Future
The Strategic Plan of the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY)
The National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, the City University of New York Vice Chancellor of Research Gillian Small, and many others, emphasize that progress on important problems in 21st century science requires the expertise from many different scientific fields.
The Division Plan is therefore to significantly expand four of our existing interdisciplinary areas through faculty hires, building renovations, and fundraising. This will position us for success in teaching, training students to work in teams, research, and in achieving more external funding from government, foundations, and industry.
Based on our current strengths, the Division has identified four priority areas for development: Scientific Computation, Neuroscience, Photonics, and Urban Ecosystems.
| Areas | wdt_ID | Description | Importance | Current Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Computation | 8 | Simulations of biology, chemistry, environment, and physics. | Advanced computational modeling and simulation is transforming how research is conducted in all the sciences. Computational infrastructure and academic expertise are needed to harness these technologies and successfully compete for research funding. |
- Nat'l Language Processing (CS) - Ecological Models (Bio) - Reaction Models (Chem) - Environ. Models (SEES) |
| Neuroscience | 9 | How behavior depends on genetics, cells and biological molecules. | Neuroscience is an inherently interdisciplinary science utilizing biochemistry, genetics, anatomy, physiology, behavior, modeli ng and computation to understand normal and pathological states. It is a high priority for funding by federal and private agencies. | - Undergrad Neurosci Major - Neuropsych. PhD Program - Molecular (Bio, Psych) - Clinical (Psych) |
| Photonics | 10 | Mechanical and biological nanostructures to produce and control light. |
Photonics and nanodevices are central to basic research in physics, chemistry and biology and to applied research in telecommunications, information processing, sensing, imaging, medical diagnostics, and energy efficiency. Photonics is one of the flagship-initiative research areas under the CUNY Decade of Science program. | - Photonics Devices (Phys) - Photonics Materials (Phys) - Photonics Theory (Phys) |
| Urban Ecology | 11 | Plants, animals, people, water and air quality in New York City. | These studies address critical issues of environmental sustainability, ecosystem degradation, land use, environmental public policy and economics. This requires a combination of expertise in many different disciplines that span traditional departments. | - Environ. (SEES, CBNS) - Ecosystems (Bio) - Policy (Urban Stds) |