April 2005

From the Dean

I hope that spring break provided everyone with the opportunity to do or to learn something new, to catch up on unfinished business at work or home, to enjoy the first days of spring, or simply to rest up. We are headed into the final round of this academic year!

Congratulations are due to David Fushman, Victor Muñoz, Paula Shrewsbury and Sarah Tishkoff, who have all been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments.

Construction on the Bioscience Research Building took a big step forward this month. Erection of the steel structural frame began March 15, right on schedule. This is an important step, because it indicates that we are close to being back on schedule, and we can anticipate the building being enclosed before next winter arrives.

I hope to see all of our faculty and staff at the annual College Awards Ceremony, to be held in the Nyumburu Multipurpose Room on April 27 at 2 p.m. The inimitable Gene Ferrick will be our Master of Ceremonies. Please come and honor your colleagues.

All members of the College and their families are invited to the tailgating social on Hornbake Plaza on April 15 at 4 p.m. before the Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins lacrosse game. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect informally with colleagues, students and alums. Thanks to Bill Higgins, the Peer Mentors, Bruce Shatswell and Bobbi Donley for organizing this event. Please contact Bobbi Donley (rdonley@umd.edu) if you plan to attend or if you have questions. See news item below for more information.

The final version of the College's strategic plan has gone to the printer and can be accessed online by clicking here. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this process, and particularly to Meredith Brittain, who did a major edit and the design. I believe we are seeing the effects of the process of creating the strategic plan in the quality of the faculty candidates that we have seen this year.

As our faculty searches wind down, we are entering into discussions with the finalists. Although this phase of the process is confidential, we expect to be able to announce some exciting new hires soon. Thanks to everyone who contributed to our blockbuster searches.

Norma Allewell
Professor and Dean

Back to top

Undergraduate Student Recognition

Bryan Dickinson, a senior majoring in Biochemistry who is also an HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow, presented "Cyclization of Diubiquitin: A Structural and Functional Study of Chemically Altered Ubiquitin Dimers" at the Visit Maryland Graduate Poster Session March 10 and placed in the top three in a pool composed largely of graduate students. Bryan is mentored by Dr. David Fushman, Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Mukta Jhalani (senior, Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics) co-captained Maryland 669, one of the University's mock trial teams that dominated the eastern regional mock trial championships the last weekend in February. Mukta, whose team finished first overall, was named to the all-tournament attorney team. The University's contingent earned the maximum two bids to enable them to compete at the national mock trial championship in Des Moines April 8-10.

Mark Sherman (senior, Marine Biology) is quoted in a March 7 Baltimore Sun article that talks about the role of Dr. Kennedy Paynter, Biology, and his lab in oyster restoration efforts. Marks says, “Oysters are really fun. They make the bay work…. And right now they're in so much trouble that to restore them would be, like, a great accomplishment.”

Two LFSC Students Recognized by Goldwater Scholarship Competition

Eric Newman, a sophomore Biochemistry major and HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow doing research under the supervision of Dr. Philip Deshong, Chemistry and Biochemistry, was awarded a 2-year scholarship ($7,500/year) in the national Barry S. Goldwater Scholarship competition. Sean Sheffler-Collins, a junior Biological Sciences – Physiology and Neurobiology major and HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow working in the lab of Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan, Biology, was listed as an Honorable mention. Two additional scholarship winners were named from College Park, marking our best year in this national competition in the last five years. Associate Dean Robert Infantino is the campus representative of the Goldwater Scholarship nominating committee and coordinates the internal campus review and nomination of applicants.

LFSC Students Chosen to Present Posters at Research Day

Several students from the College were selected to represent the University of Maryland, College Park at the 2005 Student Research Day in Annapolis on March 3. The Provost's Office chose five posters from our campus, four of which were single-author presentations by LFSC students, and one of which was a group presentation where two of the students were from our College. The following four current HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellows gave poster presentations:

• Steve Davis (senior, Entomology): “Systematic Revision of the Cossulinae (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) of Costa Rica ”
• Bryan Dickinson (senior, Biochemistry): “Cyclization of Ubiquitin Chains”
• Jaime Moore (senior, Physiology and Neurobiology): “11 beta hydroxyysteroid dehydrogenase 1 mRNA in Obese and Lean Zucker Rats”
• Linda Xu (sophomore, Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics): “Molecular Changes in Visual Cortex After Visual Deprivation”

The group presentation was a poster presented by a Gemstone team (Multicultural Education through Social History (MESH)), whose members included two students from the College of Life Sciences:

• Cynthia Chang (senior, Environmental Science and Policy - Biodiversity)
• Veena Kutty (senior, Biochemistry)

New Peer Mentors

The College is pleased to announce that we have selected the newest group of Peer Mentors. There were a record 19 applicants this semester, and we now have 8 new mentors. Please join us in welcoming:

Juniors:

• Jonathan Goldman (General Biology)
• Belen Kenaa (Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics)

Sophomores:

• Hava Bresler (Biological Sciences - Individualized Studies)
• Constance Jin (Biochemistry)
• Elizabeth Kenez (General Biology)
• Ellen Paulisick (Physiology and Neurobiology)
• Ryan Spangler (General Biology)
• Tamar Sterling (General Biology)

The Peer Mentors are highly trained undergraduate sophomores, juniors and seniors. As students, they have unique perspectives on College course work and the campus experience in general. They are happy to help students choose the right courses for their goals and interests, uncover the many resources that such a large university has to offer and help develop students' four-year plans.

Back to top

For more alumni notes, check out the Alumni Notes web page. Please send alumni notes to brittain@umd.edu.

Dr. David R. Anderson (PhD'74, Zoology), President and CEO of Applied Information Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, received the Wildlife Society's 55th Aldo Leopold Memorial Award and Medal, the highest honor the society bestows. According to his web page on the Colorado State University web site, Dr. Anderson was described by nominators and supporters as “the most influential person in the wildlife management profession over the past 30 years.” The award, which is presented for distinguished service to wildlife conservation, recognizes Dr. Anderson's 37 years of professional service to the wildlife profession. According to his web page, Dr. Anderson was formerly a Senior Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and “has published 15 books and research monographs; 99 papers in peer-reviewed national/international scientific journals; 45 book chapters, government scientific report series, and conference proceedings and transactions; and 15 technical reports in ecology and other life sciences and statistical science.”

Dr. Anthony Boemio (PhD'03, NACS), Dr. David Poeppel, Biology, and NACS adjunct Dr. Allen Braun coauthored a paper in Nature Neuroscience titled “Hierarchical and asymmetric temporal sensitivity in human auditory cortices.”

Janette Boughman (PhD'97, Zoology) is now an Assistant Professor in the Zoology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her principal research interest is the evolution of communication. For a full description of her activities, go to her faculty web page at http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/Bou/Bou.html.

Jacob Goodwin (BS'03, Biological Sciences), a faculty research assistant in the lab of Dr. Kennedy Paynter, Biology, is quoted in a March 25 Philadelphia Inquirer article about the controversy involved in the debate over whether to inject Asian oysters into the Chesapeake Bay.

Dr. David Kirby (PhD'96, Zoology), who earned his doctorate with Dr. Wolfgang Stephan, recently updated the Biology Department on what he has been doing since graduating. He shared that “I actually undertook a couple of postdocs to switch my academic field to Science Communication and now have a tenure track job over here in England.” After graduating, Dr. Kirby served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at American University from 1996 to 2001. He then was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Science & Technology Studies and Communication at Cornell University from 2001 to 2003 followed by a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University from 2003 to 2004. He is now a Lecturer in Science Communication in the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Manchester in England . His web site is http://www.davidakirby.com.

Dr. Shelia A. McKenna (PhD'94, Zoology) directs the Marine Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) in the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International. According to her career profile on the center's web site, “her specialty is studying threats to biodiversity on coral reefs—specifically, studying reef community structures to see if the patterns on the reef result from natural or human-related causes.” For a story about her recent work on coral reefs off New Caledonia, Melanesia, click here.

A Nature paper by Dr. Gail Patricelli (Ph.D., Biology, 2002), Dr. Gerald Borgia, Biology and Seth Coleman (BEES graduate student), “Variable female preferences drive complex male displays," was selected as one of the most influential papers of 2004 by the Faculty of 1000. See May 2004 newsletter article for more information.

Dr. J. Albert Uy (PhD'00, Biological Science) was named Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University. Dr. Uy did his postdoctoral work at University of California, Santa Barbara from 2000 to 2002 and was an Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University from 2002 to 2004. He studies behavioral ecology, sexual selection, animal communication and signal evolution, and evolution of premating isolation. While at Maryland, he worked with Dr. Gerald Borgia, Biology.

Reminder: Social before April 15 Lacrosse Game

Mark your calendars for the pre-game social for LFSC faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends before the Terps vs. Johns Hopkins lacrosse game on Friday, April 15. In the 101st meeting of these opponents, see # 3 Maryland try to defeat #1 Hopkins and avenge its 14-10 loss to Hopkins last year.

The social is hosted by Dr. Bill Higgins, Biology, and the College of Life Sciences Peer Mentors. Game time is 8 p.m.; the social begins at 4 p.m. on Hornbake Plaza. Sodas and munchies will be provided along with grills. You are welcome to bring your own meat and beverage. The social is free. Tickets for the lacrosse game can be purchased through the Ticket Office by calling 301.314.7070 (1.800.462.TERP) or by logging on to the Terrapins Athletics web site. Tickets for students with University of Maryland ID are free.

Please contact Bobbi Donley (rdonley@umd.edu) if you plan to attend.

In Memoriam

Alton L. Lineweaver of Salisbury, Maryland, passed away February 26. He was 79. After graduating from the University of Maryland, he was employed in the soft drink industry for 34 years, the last 23 years with Cadbury Schweppes. He was the first American Vice President of this British company and the head of technical services in North America, South America and Central America. He was a jazz aficionado and had seen many famous musicians. He was a member of the New Jersey Jazz Society and a retired member of the International Society of Beverage Technologists. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran, who served in World War II. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen Odette Lineweaver (BS'49, Bacteriology) of Salisbury, and six children.

Back to top

Annual Fund Gifts

Support of the annual fund of the College of Life Sciences is essential to the progress of the College, and we thank those who have stepped forward in this important effort. Gifts are to the Dean's Fund except as noted.

Prof. Catherine C. Fenselau**, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Anna L. Iacangelo (BS'79, Microbiology); Dr. Gerard E. Linkowski (PhD'75, Chemistry), The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Award Fund; Dr. Thomas W. Purcell (PhD'88, Marine Estuarine Environmental Science); and Joseph W. Sikora (BS'88, Microbiology)

Annual fund pledges: Dr. Carol B. Gable (PhD'73, Chemistry), Carrie Goodrich Michelson (BS'99, Biological Sciences), Ariean Reed Percan (BS'03, Biological Sciences, MA'86)

Corporate and foundation support: American Chemical Society: $80,000, MD Grain Producers Utilization Board: $9,636, and Kellogg Company: $5,000 (Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition)

** faculty and/or staff

If you are interested in learning more about supporting the College of Life Sciences, please contact Bruce Shatswell, Assistant Dean for Development and Corporate Relations, bashatswell@umd.edu, 301-405-0295.

Representatives from College Establish a Presence at NOBBChE

Several representatives of the College attended the annual meeting of NOBCChE (National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) in Orlando March 20 to 26. Our presence at the conference solidified our commitment to increasing the diversity of our graduate student population. In addition, it allowed the College to make significant contacts and to interact with the leadership of NOBCChE, the scientific industry and other graduate and professional schools that embrace NOBCChE's ideals and purposes. The College plans to continue this type of activity and involvement with NOBCChE and its member institutions.

Merle Zimmerman, a graduate student in Dr. John Tossell's lab; Dr. Albert Russell, a postdoc in Dr. Doyle's lab; Dr. Lawrence Sita, Associate Dean for Faculty, Research, and Diversity; Dr. Amel Anderson, Assistant Dean for Administration; and Dr. Michael Doyle, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, represented the College at the NOBCChE meeting.

Back to top

High-School Students Present Papers and Posters at JSHS

Students selected from several high schools throughout Maryland competed in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium February 28 at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD. Approximately 50 people, including 17 students who presented posters and 13 who presented papers, were actively involved in this year's contest. Faculty, graduate students, and a panel of judges critiqued the young scientists' experimental procedures, data collection and PowerPoint presentation and picked six winners. The following students won in the paper presenter category:

• First place: Abigail Fraeman, from Montgomery Blair High School, for “Modeling the Distribution of Extrasolar Comets Around the Star 112C and 10216”
• Second place: Stephen McCarthy, from River Hill High School, for “Segmentation Algorithm for Objects with Very Low Edge Contrast”
• Third place: Ryan Harrison, from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, for “A Novel Approach to Modeling pH-Sensitive Regions within Proteins”

Left: Paper winners Ryan Harrison, Stephen McCarthy and Abigail Fraeman. Right: Poster winners Jarrett Remsberg, Milan Thakor and Emily Brownlee.

The following students won in the poster presenter category:

• First place: Emily Brownlee, from Calvert High School, for “Impacts of Bloom Forming Algae on Chesapeake Bay Oyster Settlement and Growth”
• Second place: Milan Thakor, from River Hill High School, for “Single DNA Molecule Detection Using Quantum Dot Coincidence Pairing”
• Third place: Jarrett Remsberg, from Middletown High School, for “Effects of Dietary Phosphorus on the Excretion of Total Phosphorus and Soluble Phosphorus in the Feces of Lactating Dairy Cows”

Abigail Fraeman and Ryan Harrison will compete with other JSHS project winners from around the country at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in San Diego, California, April 27 through May 1.

Maryland JSHS is sponsored by the A. James Clark School of Engineering; the College of Life Sciences; the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences; and the Provost's Office, University of Maryland.

CONS Problem-Solving Project Results in Workshop with National Geographic Society

As part of the problem-solving course in Fall 2004, CONS students Terri Kempton, Daniella Schweizer and Michael Stringer conducted a research project for the National Geographic Society titled "The Use of Mass Media as a Tool for Conservation: A Survey of Nongovernmental Organizations and Foundations." Their project led to the organization of a workshop on March 11 that convened National Geographic staff and members of various NGOs and foundations for a discussion of the results of the project. Participants talked about the challenges of using mass media for conservation work, the opportunities for overcoming those barriers, and the trends of media use by nonprofit groups. Attendees participated in roundtable discussions of the conclusions and recommendations of the group and previewed a new National Geographic film production, "Strange Days on Planet Earth."

Back to top

Funding Alerts