The Interdisciplinary Laboratory

In the Fall of 1998 Harvey Mudd College was named as one of ten undergraduate colleges to receive from the National Science Foundation a prestigious grant designated as an Award for the Integration of Research and Education. This award recognized the College for its excellence in the past integration of research and education and provided funds to develop a new and exciting educational venture - The Interdisciplinary Laboratory.

The Interdisciplinary Laboratory bridges together laboratory experiences from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics and seeks to illustrate commonality of investigative methods and laboratory techniques in these sciences in addition to introducing discipline-specific principles. This laboratory is taught by a team of faculty from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. During the 1999-2000 academic year, one pilot laboratory section of students undertook a first-year laboratory sequence that included the Interdisciplinary Laboratory. This pilot program will continue during the 2000-2001 academic year.

Generally, first-year students enroll in Chemistry 25 and 26, each a one unit laboratory course meeting in the fall and spring semesters, respectively, and Physics 28, a one unit laboratory course meeting in the spring semester. Those students enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Laboratory, a one unit laboratory in both the fall and spring semesters, substitute this course for Chemistry 25 and Physics 28.