national case study buffalo

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS)

The mission of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) at SUNY-Buffalo is to promote the development and dissemination of materials and practices for case teaching in the sciences. 

Click on the links below to learn more about-

• a bibliography of case studies,
• faculty perceptions on the benefit of teaching case studies, and
• research articles

Below is a sample work flow showing how to navigate the NCCSTS case collection. Enjoy!

1. Start at the NCCSTS homepage ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/ ). Then click on Case Collection (red arrow, upper right).

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2. Clicking on Case Collection takes you to the Keyword Search page. As shown below use the dropdown arrows to narrow your search parameters. As an example I chose Organic Chemistry under Subject Heading.

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3. Below is a partial list (6/25) of case studies categorized under the Subject Heading choice, Organic Chemistry.

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4. Click on a case study. I chose The Case of the Missing Bees (not shown in the partial list above). Below is a partial screenshot of the case study description. To download the case study click on the DOWNLOAD CASE icon (red arrow, upper right).

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5. Below is the the top of the first page of the case study, The Case of the Missing Bees .

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6. And of course make sure to review and adhere to the Permitted and Standard Uses and Permissions ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/uses/ ).

nccsts_uses.png

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

Case study title: The Case of the Missing Bees: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Colony Collapse Disorder

Case study authors: Jeffri C. Bohlscheid and Frank J. Dinan

View videos, articles, presentations, research papers, and other resources of interest to STEM Teacher Leaders.  

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

• Case Studies

This website provides access to an award-winning collection of peer-reviewed case studies. The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science also offers a five-day summer workshop and a two-day fall conference to train faculty in the case method of teaching science. In addition, they are actively engaged in educational research to assess the impact of the case method on student learning.

National Center for case study teaching in science

2019 conference program, friday, september 27, 2019.

REGISTRATION & LIGHT REFRESHMENTS

9am – 9:15am

Welcoming Remarks

Clyde (Kipp) Herreid, Directors, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

9:15am – 10:15am

KEYNOTE SESSION

Motivating Durable Learning: Focused Attention Through Instructional Design

Cognitive scientists have been systematically studying processes such as attention, memory, and learning for more than 150 years. This rich resource of knowledge has only recently been applied to developing evidence-based interventions in education. A key focus of this research has been to promote learning that is durable -- learning that extends beyond short-term testing to long-term retention of information that remains with the student after the final exam. In this presentation, I will discuss three key factors that instructors can implement to promote durable learning: (1) Learning relies on sustained attention ; in class, instructors can implement methods to reduce mind wandering and students can engage in practices to promote effortful and focused attention; (2) Design of teaching materials directly guides learning ; perhaps the greatest impact an instructor can make on learning is to offer thoughtfully designed class materials that adhere to multimedia learning principles, including slide design that reduces cognitive load and thus promotes student learning; and (3) Study habits such as retrieval practice strengthen long-term retention ; instructors can implement effective assessment design into the course structure and students can learn to take an active role in learning and testing. A key message in applying cognitive principles to instructional design is that both instructors and students have important parts to play in developing habits that promote durable learning.

10:15am – 10:30am

COFFEE BREAK

10:30am – 12pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 1

Track A: What is a Case Study? Experience it as a Student, Dissect it as a Teacher

Annie Prud’homme-Genereux , Director, Continuing Studies and Executive Education, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

If you are new to case studies, this is a great place to start. In this session, you will first put on your learner hat and experience a case study as a student. Take this time to reflect on this pedagogical approach’s strengths and weaknesses to hone your own use of cases in the classroom. The demo will be followed by a debriefing in which we explore why the instructor made some of the choices she did (and discuss best practices in case study teaching). We will review several case study formats (e.g., PBL, case discussion, interrupted case, intimate debate, role play, jigsaw, journal cases, etc.) to help you identify the one that best suits your classroom needs. We also will explore websites where you can get free cases. You will leave this session armed with the knowledge and confidence you need to start teaching with cases.

Track B: The Goldilocks Principle: Building a Ladder to Success by Scaffolding Student Thinking

Sandra Westmoreland , Associate Professor of Biology at Texas Woman’s University (retired) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovations at The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX

The Goldilocks principle refers to the preference to attend to events that are neither too simple nor too complex according to our current representation of the world. In the realm of teaching, this principle can be used to design questions for successful case studies. If we ask questions that are too easy, our students are bored. If we ask questions that are too hard, students are lost and quickly “zone out.” In accordance with the Goldilocks principle, teachers can carefully design a series of “just right” classroom questions to scaffold student success. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, participants will work in teams as they learn to construct increasingly complex and challenging case study questions, with success reinforced by personal answer devices. Leave the session empowered to create lessons to "build ladders to success" for your own students!

1pm – 2:30pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 2

Kipp Herreid , Director, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Business and law schools have for many years taught cases by way of the discussion method. Discussion cases are typically written as dilemmas that give the history of an individual, institution, organization, or community facing a problem that must be solved. The teacher's goal is to help students analyze the problem and consider possible solutions and their consequences. On the surface of it, the method is simple: the instructor asks probing questions and the students analyze the problem presented in the story with probity and brilliance. Most science teachers, however, have little or no experience running this type of a class. In this session, you will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion case and then analyze the process of teaching it.

Track B: Using and Developing Case Studies with HHMI BioInteractive Video Resources

Phil Gibson , HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

HHMI BioInteractive video resources provide background information on many scientific topics in an engaging, information-rich format whose short structure makes them useful as a vehicle for case studies. These videos provide excellent resources that can introduce topics, explore concepts, and build skills in a case study format. The objective for this workshop is to demonstrate how short videos can be used to engage students in meaningful active learning activities that help develop skills in critical thinking, data literacy, and the scientific process. This workshop will guide participants through examples of how HHMI BioInteractive video resources can be used in case studies and focus on learning the processes for developing their own similar activities.

2:30pm – 2:45pm

2:45pm – 4:15pm.

BREAK-OUT SESSION 3

Track A: The Interrupted Case Method

In the interrupted case method, students are given a problem (a case study) to work on in stages in small groups. After the groups are given a short time to discuss the initial information they receive, the instructor provides additional information to analyze, apply, and discuss. This sequence is repeated several times as the problem gets closer to resolution. One of the great virtues of the method is the way it mimics how real scientists go about their work. Scientists do not have all of the facts at once; they get them piecemeal. This method of “progressive disclosure” is also characteristic of problem-based learning (PBL), but in the interrupted case method the case typically is accomplished in a single class period rather than over several days. In this workshop, you will participate in an interrupted case study and then analyze the experience.

Kathy Hoppe , Education Consultant, STEMisED, Arlington, VA. Jorge Valdes , Education Program Advisor, Office of Education and Outreach, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Arlington, VA

Case-based lessons for high school students involve providing context for the learner and engaging them in real-world scenarios that directly correlate to content in both state and national science standards. Participants in this workshop will learn how to integrate the concepts of evolutionary biology with the process of biomimetic engineering, invention, and intellectual property instruction. Time-tested biological systems, methods for survival, and sustainability can inspire innovations and inventions that exist in balance within a complex environment. Participants will learn how to implement a case based on biomimetic research and engineering. They will take on the student role and learn through working on the case together, and at the same time learn how to coach and facilitate integrated case-based invention and intellectual property lessons in their classroom.

5:30pm – 7pm

POSTER SESSION / COCKTAIL HOUR (CASH BAR)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

8am – 8:30am.

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:30=am – 10:00am

BREAK-OUT SESSION 4

Track A: A Backward Approach to Designing Case Studies

William Cliff , Professor, Department of Biology, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY

As case study practitioners, we can become so enamored with the method that we spend most of our efforts on implementation.  However, in their influential book Understanding by Design , Wiggins and McTighe remind us that implementation should be the last step in any process of curricular design.   Following their dictums, in this workshop a “backward” design approach will be offered as the preferred means to promote successful case-based learning. Guided by a framework that identifies issues and concerns central to backward design, workshop participants will be shown a favorable strategy for managing case-based learning in the science classroom. Participants will be challenged to use this approach to begin devising or reengineering a case of their own. A final discussion will provide opportunity for comparison of case-based learning methods, assessment tools, and student learning outcomes in the sciences. Participants should expect to leave the workshop better equipped to incorporate case-based teaching and learning into their own courses.

Track B:  High School Teacher Session: “Who Let The Dogs Out?” A Case on DNA Structure, Function and Analysis

Attendees of this workshop will participate in a case study that integrates a large-scale DNA model, DNA extraction, simulated gel electrophoresis, and related historical information about patents and trademarks in the field of molecular biology. This PBL-based case study integrates modeling, lab work, simulated analysis, and invention through a story about breeding puppies. Participants will take on the student role and at the same time learn how to coach and facilitate learning.

Track C: Molecular Case Studies: Analysis at the Interface of Biology and Chemistry

Shuchi Dutta, Scientific Educational Development Lead, RCSB Protein Data Bank / Research Assistant Professor, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

Understanding structure and function is common to biology, chemistry, and biochemistry education. However, introducing students to molecular structure visualization and helping them bridge the gap between biology and chemistry can be challenging. A group of seven undergraduate educators from around the nation has formed a network called the Molecular CaseNet. These educators have collaboratively identified real-world contexts (problems, topics, phenomenon) and developed molecular case studies based on these for use in a variety of different courses and at different levels of rigor. In addition to instruction in biomolecular structure and function, these cases are designed to introduce students to currently underutilized public bioinformatics resources while engaging them in “scientific practices.” In this interactive workshop, you will be introduced to some of these cases and invited to pilot them in your own classrooms. Your feedback will help improve these cases for use in interdisciplinary teaching and learning.

10:00am – 10:15am

10:15am – 11:45pm.

BREAK-OUT SESSION 5

Track A:  How to Write a Case

Finding a topic isn't difficult. Cases can be used to teach almost any topic, from mitosis to nuclear fission. The challenge is how to craft a case study so that it achieves your teaching objectives while providing students with a compelling story that is relevant and thought-provoking. In this workshop, we will provide you with a recipe for writing successful cases. Join us and leave the workshop with a rough draft of a case for one of your own courses.

Track B: Bioinformatics and DNA-Based Case Studies

Michèle Shuster , Associate Professor of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

The field of bioinformatics (managing and analyzing large biological data sets) is becoming increasingly important in a variety of areas, including medicine (e.g., genetics and pharmacogenomics), as well as in “recreational genetics,” as people explore their ancestry using their DNA. Given the prevalence of DNA-based applications (e.g. diagnostics and ancestry testing), it is important that students (and members of society) become familiar with these applications and what they can and cannot tell us. DNA-based case studies are ideal ways to use DNA sequences in ways that help students learn both basic concepts about genetics and the role of DNA in society. We have successfully designed and used DNA-based case studies for grades 5-12 as well as for undergraduate students (see, e.g., Murder by HIV? and MRSA in the NICU: Outbreak or Coincidence? on the NCCSTS website). Come to this session to experience some examples of DNA-based case studies and to learn how to design your own. We will be using open access online tools, so having an internet-capable tablet or laptop will be very helpful.

11:45pm – 12:45pm

12:45pm – 2:15pm.

BREAK-OUT SESSION 6

Track A:  Filling Your Case Study Toolkit: Tips, Tricks and Tools for Teaching Using Cases

Annie Prud’homme-Genereux, Director, Continuing Studies and Executive Education, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Whether you are a seasoned case study teacher or are just getting started, you are probably seeking tools that you can use to manage the case study classroom more effectively. This session will familiarize you with some of the most useful strategies I have accumulated for teaching with cases. You will experience, and we will discuss, strategies for forming student teams and managing them effectively as well as ways of ensuring that students take responsibility for their learning and do their homework ahead of a case.  You will have the opportunity to play with some free and fun technology you can use to pool student feedback anonymously and you will become familiar with a set of resources you can use to formulate questions that supplement a case and confront students with their misconceptions. I accumulated and selected these resources over 15 years; save yourself years of searching and experience them all in 90 minutes!

Track B:   “A Perfect Medley”: Combining Science Case Studies with Team-Based Learning

Using case studies in our classrooms is a natural fit for teachers who wish to encourage critical thinking skills in their students. However, sometimes including case studies in our curricula seems challenging. How do we make the case study experience student-centered, engaging, and interactive, even if our class has a high enrollment? In this workshop, we will experience how Team-Based Learning creates a “perfect medley” when combined with science case studies and can be used to build a natural framework for implementing case studies in your classroom. Come prepared to join a team and experience Team-Based Learning first-hand. Leave ready to try this teaching method with your own students!

2:15PM – 2:30PM

2:30pm – 4:00pm.

BREAK-OUT SESSION 7

Track A: Applying Multimedia Learning Principles to Enhance Student Learning in Lectures

Joseph Kim, Associate Professor in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Among the many different teaching strategies to consider, improving the organization and design of our PowerPoint slides can have a real impact on student learning.  For most instructors, PowerPoint slides remain the basic method of delivering course materials. Think about the ineffective lectures you have sat through as a student, researcher, and instructor. Lectures that lack organization, clarity, and engagement fail to connect with students.  Students stop listening and instead simply copy the slides verbatim with little critical thinking. How do your teaching lectures compare to these experiences? If you want to motivate a passion for learning, the best place to start is to effectively deliver your course materials. By applying the findings that have been developed in controlled-lab and classroom-based studies can lead to improved lectures, which then translate into durable learning that extends from short-term tests to beyond the final exam. Unfortunately, many presenters have little understanding of the underlying multimedia learning principles that can guide learning. This workshop introduces key design principles, the importance of creating a "story structure," and a practical plan for delivering lectures with a cohesive message.

Track B: Why Are So Many College Graduates Anti-Vaxxers?  Improving Gen-Ed Science Courses by Focusing on the Process of Science Rather Than on its Factoids

Matthew Rowe , Professor of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

Measles, a deadly and debilitating disease that the CDC declared “eradicated” in the U.S. in 2000, is back.  Yet many parents, afraid of vaccines, are throwing “measles parties” to expose their children to the virus when a playmate becomes infected.  The epicenters of recent outbreaks, including Disneyland, are often traced to wealthy enclaves of parents, most with college educations and even advanced degrees, who believe vaccines pose a greater risk to their children than do the diseases the immunizations effectively prevent.  Weren’t each of these parents required to complete a gen-ed science course or two during college?  How have we, as educators, failed them so miserably?  More importantly, what can we do to provide our current and future students with better tools to make these life-and-death decisions?  First, we have to make science relevant to students who are not science majors.  Second, we must effectively teach the process of science rather than just its facts, so that students can distinguish good science from bad science from pseudoscience.  And lastly, we must instill in our students the confidence that, upon graduation, they have the necessary skills to make thoughtful and intelligent decisions regarding the next “controversial” scientific topic to appear on one of their Twitter feeds.  Participants in this workshop will actively engage in a case study designed specifically towards these ends -- a case examining the purported connection between autism and the MMR vaccine.

© 1999-2024 National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo. All Rights Reserved.

• The NAVIGATE Project >

Case Studies

The NAVIGATE Project case studies were created as part of an NSF-funded project to develop a training program to help female STEM graduate students recognize—and devise strategies for dealing with—gender-based inequity, bias, and discrimination in the workplace.  

A key component of The NAVIGATE Project is the development of a series of case studies with female STEM protagonists which promote strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making around these issues. All of the cases are based on the real experiences of women in the workplace, with names, places, and, in some cases, certain details changed to maintain confidentiality. 

The case study materials on this website are made available through a  Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International . In summary, all are free to share and/or adapt the materials for non-commercial purposes, as long as proper attribution is given. We encourage users to modify the cases to meet your own goals and objectives and the needs of your target audience. Permission to adapt a case is not necessary. Adapted cases however must cite the original title of the case and the name(s) of the original author(s). 

Case Study Training Materials

Filter by Topic

• Becoming a change agent in your organization (Understanding Weed-out culture, Old-Boys Networks and Cloning)  (5)
• Building your professional support network for career resilience (5)
• Cases with early-career protagonists (4)
• Cases with mid-career protagonists (3)
• Cases with student protagonists (3)
• Communicating your impacts (6)
• Cultivating resilience in the face of adversity (6)
• Forming alliances with other women (3)
• Intersection of gender and race (diversity)  (2)
• Legal actions - Collecting evidence and data (1)
• Managing conflict - Respectful confrontations (6)
• Managing your manager (2)
• Meritocratic ideologies (4)
• Negotiating employment conditions (3)
• Organizing with other women across difference (in race, sexuality, class, ability status) (1)
• Stereotype threat - Impostor Syndrome (2)

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Real estate development students win national case study competition

• UB Directory

University at Buffalo real estate development master's students Christopher Tringali and Kevin Turner won first place in the University of Maryland's 2017 Colvin Case Study Challenge for their review of the new Delaware North headquarters in Buffalo.

UB duo’s case study of new Delaware North headquarters captured this year’s Colvin Challenge at the University of Maryland

By rachel teaman.

Release Date December 19, 2017 This content is archived.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A duo of University at Buffalo real estate development students won first place in an intercollegiate competition, placing UB and Buffalo’s story of rebirth on the national stage.

The Colvin Case Study Challenge, sponsored by the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development, saw entries from 28 real estate development programs across the United States, inviting student teams to document an innovative development project within their own community.

It was the second top finish in the competition in as many years for UB’s relatively young master of science in real estate development program , which launched in 2015. UB sent a team to the finals in last year’s Colvin Case Study Challenge, earning second place.

Making the trip to College Park this year were Christopher Tringali and Kevin Turner, who did an analysis of The Delaware North Building, a 12-story, glass-walled, mixed-use complex in the heart of downtown Buffalo.

The project, which won the 2017 statewide award for Excellence in Mixed-Use Development from the Urban Land Institute, serves as the world headquarters for Delaware North, a global hospitality and food-service enterprise. The $110 million project, owned by Uniland Development Company, also houses other Class A office space, a four-star Westin Hotel and street-front retail and fine dining.

Tringali and Turner placed atop a field that included New York University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). The students will share the competition’s $10,000 prize.

The Colvin Case Study Challenge criteria covered all aspects of the development process, from market analysis and project valuation, to urban design, legal processes and operational issues.

The award-winning case study focused on The Delaware North Building, a 12-story, glass-walled, mixed-use complex in the heart of downtown Buffalo. It is a project of Uniland Development Company.

Tringali and Turner brought a powerful combination of skills to the competition. Turner is pursuing master’s degrees in both architecture and real estate development. Tringali came to the real estate development program with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in finance from UB, and has several Buffalo development ventures under his belt.

UB’s  real estate development program  also holds an advantage in this regard. Housed in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning, the program integrates coursework in architecture, urban design, economic development and law, as well as finance and investment. The majority of the nation’s real estate development programs are affiliated with business schools.

For Turner, the competition experience put all the pieces of the program together. “The competition helped me engage the local development community, and work with professionals in the industry to get an understanding of how design, development, and planning are actually implemented in a built project.”

Dean Robert Shibley says the competition is a significant win for UB and Buffalo, a testament to a rising program that’s advanced quickly in a competitive field of real estate development programs across the country.

“We launched this program in response to a growing need for real estate professionals trained across the spectrum of our built environment and its relationship not only to the economy, but to our communities, the urban fabric, and our natural environment. The program’s continued success on the national stage demonstrates not only UB’s prominence among an elite field of programs, but Buffalo’s reputation as a city on the leading edge of innovation in urban development.”

Buffalo is the program’s primary laboratory, with the city’s real estate professionals comprising the bulk of its faculty. The Colvin Case competition is now integrated into the program’s coursework to allow for in-depth study in the field, and intensive relationship-building with the development community.

The team was advised by Mark Foerster, senior fellow in real estate development at UB, and adjunct professor David Stebbins.

“With our deep industry relationships in Buffalo and major metro areas like New York City, our program gives students great opportunities for real-world projects, and for developing relationships with top professionals,” Foerster said. “We believe this gives our students a comparative advantage as they start or advance in their careers in commercial real estate.”

Indeed, this year’s competition entry emerged based on strong student networks with developers. Tringali had built a mentoring relationship with Uniland capital markets director Peter Sayadoff, who also serves on the UB real estate development program’s professional advisory committee. That connection evolved into an internship at Uniland for Tringali, making The Delaware North Building an obvious choice for the case study when the competition emerged.

Through a research process that included data mining with the Erie County Industrial Development Agency and weekly meetings with Uniland executives, Tringali and Turner looked behind The Delaware North building’s emergence, addressing issues of historic preservation, community engagement, financial structuring, and urban design.

Among their findings was the importance of community outreach in building buy-in for a project that involved the controversial demolition of an existing building. The final design scheme incorporated the original building’s terra cotta features.

Serendipity also came into play. Uniland’s speculative purchase of the site at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa Street coincided with a significant real estate dilemma for Delaware North. The company wanted more modern space and was considering relocating to Boston. Uniland’s successful response to the company’s request for proposals ultimately retained an international corporate headquarters, and 350 largely high-paying jobs, for the city.

Executives at Uniland were impressed by the rigor and discipline Tringali and Turner brought to the project. “They were well prepared, had insightful questions when we met to discuss the case study, and showed a good understanding of commercial real estate,” says Vice President Michael Montante, adding that the knowledge exchange with UB is part of the firm’s investment in the future of real estate.

“With our interns at Uniland, we want to give them real life experiences—projects that help them learn through active participation. Our goal is to educate future commercial real estate practitioners and prepare them for life after college,” Montante said.

Uniland’s Peter Sayadoff, who met with the pair regularly, agrees: “From start to finish, Chris and Kevin were diligent in their research and reporting. Early in the process they established a schedule for completing various parts of the report. They sought outside resources beyond Uniland throughout the entire process to bolster the data and information for the case study. Both Chris and Kevin put forth tremendous effort to complete this project, and are deserving of first place. They earned it.”

Tringali graduates this month and has already landed a job as a portfolio manager with Arbor Realty Trust in Buffalo. Turner is heading to New York City for a winter session internship with architecture firm FXFOWLE.

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EPA Highlights Air Pollution Monitoring Project in Buffalo, New York

April 16, 2024

NEW YORK (April 16, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia and Dr. Eun-Hye Enki Yoo, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo and Senior Pastor George F. Nicholas, Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church as well as other dignitaries gathered in Buffalo, NY to highlight a new collaborative project led by the University at Buffalo, SUNY. The university received almost $500,000 to deploy low-cost air pollution sensors at sampling sites in the residences of the underserved African American community in Buffalo. They will use this data to develop a community-specific air quality prediction model by integrating the new measurements with existing data. EPA specifically awarded funding, partly under Inflation Reduction Act, to increase monitoring in areas that are underserved to help them better understand what they are exposed to and to help them work with local and other officials to help address the sources of pollution.   

“Knowledge is power and when people know more about what they are breathing, they can better participate in decisions that can address that pollution. This investment will provide the people of Buffalo with access to local air monitoring networks, which will raise community knowledge of air quality ," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia . "The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized direct community participation in information gathering to help reduce harmful air pollution."  

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC applauds the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA Administrator Regan, and Regional Administrator Garcia for investing in Buffalo and the health of its residents through this grant and partnership with University at Buffalo experts. Governor Kathy Hochul and DEC recognize the value of research and innovation in addressing our most pressing pollution challenges, as demonstrated by the statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative, and we look forward to continue to work with our partners at EPA to continue prioritizing New York communities, particularly those most vulnerable to air pollution and the impacts of climate change.”  

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act, the University at Buffalo is getting a gust of $500,000 in federal funding to install air monitoring equipment in underserved communities, paving the way for cleaner and safer air for Western New York’s families and children,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer . “I am proud to deliver this environmental justice funding to support the East Side of Buffalo, from Delevan-Grider to the Broadway Market and beyond, in the fight for clean air and will always advocate to deliver the federal support to build a cleaner, more equitable future for Western NY.” 

“ Conducting air quality monitoring in historically marginalized communities is an impactful way to improve health outcomes in areas that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution for decades," said New York State Senator Sean Ryan . "I am thankful to the Biden-Harris administration for prioritizing this important work, and I applaud the decision to leverage the University at Buffalo’s expertise and resources to bring this program to Buffalo’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.”  

“As one of nation’s premier public universities, and a flagship of New York, the University at Buffalo is committed to research, education and service. I am proud to say that this EPA-funded project meets those goals and will help reduce health disparities on Buffalo’s East Side,” said Sean Bennett, PhD, professor of geography and associate dean for social sciences in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences.”  

"Today in America, people of color are three and half times more likely to live in a neighborhood with poor air quality. This combined with poor academic achievement, substandard housing, persistent under employment and lack of access to healthy food and medical care, creates a toxic environment that produces unacceptable health race-based health disparities” said Senior Pastor and CEO of the Buffalo Center for Health Equity George F. Nichola s.  “I am encouraged that the EPA is investing valuable resources for research and programming to improve air quality for all."  

The grant is one of 132 air monitoring projects in 37 states that will receive $53.4 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. The projects are focused on communities that are underserved, historically marginalized, and overburdened by pollution, supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.  

The University at Buffalo will deploy low-cost air pollution (fine particles and nitrogen dioxide) sensors at sampling sites in the residences of the underserved African American community in Buffalo and develop a community-specific air quality prediction model by integrating the collected sensor measurements with existing data. The data will be further supplemented via a targeted mobile-monitoring campaign in which the research team will collect high-resolution monitoring data by driving a vehicle outfitted with an array of real-time commercial air monitors. This data will be helpful for vulnerable populations in the community.  

The air pollution monitoring project is one of several are made possible by more than $30 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds, which supplemented $20 million from the American Rescue Plan and enabled EPA to support 77 additional projects, more than twice the number of projects initially proposed by community-based nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and Tribal governments.  

These grant selections further the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Executive Order,  Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad , which directed that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to overburdened communities that face disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental impacts. By enhancing air monitoring and encouraging partnerships with communities, EPA is investing in efforts to better protect people’s health, particularly those in underserved communities.  

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides funding to EPA to deploy, integrate, support, and maintain fenceline air monitoring, screening air monitoring, national air toxics trend stations, and other air toxics and community monitoring. Specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act provides funding for grants and other activities under section 103 and section 105 of the Clean Air Act. EPA is using approximately $32.3 million of this funding to select 77 high-scoring community monitoring applications. See the full list of applications selected for award .  

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The 'Royal Disease'

By Yelena Aronova-Tiuntseva, Clyde Freeman Herreid

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This case deals with the genetics of the hemophilic condition that afflicted the royal families of Europe.  Students trace the pedigrees of the descendants of Queen Victoria and the passage of the recessive X-linked trait from ancestor to ancestor. The case is suitable for courses in general biology at either the high school or college level.

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Date Posted

• Provide a real example of pedigree analysis of a sex-linked trait.
• Provide students an opportunity to calculate probabilities of the transmission of a genetic trait.

Hemophilia; haemophilia; hemophiliac; recessive disorder; genetic disease; sex-linked trait; blood; hemoglobin; Queen Victoria; Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich; Romanovs

Subject Headings

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

TOPICAL AREAS

TYPE/METHODS

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching notes.

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