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NEWS November
2001
"News from
the College of Life Sciences at the University of Maryland,
College Park"
NEWS
ITEMS
- The
Dean's Message
- Upcoming
Events
- Faculty
Recognition
- In
the News
- G.
Forrest Woods Atrium
- Joint
Global Change Research Institute
- Funding
Alerts
- How
to Post Your News Here
FROM
THE DEAN
This past
month has been an exceptionally full one, with the
Bioforum in DC, the College reception, the Chemistry
Construction Celebration, the first meeting of our
Board of Visitors, both the MEES and CEBH colloquia
and Bioscience Research and Technology Review Day.
All of these events were well attended and provided
the College with opportunities to showcase our programs
to different audiences. The Chemistry Construction
Celebration drew a distinguished crowd and included
some outstanding speeches. Bioscience Day drew approximately
300 attendees, including about 50 prominent members
of the community. We built some bridges and have some
new directions to pursue. The keynote address by Dr.
Rita Colwell was certainly one of the high points
of the program. Thanks to everyone who helped make
these events a success, particularly Denise Abu-Laban,
Gene Ferrick, Christine Lambert and Mike Landavere
in the College office, who went far beyond the call
of duty on many occasions, and Mark Kenyon from the
Career Center.
I'm pleased
to announce that Dr. Kaci Thompson will be assuming
the position of Director of Undergraduate Research
and Internship Programs. In this new role, Kaci will
be taking on the responsibility for the JIFSAN internship
programs, our Career Fairs and external internships,
as well as directing our HHMI program. Kaci has done
a great job as Director of our HHMI program and I'm
delighted that she is willing to take on a larger
role. Our thanks to Dr. Tracy Dill, who is moving
on to seek new opportunities, for her help in developing
these programs.
The University
is currently considering the role it might play in
assisting the government in antiterrorist activities.
Dr. Tim Coffey, former Director of Research of the
Naval Research Laboratories, is leading the efforts
to develop a Center for National Security and Counter
Terrorism. Although this subject is currently of personal
concern to many of us, it is also a fascinating intellectual
arena, at the intersection of science, technology,
public policy and social science. The College has
both opportunities and responsibilities in this emerging
area, and I encourage those of you with relevant research
interests to consider how you might participate.
Norma Allewell
Dean
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
Closure
December 24: President Mote has announced that the
University will close on December 24, 2001. The closure
is in gratitude for the campus community's efforts
in navigating through a very challenging semester.
Schedule
of Classes
December 11: Last day of classes and last day for
withdrawal or leave of absence from the university
December 12: Study Day
December 13-19: Final Exams
Events
November 17: Academically Talented Open Houses:. The
best and the brightest Maryland high school students
will be attending an AT Open House. This Saturday
event will include short presentations for students
interested in the life sciences and a luncheon.
November
28: Internship and Opportunities Day will be held
from 10:00 am-3:00 pm in the Stamp Student Union's
Colony Ballroom. This is an excellent event for undergraduates
looking for summer internships. For information students
should visit "What's Happening Now?" on
www.CareerCenter.umd.edu
December
19: Commencement Ceremony for the College of Life
Sciences. Procession begins at 6:30 pm.
December
20: University Convocation
Spring
2002: Mark your calendars now for the Spring Open
Houses to be held on February 18, March 8, April 5
and 19.
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FACULTY
RECOGNITION
Norma Allewell,
Dean of the College of Life Sciences, won the Emily
M.
Gray Award from the Biophysical Society for her contributions
to biophysics teaching and attracting new students
to the discipline, as noted in the College Park Gazette,
November 1
http://www.gazette.net/200144/collegepark/news/78045-1.html
The threat
of possible misuse of pesticides by terrorists was
identified as one of the most pressing concerns in
the aftermath of the events of September 11th. Dr.
Amy Brown, Entomology, has developed a new
publication, Pesticide Storage Security, which will
serve as the basis for training agricultural applicators
in Maryland as they seek to upgrade their skills throughout
the winter. A PowerPoint presentation based on the
leaflet was also developed. Both the leaflet and the
PowerPoint presentation have been distributed to the
pesticide education and regulatory programs across
the country via the American Association of Pesticide
Safety Educators listserv, and several states (Connecticut,
Washington, Iowa, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, New York,
Ohio, and Oklahoma) are already using them in their
outreach programs.
We are
very pleased to announce that Dr. Caren Chang, CBMG,
has been appointed to the Editorial Board of the journal
Plant Physiology.
Drs. Philip
DeShong, Catherine Fenselau and Jack Moore, Chemistry
& Biochemistry, and Dr. Sam Joseph, CBMG, have
been elected Fellows of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science. Fellows are elected on
the basis of "efforts on behalf of the advancement
of science or its applications are scientifically
or socially distinguished."
An additional
congratulations goes out to Dr. Jack Moore, Chemistry
& Biochemistry, for the release of The Encyclopedia
of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry. Drs. Moore
and Nicolas Spencer are editors-in-chief of The Encyclopedia
which was 6 years in preparation and appears in three
volumes totaling over a million words. There are about
100 contributors from among the most distinguished
chemical physicists in the US, Canada,
and Europe. This has been a monumental undertaking
and is a notable
accomplishment by Jack and Professor Spencer.
Dr. Brett
Kent, Entomology, received a grant from the Maryland
Higher Education Commission. It provides one year
of funding ($97,911) for an intensive six week summer
course on biology as an experimental science. The
course (LFSC 710) is part of the College's Master
of Life Sciences for Teachers graduate program. It
integrates web-based experimental design and statistical
analysis with hands-on experience using major biological
research techniques. The goal of the course is to
help teachers design innovative laboratory exercises
that provide students with greater insight into the
inner workings of science.
Dr. David
Mosser, CBMG, has been elected President of the Society
for Leukocyte Biology. Congratulations to David!
Drs. Jeff
Shultz, Entomology, and Jerry Regier ,CAB/Entomology,
are part of a multi-investigator team that recently
won a $1.3 M, 5-year grant from the NSF ŒBiocomplexity
in the Environmental‚ panel, to develop 120 nuclear
genes for using in resolving phylogenetic relationships
of the major arthropod groups. Their subcontract is
for $500,000.
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IN
THE NEWS
David Poeppel,
Biology and Linguistics, examines the skull via Magnetic
Resonance Imaging. His world of neuroimaging and the
doubts it has engendered get a studied look from the
Chronicle of Higher Education, November 2 (password
required)
http://www.chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i10/10a02001.htm
Sarah Tishkoff,
Biology, is interviewed at the American Society for
Human Genetics meeting in San Diego about her plans
for a genetic study of Africans. "Africa is very
important, but under-represented,
in the field of human genetics." Newsday, October
30
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-dsbelow2438055oct30.story?coll=ny%2Dhealth%2Dheadlines
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G. Forrest Woods Atrium
Dr. Philip
DeShong, Chemistry & Biochemistry, is pleased
to announce that the University has committed to the
construction of the G. Forrest Woods
Atrium at the Chemistry Building. This facility will
fill in the area between the entrance to Wing 2, the
lecture halls and the White Library, and will complement
the new Teaching Wing. It will be a showcase for the
Department and the University.
The Department
thanks Dean Norma Allewell, Provost William Destler,
and Vice President Charles Sturtz for their support
of this project during difficult budget times.
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Joint Global Change Research Institute
Newly
arrived at the University is the Joint Global Change
Research Institute (JGCRI), a collaboration between
the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory. JGCRI is engaged in multidisciplinary
research addressing a wide variety of global change
issues for example, energy-related emissions, economic
and natural systems modeling, development and analysis
of policy options, vulnerability analysis, international
mitigation activities, and integrated assessment.
The backgrounds and expertise of JGCRI scholars span
both the physical and the social sciences, providing
understanding of complex human-environmental change
issues. The Institute provides a focal point for research
into these issues, where university scholars and national
laboratory scientists can develop multidisciplinary
dialogues and research projects.
JGCRI is
holding a seminar series aiming to inform ourselves
and the wider university community of the latest developments
in the arena of global change science and politics.
They want to introduce JCGRI and its research programs
to the University, to learn about ongoing University
teaching and research programs related to global change,
and to identify people and programs with which the
Joint Institute may engage in collaborative research
and other programs.
The JGCRI
seminars are advertised on their website (<http://globalchange.umd.edu>)
and distributed through an email
list server (sign-up directions are below). For more
information contact Gerald M. Stokes, Director, at
x46704.
To sign
up to receive email notification of upcoming JGCRI
seminars, send
an email to: Majordormo@majordormo.umd.edu
In the body of the message, type the following:
subscribe JGCRI_seminars_(your email address).
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FUNDING
ALERTS
The list
of funding alerts is lengthy. You can find it on the
web version of the Newsletter at http://www.life.umd.edu/newsletter
Community
of Science Database of Funding -
If you want information about the Community of Science
database of funding sources go to the Office of Research
Administration and Advancement at http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/.
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of page
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 .
Maintained by
Gene Ferrick - gferrick@deans.umd.edu.
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