Comuzzie inspires students with love of science
(continued)
Comuzzie directs the annual Expanding Your Horizons in Mathematics and Science career conference for sixth, seventh and eighth grade girls, which is sponsored by Schreiner and the American Association of University Women. Each year, EYH brings to campus more than 250 girls for lectures and hands-on activities with women role models in a variety of science- and math-related careers.
“When I was growing up there weren’t as many women role models—especially in science. I don’t know how cognizant I was that I was doing something different, but I had a mother who told me I could do anything I wanted to.”
While she thinks that there’s less social pressure now that would discourage a girl’s interest in science and math, they are making curriculum decisions beginning in the sixth grade that might limit their options later. Expanding Your Horizons is about exploring possibilities. Comuzzie confesses she has an
almost missionary zeal for biology. “I love it and I want everybody else to like biology as much as I do…so that makes me a teacher. This is my
eleventh year at Schreiner and I’m not nervous on the first day anymore. I’m excited because every class holds new possibilities. And I’m still learning
things. Today in my human anatomy and physiology class we were talking about skin. Some of the wonderful nurses who are enrolled in Schreiner’s
new Bridge to R.N. program told us about treating wounds—things I didn’t know. My students ask a lot of good questions and it’s still a lot of fun.”
Comuzzie stresses that a foundation of science knowledge is important for everyone, not just people whose careers relate to it.
“Science
is in every aspect of your life—so much so that you may not even
recognize it. To be good citizens of this earth, you have to be able
to
separate junk science from real science. We’re asked to make decisions about it all the time: global warming, water resources, pollution, genetic research, our own healthcare… And the only way to make a good decision is to be informed.”
Newspapers, magazines, journals, the Internet…there seems to be an incredible amount of science information out there. However, Comuzzie warns that we must maintain a healthy degree of skepticism.
“Many think that if it’s published somewhere, it must be right. I fight this battle with my students all the
time. They want to cite something they find on the Internet as an authoritative source. Maybe it is, but maybe it’s not. They should consider who published it, who did the work, who profits from it, and if it makes sense.”
Animal behavior research remains a favorite focus, though, particularly where it intersects with human behavior, she says. “Here’s an example I used in my
Behavioral Biology class. In primates, when there’s a conflict, there will be a battle between dominant males. After that’s over, there will be reaffirmations
of the social bond. The loser will come to the winner and they might groom, or they may touch. The young would come to the parent and the parent
would do things that we would call comforting. It’s the same thing that we do. When my two boys misbehave and I discipline them—I generally yell—I
have to come back and reaffirm our social bond. I have to have a touch or a hug. So when I look at how humans are doing things, I’m always relating
that back to animals, why they do what they do, and how it all fits together.”
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(continued)
Comuzzie directs the annual Expanding Your Horizons in Mathematics and Science career conference for sixth, seventh and eighth grade girls, which is sponsored by Schreiner and the American Association of University Women. Each year, EYH brings to campus more than 250 girls for lectures and hands-on activities with women role models in a variety of science- and math-related careers.
“When I was growing up there weren’t as many women role models—especially in science. I don’t know how cognizant I was that I was doing something different, but I had a mother who told me I could do anything I wanted to.”
While she thinks that there’s less social pressure now that would discourage a girl’s interest in science and math, they are making curriculum decisions beginning in the sixth grade that might limit their options later. Expanding Your Horizons is about exploring possibilities. Comuzzie confesses she has an
almost missionary zeal for biology. “I love it and I want everybody else to like biology as much as I do…so that makes me a teacher. This is my
eleventh year at Schreiner and I’m not nervous on the first day anymore. I’m excited because every class holds new possibilities. And I’m still learning
things. Today in my human anatomy and physiology class we were talking about skin. Some of the wonderful nurses who are enrolled in Schreiner’s
new Bridge to R.N. program told us about treating wounds—things I didn’t know. My students ask a lot of good questions and it’s still a lot of fun.”
Comuzzie stresses that a foundation of science knowledge is important for everyone, not just people whose careers relate to it.
“Science
is in every aspect of your life—so much so that you may not even
recognize it. To be good citizens of this earth, you have to be able
toseparate junk science from real science. We’re asked to make decisions about it all the time: global warming, water resources, pollution, genetic research, our own healthcare… And the only way to make a good decision is to be informed.”
Newspapers, magazines, journals, the Internet…there seems to be an incredible amount of science information out there. However, Comuzzie warns that we must maintain a healthy degree of skepticism.
“Many think that if it’s published somewhere, it must be right. I fight this battle with my students all the
time. They want to cite something they find on the Internet as an authoritative source. Maybe it is, but maybe it’s not. They should consider who published it, who did the work, who profits from it, and if it makes sense.”
Animal behavior research remains a favorite focus, though, particularly where it intersects with human behavior, she says. “Here’s an example I used in my
Behavioral Biology class. In primates, when there’s a conflict, there will be a battle between dominant males. After that’s over, there will be reaffirmations
of the social bond. The loser will come to the winner and they might groom, or they may touch. The young would come to the parent and the parent
would do things that we would call comforting. It’s the same thing that we do. When my two boys misbehave and I discipline them—I generally yell—I
have to come back and reaffirm our social bond. I have to have a touch or a hug. So when I look at how humans are doing things, I’m always relating
that back to animals, why they do what they do, and how it all fits together.”
back to top ^