Smith fellow will also benefit by being exposed to different ways of thinking," he said.
A committee of five faculty members, chaired by Dean of the Natural Sciences Berndt Mueller, began reviewing candidate proposals in November and announced the winners earlier this semester.
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