Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Bethany Hicok, assistant professor of English, are presenting "DeSigner Genes-What's Your Genome?" at Faculty Forum, Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 11:45 a.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater located in the McKelvey Campus Center.

 "We are going to focus on a workshop that we attended this summer, the Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) Summer Program held at Dartmouth Ethics Institute," Corrette-Bennett said.  "We're going to discuss the purpose of the ELSI program, the current state of human genome research, and how we plan on using resources from the summer program to craft a multidisciplinary cluster course based on issues surrounding human genome research."

 All Westminster students are required to take cluster courses during the sophomore or junior years at Westminster College.  A cluster consists of two linked courses taught by at least two faculty from different disciplines to the same group of students.  The classes offer opportunities for students to integrate knowledge and to develop into a community of learners.

Faculty forum, established in 1990, serves as a venue for the exchange of ideas and information among Westminster College faculty.  Speakers present their research, teaching ideas, lectures, performances, special programs, and uses of technology to keep faculty informed about the work of colleagues from many disciplines. 

 Corrette-Bennett, who has been with Westminster since 2001, earned his undergraduate degree from Bates College, and his Ph.D. from Brandeis University.

 Hicok, who has been with Westminster since 2001, earned her undergraduate degree from Russell Sage College, and her masters' and Ph.D. from the University of  Rochester.

 For more information, contact Corrette-Bennette at (724) 947-7208 or e-mail bennetjc@westminster.edu or Hicok at (724) 946-6349 or e-mail hicokbf@westminster.edu.

Dr. Bethany Hicok

Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett