he purpose of Doane College is to educate students to serve and lead in Nebraska, the United States and the world. This has been our mission from the beginning in 1872.
The environment in which Doane College exists - and our students and alumni lead - is always changing. Our focus is to offer a relevant education so students learn how to be leaders in their
communities at whatever juncture in history they find themselves. We want them to know how to explore, challenge and test, so that they, as leaders, can ultimately resolve any imaginable issue before them. Quite a responsibility!
Science education is an essential element of developing leaders and productive citizens. It is through active, open-ended scientific analysis of common occurrences that Doane students learn first-hand how to understand themselves and their surroundings. Long-held beliefs may need to be discarded or altered. Science, thus, can alter how we perceive and understand the world. Leaders are prepared to understand the unforeseen, and successful science examination requires precisely the same commitment.
At a practical level, science also provides important social information. For example at Doane, Professor Andrea Holmes and her students gained public attention for their promising new test to detect the presence of a date-rape drug in someone's drink. Professor Barbara Clement and her students advanced our understanding of infectious illnesses such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Science at this level can raise the quality of life for everyone, which is central to leadership.
Leaders are active and disciplined thinkers, which science also requires. Through experimentation, Doane students learn how to satisfy their curiosity in a deliberate and even creative manner. They must articulate their assumptions and methodologies. They must think critically at every step of their research and be prepared for any outcome. Scientific investigation requires not only testing but retesting to confirm results. And, science requires an ability to communicate conclusions, so that others can not only challenge those results but also build upon them. Ultimately, science develops intellectual confidence that pervades the entire realm of intelligent inquiry.
We have talented and motivated science faculty - not only as teachers but also as active scholars - who work with students in small and active class settings. And they work in one of the most attractive facilities at liberal arts and sciences colleges: the Lied Science & Mathematics Building.
This summer, Doane regrettably lost one of its science icons - Professor Emeritus of Biology Katherine Buell - who began at Doane in 1936. She was known for her toughness, and her effectiveness, producing many great science minds. In the true liberal arts spirit, Professor Buell was also an accomplished musician. She will be missed. This issue of the Doane Magazine is dedicated to the accomplishments of Doane scientists - faculty, students, and alumni, beginning with Professor Buell.
We hope you enjoy this issue.