| |
 From
the Dean
This is the celebratory season, with many events that highlight University, College and individual accomplishment. The College’s Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards program last week recognized several members of the College who have made outstanding contributions, not only in the past year, but over many years. We thank Lorraine Charity, Reid Compton, Wendy Loughlin, Betsy Quinlan, Steve Rokita and Bob Yuan for their dedication and service. Many alums and members of the College participated in a College tailgating event on Hornbake Plaza on April 15 preceding the Johns Hopkins-Maryland men’s lacrosse game. The Outstanding Students Reception on April 18, organized by Christine McCary and Lisa Bradley, was very well attended by students being honored for their high academic achievement and the favorite profs whom they invited. At the University’s Invention of the Year reception on April 19, research teams led by Phil DeShong and David Mosser were finalists, and Rob Walker was named Undergraduate Mentor of the Year at Undergraduate Research Day on April 27. Finally, Maryland Day over the weekend was both heartwarming and inspiring, as always. We owe a large debt of gratitude to Gene Ferrick, who turned in another flawless performance as impresario, and to all the other members of the College who contributed.
The spring meeting of the Board of Visitors at the end of April included several innovations. BOV Chair James Battey and David Corey, Chair of the Academic Subcomittee, met with Biology faculty to discuss grantsmanship. Members of the Faculty Advisory Committee met with the full Board to provide a faculty perspective, and David Mosser gave a half-hour presentation of his current research on Interleukin 10. In addition, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Board of Distinguished Advisors met in April for the first time.
From left, several Board members are shown with Dean Norma Allewell (middle): David Corey, James Battey (Chair), Terry Chase, Janis Antonovics, David Clayton, James Whitman, Nancy Jenkins and Steven Meltzer.
The last big events of the academic year are the University’s and College’s graduation ceremonies. The University’s ceremony is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, in the Comcast Center, and the College’s ceremony is at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, in the Cole Student Activities Building. The College will hold a reception in the Symons Hall lounge for students who have won awards, their guests and faculty at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. Please join us at these events to honor our students.
I am pleased to announce that Jian Wang will be joining the Department of Entomology as an assistant professor this summer. Dr. Wang has done some very exciting work on the molecular mechanisms of neuronal morphogenesis and plasticity in Drosophila and will be a great addition to both Entomology and the NACS program. Additional discussions and negotiations related to faculty searches are in progress; I would like to again thank the search committees for their hard work.
Change is underway in the College’s financial offices, with both Nancy Baugher and Meredith Humen leaving in mid-May. We thank them both for their many contributions to the College. Jennie Dang will be joining us as an accounting associate on May 9, and the ad for an assistant dean for finance has been posted. We will also be searching for an accountant. Applications from College staff are encouraged. Bill Katsereles, Lorraine Charity and Gene Ferrick have graciously volunteered to help us out during the transition, and Sharon Hodgson and Bob Infantino will be directing traffic in the Dean’s office. Sharon will be sending a spreadsheet shortly indicating the point people for various processes during the transition.
As this academic year draws to a close, I thank you all for your commitment and dedication to the College and for your many contributions during the year. Best wishes for a rewarding and restorative summer.
Norma
Allewell
Professor and Dean
 Academic
Calendar and Upcoming Events
May
6: Scholars
Academic Showcase, Cambridge Community
Center, 1 p.m. More
than 250 second-year College Park
Scholars will participate in poster
displays, platform presentations,
and panel discussions. More information: http://www.scholars.umd.edu/current/showcase.html.
College contact: Stacy Richardson
(sarich@umd.edu)
May 12: Last
Day of Classes
May
13: Exam
Study Day
May
14-20: Final
Exams
May
21: Campus
Commencement. Comcast Center,
7 p.m.
May
22: College
Commencement. Cole Student Activities
Building, 4 p.m.
June 28-30: Joint Symposium on Food Safety and Nutrition, Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College. Jointly organized by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), York, UK, and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN). More information: http://www.jifsan.umd.edu/csl2005.htm.
September 24: Academically Talented Open House
September 30: Visit Maryland Day
October 10: Visit Maryland Day
October 22: Academically Talented Open House
November 11: Visit Maryland Day
November
17: Bioscience
Research and Technology Review
Day. More information: www.bioscienceday.umd.edu.
LFSC contact: Gene Ferrick (gene@umd.edu)
February 20, 2006: Open House for Juniors
April 29, 2006: Maryland Day
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Dr. Khachik Wins CCR Collaboration Success Award
Dr. Frederick Khachik, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and his colleagues at Kemin Health were awarded the 2005 Collaboration Success Award by the Council for Chemical Research at its annual meeting in Pittsburgh in April. The collaboration, “Industrial Production of alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin from Lutein,” was selected from approximately 30 nominations nationwide. Every year starting in 1998, the award has recognized a collaborative team made up of at least two of the following three sectors—university, industry and government—that, according to the CCR Web site, “has made outstanding contributions to the progress of chemistry-related science and/or engineering.” Dr. Khachik is the first University of Maryland scientist to receive this prestigious recognition.
The collaboration built on Dr. Khachik’s research on several dietary compounds, or carotenoids, that are found in fruits and vegetables: lutein, zeaxanthin, and alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin. These compounds accumulate in the retina and may be beneficial in preventing age-related macular degeneration or AMD (loss of central vision). Alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin are not available as nutritional supplements; to address the need for commercial production of these two carotenoids, Dr. Khachik developed two patents that dealt with conversion of commercially available lutein into alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin. The first of these patents received a UM Invention of the Year award in 2000, and both were licensed by Kemin Health of Des Moines, Iowa, which is the largest producer of lutein in the world. Dr. Khachik developed a third patent in collaboration with Dr. Yufa Liu and Dr. Holly Showalter at Kemin Health; this patent simplifies the method used to convert the lutein and ensures that the resultant product does not contain any chemicals or residues. Currently, Kemin Health is conducting pilot plant studies so that the work done in the lab can be tested at a larger scale before the compounds go into full industrial production sometime in the next few months.
Dr. Frederick Khachik, National Academy of Sciences President Dr. Bruce Alberts,
and Dr. Holly Showalter of Kemin Health at the CCR annual meeting.
Dr. Higgins Receives UM’s Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award
Dr. Bill Higgins, Biology, has been named the winner of the 2005 Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award for his exceptional contributions to undergraduate education at the University. The award will be officially conferred at the Faculty Convocation on September 27 at 3 p.m. in the chapel.
Dr. Higgins has served the campus for 30+ years, playing a significant role in establishing and teaching several courses. He has contributed to the scholarship of teaching and learning, including seven publications in this area, two lab manuals and more than 60 presentations nationwide. He has garnered more than $3.5 million in funding for undergraduate initiatives and was the key architect of the College’s HHMI-funded program. In addition to contributions to undergraduate education, he has served as advisor and mentor to 10 Ph.D. students and 30 M.S. students.
Dr. Higgins has played a significant role in campus leadership and administration throughout his career. He helped to establish and implement plans to improve the recruitment and retention of undergraduates, particularly students from underrepresented minority groups. He was one of the early pioneers in the development of the freshman orientation seminar UNIV 100 (formerly EDCP 108O), another key element to supporting students early in their studies on campus. He also served as Associate Dean of Life Sciences for 12 years—a period of thriving activity and success.
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Undergraduate Research Mentor and Student of the Year Awards Go to College Recipients
On Undergraduate Research Day on April 27, two dozen students from the College were among the 450 students University-wide who gave oral or poster presentations, and two members of the College community received awards. Dr. Robert Walker, Chemistry and Biochemistry, was honored as the Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year, and Kathleen Daly, a physiology and neurobiology graduating senior, was named Undergraduate Research Student of the Year.
 Milton Liu, one of Dr. Walker´s five undergraduate researchers, nominated him for Mentor of the Year because he challenges and encourages his students at the same time. Liu says, "All of us in the Walker Research Group look up to and admire Dr. Walker for his humility, charisma and dedication." Dr. Walker has worked with undergraduate researchers since he came to the university in 1998. He meets with his group of ten students—five undergraduates and five graduates—collectively and individually at least once a week to guide their research. Although most students may not stay with a research project for their entire tenure at the university, Professor Walker finds just the opposite with the students he mentors; most of his students stay with his group for three or four years. "To see undergraduates develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills is very rewarding," Dr. Walker says. "At some point, students will graduate and encounter situations where answers can’t be looked up in a textbook. Researchers have the capacity to find reasonable solutions to problems they have never encountered before."
 An HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow, Kathleen Daly has dedicated her time at the university to researching the role of estrogen and aging on the development of colon cancer. Her research has been presented at meetings of the Society of Toxicology and Food and Drug Administration Science Forums. Her mentor, Bernadene Magnuson, assistant professor of nutrition and food science, praises Kathleen for her commitment to the study and meticulous research habits. Daly plans to make a career of cancer research. "I plan on specializing in oncology and splitting my time between patients and research. My experience at Maryland has improved my critical thinking skills and increased my patience," Daly says.
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Faculty
Recognition and In
the News
Please
send faculty news items to brittain@umd.edu.
Dr. Jonathan Dinman, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, published “Torsional restraint: A new twist on frameshifting pseudoknots” in Nucleic Acids Research, published online March 30.
Dr. Michael Doyle, Chemistry and Biochemistry, received a 3-year grant, the first year providing $145,000 in total costs, from NSF for "Dirhodium Catalyst Development and Applications."
Ethel Dutky is consulted as a dogwood expert in an April 21 Washington Post article.
The fungus Discula destructiva is killing the beautiful spring landmark, but there are signs of a comeback, Dutky says.
 Dr. George Helz, Chemistry and Biochemistry, received a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and undertake scholarly research in Croatia. As a representative of the University and the nation, Dr. Helz will help fulfill the principal mission of the Fulbright program, which (according to its Web site) is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." An environmental geochemist who served as Director of the Maryland Water Resources Research Center from 1990 to 2001, Dr. Helz has studied a range of environmental problems, including hazards to aquatic wildlife that are associated with discharging chlorinated water into rivers and estuaries.
Dr. David Inouye, Biology, is quoted in an April 11 National Geographic Pulse of the Planet article. He talks about the crisis facing marmots and birds as they encounter an earlier warmth of spring, but without the vegetation that allows them to eat (it is buried under the snow). He is also featured in an April 13 USA Today article that addresses the question: How warm must it be for tree buds to open? Dr. Inouye says that while there is variation, 50 degrees Fahrenheit seems to be a common baseline for many plants to begin to bud after sufficient chill units have been accumulated. He goes on to explain in detail variables that may affect the growing season, like warmer urban areas and global warming.
Dr. Fatimah Jackson, Biology (affiliate), was appointed a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Gynecological Cancer Center of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
Dr. Daniel Kosov, Chemistry and Biochemistry, received a 1-year, $19,000 grant from Mitsubishi Chemical for “Linear Response Timed-Dependent Functional Theory.”
Dr. Cheng S. Lee, Chemistry and Biochemistry, received a 4-year, NIGMS R01 grant with a first-year award of $272,900 for “Unraveling Cell Death Via Top-Down/Bottom-Up Proteomics.”
 Dr. David Mosser, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, and two graduate students in his lab, Suzanne Miles and Sean Conrad, published a paper in the March 7 issue of Journal of Experimental Medicine titled “A role for IgG immune complexes during infection with the intracellular pathogen Leishmania.” The paper is timely because it pertains to the immune response to Leishmania, and more than 2,000 troops have returned from the Middle East with this disease.
Dr. Margaret Palmer, Entomology and Biology, postdoc Dr. Emily Bernhardt and graduate student Brooke Hassett published the paper “Synthesizing U.S. River Restoration Efforts” in the April 29 issue of Science. The authors, who developed a comprehensive database of 37,000 river restoration projects nationwide, note that more than one third of the nation’s rivers are polluted and that river restoration projects are poorly monitored. An article in the April 29 Los Angeles Daily News covers the Science story, quoting Dr. Palmer as follows: “Information as basic as what projects are being done where, who is doing them, and what the outcomes are is not available…. River restoration will play an increasingly prominent role in environmental management and policy decision…. Advancing the field requires rigorous analysis of restoration projects, and that requires basic information on the goals and outcomes." In addition, Dr. Palmer is the lead author of a special profile on river restoration, which is being published by the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. As an April 18 article in Innovations Report (Germany) relates, "Although billions of dollars are spent on river restoration projects world-wide, little agreement exists on how their success is measured. According to lead author Dr Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland: 'Given the rapid rate of global degradation of fresh waters, and the fact that river and stream restoration has become a booming enterprise, it is time to agree on what constitutes successful river and stream restoration.' " Dr. Palmer is also quoted in an April 16 Capital News Service article about consideration of a constitutional amendment that would grant oversight on disposition of state land to the Maryland General Assembly. In the article, Dr. Palmer describes the ecological decay driven by developed land.
Dr. Kennedy Paynter, Biology, received an 11-month, $50,000 grant from the Army for “Model Development Oyster Growth.”
Dr. Leslie Pick published the following paper in Current Biology April 12:
Löhr, U. and Pick, L. Cofactor-interaction motifs and the cooption of a homeotic hox protein into the segmentation pathway of Drosophila melanogaster. Current Biology 15(7): 643-649.
Dr. Arthur Popper, Biology, was an expert interviewed on NPR: Weekend Edition on April 9. A report in Science says that "reef fish drifting in the open sea find their way back to reefs by listening for them." In the NPR story (click here for audio; click here for transcript), Dr. Popper says, "The question you really have to ask is this one: Why do you use sound? Why do I use sound? Because this is a perfect example of the whole question of why did hearing evolve even. What hearing evolved for is to listen to prey and to hear predators and to learn about the environment." Dr. Popper also received a 1-year, $114,250 grant from the Army Corps of Engineers vis Normandeau Associates, Inc. for “Evaluating the Effects of Underwater Noise on the Hearing Sensitivity of Hatchery Chinook Salmon Smolts Barged from the Snake River Basin.”
Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan, Biology, received a 3-year, $225,000 grant from the Whitehall Foundation for “Molecular Mechanisms of Long-Term Memory Maintenance."
Dr. Michael Raupp, Entomology, is quoted in a March 4 Washington Post article about the current status of the gypsy moth.
 Dr. Ann Smith, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, explains in the April-May 2005 issue (page 4) of the Center for Teaching Excellence newsletter how a pilot program using undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in BSCI 223 resulted in benefits for students, TAs, faculty and the UTAs themselves.
Dr. Barbara Thorne, Entomology, and seniors Anne Colgrove (Biological Sciences - Physiology and Neurophysiology) and Azize Sahin (Biochemistry) are interviewed in an April 3 Washington Post Magazine article about honors programs, such as Maryland’s, that "offer students the academic perks of an Ivy at the tuition rate of a public university." Dr. Thorne is the Director of the University Honors Program.
In an April 28 Christian Science Monitor article, Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, Biology, is asked her opinion of The Genographic Project, a plan to take 100,000 blood samples from indigenous populations around the world to build an ancestral DNA database that people can use to track their DNA lineage. "I'm personally very skeptical about what these ancestry kits can tell people," she says in the article. "If this is not done properly in an ethical, careful manner, it can backfire."
Dr. William Walters, Chemistry and Biochemistry, talks about why fallout shelters have fallen out of favor in an April 4 Salisbury Daily Times article.
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Winners of the College Faculty and Staff Awards
Members of the College gathered on April 27 to recognize the contributions of six outstanding faculty and staff over the past year:
- Staff Service Award: Ms. Lorraine Charity, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. Dr. David Mosser introduced Ms. Charity, praising her efficiency and effectiveness. Last year’s winner, Ms. Diane Canter, presented the award.
- Staff Award for Special Projects: Ms. Wendy Loughlin, College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Services. Dr. Lisa Bradley introduced Ms. Loughlin, recognizing the awardee for, among other important responsibilities, her instrumental role in training the College’s Peer Mentors. This new award was presented by the winner of last year’s Staff Service Award, Ms. Diane Canter.
- Research Award: Dr. Steven Rokita, Chemistry and Biochemistry. Dr. Philip DeShong lauded Dr. Rokita for his commitment to his students as well as to his research. Last year’s winner, Dr. Jonathan Dinman, presented the award.
- Junior Faculty Award: Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan, Biology. Dr. Richard Payne said a few remarks about how distinguished Dr. Quinlan has become, in terms of research and student mentoring, in her relatively short time at Maryland. Last year’s awardee, Dr. Victor Muñoz, Chemistry and Biochemistry, presented the award.
- Faculty Service Award: Dr. Reid Compton, Biology. Ms. Cecilia Jordan remarked about how dedicated Dr. Compton has been in his role and that it is a privilege to work for him. Last year’s winner, Dr. Irwin Forseth, presented the award.
- Teaching and Course Development Award: Dr. Robert Yuan, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Spencer Benson introduced Dr. Yuan, whom he applauded for his tireless efforts to improve the undergraduate curriculum. Dr. James Dietz, last year’s winner, presented the award.
Before the awards were presented, Dean Norma Allewell gave a brief presentation on the state of the College and how we are meeting the goals of the College’s strategic plan. As master of ceremonies, Mr. Gene Ferrick kept the event lively with short, humorous bits in between award presentations. For example, he had two staff members plug in a drill and a saw, then spoke loudly, telling the audience he wanted people used to the noise from construction of the Bioscience Research Building to feel at home. He also encouraged members of the College to attend events planned for alumni, faculty and staff—such as the recent lacrosse tailgate—by putting on a Terps jacket, donning a wig, and commenting that such activities are a chance to “let your hair down.”
Congratulations to this year’s award winners!
 
Above left: Ms. Diane Canter (left) presented the Staff Service Award to Ms. Lorraine Charity. Above right: Dr. Irwin Forseth (left) presented the Faculty Service Award to Dr. Reid Compton.
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2004 Inventions of the Year
Dr. Iqbal Hamza, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics (affiliate), won the 2004 Invention of the Year Award in the Life Science category. His invention, “Eukaryotic Heme Transport as a Drug Target for Helminthic Infections,” can be used to develop novel treatments for helminthic infestations by parasitic worms (a problem that afflicts more than 2 billion people worldwide) and to address iron deficiency (the world’s most common nutritional disorder). The two other finalists in the Life Science category were:
- “Use of Gold Nanoparticles as Fluorescent Biosensors”: Invention by Dr. Philip DeShong, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and lab members Mridula Kadalbajoo and Fehmi Damkaci; Dr. Douglas English, Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Dr. Daniel Stein, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. This technology involves the use of gold particles in developing diagnostics in biological systems.
- “Modulation of Leukocyte and Cytokine Production”: Invention by Dr. David Mosser and Dr. Mark Lucas, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. This invention illustrates how to activate the anti-inflammatory potential of macrophages.
U.S. patent applications are pending for all three inventions.
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Paynter Lab Establishes Live Webstreams
 The Paynter lab has launched two live webstreams that are available for viewing through the lab’s website. They have added an "ospreycam" to the original "scubacam" streaming video feed. The former shows the nest of a pair of ospreys that have just returned and should have eggs in the nest very soon. The latter is a live video feed from underneath the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory research pier showing underwater life on a small oyster bar. Both should be extremely interesting once temperatures encourage more benthic activity and the osprey young hatch.
To view the images, go to www.oyster.umd.edu, click on the "Video Gallery" link at the top, then click on the "streaming webcams" link. Click on either image to start the video stream. (Links will not work with Real Player or Windows Media Player.
The Paynter Lab hopes that these images can be used for educational purposes and that they will provide those associated with outreach, K-12 education or extension a useful tool for engaging the community.
The feeds were established by a collaboration of the Alliance for Coastal Technologies, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, the Paynter Lab and UM’s Office of Information Technology. Thanks especially to Tim Koles, Martin Carroll and Skip Warnick. If you any problems linking to the feeds or questions regarding this effort, please contact Tim Koles at koles@cbl.umces.edu.
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Staff
Recognition
Congratulations to Ms. Lorraine Charity, assistant director, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, who has completed her M.S. degree in Business Administration and will graduate from UMUC in May.
The Dean’s Office would like to welcome Ms. Jennie Dang, the new accounting associate who will begin May 9. Previously, Jennifer was an accountant at Minibar North America, Inc. and an account clerk at University of Maryland, System Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in International Business and Accounting from the University of Maryland.
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Undergraduate
Student Recognition
Eugenia Leone, a sophomore with a double major in Biological Sciences (BEES) and Geology, is being honored with the 2005 James A. Yorke Young Scientist Award, an award given to outstanding sophomores and juniors.
Amalia Pleake-Tamm, a junior double majoring in Environmental Science and Policy and English Language and Literature, was one of 81 out of 436 candidates nationwide who received a Udall Undergraduate Scholarship for her superior academic accomplishments and valuable efforts to aid the environment. Currently serving as the president of the student organization College Park Environmental Group, Amalia recently coordinated an environmental education program in local elementary schools and has worked with the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. She plans to study environmental law.
 After graduation, Ben Ruder, a senior majoring in Microbiology who founded the Red Terrapins Blood Drive Organization (a student club that works with the Red Cross to hold blood drives on campus), will be starting a company named Donors For Life, Inc. that will work with four-year universities in the Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania region to promote and organize more blood drives in an effort to increase collection rates. According to Ben, UM lags behind some universities, such as UCLA and Penn State, which generate thousands of pints of blood per year. He plans to work with campus organizations to hold numerous drives throughout the year. For example, if a sorority wanted to host a blood drive, it would only need to promote the blood drive and provide volunteer time the day of the drive. For more information about the Red Terrapins, go to http://www.redterps.com or contact Ben at bruder@wam.umd.edu.
HHMI Fellowships Awarded
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program is pleased to announce the recipients of spring 2005 awards. The fellowships provide a stipend of up to $5,000/year, research supply funds and support for travel to professional meetings to present research results. This semester we received 37 applications for funding and awarded 12 fellowships. The new fellows and their mentors are:
- Ekua Abban (junior CMBG major; mentor: Dr. Lian-Yong Gao)
- Kristina Cammen (sophomore General Biology major; mentor: Dr. Matthew Hare)
- Jordan Halsig (sophomore Biochemistry major; mentor: Dr. Bryan Eichhorn)
- Ashley Huber (junior Biology and Psychology major; mentor: Dr. David Yager)
- Mark Johnson (junior CMBG major; mentor: Dr. Volker Briken)
- Omar Karim (sophomore CMBG major; mentor: Dr. David Mosser)
- Irene Liu (junior Zoology and Spanish major; mentor: Dr. Bernard Lohr)
- Anne Macgregor (sophomore Microbiology major; mentor: Dr. Louisa Wu)
- Horatiu Muresan (junior CMBG major; mentor: Dr. Caren Chang)
- Aileen Pan (sophomore CMBG major; mentor: Dr. Stephen Mount)
- Tamar Sterling (sophomore General Biology major; mentor: Dr. Leslie Pick)
- Connie Yoon (junior Microbiology major; mentor: Dr. Zhongchi Liu)
Five current HHMI fellows received renewals of their fellowships:
- Dana Kogan (junior PHNB major; mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan)
- Ian MacDonald (senior CMBG major; mentor: Dr. Elisabeth Gantt)
- Charles H. Mitchell (junior Biochemistry major; mentor: Dr. Steven Rokita)
- Nicolas Tilmans (senior Biochemistry and Computer Science major; mentor: Dr. Stephen Mount)
- Michael Wittig (junior CMBG and Computer Science major; mentor: Dr. Charles Delwiche)
For more information about the HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, visit our web site (www.life.umd.edu/hhmi) or contact the program’s associate director, Dr. Kaci Thompson (email: hhmi@umail.umd.edu, phone: 301-405-3353).
Outstanding Students Reception
 About 90 students with a 3.8 GPA or higher participated in this semester’s Outstanding Students Reception in the G. Forrest Woods Memorial Atrium on April 18. Students were encouraged to invite faculty members; about 40 faculty and staff attended.
Lisa Darcey, a Shady Grove (General Biology) student who will graduate this semester, invited her mentor, Dr. Dale Bottrell, Entomology, to the reception.
College Park Scholars Activities
This is a busy spring for the College Park Scholars-Life Sciences. The group explored the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge on April 3. A few days later, 12 students participated in the Scholars’ annual three-day trip to New York. While there, they went to the American Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo.
The Scholars invite all interested faculty, staff and students to the Scholars Academic Showcase on May 6 at 1 p.m. in the Cambridge Community Center. More than 250 second- year College Park Scholars will participate in poster displays, platform presentations and panel discussions. For more information, see http://www.scholars.umd.edu/current/showcase.html or contact Stacy Richardson (sarich@umd.edu).
After the annual Scholars softball tournament on May 7, the summer heats up with Scholars activities. For two weeks in August, the Scholars will travel to Alaska, where they will explore Kenai Fjords and Denali National Parks, and then take a five-day canoe trip down the Yukon and Charley Rivers. Shortly after school begins again, the group will go on their annual camping trip in Western Maryland in early September.
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Graduate Student and Postdoc
Recognition
Please
send
student and postdoc
news items to brittain@umd.edu.
Postdoc Dr. Emily Bernhardt, Dr. Margaret Palmer, and graduate student Brooke Hassett published the paper “Synthesizing U.S. River Restoration Efforts” in the April 29 issue of Science. See Dr. Palmer under "Faculty Recognition and In the News" for more information.
 This spring, Justin Calabrese will be the first graduate student to earn a Ph.D. in the Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (BEES) Program. Since its inception in 2001, the BEES Program has accepted about 40 students and has graduated two M.S. students. Justin, who is advised by Dr. Bill Fagan, Biology, received a 2-year Helmholtz postdoctoral fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service to work at the Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany. He will explore the relationship between landscape structure and plant pollinator interactions at continental scales (all of Europe) using a range of modeling techniques.
Suzanne Miles and Sean Conrad, graduate students in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, and Dr. David Mosser published a paper in the March 7 issue of Journal of Experimental Medicine titled “A role for IgG immune complexes during infection with the intracellular pathogen Leishmania." The paper is timely because it pertains to the immune response to Leishmania, and more than 2,000 troops have returned from the Middle East with this disease.
 Lisa Pfeifer, a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, Biology, won the University's Graduate Student Distinguished Service Award. This award celebrates graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the University community in the areas of scholarship, leadership, involvement and service. The award announcement was made by Dr. Ann
Wiley, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, at the May 1 ceremony. Dr. Irwin Forseth, Director of the Biology graduate program, nominated Lisa for this honor.
Tashi Wangchuk, a doctoral student in Biology, will become the first citizen of Bhutan to receive a Ph.D. from a university in the United States. After graduation, he will resume his duties as head of the Bhutan Museum of Natural History. He was senior author for A Field Guide to the Mammals of Bhutan, published in November 2004.
Alumni
News
For
more alumni notes, check out the Alumni
Notes web page. Please
send alumni notes to brittain@umd.edu.
Rob Billerbeck (May 1998, CONS) is Manager of the Natural Resources section of Colorado State Parks. This includes managing GIS, resource stewardship (inventories and planning), noxious weeds, forest fuel mitigation projects and the Colorado Natural Areas Program (CNAP). The CNAP program is a statewide conservation program protecting areas with rare plants, unique geologic features and ecologically intact reference areas.
Aleria Jensen (May 2001, CONS) is Fishery Biologist with NOAA Fisheries in Juneau, Alaska. She coordinates the marine mammal stranding network and works on harbor seal/humpback whale management issues.
Taisha Shai Williams (BS’03, Biological Sciences) is part of Howard University College of Medicine’s Class of 2007. She is focusing on sports medicine and family practice. Taisha, who previously attended the Polytechnic Institute, contacted a Baltimore Sun writer to let him know about a positive story coming out of the Baltimore City public school system—that is, that she and three of her Poly classmates are graduating from Howard University School of Medicine this spring. Click here for the March 30 article, in which Taisha is extensively quoted.
 Celebration of Scholarships
Reception
Dr. Edna Hokenson (PhD’66, Microbiology), seated, and Dean Norma Allewell, at right, attended the Celebration of Scholarships Reception April 13. At left is Ellen O’Connor, a graduate student in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics who is the first recipient of the Dr. Edna O. Hokenson Endowed Fellowship.
Alumni Hall of Fame
The University of Maryland inducts distinguished alumni into the Hall of Fame every five years. The 2005 ceremony on June 4 will induct three alumni of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry into the Hall of Fame: Dr. Raymond Davis Jr. (BS’37, MS’40, Chemistry), Dr. Russell Marker (BS'23, PhD’87 (honorary degree), Chemistry) (to be inducted posthumously), and Dr. Tobin Marks (BS’66, Chemistry). See http://www.alumni.umd.edu/about/alumnihallfame.html for more information.
Tailgate Before Lacrosse Game
 About 75 alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty and staff participated in the tailgate before the April 15 UM-Johns Hopkins lacrosse game. Perhaps the fun of the tailgate made the UM lacrosse team’s 11-6 loss that evening easier to bear. Pictured here are two tailgate attendees—Dr. Reid Compton, Biology, and Dr. Robert Infantino, associate dean—whose attire shows that they are fans of the College as well as fans of lacrosse.
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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.
Annual fund gifts: Dr. Amy Suwu Wong (BS’90, Chemistry), The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Award Fund; Ms. Sheila Nancy Mazhari, student
Annual
fund pledges: Edward W. Kordoski (PhD’82, Chemistry), Ms. Maytahl Kouperstein (BA’99, Journalism), Ms. Melissa Ann Smith (BS’88, Biological Science), Mr. Sam M. Nwosu, parent
Corporate
and foundation support: Bayer CropScience LP: $10,000; Falcon Lab, LLC: $1,000; Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements: $3333.33—all to the Department of Entomology General Fund
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.
College Enlightens, Entertains at Maryland Day
Thanks to all who made the College’s activities at Maryland Day a huge success, including the more than 120 volunteers who participated and the following organizers of the sessions:
- Dr. Norma Allewell, dean; Dr. Robert Infantino, associate dean; and Ms. Eden Garosi, assistant to the dean for recruitment, were available to answer questions from prospective students. Fifty students from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, DC, Virginia and Florida attended the session.
- Mr. Gene Ferrick, assistant to the dean, oversaw all the details of the College’s participation in the day.
- Dr. Charles Mitter, Dr. Mike Raupp, Dr. Sandra Sardanelli and Dr. Paula Shrewsbury and several Entomology graduate students manned the Insect Petting Zoo.
- Dr. Ann Smith and Dr. Patty Shields, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, helped kids create their own buttons decorated with colored microbes.
- Dr. Kaci Thompson, associate director of the HHMI Program, organized the “Bone Collector” exhibit, which educated attendees about forensics and animal skeletons.
- The Peer Mentors did face painting and played carnival games with kids and took photos of visitors as a giant DNA strand.
- Alpha Chi Sigma, the Chemistry fraternity, performed chemistry magic for families.
- Our thanks go to Janelle Kawamoto and Dr. Robert Eaton of MdBio for bringing the mobile MdBio laboratory to campus.
Peer Mentor Sarah Goldberg, a senior Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics major, does a purrfect job of painting the face of a child visitor at Maryland Day.
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College Staff, Students Chat Online with Admitted Students
For two hours on the evening of March 31, the College of Life Sciences participated in a University-wide online chat with freshmen admitted for Fall 2005. The fast-paced, informal chat was a great way to help students and to allow them to interact with one another at the same time. From the computer lab in 1321 Symons Hall, the following people from the College chatted as a group with admitted students: Dr. Robert Infantino, associate dean; Eden Garosi, assistant to the dean for undergraduate recruitment; and four current students:
 Laura Caputo, a sophomore majoring in Physiology and Neurobiology who is in Gemstone - Maura Iezzi, a senior majoring in Biochemistry who is an HHMI fellow, a Peer Mentor and a member of the University Honors Program
- James Novak, a sophomore majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics who is a Life Sciences advising office assistant
- Lindsey Schultz, a senior double-majoring in Marine Biology and Psychology who is in College Park Scholars-Life Sciences
A number of admitted students popped in and out of the College’s chat room, and eight stayed for the duration. The LFSC chatters answered questions on topics such as AP and transfer credits, how to find an internship, research opportunities on campus, study abroad, special academic programs (University Honors and College Park Scholars), living on campus, medical and graduate school admission, double majors, credit loads, faculty interests and selecting a major in the College. Several admitted students sent follow-up questions after the chat, and one changed her major from Undecided to Biological Sciences. The admitted student chatters ranged from those who live in-state to one from Nebraska who had already confirmed his fall 2005 enrollment.
This was the first year that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions used this online chat client. In 2001, Wendy Loughlin, who is now director of new student programs, and Eden Garosi were among those who participated in a pilot online chatting program with admitted students.
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University Communications and Cicada Maniacs Win Gold at National Competition
 The Office of University Communications and Dr. Michael Raupp, Entomology (along with the Cicada Maniacs—including graduate students Rob Ahern, Steve Frank, Holly Menninger and Jenna Jadin) won a gold medal in the national competition of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in the category “Specific Media Relations Program,” for their coverage of the invasion of the 17-year cicada last summer. This gold follows on two medals they won in the CASE mid-Atlantic regional competition in January. According to the head judge, competition was “fierce” among the 31 entries at the national level. The national competition awarded two golds, a silver and two bronzes in the category.
“The key to the success of the effort was early coordination and preparation by Dr. Raupp and the Cicada Maniacs, and their commitment to and follow-up in making themselves available to the media,” says Ellen Ternes, of University Communications. “Dr. Raupp looked on the cicada invasion as an opportunity to educate and to enlighten—and in some cases, to reduce the fears of people who were worried about the huge number of insects.”
Dr. Raupp and the Cicada Maniacs, and Chef Tom Schraa of Dining Services (who prepared some excellent cicada recipes and dishes), were interviewed by more than 120 media outlets from all over the United States and around the world. Those were just the primary outlets for syndicates and broadcast networks, so in reality, the cicada experts appeared in hundreds of newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations. University Communications estimates that in the primary outlets alone, more than a million people heard from a University of Maryland Cicada Maniac.
Sloan Biotechnology Industry Center to Be Established at UM
The University received approval in late March from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Trustees to establish the Sloan Biotechnology Industry Center at the University of Maryland. Based at top-echelon universities, the prestigious Sloan centers are dedicated to creating academic communities that understand industries and conduct the highest quality scholarly research regarding the issues these industries face. Each one focuses on a particular industry sector and works closely with firms while conducting interdisciplinary field research. Ours will be the national Sloan center focused on the biotechnology industry. Given the impact of government and academia on the biotechnology industry, our Center will be working with national and regional biotechnology firms and associations, federal, state and local governments, the University of Maryland System and other leading academics from across the nation.
With a less than 1 in 5,000 success rate of producing a commercial product, understanding what drives competitiveness in biotechnology is of critical importance. The University of Maryland's Sloan Biotechnology Industry Center will conduct research into key issues at the heart of biotechnology industry competitiveness (from international to regional). These include understanding the types, sources and means of reducing uncertainty in different stages of firm evolution; economics of the industry; factors and practices that can impact the product development cycle; factors that accelerate and impede the US Biotechnology Industry's competitiveness; and the impact that biotechnology spillover has on other industrial areas.
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Sign up for the UM Experts Database 
University Communications is in the final stages of developing a searchable online database of campus experts that will make it easier for media to connect with our prominent faculty experts. From the Newsdesk Web site, reporters will be able to search for experts using key words or by browsing select subject areas whenever news breaks. This experts database will allow University Communications to be much more responsive to media while advancing recognition of the tremendous wealth of expertise that exists on the campus.
To achieve this goal, University Communications needs your assistance to ensure that our College is appropriately represented in the mix of faculty included in the database. University Communications has begun to contact some of the individual experts that they worked with in the past but wants this database to be more reflective of the entire campus. Anyone who is willing to talk to media or public groups about issues relating to their research or other areas of expertise is welcome to submit a profile. It’s easy to do so with a simple online form that is accessed by using your University Login ID and password. The instructions below give all the details of how to submit a profile.
- Go to http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/experts/expert_signin.cfm. Click the “Expert Sign-Up/ Log-In” on the left column, in yellow. Use your University Directory ID and password to log in.
- Click on “Create an Expert Profile” (or “Edit/Update Your Expert Profile” if University Communications previously had information about you). Your directory information will come up, and in some cases, information that University Communications has entered from a previous experts list.
- Review and update the information and follow the prompts to edit and complete fields on the succeeding pages. In the process, you will be able to specify whether you want to continue to be a university expert, what kind of special media projects you are willing to be a part of and how you would like to limit public availability of your contact information.
- Be sure to click the “Submit” button at the end to indicate your profile is ready for review and posting. You may return to edit your profile information at any time by logging in at the above link.
If you have any questions or encounter any problems using the system, please contact Cassandra Robinson at 301-405-4625 or cdrobins@umd.edu.
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JIFSAN Cohosts Symposium on Bioactive Food Components
In a series of annual symposia, the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), York, UK, and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), University of Maryland, are jointly organizing the sixth annual Joint Symposium on Food Safety and Nutrition, to be held June 28-30 at the Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College.
 In recent years, there has been steadily increasing consumer interest in functional foods due to their ability to provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. In turn, this has led to increased emphasis on identification, characterization and determination of the safety of the bioactive components imparting the health benefits or physiological effects. The focus of the symposium will be bioactive food components. Program topics include:
- United States and European Union perspectives concerning the science behind labeling issues and health claims
- Issues relating to functional foods
- The E.U. 5th Framework PASSCLAIM Project
- Nutritional risk associated with food safety: a case study of olestra
- Potential allergenicity issues
- ‘-Ohmics’ roles and analytical challenges
- Variability of phytochemicals in plants and foods
- Biomarkers and surrogate endpoints for evaluating health benefits
- Phytoestrogens in foods
- Probiotics in functional foods
- Challenges in regulation of functional foods
- Consumer perspectives/attitudes in the E.U. and U.S.
- Concluding session: “Where do we go from here?”
For more information, a program and to register, go to http://www.jifsan.umd.edu/csl2005.htm.
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State JSHS Winners Compete at National Symposium
High-school students Abigail Fraeman and Ryan Harrison, who won first and third place, respectively, in the paper presenter category at the Maryland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in late February, traveled to San Diego at the end of April to compete with about 90 other JSHS project winners from around the country at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Abigail, from Montgomery Blair High School, presented “Modeling the Distribution of Extrasolar Comets Around the Star 112C and 10216.” Ryan, from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, presented “A Novel Approach to Modeling pH-Sensitive Regions within Proteins.”
 
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.
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Recycling: Paper No Longer Needs to Be Separated
To support the President's interest in expanding our campus commitment to the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and to exceed the 20% recycling rate mandated by the state, on April 25 the campus began picking up all paper as one commodity—mixed paper—instead of separating paper into: newspaper, white paper, cardboard and colored paper. (We continue to recycle bottle/beverage cans together.)
 Paper represents about two-thirds of our waste stream in most campus buildings. This simplification of our recycling process should significantly increase the percentage of our waste stream that is recycled. You will soon begin to see changes in your public or hallway recycling containers. To save money, please use your current desk recycling containers for mixed paper even though they are labeled "white paper only.” Further, please continue to empty your desk container into your public or hallway container for removal by Housekeeping Services employees. Thanks for your support of our recycling program.
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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.
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