Annual Progress Report
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Evidence of Progress: Poster: On-Campus Research: Academic Year 2009-10 Shane M. Polen http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/polensm_ACS1.pdf Brandon J. Sansom http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Sansom%20and%20March%202010%20NABS%20poster.pdf Posters: Off-Campus Research: Intersession 2010 Benjamin R. Daggett http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Daggett%20HHMI%20Poster%20IS10.pdf Katie J. Steider http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Steider%20HHMI%20Poster%20IS10.pdf Posters: Off-Campus Research: Summer 2010 Taylor J. Eddens http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Eddens%20HHMIPoster%20SU10.pdf Brandon J. Sansom http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Sansom%20HHMIPoster%20SU10.pdf Nicholas J. Tyger http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Tyger%20HHMIPoster%20SU10.pdf Posters: On-Campus Research: Summer 2010 Charles M. Irvin http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Irvin%20HHMI%20LEM%20Poster%20Summer%202010%20Final.pdf Brittany M. Verrico http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Verrico%20HHMI%20LEM%20POSTER%20Summer%202010%20Final.pdf Michelle C. Wuenstel http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Wuenstel%20HHMI%20LEM%20Summer%202010%20Final.pdf Link to the ArcGIS Server: ArcGIS Server http://lem.washjeff.edu (Available on campus or via Virtual Private Network) Abstracts for Meetings: Dr. Faun Doherty and 3 students to the Conference on Undergraduate Research in Mathematics, and the National Joint Mathematics Meeting in San Francisco www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/doherty-mathtalkabstract.pdf www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/doherty-spaghetti model abstract.pdf Taylor Eddens (student) to World Vaccine Conference in Beijing http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/china+abstract.pdf Bo Harstine (student) was an author on an abstract at the AAI Meeting http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/184/1_MeetingAbstracts/134.1 Dr. Jennifer Logan and 2 students to ACS Meeting http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Title%20%20Abstract%20(CHM%20270%20Water%20Analysis%20JLogan).pdf Dr. James March, Thomas Contreras and 3 students to ESA Meeting http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/ESA%20Abstract.pdf Brandon Sansom (student) and Dr. James March to NABS Meeting http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Sansom%20and%20March%20NABS%20Abstract.pdf Publications and Submitted Manuscripts: Eddens, T., Beaudoin, S., Nolano, S., Steinberger, A., Johnson, K., Little, C.S., and K. Fresa-Dillon. 2011. Effect of mouse strain, age, and vaccination status on extent and spread of infection by C. pneumoniae. J. Immunology (In preparation). Doherty, F.C.C., Gentile, P., Magee, J., and C. Miedel. 2011. A vertex ordering result for an application of DNA sequencing using tripartite unit probe interval graphs. Mathematical Modeling of Natural Phenomenon (Submitted). Benstead, J.P., Cross, W.F., March, J.G., McDowell, W.H., Ramirez, A, and A.P. Covich. 2010. Biotic and abiotic controls on the ecosystem significance of consume excretion in two contrasting tropical streams. Freshwater Biology 55: 2047-2061. Awards: Ryan Lehman (ITS ’11), who was supported in YR1 for summer LEM research, and who took the new ITL 310 course in YR1, won third place for his poster, “Developing Semantic Web Technologies for Biological Data Representation” at the Eastern Conference of the Consortium of Computing Sciences in Colleges. His coauthor was Allison Nolan, an undergraduate at Ursinus College. Taylor Eddens (BCH ’11), Phi Beta Kappa. Public Relations: Taylor Eddens at the World Vaccine Congress: W&J Magazine, pg. 17. http://issuu.com/washjeff/docs/fall2010?mode=embed&documentld=080311154822-183d3d8334a544518a0d5e324f2543d4&layout=http://www.washjeff.edu/issue/wjtheme/layout.xml Liberal Arts College News http://www.collegenews.org/x10281.xml Internship Application Forms and Information: Off-Campus Intersession Research Internship Support Form add link Off-Campus Summer Research Internship Support Form add link Biology Department’s Internship Database http://www.washjeff.edu/content.aspx?section=650&menu_id=825&crumb=826&id=12751 Photographs: http://www.washjeff.edu/content.aspx?section=15465&menu_id=857&crumb=844&id=18353 On-Campus Student/Faculty Research—Academic Year Brandon J. Sansom (Biology ’11) completed an independent study (BIO 500) project entitled “Quantifying Community Structure and Ecosystem Function in Streams of the Abernathy Field Station” with Dr. James March, Associate Professor of Biology. Brandon attended the North American Benthological Society meeting in June 2010 in Santa Fe, NM, and presented a poster of his work. Brandon is currently studying at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and applying to Ph.D. programs in Zoology to continue research on freshwater ecosystems. His HHMI-supported research both with Dr. March and with off-campus hosts were key factors in influencing Brandon’s career choice. Shane M. Polen (Chemistry ’10) completed an independent study (CHM 500) project entitled “High resolution solid-state NMR of polymorphic pharmaceutical compounds” with Dr. Robbie J. Iuliucci, Associate Professor of Chemistry. HHMI funds were used to purchase chemicals for the project. Shane presented a poster of his work at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting in 2010. Shane’s natural research ability and Dr. Iuliucci’s mentoring were exemplified when Shane was offered a job with a pharmaceutical company when presenting his poster. However, Shane learned he does not enjoy scientific research and decided to pursue a career in patent law; he is now enrolled in law school at the University of Pittsburgh. Due to our high teaching load, the majority of research during the academic year is being incorporated into courses, specialized research courses, independent studies, and tutorials (e.g. Experimental Biology, BIO 412 had four student/faculty research teams with a total of 21 students in YR2). Thus, during YR2, we had many projects during the academic year, but only two outside the course structure. Large numbers of students from the sciences, mathematics, and ITL present posters of their work at our W&J course-related research poster sessions each semester (120 students/63 posters in Fall 2009; 156 students; 85 posters in Spring 2010). Other students do research on campus and off campus in the summer, supported by HHMI funding, other REUs and other internal and extramural funding (see above). On-Campus Student/Faculty Research—Summer 2010 Two student/faculty teams were each supported in YR2 for ten weeks of on-campus research. HHMI provided the stipends and supplies. W&J provided the housing for the student interns. 1. Long-Term Ecological Monitoring (LEM) Dr. Thomas Contreras, Assistant Professor of Biology (PI), Dr. Jason Kilgore, Assistant Professor of Biology, Dr. Robert East, Associate Professor and Chair of Environmental Studies, Dr. Byoungjae Lee, HHMI Postdoctoral Fellow, Information Technology Leadership, and Dr. James March, Associate Professor of Biology, worked with three students to continue collecting data as part of W&J’s Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Program (LEM) at W&J’s Abernathy Field Station (AFS). The students were Charles Irvin (Biology ’11), Brittany Verrico (Biology ’13), and Michelle Wuenstel (Biology ’11). Because of the proximity of the AFS to W&J’s campus, and our unencumbered access to the property, the field station provides faculty and students with a unique research/teaching opportunity and allows us to continue the long-term monitoring of plant/animal populations and related ecology. The 2010 LEM summer interns continued the long-term ecological monitoring projects started by on-campus interns during the summer of 2009 and were instrumental in helping to evaluate and refine monitoring protocols instituted in YR1. This was an important summer for collecting plant abundance and diversity data at our permanent sampling locations due to anthropogenic disturbances on (e.g., construction of a gas line right-of-way) or near the field station (e.g., Marcellus Shale gas drilling) over the past year. Student interns also learned first-hand about the potential short- term effects of these kinds of disturbances on plant and animal populations and the benefit of long-term monitoring in evaluating the possible effects of these activities on ecosystems and ecological communities. Once again, interns were required to design and implement their own research project which they conducted during the summer. (See above links.) We also anticipated that with increased human activity near the station boundaries, and with the recent disturbance at the station related to the gas line construction, there could be an invasion of AFS by the Emerald Ash Borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis). Our interns decided that starting a formal monitoring program now will allow other students to track the invasion and related effects from the beginning, which is a rare opportunity. 2. Molecular microbiology: Soil bacterial diversity Dr. Anupama Shanmuganathan, Assistant Professor of Biology (PI), worked with three students for 10 weeks during summer 2010 in assessing soil bacterial diversity in W&J’s Abernathy Field Station. Students were Ian Kohler (Biology ‘13), Peter Leehan (Biology ‘11) and Kyle Yebernetsky (Biology/Business ‘11). The goals of this project were to: a) promote inter-disciplinary thinking in areas such as microbiology, ecology, molecular biology and bioinformatics and apply that to the study of soil bacteria; b) establish a base-line of soil bacterial diversity at the field station so as to make long-term ecological monitoring possible; and c) provide a realistic microbiological research experience. The students not only mastered basic microbiological techniques and DNA manipulation techniques, but applied more advanced concepts in bioinformatics including deriving phylogeny and plotting phylogenetic trees. Overall, more than 200 bacteria were isolated, identified and catalogued spanning more than 30 families and spread across 6 phyla, including 71 distinct Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Using sophisticated bioinformatics tools, bacterial diversity indices were calculated and phylogeny among the isolates was inferred, thus providing an effective baseline from which future studies can monitor ecological changes in this region by assessing soil bacterial diversity. After the field or lab portions of their internship, all on-campus summer research students turned in reports, field journals (for the LEM team) and notebooks, all Excel data files and ArcGIS shapefiles/data (for the LEM team), and a poster related to the projects they designed and implemented during the summer. All students presented their posters during the W&J Summer On-Campus Research Poster Session, October 8-9, 2010. They will present again at our External Advisory Board Student Research Poster Session on April 8, 2011 and at the Western PA Undergraduate Biology Symposium (Spring 2011). Dr. Shanmuganathan and the three students also presented their results at the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol Conference in Harrisburg, PA October 5, 2010 and will be presenting their results at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research meeting in Ithaca, NY in March 2011; the group will also submit the manuscript, which is currently in preparation for publication in the undergraduate research journal, the Journal of Young Investigators. Dr. Alice Lee, Program Director, also presented this poster at the HHMI Program Directors’ meeting in October 2010. Off-Campus Student/Faculty Research Intersession 2010 HHMI funding supported two students for three weeks of off-campus research during the January Intersession: Benjamin Daggett (Chemistry ’12); and Katie Steider (Biology ’12). HHMI support covered living and travel expenses. Students kept journals and made poster presentations at W&J’s HHMI External Advisory Board meeting on April 9, 2010 and at the 31st Annual Undergraduate Biology Symposium for Western Pennsylvania on April 17, 2010 at Geneva College. Summer 2010 HHMI funding supported three students for ten weeks of off-campus summer research: Taylor Eddens (Biochemistry ’11); Nicholas Tyger (Biology ’12); and Brandon Sansom (Biology ’11). HHMI funding supported stipend and living expenses. Students kept journals and made presentations of their work at the W&J Summer Research Poster Session on October 8-9, 2010. Students will present their work at the April 2011 meeting of W&J’s HHMI External Advisory Board, and at the 32nd Annual Undergraduate Biology Symposium for Western Pennsylvania. (See above links.) Taylor Eddens (Biochemistry ’11) spent the summers of 2009 and 2010 working in the laboratory of Kerin Fresa-Dillon, Ph.D. (W&J Biology ‘79). Taylor played an integral role in research designed to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against the extra-respiratory spread of Chlamydia pneumonia, a major cause of pneumonia. Taylor and Dr. Fresa-Dillon presented at the World Vaccine Conference in Beijing in March; Taylor was supported by W&J Presidential Discretionary Funds and W&J’s HHMI grant. Taylor also presented his poster at W&J Summer Research Poster Session on October 8, 2010. (See above links.) He is currently working with Dr. Alice Lee to prepare a manuscript of his work to submit to the Journal of Immunology. Taylor’s HHMI-supported research has been a major factor in his decision to pursue a career in biomedical research. At this time, Taylor has been accepted to an MD/PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh, and has other interviews scheduled. Administration and Assessment of Student Research: Dr. Candy DeBerry (Director of Off-Campus Research), and Drs. Ronald Bayline and Thomas Contreras (Co-Directors of On-Campus Research) report to the Program Director, Dr. Alice Lee. An Internal Advisory Board (IAB) helps with funding decisions and annual assessment is provided by an External Advisory Board (EAB). The HHMI IAB met six times during YR2. Karen Crenshaw, Executive Director Campaigns and Advancement Operations, replaced retiring Dr. G. Andrew Rembert in YR2. The HHMI EAB conducted their annual site visit on April 9, 2010. (See below.) Advisory Board Members http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/HHMI%20Advisory%20Board%20Members%2010-10.pdf External Advisory Board Meeting Agenda http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/HHMI%20External%20Advisory%20Meeting%20on%204-9-10-agenda%20(2).pdf Report of the HHMI EAB site visit http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Assessment%20Report%20from%20the%20HHMI%20EAB%20Visit%20April%209%202010.pdf Plans for Revision: We continue to track numbers of students attending events publicizing internship opportunities and to track numbers of students who apply for and are accepted for summer and Intersession off-campus internships (HHMI-funded and other). These data are currently also compiled in our annual Biology Assessment Report. Students receiving funding completed the SURE III. www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/WashJeffHHMISUREIIIReport2009.pdf Student performance is assessed by written evaluation of students by on- and off-campus research supervisors based on the following criteria: attitude/work ethic; attention to detail in lab work; understanding of science and ability to synthesize concepts; ability to interpret data and draw conclusions; ability to design experiments; and general lab skills, and completion of the SURE III. For longer-term outcomes, we track: student publications; academic honors and awards they receive; and their careers (entrance into graduate programs, etc.). These data are also currently reported in our Biology Department Assessment Report. To better publicize internship opportunities, the fall Summer Research Poster Session has been expanded and photographs have been posted. The list of internship hosts and internship proposal forms located on the Biology and W&J HHMI sites is updated annually.
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT NARRATIVE: Objectives: A new faculty appointment in molecular evolution/systematics, a postdoctoral teaching fellowship, and training for currrent faculty to broaden W&J’s expertise in the emerging disciplines of long-term ecological monitoring through technology and molecular bioinformatics/computational biology and microarray training for current faculty through GCAT. Program Maps, Position Descriptions, and CVs for Faculty Development: Future Faculty Development: WebLEM Postdoctoral Fellow Program Map http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Program%20Map%20for%20FUTURE%20FAC%20DEV-WebLEM%20Postdoctoral%20Fellow-REVISED.pdf WebLEM Postdoctoral Position Description—Job Ad www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/PositionDescriptionPostdoc.pdf CV: Dr. Byoungjae Lee http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/BYOUNGJAE%20LEE_Curriculum%20Vitae_2011.pdf New Faculty Development: Molecular Evolutionist/Systematist Program Map www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/ProgramMapforNEWFACDEV-MolecularEvolutionist.pdf Molecular Evolutionist/Systematist Position Description-2009 search www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/JOBPOSITIONFORMOLECULAREVOLUTIONISTSYSTEMATIST-09-10Search.pdf Molecular Biologist/Bioinformatist Position Description-2010 search http://www.washjeff.edu/uploadedFiles/Academic_Affairs/Academic_Departments/Biology/HHMI/Assistant%20professor%20of%20Biology%20job%20ad-FINAL.pdf Current Faculty Development: Directory: stuff stuff -> Rccw training 2014 History of Racism and Anti-Racist Activism in Lexington and Fayette County Kentucky stuff -> 14 Step Configuration of mikrotik using adsl speedy internet stuff -> In Proceedings of 15 th stuff -> Fp 3 g tm "78-1271-12, 78-1273-6" 39199 39199-11. Nd "September 1, 1978" tr 68. Rp. \" macros here tr \ em if t tr ~\ ap tr stuff -> Performance Modeling of Parallel and Distributed Computing Using pace stuff -> Tori Amos-Crucify Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes stuff -> Introduction to How Cell Phones Work stuff -> Pc atari Emulator stuff -> Atari disk operating system 5 stuff -> Citibank Online Introduction Download 215.34 Kb. Share with your friends:
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