| |
 From
the Dean
There
has been a lot of action in the
College in the last month, as expected
at this time of year. Two IGERT
grants have been submitted to NSF,
one in Chemistry in Materials Technology,
with Larry Sita as PI, and one
in Integrating Biodiversity Science,
Policy and Implementation, with
David Inouye as PI and Bill Fagan
and Maile Neel as co-PIs. The submission
of these multi-investigator proposals
that span more than one College
in the University and/or involve
partnerships with external organizations
is a big step forward for the College.
Thanks to all who participated.
The product of
our strategic planning last year, “The
Road to Excellence: The
Strategic Plan of the College of
Life Sciences, 2004-2009,” is
now available online. Thanks
to all who contributed to its development.
Now we all need to work together
to implement the plan.
 The College Advisory
Council circulated a ballot on
a name change for the College,
recognizing the role of Chemistry
and Biochemistry, and the results
are in. Forty-one faculty voted
to change the name of the college
to the College of Chemical and
Life Sciences. The next steps are
to seek approval from campus committees,
the University Senate, and the
Chancellor—a process
that will take until February or
March. (So, you might want to use
up any stationery with “ College
of Life Sciences” printed on it
before then!) Votes for the other
ballot options were as follows:
23 faculty voted not to change
the College's name, and 27 voted
for College of Life and Chemical
Sciences. As the process of approving
the name change moves forward,
we will be planning how to best
utilize this opportunity
to advance the College's strategic
plan.
The College Advisory
Council is also working on new
language for the Plan of Governance
to define the roles and responsibilities
of the Board of Visitors. The new
Faculty Advisory Committee has
met twice to discuss the allocation
of space in the Bioscience Research
Building.
Ads have been
placed for all of our faculty searches,
and searches are also underway
for a Director of
Administrative Services and Development
Operations, and a half-time Associate
Dean for Faculty, Research and
Diversity.
The Board of Visitors was here
in October and discussed its roles
and responsibilities, implementation
of the strategic plan, and the
capital campaign.
Amel Anderson
and Carlo Moreno from Pedro Barbosa's
laboratory represented us at the
annual SACNAS (Society for the
Advancement of Chicanos and Native
Americans in Science) conference
in Austin, Texas. Amel will also
be hosting our annual Graduate
Partners program in early November,
which brings to campus chemistry
and biology faculty from colleges
and universities with high percentages
of students from underrepresented
groups.
 November 4 is
Bioscience Research and Technology
Review Day. Gene Ferrick, who manages
this entire event, reports that
participation has increased in
every event. The
line-up
of speakers for the symposia
is most impressive; kudos to the
organizers. Special thanks to Joelle
Presson and Kaci Thompson, who
developed a new program for high
school teachers, which has more
than 60 registrants.
 Several people
in the College deserve special
congratulations this month. Lee
Hellman was honored at the College
Park Scholars Convocation for his
ten years of service as Director
of our College Park Scholars Program.
Dale Bottrell will receive the
2004 Distinguished International
Service Award from the Office of
International Programs. Projects
in Bill Jeffery's laboratory over
the past few years culminated in
two blockbuster publications in Nature and
extensive press coverage. It's
particularly impressive that Bill
was able to bring these projects
to culmination while chairing the
Department of Biology. Finally,
Daphne Soares' graduate research
on the biological function of the
bumps on alligators' faces was
featured by the New York Times.
Norma
Allewell
Dean
 Academic
Calendar and Upcoming Events
November
2: Lecture by 2004-2005
Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Dr.
Bryan Eichhorn, Chemistry and Biochemistry: “Fuel
Cells and the Hydrogren Economy:
Science and Politics,” 3:30 p.m.,
1402 Chemistry Building
November
4: Bioscience
Research and Technology
Review Day. Includes a keynote
address by Nobel laureate
Leon Cooper, symposia
by university and corporate
experts, a program for high school
teachers,
a career fair and a poster
session. More information and
to register:
www.bioscienceday.umd.edu.
LFSC contact: Gene Ferrick
(gene@umd.edu)
November
4-5: Graduate
Partners Visit
November
8: Last Day to
Drop with a W (maximum of four
credits)
November
9: New
Student Welcome, 6-7:30 p.m., Chemistry
Atrium. The event honors all new
Life Sciences students, both freshmen
and transfers. LFSC contact: Christine
McCary (mccary@umd.edu)
November
11: Visit
Maryland Day
December
10: Last Day of
Classes for Fall
December
18: Campus Commencement,
7 p.m., Comcast Center
December
19: College of Life
Sciences Commencement, 9 a.m.,
Memorial Chapel. The speaker will
be Dr. Cecil B. Pickett, President
of the Schering-Plough Research
Institute and a member of the College's
Board of Visitors.
March
4 and 11, April 1 and 15, 2005: Spring
Open House, Undergraduate
Admissions. LFSC contact:
Eden Garosi (egarosi@umd.edu)
April
30, 2005: Maryland
Day. More information:
www.marylandday.umd.edu.
LFSC contact: LFSC contact: Gene
Ferrick
(gene@umd.edu)
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The College
of Life Sciences has teamed with
the Clark School and the College
of Computer, Mathematical and Physical
Sciences to create the Maryland
Center for Integrated Nano Science
and Technology (M-CINSE). The steering
committee for the Center is composed
of representatives from the three
colleges, including Dr.
Jeff Davis, Dr.
Larry Sita and Dr.
Michael Zachariah from
Chemistry and Biochemistry. In
this rapidly growing field that
promises revolutionary advances,
the committee is already hard at
work developing a plan to establish
a high-quality program.
A number
of excellent nano research programs
in these three colleges already
possess the stature and impact
for national leadership. The Center
will coordinate our efforts in
this important field, give funding
agencies and others a coherent
picture of what we have to offer,
create a coherent vision for the
future and implement a plan for
growth. The Center will also manage
the experimental resources of the “FabLab” (the
microfabrication and material characterization
facilities in the 10,000 sq. ft.
clean room in the Kim Engineering
Building, scheduled to be substantially
completed in January 2005).
Dr. Gary Rubloff, Materials
Science and Engineering, is the
founding Director of the Center.
Dr. Patrick O'Shea, the Director
of the Institute for Research in
Electronics and Applied Physics
(IREAP), will provide oversight
of the Center, which will administratively
reside within IREAP. In particular,
he will chair the aforementioned
steering committee and will serve
as the campus point of contact
with extramural offices and agencies
in nanoscience and technology.
To maintain the
University as one of the nation's
leading institutions in science
and engineering
we must move to the forefront of
work in this key emerging area.
Fortunately this priority is strongly
supported by the senior administration
of the University, by our federal
agency partners and in Annapolis
and Washington.
Doughnut-shaped
aggregate of ~15 nm alcoho-thermally
synthesized
copper oxide nanoparticles. (Image
by graduate student Anand
Prakash,
advised by Dr.
Michael Zachariah)
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Faculty
Recognition and In
the News
Dr. Gerald
Borgia was
interviewed October
4 on National
Public Radio about bowerbird mating
practices
for a feature on the evolution
of beauty.
 Dr. Dale
Bottrell,
Entomology, will receive the 2004
Distinguished International Service
Award from the Office of International
Programs. Dr. Bottrell has provided
key leadership in international
programs for integrated pest management
that have led directly to reductions
in insecticide use in developing
countries, improvement in the health
of farm workers and preservation
of the environment. He has also
mentored numerous foreign students
on campus and has been Faculty
Advisor to the Vietnamese Student
Association since 1995. The award
will be presented by President
C. D. Mote at a November 16 ceremony.
Dr.
Michael Cummings published
two papers in the past month:
Dr. Norman Hansen,
Chemistry and Biochemistry, received
a 1-year, $70,000 grant from Maryland
Industrial Partnerships for “Powder
Screening Test Kit for First Responders.”
Dr. Steven Hutcheson and Dr.
Ronald Weiner, CBMG,
received a 1-year, $10,000 grant
from Maryland Sea Grant College
for “Project Development Award:
Population Levels of Microbulbifer
degradans in Chesapeake Bay.”
Dr. John Ondov,
Chemistry and Biochemistry, received
a 1-year, $42,000 grant from Environmental
Health & Engineering, Inc.
for “Semicontinuous Measurements
of Metals in Ambient Aerosol.”
Dr. Kennedy Paynter,
Biology, continues to be at the
center of state efforts
to resuscitate the oyster population
in the Chesapeake Bay. An October
15 Baltimore Sun story describes
a program that creates sanctuaries
for native disease-free oysters
where the Chester River meets the
bay. And an October 29 Richmond
Times-Dispatch story quotes
Dr. Paynter as he talks about a
program that gave Maryland 's watermen
oysters to harvest last week.
Dr.
Sarah Tishkoff, Biology,
coauthored an article in the journal Nature
Genetics (“Implications
of biogeography of human populations
for 'race' and medicine”),
which is utilized by an October
27 New York Times article to
point to differences among scientists
regarding genetics and race. The
article states that a "difference
of opinion about the genetic basis
of race has emerged between scientists
at the National Human Genome Center
at Howard University and some other
geneticists. At issue is whether
race is a useful signpost to tracking
down the genes that cause disease,
given that certain diseases are
more common in some populations
than others.”
Professors
Emeriti
Dr.
Richard Highton, Biology,
is awaiting the confirmation of
the 24th salamander species he
has discovered, which hails from
central Virginia. For more information,
see the October 19 Diamondback article.
Dr. Highton is also quoted in an
October 19 Iafrica.com article.
He comments on a study by 500 researchers
in 60 countries that concluded
that one-third of the world's amphibians
are under threat of extinction.
Dr.
Ronald Weiner,
CBMG, with Dr. James Poulos and Dr.
Steven Hutcheson, CBMG,
received a 1-year, $49,500 grant
from TEDCO for “Production of Novel
Carbohydrases.”
Jeffery
Lab Publishes Two Papers in Nature
 The Jeffery
laboratory published papers in
back-to-back issues of Nature in
October. The first paper (“Migratory
Neural Crest-like Cells Form Body
Pigmentation in a Urochordate Embryo,”
by Dr. William Jeffery, Al
Strickler (graduate student)
and Dr. Yoshiyuki Yamamoto (former
postdoc in the Jeffery Lab, now
a faculty member at University
College London), Nature 431:
696-699), resolves a longstanding
question about whether neural crest
cells, the source of many different
vertebrate tissues, are truly a
vertebrate invention. Using the
ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata, which
has a giant tadpole larva (Figure
1), they demonstrate the presence
of migratory neural crest-like
cells in a non-vertebrate chordate. They
trace the fate of these cells to
body pigment cells, a neural crest
derivative in vertebrates. The
results suggest that a primitive
neural crest may already have been
present in the common ancestor
of vertebrates and ascidian urochordates.
Thus, the neural crest may be a
chordate rather than a vertebrate
innovation.
 In
the second paper (“Hedgehog
Signalling Controls Eye Degeneration
in Blind Cavefish,” by Dr.
Yamamoto,
D. W. Stock (University of Colorado
collaborator), and Dr.
Jeffery, Nature 431:
844-847), they continue their comparative
genomic research in the teleost
fish Astyanax mexicanus. This
single teleost species has two
forms: an eyed surface form (surface
fish) (Figure 2, top) and several
blind cave forms (cavefish) (Figure
2, middle). They report that
the sonic hedgehog and tiggywinkle
hedgehog genes, which are
involved in transmitting a morphogenetic
signal from the embryonic midline
to the periphery, are up regulated
in cavefish embryos. This enhancement
of hedgehog signaling
causes eye degeneration by triggering
the developing lens to die rather
than differentiate and maintain
overall eye growth. They were also
able to induce loss of eyes by
overexpressing the hedgehog genes
in surface fish embryos, which
resulted in the development of
blind adults (Figure 2, bottom).
Thus far, articles
about the second paper have appeared
in Science October
14 and the New York Times October
19. In addition, a French
news agency October 13 (“Not
So Blind: Secret of the Cavefish
Brought to Light”) and the
UM Newsdesk October
14 reported on this paper.
Figure
Captions:
Figure
1. A giant Ecteinascidia turbinata
tadpole dwarfs the tadpole of another
ascidian species (below).
Figure 2. Top: Astyanax eyed
surface fish. Middle: Astyanax
blind cavefish. Bottom: Astyanax
surface fish blinded by overexpression
of a hedgehog gene.
Undergraduate
Student Recognition and News
Two
College of Life Sciences students
were chosen as 2004-2005 Philip
Merrill Presidential Scholars.
The award recognizes academic
excellence of selected students
and the importance of the K-12
teachers and University of Maryland
faculty whom the students themselves
have selected.
Giselle
Lopez,
a senior majoring in Biological
Sciences – Physiology and Neurobiology
and Spanish Language and Literature
who is also a current HHMI Undergraduate
Research Fellow, is pursing two
honors research theses. For her
honors research thesis in Chemistry,
she is mentored by Dean
Norma Allewell and Dr.
Mendel Tuchman of the Children's
Research Institute, Children's
National Medical Center. For
her honors research thesis in Spanish,
she is mentored by Dr. Roberta
Lavine. Giselle will pursue
an M.D./Ph.D. program after graduation
in May 2005.
Ramya
Swamy,
a senior majoring in Biological
Sciences – CMBG and Psychology
who is also a current HHMI Undergraduate
Research Fellow, was recognized
by the Philip Merrill Presidential
Scholars Program along with Dr.
Stephen Wolniak, named
by Ramya as an influential mentor.
Ramya will pursue an M.D./Ph.D.
program after graduation in May
2005.
College
Park Scholars-Life Sciences
In mid-October,
the College Park Scholars-Life
Sciences took their fourth and
final trip of the semester on the
Aquarius
Research Vessel,
which is owned by UM. Dr.
Lee Hellman,
Professor Emeritus in Entomology
and Director of the CPS-Life Sciences
program, was accompanied by 16
students and Regent Adela Acosta.
The ship toured the Chesapeake
Bay, trailing nets behind. The
students pulled up the nets several
times and studied the marine life
that was caught. Students
dissected some of the fish and viewed
the contents of their stomachs
under high-power microscopes.
Below left:
Scholars Nikki
Antoine and Bari
Schwartz dissect sea
life. Below right: Regent Adela
Acosta holds part of the day's
catch.
 
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Graduate
Student and Postdoc News
Tagide
deCarvalho,
a BEES graduate student in the
lab of Dr. Kerry Shaw,
is the new graduate assistant to Dr.
Kaci Thompson, Director
of Undergraduate Research and Internship
Programs.
Dr. Katherine
Gonder,
a postdoc in the lab of Dr.
Sarah Tishkoff, Biology,
is mentioned in an October 9 New
Scientist article about
the debate over whether a new species
of great ape has been discovered
in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Extensive new chimp genetic data
collected and analyzed by Dr. Gonder
and colleagues bolsters a long-standing
but previously dismissed argument
for an ape subspecies.
 An
October 13 Christian Science
Monitor story about
the idea that “a gene or
a set of genes from a single species
can lay the foundation for an entire
ecosystem” mentions a study published
by Entomology postdoc Dr.
Gina Marie Wimp and colleagues.
The paper, “Conserving
plant genetic diversity for dependent
animal communities,” was
published in the September 2004
issue of Ecology Letters.
According to Christian Science
Monitor, the study “looked
at the range of genetic diversity
in cottonwood stands and how tightly
that diversity correlated with
genetic diversity in the ecological
community the stands inhabited.
The results suggested that the
greater the genetic diversity in
individual cottonwoods, the greater
the diversity in the insect community
linked to a given tree. The team
found that variations in genetic
diversity in the trees accounted
for 60 percent of the variation
in genetic diversity in the attendant
bug population.” Dr. Wimp works
in the lab of Dr. Robert
Denno.
Alumni
News
For more
alumni notes, check out the Alumni
Notes web page.
Priya
Daniel (BS'02 Biological
Science), Ahsan
Habib (BS'02 Biological
Science) and Hannah
Y. Song (BS'03
Nutrition, BS'04 Microbiology)
were accepted to the Pennsylvania
College of Optometry's Doctor of
Optometry program this fall.
Dr. Marye
Anne Fox,
a former Chemistry postdoc, was
appointed chancellor of the University
of California, San Diego, on
August 16. She is the first woman
to be appointed permanent chancellor
of that institution. Since 1998,
Dr. Fox had served as chancellor
of North Carolina State University.
Dr. Fox is a member of the National
Academy of Sciences and a member
of President Bush's Council of
Advisors on Science and Technology.
She has received many awards for
research and teaching, including
the Monie Ferst Award, a national
award that honors outstanding mentoring
of graduate students.
Dr. Christopher
R. Hardy (BS'95
Biological Sciences) has been appointed
an assistant professor of biology
at Millersville University, in
Millersville, PA. He joined the
faculty at the beginning of the
fall 2004 semester. Dr. Hardy completed
his PhD at Cornell University.
Dr.
Jessa Bethany Jones (BS'96
Cell and Molecular Biology and
Genetics), a Senior Scientist/Product
Development Analyst, is featured
in an interview on the “Health
Science Careers” page of the Maryland
Science Center website.
Her current job allows her to “design
software tools to help scientists
organize, integrate and manage
the tons of data that are being
generated as we move into a new
era of biology at the completion
of the human genome project.” Her
advice to someone considering a
career in science, math or technology
is to find a good mentor. While
at UM, Dr. Jones was an HHMI Undergraduate
Research Fellow. She received her
PhD in 2002 from the Johns Hopkins
University.
Dr. Jack
N. Price (MS'94
Chemistry) has joined Professional
Park Associates, a family practice
group in LaFayette, GA, and an
affiliate of Memorial Health Partners.
Dr. Price is board-certified by
the American Osteopathic Board
of Family Physicians and is a member
of the American Academy of Family
Physicians. He worked in research
in biochemistry prior to attending
medical school. Dr. Price received
his doctorate of osteopathic medicine
from Kirksville College of Osteopathic
Medicine in Kirksville, MO. He
completed his internship in Ronceverte,
WV, and a residency in family
practice in Roanoke, VA. Dr. Price
and his wife, Kim, have a 19-month-old
son.
Dr. Daphne
Soares (BS'96
Biological Science; PhD'02 NACS),
who completed her doctorate with Dr.
Catherine Carr, Biology,
and is a current postdoc working
on the evolution of brain development
in cavefish in the lab of Dr.
William Jeffery, Biology,
is featured in an October 26 New
York Times article. Soares'
research led to the discovery "that
the mysterious little bumps found
around the jaws of some crocodile
species and across the entire bodies
of others, which naturalists had
long observed but never before
understood, are sensory organs
exquisitely suited to the demands
of a semisubmerged ambush predator."
Homecoming
Weekend
Below
left: Dr.
Howard Knobloch (BS'33
Pre-Med), at right, pictured with Dean
Norma Allewell, attended
the Colonnade Society Reception.
Below right:The Life Sciences
Peer Mentors marched in the Homecoming
Parade. Peer Mentors assist undergraduates
in many ways, including developing
academic plans and choosing appropriate
courses.
 
In
Memoriam
Alan
B. Snyder,
MS, MBA (BS'65 Chemistry) died
after a four-year battle with myelofibrosis
on September 28, 2004, at Stanford
Medical Center. During those four
years Alan bravely and tenaciously
fought his illness, undergoing
two bone marrow transplants and
trying a number of drug trials.
His only stem cell match was a
brave young woman who donated her
stem cells twice, the first time
in NYC amid the horror of
9/11. They finally met on the floor
of the New York Stock Exchange
as a part of the Gift of Life Gala
this past May. Alan was born in
Baltimore, MD. He earned a master's
degree in physical organic chemistry
at Yale University and an MBA in
finance from UC Berkeley.
Originally trained
as a chemist, he was founder and
chairman of Snyder Capital Management,
L.P., where he was a respected
portfolio manager and research
analyst. Before joining he worked
at Siebel Capital, where he held
the position of Vice President
- Research, at Cantor, Fitzgerald
and Company. Earlier, he spent
eight years as Vice President -
Research at Rowe & Pitman,
Incorporated, one of the premier
European brokerage firms, where
he dealt with the major institutional
investors in Europe, the Middle
East and the Far East. Alan was
featured in all of the major financial
news magazines and television networks,
including CNN, Barron's, Fortune and
the Wall
Street Journal.
Snyder served
on numerous charitable boards and
investment committees including
the American Conservatory Theatre,
University of California (Berkeley)
Endowment, JCC, JFCS and Congregation
Emanu-El. He was instrumental in
helping both The Marrow Foundation
and the Gift of Life Marrow Foundation
in initiating bone marrow drives.
The Snyders helped the Gift of
Life in their retrospective typing
project, allowing marrow samples
taken years ago to be brought up
to the latest standards of DNA-based
tissue typing. Through this initiative,
at least 20 transplants have taken
place. He
is survived by his wife Suzie Katz
Snyder of San Francisco and his
sister Dr. Francine Snyder of Kauai,
HI . (Adapted from Oct.
3 San
Francisco Chronicle)
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Individual,
Corporation and Foundation Gifts
- An
anonymous donor gave $3,000 for
graduate assistance support to
the Department of Entomology in
honor of Dr. Chengshu Wang; Ms.
Anita W. Frazer gave
$2,500 in support of the G. Forrest
Woods Atrium Fund, and Dr.
Richard Payne gave $1,000
to the Dr. Eugenie Clark Endowed
Scholarship Fund.
- Bayer
CropScience LP gave $6,750
to Department of Entomology General
Fund, Gustafson gave
$1,500 to the Department of Entomology
Research Fund, Access Business
Group, LLC, gave $500
to the Zoology Fund in Support
of Dr. Eugenie Clark's Research,
and Facts on File, Inc. gave
$400 to the College's Dean's Fund.
- The College gratefully thanks
the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute for its latest
grant payment of $450,000.
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.
- Annual
fund gifts and pledge payments were
received this month from 34 donors.
Those giving $100 or more include: Dr.
Lisa Bradley-Klemko, Nathan
E. Carnell, (BS'81 Zoology,
MS'82 Zoology), Dr.
Donna F. Christner (PhD'92
Biochemistry), Dr. Duane
C. Erickson (BS'73 Zoology), Dr.
Irwin N. Forseth , Mr.
Charleton S. Hayek, (BA'76
Physics, MS'79 Physics), Dr.
David C. Labaree (PhD'91
Chemistry), Mrs.
Allen M. Passman (BS'71
Microbiology), Dr.
Gail F. Seelig (BS'72
Chemistry, Biochemistry), Dr.
Wade G. Winker (BS'83
Biochemistry) and Paul
W. Wyman (BS'62 Electrical
Engineering).
- Pledges: In
October the College of Life Sciences
received new pledges to the annual
fund from 43 individuals. Dr.
Charles Mitter led the
group, making a pledge of $1,000
to the Gahan Scholarship Fund.
- Others
individuals making pledges of $100
or more include: Kenneth
G. Alberstadt (BS'83
Chemistry), Dr. Norris
E. Allen (BS'60 Education),
(PhD'69 Microbiology), Dr.
William S. Blaner (BS'72
Biochemistry), Mrs. Holly
S. Clark (BS' 88 Biological
Sciences), Dr. Charles
J. Costa (PhD'82 Zoology), Edward
A. Duffy (BS'81 Biochemistry), Dr.
Duane C. Erickson (BS'73
Zoology), Dr. Kevin L.
Facchine (BS'78 Chemistry), Joseph
J. Genovese (BS'78 Chemistry), Kathleen
A. Herne (BS'83 Zoology), Dr.
Chris A. Kotzias (BS'69
Biochemistry), Dr. David
C. Labaree (PhD'91 Chemistry), Dr.
Mark A. Liberman (BS'81
Zoology), Dr. Agatino J.
Maccarrone (PhD'68 Chemistry), Terri
Lynn Malaska (BS'94 Biological
Sciences), Moshe D. Mehlman (BS'84
Animal Sciences), Mrs.
Allen M. Passman (BS'71
Microbiology), Dr. John
F. Patterson BS'60 Microbiology), Dr.
Vernon D. Schinski (PhD'75
Zoology), Mary J. Schneider (BS'
84 Biological Sciences), Dr.
Gail F. Seelig (BS'72
Chemistry, Biochemistry) and Dr.
Henry J. Tamburin (PhD'71
Chemistry).
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. Please remember that
for gifts to be tax deductible
for 2004 they must be received
by December 31, 2004.
Licenses
and Patents
License
issued in the last month:
Dr. Catherine Fenselau (Chemistry
and Biochemistry): Science and
Engineering Services, Inc .
Patent issued in the last month:
6,710,032 Targeted
Feeding of Dairy and Beef Cattle
to Increase Ruminal and/or Systemic
Production of CLA from PUFA or
trans 18:1 Fatty Acids: Drs.
Beverly Teter and Joseph
Sampugna (Chemistry
and Biochemistry); Dr. Richard
Erdman and Dr. Liliana Piperova
(Animal Science)
Teacher
Symposium on Bioscience Day
 For the first
time, this year's Bioscience
Research and Technology Review
Day (November
4) will include a teacher symposium,
with more than 60 high-school teachers
attending. The Innovations in Secondary
School Science Education symposium,
organized by Dr. Joelle
Presson,
Associate Director of Undergraduate
Programs, and Dr. Kaci
Thompson, Director of
Undergraduate Research and Internship
Programs, features presentations
on current topics in biology, innovations
in teaching and issues in secondary
school teaching.
Most of the speakers
are College of Life Sciences faculty. Dr.
Anne Simon, CBMG, will
speak about “Connecting Biology
to Popular Culture—Biology in the
X Files.” Dr. Ann Smith and Dr.
Patty Shields, CBMG,
will give a talk titled “Using
Scenarios to Encourage Active Learning.” Dr.
Michael Montague-Smith will
address “Approaches to Teaching
Biochemical Concepts—Then and
Now.” And Dr. Bill Higgins,
Biology, will advise teachers on
ways of “Keeping Them Awake for
the Citric Acid Cycle.”
The teachers
who attend the conference are invited
to attend the other Bioscience
Day talks, including the keynote
address by Nobel laureate Leon
Cooper and the scientific symposia.
The Bioscience
Day talk times are as follows;
click here for
information about symposia speakers
and locations:
9:30-11:30 a.m.
- Bioinformatics: The Current
State of the Art and a Look to
the Future
- Keeping Our Food Safe: Challenges
and Responses
- Moving Toward an Ecologically
Sustainable Future
- Nanotechnology for the Life
Sciences
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Keynote
Address, Nobel laureate Leon Cooper: “Theoretical
Neuroscience: Is It Possible? Can
It Be Useful?”
2:30-4:30 p.m.
- The Endless War: Pathogens
vs. Hosts
- Evolutionary Genomics: From
Microbes to Mammals
- Molecular Insights into Nervous
System Development, Memory Storage
and Disease
For more information on Bioscience
Day, see www.bioscienceday.umd.edu.
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Presidents
of UM, Montgomery College Sign
Agreement
 On September 29, University
of Maryland President C. D. Mote
and Montgomery College President
Charlene Nunley signed an agreement
to develop closer partnerships
with UM and the MC-Germantown campus,
building upon the Biological Sciences
degree program at Shady Grove.
According to an October 1 Business
Gazette article,
the arrangement is “both a convenient
way for Montgomery County residents
to earn life sciences degrees and
an incentive for those already
in the Montgomery County biotech
industry to bring new skills back
to their companies without ever
leaving the area.”
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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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