All Science Leaders are enrolled in the same first-year seminar, a great way for first-year students to meet and interact closely with people who are also new to the College and who share an interest in science. Small, intensive and highly personalized, the first-year seminar expands the opportunities for Science Leaders to engage intellectually with their peers and their professor.

Professor of Computer Science Gary Parker has previously taught the first-year seminar "Robotics and Problem Solving," an introduction to robotics and problem solving through robot construction and programming. He will be teaching the class again in Spring 2019.

Science Leaders in the Class of 2018 took FYS 104E, Illuminating Disease, with Professor Marc Zimmer. "The lights and colors of bioluminescent proteins are used to discuss diseases, modern medical research and the use of molecular methods to study gene expression. Fluorescent proteins are commonly used in biomedical techniques. We will examine their application in cancer, heart disease, malaria, AIDS and dengue fever research."

Tempel Professor of Physical Sciences Marc Zimmer has taught "Glow," a first-year seminar about bioluminescent organisms and the use of bioluminescence proteins in biotechnology, for several cohorts of science leaders. The seminar includes a 5-day field trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico, where students work with bioluminescent marine organisms and look for fluorescent corals.

Science Leaders in Vieques, Puerto Rico, 2008, where they studied bioluminescence with Professor Zimmer.
Science Leaders in Vieques, Puerto Rico, 2008, studying bioluminescence with Professor Zimmer.

Another first-year seminar for science leaders was "Microbes, Molecules and More." Students taught by professors Anne Bernhard (biology) and Colleen Kaczmarek (chemistry) examined the antibacterial properties of plants found in the Connecticut College Arboretum.