Helfand has been instrumental in the creation of general education classes oriented around the sciences, developing a course, Frontiers of Science, that has subsequently become part of the Core Curriculum of Columbia College, the university's undergraduate liberal arts and sciences division. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Helfand played a key role in developing general education science courses at Columbia College, creating a course called "Frontiers of Science" which is now part of their Core Curriculum. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.