The Vanderbilt Center for Teaching recently hosted a visit by representatives from the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. Robert Mathieu, professor of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and director of CIRTL, gave a plenary presentation.

_{by Allison Pingree}

Representatives from the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, one of two National Science Foundation centers for learning and teaching in higher education, have invited Vanderbilt to join other research universities in a collaborative network.

CIRTL’s goal is to demonstrate that strong research universities can prepare graduate students in the sciences, engineering and mathematics to be both forefront researchers and excellent teachers. CIRTL is developing a national network of eight to 10 leading research universities that are committed to this mission in their graduate education and want to develop and share with one another ideas, programs and initiatives.

The University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Colorado and Howard University are current members of the network. In addition to Vanderbilt, conversations to join are under way with Stanford University and Arizona State University.

_{Posted 02/27/06}