| |
 From
the Dean
The
past month has been a very busy
time for the College. In late October
we discussed our budget and strategic
plan at an All-College Meeting attended
by about 100 faculty and staff.
My presentation is attached (PDF
version; PowerPoint
version). In early November
we hosted Bioscience Day, which
was attended by more than 500 people.
Bruce Alberts, President of the
National Academy Sciences, gave
a visionary talk on the role of
the Academy in 21st century science;
click here
to view his presentation.  Over the next two days, we hosted 18
faculty from 12 HBCUs at our annual
Graduate
Partners Program. We anticipate
that several rising seniors from
these institutions will be here
this summer as summer research students.
The College Undergraduate Program
Committee has almost completed the
definition of our new specializations;
these plans will be submitted to
the departments for discussion and
review by the departmental Program
and Curriculum Committees shortly.
The Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry participated in a very
successful one-day program with
NIST, with the goal of developing
joint programs and collaborations.
And then there was Thanksgiving—a
long weekend to recover from all
of the above!
The
next stage in our strategic planning
is the preparation of "white
papers" by small groups of
faculty on our proposed research
foci. Genome science (comparative,
functional and medical), sensory
neuroscience and host-pathogen interactions
(immune systems/bacteria/viruses
and plant/insect/pathogens) will
be the focus of expansion in the
new Bioscience Research Building.
Chemistry and Biochemistry is preparing
a white paper on nanoscience/biomaterials,
and the BEES group is preparing
one on ecoscience. These will be
submitted December 8. I will discuss
these with the Provost, chairs and
the academic programs subcommittee of our Board of Visitors and provide
feedback to the authors. After revision,
they should be ready for review,
first by the College Advisory Council
and then by the faculty at large.
In the meantime, I will be working
on revising the strategic plan,
taking into account the discussions
we have had to date and the material
in the white papers.
The
design of the Bioscience Research
Building continues; we just passed
the 50% completion milestone. My
thanks to all the faculty who have
contributed to this process.
Terry
Chase—an alum, CEO of Chesapeake
PERL, Inc. and a new member of our
Board
of Visitors—is working
with Martha Connolly, the new Director
of MIPS (Maryland Industrial Partnerships),
and Jim Poulos, Director of the
Office of Technology Commercialization,
to develop a half-day program for
faculty, staff, graduate students
and postdoctoral fellows on technology
transfer and developing research
partnerships with small businesses.
This event, which will be scheduled
for early February, is an exciting
opportunity and a generous gesture
on Ms. Chase's part. I hope that
you will plan to attend.
 The
annual LFSC cleanup will take place
January 12 through 23. Over the
past three years, we have removed
or recycled several hundred tons
of trash. Start thinking about equipment
and paper that you would like to
shed. As usual, prizes will be awarded
to the groups that have made the
greatest contribution to College
beautification.
Our
holiday party, joint with the College
of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
is scheduled for December 15 from
2 to 4 p.m in 1110 Symons Hall.
The campus Graduation is December
20 and our Graduation is December
21. I hope to see you at one or
more events!
My
best wishes for a joyous holiday
season!
December
20:
Campus Commencement, Comcast Center,
7 p.m. The procession begins at 6:30
p.m.
December
21: College of Life Sciences
Commencement, Memorial Chapel, 4 p.m.
Students must arrive by 3 p.m.; the
procession starts at 3:40 p.m.
Back
to top
-
The
estate of Dr. Mark Keeney, for $295,000
for the G. Forrest Woods Atrium Fund
-
The
estate of Miss Winifred Gahan, for $153,000
for the Gahan Scholarship Fund
-
The
Leakey Foundation, for a $10,000 gift
to support the project "Study of
Human Population of Northern Kenya"
(PI: Jibril Boru Hirbo)
-
The
following companies, for contributing
$5,000 each to support JIFSAN: Kraft
Foods, Inc.; McCormick & Company,
Inc.; General Mills, Inc.; Unilever
Bestfoods; Campbell Soup Company; Coca-Cola
Enterprises, Inc.; Frito-Lay Company;
Monsanto Company
-
MdBio,
Inc., Digene Corporation and GenVec,
Inc., for supporting Bioscience Day
with gifts of $2,500, $1,000 and $500,
respectively
-
Dr.
Irwin Forseth, Jr. for $1,560 in support
of the Jane Prichard Teaching Award
-
Dow
AgroSciences, LLC, for $1,125 in support
of the Department of Entomology Research
Fund
-
Dr.
and Dr. Andrew Fridberg, for $1,000
for the Dean's Fund
-
Dr.
Gail Seelig, for $1,000 for the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate
Award Fund
-
Dr.
and Mrs. Henry Barry, for $875 for the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Back
to top
Faculty
Recognition and In the News
Dr.
Norma Allewell, Dean, and Chemistry
and Biochemistry, was appointed to
the NSF Biological
Sciences Advisory Committee (BIOAC).
The group advises the Directorate
for Biological Sciences (BIO)
on important issues, including how
its programs can serve the scientific
community and how it can promote top-notch
graduate and undergraduate education
in the biological sciences.
Dr.
Herman Ammon, Chemistry and Biochemistry,
received a 6-month, $65,000 grant
from the Department of Defense for
"Structure Prediction and a Database
for Energetic Materials." This
grant continues Office of Naval Research
support for work involving explosives
and propellants, and it will fund
the establishment of a computational
database for energetic materials.
The work is being done in conjunction
with the Army Research Laboratory
in Aberdeen, MD.
 Dr.
Catherine Carr, Biology, received
an Alexander
von Humboldt Senior Research Award.
The award funds a sabbatical in Germany
that will start in Fall 2004. Dr.
Carr studies the cellular mechanisms
of sound localization in birds and
the evolution of the auditory system.
Dr. Carr also received a renewal of
her grant ($326,000 per year for 5
years) from NIH for "The Cellular
Mechanisms Underlying Sound Localization."
Dr.
Marco Colombini, Biology, received
a 1-year, $211,000 grant from NIH
for "Channel Formation by Ceramides."
Dr.
Michael Doyle, Chemistry and Biochemistry,
will be the keynote speaker for the
College's Commencement December 21.
Ms.
Ethel Dutky, Entomology, received
a 1.5-year, $30,000 subcontract of
a regional grant (PI: Cornell), funded
by the USDA, for a national network
called the Animal and Plant Disease
and Pest Surveillance and Detection
Network. Identical projects exist
in all regions of the country. The
network has two parts: one that is
focused on animal diseases and one
that is focused on plant diseases.
Ms. Dutky is part of the latter group,
the National
Plant Diagnostic Network, which
addresses concerns for homeland security
with the goal of ensuring rapid and
accurate detection of introduced pests
and pathogens of plants.
Dr.
Samuel Grim, who retired in the
spring from the Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry, has been appointed
as Professor Emeritus, effective retroactively
to July 1, 2003.
 Dr. Eric Haag, Biology, is quoted
in a November 11 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
article
reacting to a recent nematode discovery.
The fact that the nematode C. elegans
has a sex change at birth dictated
by its food supply surprised him:
"It's shown that the feeding
regime-how you feed the young hatchlings-has
an effect on their sex. I don't think
anyone saw this coming."
Dr.
William Higgins, Biology, was
named Chapter Academic Advisor of
the Year by the Greek Life 7th Annual
Scholarship Banquet. Dr. Higgins is
academic advisor to the Kappa Delta
Sorority. Mr. Gene Ferrick, LFSC Assistant
to the Dean and advisor to the Delta
Delta Delta sorority, was among the
four other nominees for the award.
Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, advised
by Associate Dean Robert Infantino,
was recognized as having the highest
overall GPA in both the Fall 2002
and Spring 2003 semesters.
Dr.
David Inouye, Biology, presented
an invited lecture (co-authored by
graduate student Gary Dodge and former
postdoctoral fellow Manuel Morales)
in Sapporo, Japan, at a symposium
on Diversity of Reproductive Systems
in Plants: Ecology, Evolution and
Conservation. The symposium was sponsored
by the Society for the Study of Species
Biology.
Dr.
Sam Joseph, CBMG, is quoted in
a November 7 Maryland Newsline article
about the closing of 11 regional postal
facilities because one in Anacostia
showed signs of anthrax. Dr. Joseph
says that this action was outside
the norm; on most occasions, he says,
clear chemical contamination would
be required to order mass closures.
Dr.
Sang Bok Lee, Chemistry and Biochemistry,
received a 2-year, $132,000 grant
from NIH for "Array-based Biological
Sensor using Nano-pores."
Dr.
Alice Mignerey, Chemistry and
Biochemistry, received an 8.5-month,
$23,000 grant from the Department
of Defense for work with the Naval
Research Laboratory.
 Dr.
John Moore, who retired in the
spring from the Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry, has been appointed
as Professor Emeritus, effective retroactively
to July 1, 2003.
Dr.
John Ondov, Chemistry and Biochemistry,
received a 1-year, $50,000 grant extension
from Johns Hopkins University for
"Leachability of Metals from
Urban Dust."
In
two articles, Dr. Arthur Popper,
Biology, comments on a recent report
that herring make noises very much
like breaking wind to communicate.
He says "Fish do very strange
things" in regard to the findings.
Dr. Dennis Higgs of the University
of Windsor in Ontario, a lead researcher
on the report who earned his doctorate
at UM's Laboratory for Aquatic Bioacoustics,
states this could be the first case
of a fish using high frequency for
communication.
The
Times of London, November 7
New
Scientist, November 3
Dr.
Elizabeth Quinlan, Biology, received
a 3-year, $299,000 grant from NSF
for "Cellular Basis of Learning
in the Mammalian Cortex."
Dr.
Michael Raupp, Entomology, is
quoted in a November 17 Baltimore
Sun article
on native and foreign pests that are
attacking America's forests.
 Dr.
Anne Simon, CBMG, coordinated
an effective one-day Virology
Retreat October 25 that involved
researchers from NIH, NCI and USDA
in addition to the UM virology community.
The broad and compelling program included
presentations by senior, world-class
virologists as well as postdoctoral
fellows and graduate students. Speakers
included Charles Rice of Rockefeller
University, who is a councilor of
the American Society for Virology;
Margaret Fearon of the Ontario Ministry
of Health, who was in the thick of
efforts to fight the SARS epidemic;
and Bernie Moss, a member of the Virology
program, who is one of the world's
foremost authorities on smallpox.
Dr. Simon also used the retreat as
a recruiting tool that attracted faculty
and students from local and regional
small and minority colleges.
Dr.
Ann Smith, CBMG, led a session
on "Technology as a Solution
to Implementing Active-Learning Pedagogies"
at the Project
Kaleidoscope conference November
21-23 in Boulder, CO. Dr. Smith is
a member of the National Steering
Committee of Project Kaleidoscope,
an informal alliance focused on strengthening
undergraduate programs in science.
Dr.
Sarah Tishkoff, Biology, talked
about her research into the oldest
DNA lineages and the biggest study
yet in a
segment on African genetic diversity
November 12 on the "Kojo Nnamdi
Show."
Alumni
Recognition and In the News
 Ms.
Madeleine Jacobs, who completed
her coursework for a master's degree
(1969) in organic chemistry with Dr.
Bruce Jarvis, has been named
the new Executive Director of
the American
Chemical Society (ACS). Ms. Jacobs
spent 14 years with the Smithsonian
Institution and was the first female
Editor-in-Chief of the weekly magazine
Chemical & Engineering News,
which is the principal news medium
for the American Chemical Society.
As Executive Director, Ms. Jacobs
is responsible for the management
of this large professional society
with more than 160,000 members, and
publications that include more than
35 journals in addition to Chemical
Abstracts.
Dr.
Paul Jivoff, who earned his Ph.D.
in Biology with Dr. Gerald Borgia
and Adjunct
Professor Anson Hines, and
who is currently an Assistant Professor
at Rider University, is quoted in
an October 13 Washington Post
article
about the successful effort to restore
New Jersey's salt marshes.
Bioscience
Day Poster Winners
Thanks
to all the students and faculty who
made the poster session at Bioscience
Day a great success, with more
than 130 posters. Congratulations
to the winners of the poster contest:
Norman
Bourg (Biology): "Decision
Tree and GIS-based Predictive Habitat
Modeling for Xerophyllum asphodeloides,
a Rare Fire-adapted Appalachian Forest
Herb"
Nathan
Ekborg (CBMG): "Structural
Analysis of the Glycoside Hydrolase
Family 16,18, 50 and 86 Enzymes of
Microbulbifer degradans 2-40"
Jennifer
Hall (Chemistry and Biochemistry):
"Comprehensive Analysis of Protein
Backbone Dynamics from Spin-Relaxation
Data Using Site-Specific CSAs and
Rotational Diffusion Anisotropy"
 Harin
Kanani (ENGR): "Metabolic Profiling
of the Short-Term Arabidopsis thaliana
Response to Increased CO2 Levels Using
Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry"
Jason
Lagona (Chemistry and Biochemistry):
"Cucurbit [n] uril Analogues"
Suzanne
Miles (CBMG): "Paradoxical
Role of IgG During Intracellular Infections"
Virginie
van Wassenhove (ARHU): "Electrophysiological
Characterization of Multisensory Facilitation
Effects in Bimodal Speech"
Yifan
Zhang (AGNR): "Heterogeneity
of vatE Carrying Plasmids in E.
faecium Recovered from Human and
Animal Sources"
A
special thanks goes to the judges:
-
Animal and Avian Sciences: Brian
Bequette
-
Biology:
Marco Colombini, Bill Fagan,
Eric Haag, Jeff Jensen, Hey-Kyoung
Lee, Betsy Quinlan
-
Cell
Biology and Molecular Genetics:
Jonathan Dinman, Zhongchi Liu,
Ann Smith
-
Chemical
Engineering: Maria Klapa, Nam Wang
-
Chemistry
and Biochemistry: Dorothy Beckett,
Phil DeShong, Mike Doyle
-
Nutrition
and Food Science: Thomas Castonguay
Department
Strengthens Relationship with NIST
A
team of chemists from the Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry traveled to
the National
Institute of Standards and Technology
on November 24 to meet with scientists
in the Chemical
Science and Technology Laboratory
and to learn about programs and opportunities
for greater interaction. After an introduction
and tour of selected laboratories, NIST
scientists joined their UM counterparts
and returned to the University for presentations
of ongoing research programs and a tour
of department facilities.
Led
by Dr. William F. Koch, Acting Director
of the NIST Chemical Science and Technology
Laboratory, and Professor Michael P. Doyle,
Chair of the Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, with organization by Rae
Grad, Assistant to the President at UM,
the event was deemed a success by all
who participated. Plans are underway for
closer interactions that will include
joint symposia on topics of mutual interest,
with the first one in the spring at the
University.
Back
to top
OTC's
Technology Status Report
The
fall Technology Status Report from the
Office of
Technology Commercialization offers
the following information for the College.
In the period 7/1/02 through 12/31/02,
11 invention disclosures were submitted,
1 technology was licensed, and 3 U.S.
patents were issued.
In
this period, researchers in the College
submitted 26% of the total number of
invention disclosures by the University.
By comparison, ENGR submitted 45%, AGNR
submitted 5% and CMPS submitted 14%.
Historically (since 1987), the College
has submitted 16% of the total number.
The
income generated to the College in fiscal
year 2002 was $13,462. For the most
recent list of LFSC inventors and their
work, click here.
UTAP
Looking for Spring 2004 Applicants
The
College has successfully sponsored the
Undergraduate Technology Apprentice
Program (UTAP) for a number of years
and would like to invite second- and
third-year students to apply. By enrolling
in this program, students learn to use
a variety of technology tools and criteria
that are employed in instructional technology.
After completing the two-credit spring
semester course (BSCI 279T), these students
will be assigned to faculty members
in the College-typically to those teaching
large, low-level courses-the following
fall semester to assist with instructional
technology needs.
Please
encourage any students you think might
be interested in the program to apply.
The application form as well as further
information can be found at www.life.umd.edu/utap.
How
to Post Your News
If
you would like to share your accomplishments
or other news, please send a note (and
any accompanying photos)
to Meredith Brittain at
brittain@umd.edu. Issues are usually sent at the beginning
of each month.
Back
to top
|
