October 2, 2000

November 1, 2000

December 1, 2000

January 2001

NEWS     February  2001

"News from the College of Life Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park"

NEWS ITEMS

1.  The Dean's Message

2.  Upcoming Events

3.   HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowships

4.  Faculty Recognition

5.  In the News

6.  International

7.  Advising - B.S. in BIOCHEMISTRY and DOCTOR of PHARMACY

8.  Staff Recognition

9.  Funding Alerts

10.  How to Post Your News Here

FROM THE DEAN 

As some of you know, I have decided that we can not delay a review of our undergraduate academic and advising programs. There are many reasons for expediting this review. First and most importantly, biology is changing at the speed of light, and educational methods and approaches are changing almost as fast. It has been some time since our programs have been reviewed, and we need to assess whether changes should be made to ensure that we meet the needs of our students, the University and the State in the best possible way. The changes in biology and educational approaches also have created new sources of funding, and it behooves us to position ourselves as effectively as possible in the competition for these funds, at both the State and national level. For example, we will be submitting a new application to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute next year for support of our undergraduate programs. Kaci Thompson reports from a recent meeting that some of their top priorities at the present time are revising the biology curriculum to make it more interdisciplinary; integrating computer technology into biology teaching and research; and developing innovative approaches to attract and retain students who are members of groups currently underrepresented in the sciences. In terms of this proposal, a review is very timely. We also have new talent and new interests in the College, and we need to make our programs responsive to these changes.

In thinking about our situation, it became clear to me that there are many linkages at many levels, and that a piecemeal approach would not be productive. Accordingly we will be looking at everything from requirements for specializations, courses and their curricula, approaches to teaching, faculty issues and advising to climate. A Faculty Steering Committee will be assessing these issues and writing a report for me at the end of the semester. They have asked that their report not be DOA, and I have promised them that their recommendations will be given very serious consideration, both by me and the College. One of the first tasks of the Steering Committee is to develop questionnaires to be sent to every faculty member, members of the instructional staff and students. We will also be organizing focus groups and one or more retreats. An External Review Committee, that will probably visit sometime in mid-spring, will also review our programs.

The members of the Faculty Steering Committee are Paul Bottino, Bob Denno, Steve Hutcheson, Bob Infantino, Jason Kahn, Margaret Palmer, Art Popper, Anne Simon, Ann Smith, Barbara Thorne and Sara Via. I am very grateful to all of them, and particularly to Barbara Thorne, who has agreed to chair the committee, in spite of many other demands on her talents. The committee will be consulting broadly and I urge you all to share your thoughts and concerns with them. I also welcome comments and suggestions.

The Graduate Council, comprised of the Directors of our graduate programs, have organized two college-wide receptions in February and March for incoming graduate students that will bring together faculty and students from different departments with similar research interests. I urge everyone to participate, since strong graduate programs are crucial to our success.

On another front, demolition of Wing 3 of the Chemistry building has begun, to enable construction of a new wing. This promises to be a dramatic event and I urge you all to enjoy the excitement. Progress can be viewed at http://www.chem.umd.edu/webcam.html.

I appreciate the support of everyone who participated in Cleanup Week. Nominations for the most improved lab should be communicated to your departmental representative on the College Advisory Committee.

You will also be hearing more about the Strategic Plan for the College in the near future. The administration requested one from every College by the end of the spring semester and a draft is now ready for discussion.

Last but not least, I am sure that all of you, like me, regret Provost Geoffroy's decision to accept the Presidency at Iowa State. Greg has done an enormous amount for the University in a relatively brief period of time and he will be greatly missed.

Norma Allewell

UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Important DATES for STUDENTS
Drop/Add period: First 10 days of class until Feb. 9th Last Day to Apply for Spring 2001 graduation: Feb. 9th

First OPEN HOUSE for Undergraduate Applicants - February 19 New student applicants and their parents will be on campus on February 19. While we have programs prepared for these talented students, they may stroll into your department. Please be helpful.

TERRAPIN PRIDE DAY
Join the University of Maryland, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001, Annapolis for a chance to meet state legislators and promote the university to them. All activities, including a lunch at the Calvert House, will be held in Annapolis. Contact Llatetra Brown at 301.403.2728 ext. 11 or LB166@umail.umd.edu. Alumni Association events can be found at: http://www.alumni.umd.edu/AlumniAction/calendar2.html

COLLEGE-WIDE GRADUATE STUDENT RECEPTIONS
February 23, 4:00 p.m. in the Lobby of the Microbiology Building March 2, 4:00 p.m. in room 1208 Biology/Psychology Building Please join the Dean and other faculty as they welcome new graduate student recruits. This is an opportunity to share your research interests. On February 23rd, the programs most represented will be NACS, Cell and molecular areas of BIOL/ENTM, MOCB and CBMG. On March 2nd, the areas most represented will be BEES organismal areas of BIOL/ENTM and CHEM/BCHM.

HHMI UNDERGRAD RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
Deadline to apply is March 1, 2001. (See information below.)

Mark your calendar now for MARYLAND DAY - Saturday April 28, 2001. This will be a great day to enjoy many activities and see the wonderful work being done here at Maryland. Bring your family! If you would like to know what the College of Life Sciences is doing, send an email to Gene Ferrick at gferrick@deans.umd.edu.

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HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowships
"Encourage your students to apply."

The next application deadline for Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowships is March 1, 2001. Fellowships provide students a yearly stipend of $5000, $2000 for research supplies and summer dormitory housing. In addition, faculty mentors receive $1000 to help defray the costs of general laboratory supplies. A detailed program description and application are available on the HHMI website http://www.life.umd.edu/hhmi/. Also posted are some answers to frequently asked questions http://www.life.umd.edu/hhmi/FAQ.html. Please encourage students in your lab to apply. For additional information, contact Dr. Kaci Thompson (kt21@umail.umd.edu).

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FACULTY RECOGNITION

ALBERT ADES, Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics, and PAUL MAZZOCCHI, Chemistry & Biochemistry, are Co-PIs on an NIH Foreign Graduate Student Training grant that was renewed for this year for $674K.

CATHERINE FENSELAU, Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave a keynote lecture in the Biochemistry Division at the recent Pacific Rim Conference on Chemistry in Honolulu, served on the external review committee for the Department of Chemistry at Purdue, served on the search committee for the director of a new Proteomics Facility at the University of Goteborg in Sweden, and received a one-year grant from Johns Hopkins/Applied Physics Laboratory for $60,000 to research "Unique Identifiers of Aerosol Pathogens."

MARJORIE L. REAKA-KUDLA has been elected to be chair-elect on the Section on Biological Sciences of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. DAVID INOUYE and ART POPPER are both Section Delegates.

ROBERT WALKER, Chemistry & Biochemistry, received a NSF Career Award to research: "Surface Mediated Solvation at Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interfaces." The $488K award extends over 5 years and will support work investigating how different kinds of (solid) surfaces alter solvent-solute interactions from bulk solution limits. Answers to this question promise to affect our understanding of broad classes of interfacial phenomena including electron transfer, molecular recognition and macromolecular self-assembly.
     A second aspect of the award involves education. Thanks to generous support from both the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the College of Life Sciences, he will initiate a program designed to introduce motivated first year undergraduates to independent research opportunities in analytical, materials and physical chemistry. Bob hopes that this Rollinson Fellowship Initiative (named after distinguished, former faculty member Carl Rollinson) will complement the HHMI program that provides similar opportunities for young college students in the biological sciences.
 

IN the NEWS

MILLARD ALEXANDER, IPST/Chemistry and Biochemistry, has established a fully endowed graduate fellowship in Chemical Physics. The Alexander Family Fellowship will be awarded to an outstanding new Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Physics. The first award will be made in Spring '01 for a fall admit.

EUGENIE CLARK, Zoology emerita, was noted in the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette on January 19, 2001. Her shark diving in Australia and California was to be seen on the big screen in IMAX format.

DAVID INOUYE, Biology, authored an article in the Crested Butte Chronicle and Pilot, Crested Butte, CO, on December 15, 2000. He represented news from the Rocky Mount Biological Laboratory and discussed Veratrum californicum (corn lilies), one-eyed sheep and skin cancers.

DAVID LINEBACK, JIFSAN, wrote in USA Today with freelance writer David Longtin on January 24. Their article, "Keep Eyes Open If You Go Organic," discussed myths about the benefits of organic foods.

 

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INTERNATIONAL

FYI -
The OFFICE of INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS at acts as a clearinghouse for information leading to funding opportunities for faculty and graduate students to conduct research and training at Maryland and international sites.

Presently, through OIP with financial support from the Egyptian Government, eight Egyptian University faculty members are conducting research with faculty from or the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

OIP coordinates travel-study courses of instruction and field research for students and faculty. In the past, OIP has assisted with programs in Brazil, Belize, the Red Sea, Israel, Jordan, Costa Rica, Mexico and Kenya. Faculty are involved in these programs as they help students apply their knowledge to the diverse regions.

If you would like more information about the OIP, please call Tal Shehata at x54774.

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ADVISING

B.S. in BIOCHEMISTRY and DOCTOR of PHARMACY

Last semester, the articulated program between and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy was approved. With this articulated program, a successful student in the Biochemistry program may be admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy program at UMAB and shorten the completion time for both programs by one year. Basically, a student may complete 90 credits of courses toward the B.S. in Biochemistry here at UMCP. Upon successful completion of the first year at the Pharmacy School, the student may be granted a B.S. in BCHM from UMCP.

This program may attract more students into both schools and help with some graduation figures. Because this is an exercise in advising and does not require new courses, this is a win-win situation. If you would like to know more about the articulation agreement contact Jennifer Hayes-Klosteridis at jhklost@deans.umd.edu or Gene Ferrick at gferrick@deans.umd.edu.

Staff Recognition

KAREN LASHER who works in the Chair's Office of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics was recently promoted to the position of Executive Administrative Assistant I.

SHIRLEY DONKIS from the Chair's Office in Entomolgy has also been promoted to the position of Executive Administrative Assistant I. Additional congratulations are extended to Shirley for being selected as one of three professionals to receive this year's President's Commission on Women's Issues Clerical/Secretarial Recognition Award. She will receive her award at the 2001 Professional Concepts Exchange Luncheon this Spring.

FUNDING ALERTS

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Diversity Initiative Faculty Relations Committee invites applications for the Fourth Annual Diversity Initiative Faculty Support Award for the academic year 2001-2002. This award is sponsored by the Office of Human Relations Programs in conjunction with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Office of Academic Affairs. Full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members of any rank at the University of Maryland are eligible to apply.

The recipient will receive faculty release time (one course for one semester in 2001-2002.

The recipient will be featured at the Annual Diversity Initiative Award ceremony and in Outlook magazine.

The recipient will hold an annual advisory position on the Faculty Relations Committee for the academic year 2001-2002.

Possible projects include research on incorporating diversity themes into undergraduate courses, using specific teaching methods (e.g., teams, case studies) to enhance diversity experiences, improving interpersonal and intergroup relations among diverse student groups, and building university community partnerships that involve students with diversity issues.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 5, 2001 by 4:30 p.m.
For details about applying go to:: http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/Diversity/Response/UM/Programs/Initiative/Student/Committee.html

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List of funding alerts

Click above to see a list of funding alerts that may be relevant to the Life Sciences.
   

How to Post your NEWS!

If you would like to share your accomplishments or other news, please send a note to Gene Ferrick at gferrick@deans.umd.edu.  Future issues will initially be at the beginning of each month.