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NEWS October 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
- Alumni
and Student Notes
- In
the News
- Board
of Regents' Faculty Awards
- Funding
Alerts
- How
to Post Your News Here
FROM
THE DEAN
This past month has been one that none of us will
ever forget, the implications of which we are all
still struggling to understand. In the midst of uncertainty,
we can derive confidence from the strength that the
campus community and its leadership has demonstrated
during the past month. In the months ahead, it will
also be important for each of you to demonstrate leadership
within the College and your departments, since these
events are particularly challenging for our students,
both those who have known only peace and prosperity,
and those who have come from troubled regions of the
world.
The Dean's office is working on developing a workshop
that will give faculty, students and staff an opportunity
to reflect on September's events, particularly the
terrorist attacks, and to consider how we should go
about coming to terms with these events, both as individuals
and as a College. The tentative date is October 16.
If you would like more information, or would like
to participate, please contact Dr. Joelle Presson.
We have also had some wonderful news. Dr. Victor
Munoz, in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
and the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization,
and Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, in the Department of Biology,
have both received Packard Faculty Fellowships. These
are highly competitive awards; only the top 50 universities
nationally are invited to submit nominations, each
University can submit only 2, and only 24 awards are
made. Each awardee receives $625K for five years.
To have two come to the College of Life Sciences is
remarkable and a tribute both to the talents and accomplishments
of the awardees and the perspicacity of the senior
faculty who nominated them.
Congratulations also to David Hawthorne and Sara
Via, whose work on pea aphid speciation was published
in the August 30 issue of Nature, and highlighted
in a News and Views.
I have just returned from the Bioforum in DC, a two
day event sponsored by BIO and the Maryland Hi Tech
Council. The program was excellent and the University
of Maryland was well represented with a well stocked
booth, several posters, and enthustiastic staff members.
I'm very pleased to announce that Mike Landavere
has accepted the position of Director of Information
and Technology in the College. Mike has done an outstanding
job as the College Computing Associate, and I am expecting
him to provide a great deal of leadership in supporting
and moving the College ahead in information technology.
Congratulations to Mike!
Louise Ng has joined the College office as an administrative
assistant, backing up Denise Abu-Laban and Gene Ferrick
and helping out wherever needed. She received an undergraduate
degree in Linguistics from the University of Maryland
as well as a Master's degree in Information Technology
Management from UMUC.
Two new accounting associates have also joined our
ranks, Maria Palmaira and Kim Johnson. Welcome to
all!
Please plan to join us in three upcoming community
events: the fall College reception on October 11,
the Chemistry Construction Celebration on October
25, and the University-wide Bioscience Research and
Technology Review Day on November 13. Although this
year's program will retain the afternoon poster session,
the morning program will consist of a Keynote Address
from Dr. Rita Colwell and three panel discussions,
with panelists drawn from the University, private
sector and government, on building partnerships in
the Neurosciences, Biodiversity and the Environment,
and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Finally, as part of the University's Community Building
Day, the College will sponsor an Open House on October
9, from 2-4 in the Student Lounge in Symons Hall,
with posters illustrating ways in which the College
promotes diversity and community. You might also enjoy
participating in a three-legged race on McKeldin Mall
at 4 pm outside Symons! Thanks to Jenn Hayes-Klosteridis
for organizing this program.
Norma Allewell
Dean
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
Schedule of Classes
November 7: Final day to drop a course (4 credit
limit) with a "W" mark
Events
October 5, 2001: Benefits Fair. There will be a Benefits
Fair on Friday, October 5 from 9am - 4pm in the Colony
Ballroom of the Student Union. Everyone is encouraged
to attend to ask questions of the various health plan
representatives. Retirement, life insurance and long-term
care representatives will be available as well.
October 6, 2001: Family Weekend. Family Weekend Kick
Off Breakfast is on October 6, 2001 from 9:00am to
11:00am. Families are seated by College. Parents and
students rated breakfast with faculty, instructors
and advisors as one of the best events of the Family
Weekend. If you want to volunteer, contact Maggie
Jenkins <mjenkins@deans.umd.edu>.
October 8 and 26, November 12: Visit Maryland Days.
Potential students and their families will visit the
University. Please make them feel welcome.
October 9: Building Community Day. Events will occur
throughout the day as we celebrate our campus' diversity.
If you would like to showcase an activity or work
that celebrates the special diversity of our campus
or want to know more information about the day, you
can contact Warren Kelley in the Office of the Vice
President for Student Affairs at x48436.
October 10: College of Life Sciences reception at
the Rossborough, 3 - 5 p.m. Join Dean Allewell to
celebrate the beginning of the academic year.
October 25: The Chemistry Wing Construction Celebration
will be held on October 25 at 11:00 a.m. Join Governor
Glendening President Mote, Dean Allewell and Dr. Phil
DeShong for this exciting event.
November 1: The newly appointed Board of Visitors
for the College of Life Sciences will assemble for
a meeting on November 1.
November 13: Bioscience Research & Technology
Review Day will be held at the Inn and Conference
Center, UM University College. Faculty are encouraged
to prepare posters for presentation to the University,
corporate and government communities. For information
go to www.life.umd.edu/bioscienceday.
November 17: Academically Talented Open Houses:.
The best and the brightest Maryland high school students
are invited to attend an AT Open House. This Saturday
event will include short presentations for students
interested in the life sciences and a luncheon.
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
The research of Drs. David Hawthorne, Entomology,
and Sara Via, Entomology & Biology, was highlighted
in the August 30 edition of "Nature" and
"The Hindu" (India). Hawthorne and Via studied
speciation in the pea aphid and showed that it is
facilitated by linkages or pleiotropy between loci
involved in habitat selection and fecundity.
Dr. Fred Khachik, Chemistry & Biochemistry and
JIFSAN, has received a new $1,282,385 NIH grant (National
Eye Institute) for 3 years. The study will investigate
metabolism and toxicity of chronic ingestion of two
dietary
carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin in primates. These
carotenoids accumulate in the human retina and various
ocular tissues and may prevent age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). The study will be conducted in
collaboration with investigators at the Veterinary
School, University of Maryland, Baltimore and the
program in toxicology at UMBC.
Dr. Victor Munoz, Chemistry and Biochemistry and
the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization,
and Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, Biology, have been awarded
highly competitive Packard Faculty Fellowships. Drs.
Munoz and Tishkoff will each receive $625K for five
years. Dr. Munoz' proposal was entitled "Understanding
the mechanics and dynamics of self organization in
biology: the competition between protein folding and
aggregation". Dr. Tishkoff will be identifying
and characterizing levels and patterns of genetic
variation among modern humans in order to elucidate
the evolutionary forces that shape and maintain genetic
variation.
Dr. Heven Sze, CBMG, has received a two-year USDA-ARS
grant for $130,000 to study "Integration Proton
Pumps with Growth and Adaptation."
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ALUMNI
AND STUDENT NOTES
Congratulations to Dr. Tobin Marks who received the
Linus Pauling Award of the American Chemical Society.
Dr Marks received his B.S. degree from the Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry and performed undergraduate
research in the lab of Dr. Grim. After receiving his
Ph.D. degree at MIT, he joined the faculty at Northwestern
University and currently holds the Charles E. &
Emma H. Morrison Professorships.
Two MOCB students Suchitra Derebail (CBMG) and Sameer
Goregaoker (CAB)
were honored as recipients of the Zain Award. This
award, named after Dr. M. Zain-Ul-Abedin, provides
scholarship support for accomplished graduate students
from developing countries who study molecular biology
at the University of Maryland.
Becky Raboy won Second Place in the Outstanding Student
Paper Presentation competition at this year's annual
meeting of the American Society of Primatologists.
The title of her paper was "Immigration patterns
and group stability in wild golden-headed lion tamarinds
in southern Bahia, Brazil." Congratulations to
Becky!
Congratulations go to Woody Turner, NASA Coordinator
for Scientific Assessments and Biological Initiatives,
and soon-to-be CONS graduate. Woody and Eleanor Sterling
of the American Museum of Natural History were guest
editors for a special section (11 articles) titled
"Contributions of Remote Sensing to Biodiversity
Conservation: a NASA Approach," published in
the August 2001 issue of "Conservation Biology."
Woody organized the workshop that ultimately produced
these research papers and was the first author on
the introduction to the special section in "Conservation
Biology."
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IN
THE NEWS
Dean Norma Allewell was interviewed in a September
28 article in the "Washington Business Journal."
In the article titled "Branching out in biotech"
the Dean describes the need and support for the new
bioscience program at the UMS Shady Grove campus in
Rockville.
The 21 September issue of "Science," p.
2207-8, has a Policy Forum article on the environment
co-authored by a large number of people, including
CONS program adjunct faculty member Dr. Katrina Brandon,
and University of Maryland- CEES faculty member Dr.
Robert Constanza.
Dr. Avis Cohen, Biology, is featured prominently
in an article entitled, "Machines
with a Human Touch" in the September 22nd Science
and Technology Quarterly issue of "The Economist."
The article describes Dr. Cohen's contributions in
neuromorphic engineering of a walking robot based
on central pattern generator principles, as well as
the NSF-funded Telluride Workshop on Neuromorphic
Engineering which Dr. Cohen co-directs. A copy of
the article is available in the Faculty Services Office
of Biology.
Dr. Charles Delwiche, CBMG, was interviewed by "Science"
about the planned (but now cancelled) "Tree of
Life" conference in New York. His statements
appear prominently in Elisabeth Pennisi's article
on this subject (current issue, 293:1979-1980).
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BOARD
OF REGENTS' FACULTY AWARDS
The Board of Regent's Faculty Awards recognize publicly
distinguished performance on the part of faculty
members and to place faculty achievements before
the public on a regular basis. This award is the
highest honor presented by the Regents to exemplary
faculty members.
Annually, up to fifteen awards shall be bestowed.
Up to three awards each will
be presented in five categories:
Teaching (presented to individual faculty members)
Scholarship, research, or creative activity (presented
to individual faculty members)
Public service (presented to individual faculty
members)
Mentoring (presented to individual faculty members)
Collaboration (presented to teams consisting of
faculty members from at least two University System
of Maryland institutions)
Each recipient receives a plaque and $1,000.
Applications are due by November 15 to Ellin K.
Scholnick, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs,
1119 Main Administration Building.
For more information go to http://www.life.umd.edu/news-events/BORfaculty.html
FUNDING
ALERTS
Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS)
Matching Funds Available to Maryland Faculty
-- Deadline for proposals: October 15, 2001
-- http://www.erc.umd.edu/MIPS/
The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program,
which offers matching
funding for faculty engaging in collaborative research
with Maryland
companies, is accepting applications for its Fall
2001 round of contracts.
* MIPS will contribute up to $100,000 per year for
a project, while total
project funding can exceed $800,000
* MIPS has supported more than 645 University-Industry
contracts for a total
value of $101.5 million since 1987
* Faculty from any of the University System of Maryland's
13 institutions
can apply
* MIPS projects have contributed to the development
of major patents and
exciting new technologies, such as:
-- DirecPC, the first broadband satellite internet
access product available
widely to consumers
-- A top-selling microwave filter for cellular base
stations
-- The first CAD system for the detection of early
stage lung cancer
-- A new method for the mass customization of recombinant
proteins
-- New infant formula ingredients that aid in the
development of the eyes
and the central nervous system in newborns
* Working with Maryland companies can help your students
gain valuable
industry experience. Many theses and hundreds of published
papers have
resulted from MIPS projects
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT http://www.erc.umd.edu/MIPS
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Support for Graduate Students
The Graduate School is pleased to announce two new
programs
of support for graduate students:
Ilene H. Nagel Travel Grant
- intended to assist students who have an opportunity
to travel to another institution or location, domestic
or international, to perform specialized research
or to take advantage of an unique opportunity to gain
invaluable professional experience that will be useful
to them in their pursuit of their degrees or in their
post-gradutate careers. Students who have advanced
to candidacy will be given
preference.
*****
One-year Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships:
- a pilot program of one-year, doctoral-disseration
fellowships. At present, seven such fellowships are
available. The stipend is $15,000 plus remission of
tuition. Nominations must be made by departments or
graduate programs. Nominees must be within two years
of receiving their doctorate by August 23,2002. Deadline
for
submission is April 12, 2002.
*****
The Graduate School is also continuing the yearly
competitions for Pelczar and Mabel S. Spencer awards.
Details for the Graduate Student Support programs
are available at the Fellowship Office website: www.gradschool.umd.edu/Fellowship
List of 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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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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