During the Fall Semester of 2005, I Took a Professional Development Assignment to Go To
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Report on Professional Developmental Assignment Fall Semester, 2005-2006 Charles J. Biggers, Professor of Biology
There is no mention of the history of the scientists involved in anatomy and physiology either in the texts or lab manuals. In my courses of Human Anatomy and Physiology (Biology 2010/2020), I have added a unit which reviews briefly the major “heroes” of anatomy and physiology. During the Fall Semester of 2005, I took a Professional Development Assignment to go to Holland, The Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and France. The purpose of this trip was to visit a number of scientific museums in order to incorporate new material including photographs into my lectures.
My wife and I left on September 9, 2005 for Amsterdam and then on to Brno, Czech Republic. Gregor Mendel, Father of Genetics, worked there at the Abbey of St. Thomas while developing the basic Mendelian Laws of Genetics. At the abbey we saw the garden where Mendel grew his experimental sweet peas, the Mendel Museum of Genetics, and many other interesting sites involved with Gregor Mendel. The metal models on which James Watson and Francis Crick worked out the structure of DNA in 1953 were intriguing.
On September 12, we went to Milan, Italy where we were able to visit the Leonarda da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology where I was able to take numerous pictures of da Vinci’s inventions. Also, we were able to observe the Last Supper painted by da Vinci on the walls of the IL Duomo Convent.
On September 13, we went to Florence where we were able to visit the Institute and Museum of the History of Science. It was fascinating to see Gallileo’s telescopes. We saw the Statue of David by Michelangelo at the University Museum, the Uffizi Art Gallery, and the Duomo Museum which houses Michelangelo’s Pieta.
On September 16, we went to Assisi where we were able to visit the sites where St. Francis ministered and where he is buried.
We then went to Rome where we visited the Vatican Museum, toured the Coliseum, and explored the ancient forum. From Rome we took a day trip to Pompeii where we saw the results of the eruption of Vesuvius in 1709 AD. After five days in Rome, we flew to the Island of Crete. There we studied the Minoan Civilization by touring Knossis Palace and its Labyrinth and the museum at Heraklion, capitol of Crete.
From Crete, we flew to the Island of Samos on September 25. There we were surprised to find in the town of Pythagoras the statue of Pythagoras, the “father of numbers.”
On September 26, we took a hydrofoil ferry to the Island of Patmos where John the Baptist received his revelation. It was here that he wrote the book of Revelation in the New Testament. On September 28, we took a ferry to Kusadasi, Turkey, and from there to Selkuk. Selkuk is the modern Ephesus. On a tour of ancient Ephesus we saw some of the best preserved ruins in existence. The library and the amphitheatre were especially astounding. It was at this amphitheatre where the Apostle Paul was pursued.
On September 30, we went to Kannakle, Turkey and visited the ancient city of Troy where the Trojan War took place around 1200 BC.
On October 2, we flew to Athens, Greece and took a bus tour of the Peloponnese where we visited ancient Corinth. There we were able to see the Bema where Paul was judged.
On October 3, we went to ancient Mycenae where we toured the Citadel, the Treasury of Atreus, and King Agamemnon’s Palace.
On October 5, we visited Epidaurus and saw the theatre where fifth century BC Greek dramatists performed their tragedies. The archaeological site and museum there shed more light on ancient Greece.
On October 6, we went to Pylos and there visited the Palace of King Nestor, a Trojan War figure.
Back in Athens, we spent five days visiting such fabulous places as the Museum of Athens, the Parthenon, the Agora, and the museum sponsored by an American school of archeology. Among the highlights there was seeing the cup from which Socrates drank the hemlock poison. While in Athens, we took a side trip to ancient Delphi. There we saw where the oracle made her prophesies.
We flew to Paris, France on October 16. There we went to the Institute of Pasteur and saw Pasteur’s home and statues. Also, we re-visited the Louvre. On October 17, we returned to Memphis.
We had a very intellectually stimulating trip and returned with many notes and over 5000 digital photographs. I have been able to incorporate some of the pictures and experiences into my lectures already. I hope to be able to work with the author of my text to add some history to his text. Another offshoot from this trip would be to publish a book briefly describing the history of the scientists involved in anatomy and physiology.
This Professional Developmental Assignment served not only to provide me with additional material for my lectures and possibly material for a book, but it also provided me with an exciting trip into other parts of the world to see other countries and people. I feel that it has helped me to relate better to my many students from around the world. This is a perspective of the leave that I did not expect.