Chaos theory. Chemical kinetics. Mathematical modeling. Fractals. Attractors. At Washington and Lee University, don't be surprised if an English major knows what they are. Using sophisticated lasers, a powerful computer cluster known as The Inferno, a virtual heart and a dripping faucet, students at Washington and Lee University — a small, private liberal-arts institution in Lexington, Virginia — are learning how to measure and predict what is not very easily measured and predicted. And they're not all science majors, though those who are now have the expanded and enhanced opportunity to pursue ambitious, meaningful research. With a four-year, $500,000 W. M. Keck Foundation grant in 2000, Washington and Lee has developed an engaging, broadly defined, interdisciplinary program in nonlinear dynamics for undergraduates. "The Keck-funded program attracted me to Washington and Lee and introduced me to a diverse group of researchers, including experts in the fields of physiology, computer science and neuroscience," says James Eason, assistant professor of physics and engineering, whose work includes the virtual heart. "Together with our students, we have embarked on several trans-disciplinary research projects involving a range of subjects, from modeling the metabolic energy partitioning of rats to increasing the speed of an automated microscope designed to detect tuberculosis." Adds Tyler Lorig, Ruth Parmly Professor and chair of neuroscience: "It's made a real difference. Neuroscience students now understand that quantification and analysis are central to all of brain science. It's not just about anatomy and a list of processes." The program's director, Professor of Chemistry Steven Desjardins, explains that teaching and employing "the common language of dynamics in an interdisciplinary setting" enables students and faculty to explore ideas by using examples as diverse as chemical reactions, population shifts, paths of pendulums and dripping faucets. Dr. Eason teaches a course that introduces students to complex biological systems and the design of medical devices used for diagnoses and therapy. He is interested in reducing the shock required by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to restore regular heart rhythms. More than 100,000 ICDs are inserted each year in patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. Dr. Eason and his students test weak shocks by running hundreds of simulations and analyzing vast amounts of data. Their research increases understanding of the dynamics of defibrillation and may lead to innovative shock protocols or ICD designs. The Program in Nonlinear Dynamics is also being applied to geology, language, lasers and fluid mechanics. "With the help of Keck, my research laboratory was transformed from a room and a wish list into a productive, self-sustaining, state-of-the-art laser dynamics facility," says David Sukow, associate professor of physics and engineering. "The scientific results have been significant, but equally important is that all experimental work has been shared as collaborative research with students. Finally, the laboratory capabilities that the Keck award provided contributed to the success of additional proposals for support, most notably from the National Science Foundation CAREER program, which in turn have extended the work for several years." In short, the program has energized science instruction and research at Washington and Lee, and introduced hundreds of students to nonlinear dynamics. Related Links: http://www.wlu.edu http://virtualheart.wlu.edu http://chaos.wlu.edu/106/chaossplash.html http://theinferno.wlu.edu Nonlinear Dynamics Mycenae Discoveries Westmont Telescope Project Neptune Students with laser equipment Click to enlarge (A) Virtual heart model and (B) Experimental preparation of a rabbit heart Get Notified Sign up to receive an email notification when we add new Impact stories. Notify me Tell Your Story If you have received a W.M. Keck Foundation grant in the past and have an Impact Story you would like to share, send us a few images and a summary of 500 words or less with your contact information to: impact@wmkeck.org