November 4, 2009

Collaborative research

Qin Leng, associate professor of biochemistry, was attracted to Bryant by the opportunity to integrate teaching and research.

Before even teaching her first class at Bryant, Qin Leng, associate professor of biochemistry in the Department of Science and Technology, was taking part in a research trip to China with Bryant faculty and students.

She spent two weeks this summer with a group of scientists including Gaytha Langlois, professor and chair of science and technology; Hong Yang, professor of science and technology; and two Bryant students traveling along the Great Wall to collect foxtail millet, the first form of agriculture in Northern China, left at archeological sites by ancient civilizations nearly 10,000 years ago.

"I was attracted to Bryant because of my interest in integrating teaching and research and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues of diverse academic backgrounds," says Qin, who joined the Bryant faculty in September.

Qin's research focuses on the role of plants in climate change and using plant fossils to study past climates. This fall she is teaching Biology, Diversity and Evolution of Plants, and Nobel Prize in Biological Sciences.

"My favorite part of being a professor is inspiring my students to appreciate nature, teaching them to think critically, and encouraging them to challenge themselves with the fast-paced development of modern science," says Leng. "I look forward to being able to learn with them."

'I do and I understand'

Qin quoted a Confucius saying when describing her teaching philosophy. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand," believed the ancient thinker.

"My students can have hands-on opportunities working in the field, recognizing and collecting both living and fossil plants, and in the lab studying the samples under the microscopes," explains Qin.

(Left) Dean of the College of Business Jack Trfits and (right) Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Lux with new faculty members (L-R) Assistant Professor of Marketing Stefanie Boyer, Associate Professor of Biochemistry Qin Leng, Assistant Professor of Marketing Sharmin Attaran, Assistant Professor of History and Social Sciences Nicole Freiner, and Assistant Professor of Accounting Kwadwo Asare.

Qin, who holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Palaeobotany from the Chinese Academy of Science and a B.S. in Botany from Nanjing University, has authored 37 publications in peer-reviewed scholarly journals and books.

In 2008, Qin won the Outstanding Scientist Award in Jiangsu Province, and in 2007, she won the Young Science and Technology Leader Award and was a finalist for the China Young Women Scientists Award.

In addition to working with other world class scholars, Qin appreciates the opportunity to be part of Bryant's leading programs on China. "I hope by applying my academic training, research experience, and cultural heritage," says Qin, "I can best serve my students and the Bryant community."