The Journal of the University of Notre Dame College of Science Spring 2008, Volume 5, Number 1
U N D E R G R A D U A T E A N D GRADUATE RESEARCH LETTER FROM THE DEAN
Welcome to the spring 2008 issue of Renaissance, the seventh since the College of Science launched this publication in spring 2004. Renaissance was created to inform those outside of the University, as well as those in the campus community, about the significant developments that are oc- curring in science research and teaching here at Notre Dame. My term as dean is coming to a close at the end of June. I feel privi- leged to have served the students, faculty, and staff of the College of Science in my role as dean over the past six years. The college has made significant strides in undergraduate education, infrastructure and re- search. During this period, the research funding of the college has almost doubled. With the opening of Jordan Hall of Science, the college and University are poised to lead the nation in science education. In this issue, we devote a large section to highlighting undergraduate research. We recently appointed a new coordinator of undergraduate research, Dominic Chaloner, and the University also continues to show strong support for undergraduate research. Currently, student interest in research opportunities outpaces funded positions, but we’re making significant progress to satisfy this demand. I am pleased to say that now over a third of our students are involved in research, in both laboratories and in the field. These students will be enriched by their experiences and will be able to apply their enhanced problem- solving skills no matter where their studies or careers take them. Our faculty continue to make excellent progress in growing our research programs. Frank Collins, director of the Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, recently received a $20 million grant, the largest ever for the college, from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Collins will lead the Malaria Monitoring and Control Consortium that will, for the first time, provide a pin-point assessment of vari- ous malaria control strategies and where they are most effective. Most recently, the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC), directed by Gary Belovsky, was designated by the NSF as a National Ecological Organization Network (NEON) site for environmental research and awarded a grant of approximately $20 million over 10 years. On the horizon is another significant development affecting science. Notre Dame has partnered with the City of South Bend to create Innovation Park, a research park on 12 acres of land south of campus. It will enable our science and engineering faculty to identify potential market applications for our research and will bring together academia, industry, and venture capitalism to stimulate economic development. One of the hallmarks of the University of Notre Dame is that it is a place that cares about suffering in the world. Our students and alumni who participate in medical missions in Third World countries are exemplary. This issue of Renaissance focuses on two programs that support those students and alumni: the Dooley Society, which provides funding assistance, and the Haiti Program under the direction of Rev. Thomas Streit, C.S.C., that is ridding this impoverished nation of lymphatic filariasis. The future of the college looks very bright, and we should expect great advances over the next decade.
Best regards,
Joseph P. Marino William K. Warren Foundation Dean College of Science
Renaissance is published twice per year by the University 168 Hurley Hall Photography: Cheryl Kelly, of Notre Dame College of Science Communications Team– Notre Dame, IN 46556 Matt Cashore, and Wayne Falda Wayne Falda, Marissa Runkle, William O’Hayer, and Cheryl (574) 631-4465 Design: Notre Dame Media Group Kelly. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. [email protected] science.nd.edu College of Science JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 1
The Journal of the University of Notre Dame College of Science Spring 2008, Volume 5, Number 1
MISSION
2 Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases to Aid in Eradicating Malaria 5 Notre Dame Students Bolster Effort to End LF in Haiti 8 Students Serve in Medical Missions Supported by Dr. Tom Dooley Society
STUDENT RESEARCH AT NOTRE DAME
12 Undergraduate Research at Notre Dame 19 Where are They Now? 22 Graduate Research 24 Where are They Now?
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE NEWS
26 Notre Dame Launches Innovation Park
About the cover: 28 New Titles and New Faces Chemistry graduate student Leslie Patterson, who is pictured on the cover and above, with undergraduate 30 New T&R Faculty Jonathan Stefely (center), and her advisor, Prof. Mar- vin Miller (right,) synthesized a compound that has 32 JINA Reaches Out applications for treatment of iron overload diseases. Patterson’s results were published in the Journal QuarkNet Students Travel to CERN of Biological Chemistry as well as the journal 34 Science. Stefely, a chemistry major who has also con- Young Science Elite Show Their Talents ducted research in the Miller laboratory, has utilized 36 triazole-based anti-cancer compounds to develop po- at 2007 Siemens Competition tential treatments for breast cancer. Read more about Stefely on page 17 and Patterson on page 22. 38 Standing Ovations RENAISSANCE 2
Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases to Aid in Eradicating Malaria
t the Gates Malaria Forum in Seattle in October The couple’s bold statement caused a stir, especially 2007, Bill and Melinda Gates declared that they among the world health authorities, who have witnessed would apply considerable financial resources to more failures than successes since the early 1960s when Athe war against malaria. the World Health Organization famously predicted that the In her address to researchers and policy makers from insecticide DDT and the malaria medication chloroquine around the world, Melinda proclaimed, “Bill and I believe would soon lead to the demise of malaria. that these advances in science and medicine, your promis- The Gates’ declaration received considerable press, ing research, and the rising concern of people around the unlike the announcement two months earlier that the world represent a historic opportunity not just to treat Gates Foundation had awarded a $20 million grant to the malaria or to control it—but to chart a long-term course to University of Notre Dame’s Center for Global Health and eradicate it.” Infectious Diseases and its director, Prof. Frank Collins, to Her use of the word eradicate left no doubt among those prepare the way for their visionary venture. in attendance that they intend to see malaria wiped out The five-year project, centered on the Notre Dame like smallpox, the only infectious disease that man has suc- campus, will evaluate the effectiveness of control methods cessfully eradicated in nature. and will involve field sites in diverse locales such as JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 3
Indonesia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. The study Malaria has roared back from the 1960s when DDT will direct thousands of people in multiple institutions who and chloroquine reduced deaths worldwide. In Africa are part of a Malaria Transmission Consortium (MTC) and alone, malaria kills 3,000 people a day, and most of its who will carry out studies in these victimsv are young children. targeted zones. Among the key institu- The creation of new tools to fight tions joining the Notre Dame center are malariam has kept the disease from the Swiss Tropical Institute, the U.S. inflictingi an even greater toll. Deaths Centers for Disease Control, the Lon- haveh been dramatically reduced in don School of Tropical Medicine and areasa where people are given insecti- Hygiene, and Durham University. It cide-impregnatedc bed nets, which not will be left to the computer science and onlyo keep mosquitoes at bay, but kill engineering program at Notre Dame to thoset that land on the bed net. take the vast amount of data collected “Bill““Bill andd I bbelieveli thatth t theseth advancesd Malaria has been so difficult and assemble it for later analysis and in science and medicine, your promising to wipe out because the Anopheles model simulation. research, and the rising concern of mosquito employs numerous strate- PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION / KARIE HAMILTON / FOUNDATION GATES MELINDA & BILL OF COURTESY PHOTO “This is not a project in which we people around the world represent a gies, including re-inventing itself to are trying to develop new methods historic opportunity not just to treat become resistant to insecticides like of controlling malaria-carrying mos- malaria or to control it—but to chart a DDT and to medicines like chloro- quitoes,” said Collins, the George and long-term course to eradicate it.” quine. Some strains of Anopheles even Winifred Clark chair in the Department —MELINDA GATES prefer biting humans during the day. of Biological Sciences. “The world has And still others will only bite out- plenty of resources at hand to control Anopheles gambia, the side and not inside. Malaria transmission rates also vary primary vector of malaria. The question is, ‘How can we use significantly from the highlands of Kenya, where trans- these methods more efficiently?’” mission rates are low, to the areas around Lake Victoria, The answer is not intuitively obvious, and it underscores where transmission rates are many times greater. the size of the $20 million grant, the largest ever received In order to cover the full spectrum of the effectiveness within the College of Science. of malaria control techniques, specialists will map five dif- The Anopheles mosquito is a nocturnal creature that ferent malaria endemic areas in Africa and three different seeks out humans areas in Indone- and their blood sia, including the while they sleep. high transmission When an infected area of Papua mosquito finds a Indonesia and vulnerable human, lower transmis- it takes his or her sion areas on the blood as a meal islands of Java and in doing so in- and Sumatra.
jects a microscopic A group of local malaria parasite women receive free bed called Plasmodium nets during a UNICEF bed net distribution falciparum into the campaign funded by bloodstream. Once The Global Fund. 3 the parasite is million nets will be distributed in Ethiopia inside, it multiplies alone, Harar. Ethiopia, by the billions. September 2005. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION / LIZ GILBERT RENAISSANCE 4 MATT CASHORE MATT
“The problem is that it is really difficult to compare control methods across zones where transmission rates vary so greatly. In one place a person may be bitten by hundreds of malaria-infected Only when those issues are cleared mosquitoes each year, while in oth- uup can researchers address the vexing ers the average exposure is one or two iissues of insecticide resistance and other infected bites a year. This means that a bbiological nuances such as nighttime strategy used in one place may not be oor daytime feeding. This last element effective at another place,” Collins said. oof the grant is the third of the three The lessons learned from this program pphases that must be addressed before will be applicable to most of Southeast tthe Gates’ vision of a world without Asia as well as sub-Saharan Africa, mmalaria can even begin to be realized. which carries an estimated 70 percent Yet,Y the new techniques being thrown of the world’s malaria burden. iinto battle against malaria create a sense Once the first milestone is passed, mapping transmis- of optimism that the disease can be defeated. sion rates, the scientists will then turn their attention to Bill Gates, himself, alluded to the development of evaluating the control methods in these different set- promising techniques. During the Malaria Forum, he tings. Take bed nets, for example. “Do we give bed nets said, “So why would anyone want to follow a long line out to everybody in a village, or do we give bed nets only of failures by becoming the umpteenth person to declare to high-risk people like infants, pregnant women, and the goal of eradicating malaria? There’s one reason. We people whose immune systems are compromised by HIV should declare the goal of eradicating malaria because we or TB?” Collins posed. can eradicate malaria.”
UNLESS NOTED, PHOTOS BY ED COHEN, NOTRE DAME MAGAZINE JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 5
Notre Dame Students Bolster Effort to End LF in Haiti
Begun 10 years ago under the dynamic leadership of Notre Dame LF was eliminated in many priest and biologist, Rev. Thomas G. Streit, C.S.C., the Haiti Program ccountries in the early 20th seeks to eliminate lymphatic filariasis from Haiti by 2013. Its ccentury by modern hygiene principal tool for stopping the transmission of the disease has been anda sanitation practices, but tablet-based mass drug administration. Two proven, safe drugs are ppersists in the 21st century in used in tandem—diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole. mmany developing countries. WWorld-wide, more than 40 aiti is a developing country that faces many “We“W“ hhear all ll about b t AIDS million people are incapaci- challenges—not the least of which is the plague and malaria and their death tated by the effects of LF and of lymphatic filariasis (LF). A mosquito-borne tolls, but we don’t speak over 1.3 billion are at risk, and illness, LF is caused by parasitic worms, about the living dead like in coastal Haiti, nearly half the H those having elephantiasis.” Wuchereria bancrofti—about four-inches long and nearly as population carries the parasite. —REV. TOM STREIT, C.S.C. thin as human hairs—that invade a human’s lymph vessels In January, junior biology and cause them to malfunction. For many, this condition majors Brennan Bollman, Gregory Podolej, and Megan Above: leads to the grotesque swelling of legs, Rybarczyk joined Rev. Tom Streit, C.S.C., director of Notre Students Gregory arms, genitals, or breasts (thus leading to Dame’s Haiti Program, to continue efforts begun in 2005 Podolej, Brennan the condition’s common name, elephan- to market and distribute a co-fortified salt aimed at eradi- Bollman, and tiasis). Although not usually fatal, the so- cating the disease that has decimated this country’s popu- Megan Rybarczyk cial stigma that accompanies the physical lation. The salt distribution effort is to complement the present information on the fortified salt, disfigurement caused by the disease can existing national Mass Drug Administration started in 1999 Bon Sel. be devastating for its sufferers. in coordination with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and RENAISSANCE 6
figure 1 the Population. At the same Marketing the time, a team of three Ameri- Medicated Salt can doctors and a nurse An interdisciplinary pro- assembled by a 1978 Notre gram was begun in the Dame graduate, Dr. W. Kevin 2004–05 school year to Olehnik, chairman of the develop a plan to distribute Department of Surgery at DEC-fortified salt to the the Penobscot Bay Medical population of Haiti. Dur- Center in Rockport, Maine, ing that time, three graphic were in Haiti to perform design seniors under the surgeries on 15 men as part direction of Prof. Rob- of a humanitarian effort un- ert Sedlack worked with der the auspices of the Notre M.B.A. students to develop Dame Haiti Program. an identity program and While the students focused mainly on marketing campaign designed to get the their task of determining better ways to word out about the benefits of using the raise awareness of the salt effort, they treated salt. They named the product Bon were also able to assist with some of the Sel (good salt) and created the slogan surgeries performed by the American clairemont bon (clearly good). team. Says Rybarczyk of the opportunity, Unfortunately, the social unrest that “It was an incredible experience—one that followed President Jean Bertrand Aris- I never thought I would have as an tide’s departure from the country after an undergraduate!” uprising in February 2004 disrupted this part of the program for nearly three years. Why Salt? With the country more recently returning The Wuchereria bancrofti parasites are transmitted by the to a sense of political and social stability, the program has Culex mosquito at night as they locate and feed on human resumed with gusto. hosts. It takes multiple bites from a mosquito that carries Indeed, when Bollman, Podolej, and Rybarczyk visited worms to infect a human. The disease’s complicated life- Haiti in January, their principle goal was to investigate cycle has made it hard to eradicate in countries like Haiti ways to increase the use of DEC-fortified salt among the where illiteracy, poverty, and limited access to healthcare Haitian people. The first thing they did was to organize a go hand in hand to keep the cycle going. Nevertheless, Fr. focus group in a Catholic church. “We had 13 very eager Streit is adamant that there is hope in Haiti. participants,” Bollman said. “We asked them how we could The drug diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) is the syn- best educate people on the purpose of the salt.” The par- thetic organic compound that treats lymphatic disease by ticipants’ responses were very helpful for the students in working with the body’s defenses to kill the microfilariae understanding the unique challenges involved in success- that swim in the bloodstream. The mosquitoes normally fully marketing the salt to Haitians. would suck up the microfilariae when they feed at night They stressed that the salt cannot be washed, which Hai- and later transmit them to other humans after a develop- tians routinely do, as they do rice. “Haitians living in New mental stage in the mosquito’s body, keeping the cycle of York City will open their box of Uncle Ben’s rice and wash infection going (see figure 1, above). But if the worms are it out of habit,” said Fr. Streit, who has witnessed Haitians killed in the blood stream because of the DEC, they cannot washing away the medication from the salt in their kitchens. be transmitted from human to human by mosquitoes. Be- The students were received warmly everywhere they cause everybody in Haiti uses salt, it was chosen as a good went and felt they were successful in getting the message vehicle to distribute the medication. “If everybody in Haiti out about the benefits of the medicated salt. Says Podolej, took the salt, then I believe that we could rid the island of “Everybody who we told about the salt and about its ben- LF in two years,” Fr. Streit said. efits wanted to buy it immediately.” JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 7
The Haitian Connection As he sat on the edge of his hospital bed awaiting surgery, Bollman points out that none of their work would have the drained, expressionless look on his face revealed him to been possible without Haitian program administrators be a man of constant sorrow. forging the connections and helping to form the plan for The doctors from Maine knew they had a problem the distribution of the salt, first in Port-au-Prince, and then minute they conducted a preliminary health check on throughout the country. She mentions Rev. Michelet Bozor. “It was obvious that he had a prior hernia and that Dorescar, C.S.C., who oversees the day-to-day salt proj- the hernia had re-occurred,” said Kendall Robinson, the ect operations. He made the connections that enabled the recovery nurse with the group. Bozor’s surgery at Hopital students to conduct research in the various locations in Sainte Croix lasted three hours. “The hernia repair was the Port-au-Prince. Bollman also points out the work of Dr. most difficult part of the operation,” said Dr. Olehnik. Madsen BeaudeRochars, who is the LF program director in Once they had the hernia portion of the surgery un- Haiti and also the president of the Haitian company (Group der control, they were able to focus on correcting Bozor’s DEC) that is fortifying the salt LF-induced condition. Slowly, for this project. under the guidance of Haitian Jean Marc Brissau, a Haitian urologist Dr. Mitelot Clervil, attorney currently earning his the team of American doctors LL.M. with the Center for Hu- cut away a huge mass of excess man Rights program at Notre tissue. Dr. Clervil’s experience Dame’s Law School, has also in this type of surgery was a been instrumental over the vast help for the Americans past four years in getting the who had never seen a condi- salt program started in Haiti tion like Bozor’s. “He is an and maintaining its structure excellent surgeon. I learned a during turbulent times. lot from him,” said urologist, Lars Ellison. Dealing with the Two days after the surgery, Devastation Bozor was sitting up in his Although the DEC-medicated room convalescing. He smiled. salt and Mass Drug Adminis- “God is good to me,” he said tration of DEC and albendazole grinning widely. tablets have begun to produce “It’s not until visitors meet positive results, these medicine these people do they realize distribution strategies deal only that their lives have been de- with eliminating the impetus stroyed by this disease,” Fr. of the disease, not with its dev- Streit said afterward. “We hear astating results. That’s where all about AIDS and malaria medical humanitarian efforts come into play. Top:Top: Dr.W.Dr W KevinKevin Olehnik,Olehnik NDND ’78, and chairman of the De- and their death tolls, but we Beginning Jan. 7, 2008, the medical team assembled by partment of Surgery, Penobscot don’t speak about the living Dr. Olehnik performed 15 pro-bono surgeries on Haitian Bay Medical Center, Rockport, dead like those having men who had various ailments caused by LF. One of the Maine; Kendall Robinson, RN; Dr. Douglas S. Cole, general elephantiasis. I often tell peo- worst cases was 64-year-old Wilner Bozor, who had been surgeon; Dr. David Maddox, ple that this disease does not living with a grotesquely swollen scrotum for years. The anesthesiologist; Dr. Lars kill people physically, but it Ellison, urologist condition so stigmatized him that he was virtually an out- kills their spirit and it kills their Bottom: Wilner Bozor, 64, lies cast in his town. Bozor came to the Hopital Sainte Croix ready for his operation at Hopital chance to lead a normal life.” for an operation that would help him recover his dignity. Sainte Croix in Leogane, Haiti.
Find out more about the Haiti Program by visiting haiti.nd.edu. RENAISSANCE 8
Students Serve in Medical Missions Supported by Dr. Tom Dooley Society
otre Dame’s most famous physician/humani- through programs such as the Center for Social tarian, Dr. Thomas A. Dooley III had lived Concern’s International Summer Service Learning for only 34 years when he succumbed to Program (ISSLP). And now, nearly 45 years after malignant melanoma in 1961. What this his death, Dr. Dooley’s efforts live on through the Irish Catholic from St. Louis, Mo., ac- auspices of a new organization—one that bears his Ncomplished as a U.S. Navy physician treating Viet- name, the Dr. Tom Dooley Society. namese and Laotian refugees for smallpox, lep- The creation of the Dooley Society can be rosy, malaria, and malnutrition would earn him traced back to the day Above: Supported by the Dr. worldwide fame in the 1950s. when Matt Hubbard, M.D., Tom Dooley Society and the President Dwight D. Eisenhower said of (ND ’02), then a third-year Center for Social Concerns, him, “Few, if any, men have equaled his ex- medical student at the Uni- senior Andrea Dreyfuss served at a clinic in Ecuador where hibition of courage, self-sacrifice, faith in his versity of Rochester, drove she became very involved with God, and his readiness to serve his fellow man.” toward campus on Inter- the community. His legacy has lived on at Notre Dame by the state 80 for a football week- Left: The statue of Thomas A. efforts of undergraduate students who are will- end. During the time he Dooley III, M.D., stands near ing to embark on summer service missions spent driving, Hubbard the Grotto on campus. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 9
began envisioning an organization of Notre Dame alumni in the medical profession who would engage in professional development, community service, and mentorship of cur- rent preprofessional undergraduates. In just three years, the Dooley Society has grown dramatically. Starting in 2005 with just three Notre Dame alumni mem- bers, the organization has grown to over 1,000 members across the country. Its bylaws dictate that 25 percent of its dues be Dr. Martínez and used to fund stipends for students who serve Dr. Espiñoza mentored the medical needs of individuals in impov- Andrea Dreyfuss. erished areas of the world. About half of the students who received stipends from the Dooley Society served through the Center for Social Concern’s ISSLP, while the other Matt Hubbard, M.D. ‘02 students arranged their own service through various international Founder of the Dooley Society agencies, including Intervol and the Foundation for Peace. att Hubbard, M.D., a surgical resident To date, the Dooley Society has provided 20 stipends to Notre Dame pre-med students serving abroad. Dooley Society President Don Mat Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Condit, M.D., (ND ‘80) is quick to point out that the stipends are just started the Dooley Society to link preprofes- one aspect of the organization’s initiatives. “I think the most impor- sional students with medical alumni to form tant thing that we have done to date is give our students the opportu- mentoring relationships. He started the organi- nity to network with other Notre Dame medical alumni. Last year, we zation because, as he says, “I wish I would have helped connect the dots between our undergraduates and our alums by placing over 200 students in offices around the country during the had this when I was a student.” Christmas holidays,” he said. The organization offers memberships to Condit, an orthopedic surgeon in Grand Rapids, Mich., is no alumni physicians, dentists, and other licensed stranger to conditions in Third World countries. He volunteers with medical practitioners, as well as students who the Helping Hands Medical Missions in El Salvador every year. “It’s a great thing that our students learn about these opportuni- are planning to enter the medical profession. ties and participate in these missions and learn first-hand about the Over this past winter break, approximately world,” he said. 200 students were matched geographically to Seniors Andrea Paola Dreyfuss, a preprofessional studies and an- shadow alumni doctors and dentists. thropology double major, and Lindsay Martin, a biology major, were among the 15 students who received Dooley stipends last summer. Last summer, 15 students and alumni who The two students, who are both planning to be physicians, traveled to received partial funding from the Dooley Society Pedro Vicente Maldonado, a place in Ecuador that Dreyfuss described for medical missions traveled to sites such as the as “a small town between the jungle and the Andes Mountains.” Maryknoll Missions in Cambodia, Common Hope The clinic in Pedro Vicente Maldonado was created by Andean in Guatemala, the Timmy Foundation in Ecuador, Health & Development (AHD), which was founded in 1995 by Notre Dame alumnus David Gaus, M.D., and Notre Dame President Emeri- the Foundation for Peace in the Dominican tus Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Republic, and the Institute for Internal Medicine Dreyfuss, who was born in Lima, Peru, had grown up amid in Africa. the comforts of a middleclass family. “But I always wanted to be a doctor in a rural area of Central America,” she said. Dreyfuss and Martin taught first-aid classes and took patients’ pulse, blood pres- sure, weight, and temperature. They assisted in the ER and com- pleted medical histories where none had existed. Dreyfuss also had a chance to see a baby delivered. Dreyfuss expected the grinding poverty, the prevalence of RENAISSANCE 10
Nary lay, as usual, on her side in a contorted half-fetal position, her far arm thrown across her tiny body to grasp the iron rail of the hospice bed. Her head had half fallen off her pillow, so her open eyes fixed on the tile floor. In medical jargon, one could call her a 35-year-old AIDS patient, recovering from tuberculosis of the lymph nodes and partial paralysis from a TIA. She is also a wife, and a mother. Yet her husband has left her for another woman; she no longer sees her children. She’s sick. She’s depressed. She’s abandoned. I walked into Nary’s room, sat cross-legged on the tile floor, and looked into her big, sad yet beautiful eyes. I inched my hand closer to hers, as it now only loosely draped over the guardrail. I didn’t hold her hand, for rennan Bollman, a junior biology ma- that action should be her dignified choice. I did start singing. Though Bjor who received partial funding from the Dooley Society, served at a Maryknoll I knew I shouldn’t choose a Christian hymn in a Buddhist culture, she Mission in Cambodia through the Center wouldn’t understand English, so I let myself sing the first thing that On Eagle’s Wings. “And He will raise you up on eagle’s for Social Concern’s ISSLP. In her paper, came to mind— titled “An Open Hand: Critical Awareness of wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, Suffering,” Bollman recounted her experi- and hold you in the palm of his hand.” ence of spending time with Nary, a patient By the end, Nary slid her dainty fingers into my open palm. at Seedling of Hope HIV/AIDS hospice.
diseases like diabetes, the shortages of electricity, and so we would take a lot of our own initiative to get things unclean water. But what shocked her was the high rate done like…creating staff IDs and doing medical histories.” of suicide among teenagers. “Every week we would en- They shadowed doctors and later were allowed to assist counter an average of two attempted suicides,” she said. in surgeries. But they wanted to do more. “The doctors and “Youths as young as 14 would try to kill themselves out staff told us that teaching English would be something very of the despair ‘that they are doomed for the rest of their helpful. So for the last five weeks of our stay we would lives.’” help teach English to the doctors, nurses, and the people at So desperate are Ecuadorian parents that they would the front desk,” Dreyfuss Sean Duffy (left) and Katie Zedler attach American-sounding names, like “Michael Jordan,” (right) assisted in setting up health said. to the family surname of their newborns just on a faint fairs in Antigua, Guatemala. Other Dooley stipend notion that doing so might recipients, like seniors give their child an edge or Sean Duffy and Katie an opportunity some day in Zedler, teamed up last the future. summer with an organi- Hundreds of people make zation called Common the long and arduous jour- Hope, founded in 1990 ney to the hospital. “They in Antigua, Guatemala. would travel four hours, get- They, too, experienced ting up at 1:00 a.m. and get the widening economic to the hospital by 5:00 a.m.,” disparity between the rich she recounted. “The hospital and the poor, their lack of was not entirely organized, basic resources, and the JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 11
tenuous access to health Top: Lisa Zickuhr assist- and education. ed these disabled patients in Antigua, Guatemala. The two seniors assisted Guatemalan families by Middle: Megan O’Hara helping to build Common volunteered in an orphanage for children Hope residences for the with HIV in Cambodia. poorest families living in Bottom: While volun- temporary shelters with dirt teering in a Guatemalan floors, lack of sanitation, hospital, Lisa Zickuhr and no system of remov- lived with a local family. ing garbage. Zedler and Duffy used their Spanish to help coordinate the work of volunteers and construc- tion workers who could not speak English. Geographical access was also an At the nearby clinic, they helped issue there. Because all of the special- by organizing patient charts for over ized health care services were located 1,000 families being served by the in Guatemala City, the people who clinic. They shadowed a U.S. medical needed this care would have to travel student who had taken the time to nine to 15 hours to get there. And, volunteer for Common Hope. “We also during their stay, Zedler and Duffy helped out with public health fairs to witnessed the lingering effects of the educate some of the people in the vil- four-decade-old civil war that devastat- lage surrounding Antigua,” Duffy said. ed the indigenous, Mayan population The purpose of the fair was to edu- before the war ended in 1996. cate the people about nutrition and Biology major Lisa Zickuhr gained hygiene as well as lifestyle changes to a similar experience in Antigua, Gua- prevent the onset of diseases like Type temala, through an organization called II diabetes, which is very prevalent in Las Obras Sociales de Hermano Pedro. She Guatemala as well as throughout Latin supported the nursing staff, fed elderly America in general.” patients who no longer had use of their “There are a lot of myths about dia- hands, and provided desperately needed betes in the popular culture. One par- companionship to the disabled resi- ticularly damaging one is that insulin dents. Her experience gave her insights causes blindness. So we participated in into the Guatemalan medical system. the effort to try to debunk those damag- Zickuhr, a senior, has already been ac- ing myths,” Duffy said. cepted by several medical schools. While there are few people in Guate- Throughout the students’ experi- mala on the verge of starvation, Zedler ences were several common elements. and Duffy saw plenty of evidence of mal- Each of the students experienced first- nutrition in the form of iron deficiency hand the combined effects of poverty, anemia and effects of Vitamin A defi- language barriers, and a lack of acces- ciency. “At one of the health fairs, we sible transportation that served to exac- did blood tests on children for anemia, erbate the existing medical deficiencies. and we found that over half the chil- For more information on the dren who came to the health fair were PHOTOS THROUGHOUT PROVIDED BY STUDENTS Dooley Society, visit dooleysociety. anemic,” Duffy said. com. RENAISSANCE 12 UNDERGRADUATE RESE Undergraduate Rese
n his address to the faculty this past September, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University, proclaimed, “At Notre Dame, we must enhance under- graduate education by making research an important and expanding aspect of the Iundergraduate experience.” The benefits of undergraduate research are numerous. Re- search gives students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained in the classroom and teaching laboratory and challenges them to think critically about real-world prob- lems. With the support of faculty mentors, students develop their own research projects and confront the daily challenges facingf scientific researchers. They gain transferablet skills as they operate state- of-the-arto equipment and use a variety of laboratoryl techniques to analyze their results. The experience ofo conducting their own research project prepares students for graduateg studies and ultimately a strong career in science, as wellw as other professional degrees in medicine or business. The doubling of the number of College of Science undergrad- uatesthh who have participated in research since spring 2000 is due in large part to the growing recognition that work on an actual scientific investigation is as much of a learning experience—if not more—than time spent in the classroom. According to Associate Provost and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dennis Jacobs, “Re- search is the most authentic way for our students to learn about science, because science is not simply a collection of facts. It’s a process of knowing about the natural world through inquiry and exploration. In research, our students work at thet forefront where scientific knowledge is advanced. They are creatingc and testing new knowledge that answers some of their owno questions about how the world behaves.” In September, Dominic Chaloner, research assistant profes- sors in the Department of Biological Sciences, was appointed asa the undergraduate research coordinator for the College of Science.S Chaloner took over the position from the college’s first coordinator,c Michelle Whaley, who continues to advise students anda chair the undergraduate research committee in the Depart- ment of Biological Sciences. In October, Chaloner organized the JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE ARCH AT NOTRE DAME 13 arch at Notre Dame
Undergraduate Research Symposium, in which 18 students presented their research in the Jordan Hall of Science. Over 220 students in the College of Science are actively involved in a research project each year, either in a labora- tory or in the field. “Our objective is to double that number in the next few years,” Chaloner said. However, “the number is undoubtedly higher.” Many students are not counted be- cause they are engaged in research elsewhere, but not for academic credit. During the summer, many students participate in REU (Research Experience for Undergrad- uates) programs on campus and at other universities, research internships at R&D laboratories, and other off-campus programs. The opportunities for undergraduate research at Notre Dame are quite diverse as they encompass a huge subject range, can involve directed research as part of a course, or involve independent re- search in a faculty lab, but Chaloner sees some commonality. “The best undergraduate experiences likely share certain characteristics such as involvement in original research that is mentally demanding and scientifically rigorous, with a critical element of faculty mentorship, all of which is possible at Notre Dame,” he said. “Science is as much as a hands-on endeavor as sculpture,” Chalon- er explained. “I see myself as helping our undergraduates become aware of the research possibilities and how the problem-solving skills they learn under the guidance of a professor is an important step toward their development as a scientist.” “For many students, however, it’s a matter of pointing them in the right direc- tion,” Chaloner said, adding that, “for example, it may be simply making students aware of the range of services offered by the Career Center to find research intern- ships off-campus.” Employers and alumni are encouraged to send information on research opportunities to Prof. Chaloner at [email protected]. All of the departments within the College of Science offer opportunities for students to conduct research under the guidance of faculty and graduate students. The following are just a few interesting examples of undergraduate stu- dents who have recently conducted research. The Visit experience of these students demonstrates the science.nd.edu/research diversity and depth of research being undertaken to read expanded profiles by undergraduates within the College of Science. of each of these students. RENAISSANCE 14 UNDERGRADUATE RESE
Gary Nijak ’09 CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DOUBLE MAJOR PPG SUMMER FELLOW, SUMMER ’07 During his summer fellowship at PPG (Pittsburgh Plate and Glass), Gary Nijak Jr. worked on developing a new Kaitlyn Moran ’09 polymer that would be the breakthrough to the develop- MATHEMATICS MAJOR ment of an automated pathogen detection device to reveal NOTRE DAME REU, SUMMER ’07 bacteria like E. coli in water samples. His attempt failed, so A year ago, Kaitlyn Moran knew little about research in Nijak threw out the concept of inventing a new polymer. mathematics. That changed last summer when she entered HHowever, he then the mathematics REU program at Notre Dame, along with ddiscovered a fluo- eight other students, to research algebraic topology. rrescent compound Moran and two other students (one from Harvard and ddeveloped by a one from UCLA) were mentored by Kate Ponto, an REU pro- ssmall company in gram director. Ponto, who specializes in the field of algebraic OOregon for intercel- topology, had a problem in mind for the REU students to llular pH detection. solve. Since the students were at different levels of under- Nijak began to standing abstract algebra, Ponto gave each of them several ttinker with the books to read, based on what they had not yet studied in the ccompany’s reagent, classroom. wwhich is composed Initially, the students went separate directions to digest oof a sugar bound to the new material. Eventually, each had something unique to a fluorescent mark- bring to the table. About halfway through the seven-week eer via a glycosidic program, Ponto started writing claims on the blackboard and bbond. This time, his challenged Moran and the others to work on a proof. “Even- eefforts were suc- tually, we did manage to prove most of them.” Moran said. ccessful, and he was That is when Moran realized what Ponto had in mind all aable to develop a along. “All of a sudden, we realized that all of our claims wway to detect E. coli that we had proven added up to an ultimate proof to the iin water samples. theorem that she had in mind for us to prove at the start of TThe device works the summer,” Moran said. “It was very cool to know that bby detecting E. coli the four of us had come up with a new proof that no one eenzymes that bind else ever had done.” Ponto says, “It’s the experience of to the active site on the reagent. A fluorescent compound being self-motivated that is most important. Students learn is released, which can then be detected by a photometer or what it’s like to work on a problem by themselves, without CD array. being able to find the solution in a textbook.” The beauty of Nijak’s apparatus is that it is fully au- tomated. A state or county health department no longer would need to train an individual to go to a site—be it a river or a lake—and carefully take water samples to be brought back to the lab for analysis. Cities typically only measure bacteria outbreaks after citizens have been com- plaining of sickness, so “instead of waiting two days for lab results to come back telling you whether water is polluted, this device gives the answer in just six or eight hours,” Nijak said. “Not only did I find something entirely new, but this process works better.” JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE ARCH AT NOTRE DAME 15
Sean Cullen ’09 Later, Cullen was able to join Prof. Robert Stahelin’s research team, which conducts BIOLOGYB AND ANTHROPOLOGY DOUBLE MAJOR research into proteins and their effects on INDIANAI UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, SOUTH cancer. Cullen’s project on the lipid-bind- BEND,B SUMMER ’07 ing properties of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, UNDERCEAST,U SUMMER ’06 hNedd4-1, could one day lead to a fuller Senior Sean Cullen had a moment in his mo- understanding of its various cellular roles in lecularl cell biology lab when he realized what the development of cancer. hhis life’s work would be—research in the field He plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree oof infectious disease. “I was working under at a school with a strong infectious disease thet hood, and I realized that—here I was—a or microbiology/immunology department. sophomores in college, and I was culturing the Cullen explained, “I see great value in doing parasitep that causes malaria,” he recalled. “I a dual-degree program. The skills one learns saws how exciting the field was to work in, while training to be a physician enables one anda thought it was something I could do for to help people directly on a very intimate thet rest of my life.” level, while the skills one gains from doing In the summer of 2006, Cullen was able to academic research hold the possibility for participatep in research conducted at UNDERC- aiding others on a more global scale. I look EEast, the University of Notre Dame’s Envi- forward to employing both skill sets in the rronmental Research Center in Land O’ Lakes, future. WWisc. His independent research project that summer dealt with using different habitat variables to predict Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) presence or absence.
Adam Boocher ’08 HONORS MATHEMATICS MAJOR Back at Notre Dame, Boocher WILLIAMS COLLEGE REU, SUMMER ’07 coordinatedc a symposium in Septem- CLAREMONT COLLEGES REU, SUMMER ’06 berb 2007 titled “Undergraduate Work UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME REU, ini Mathematics: (What I Did for my SUMMER ’05 SummerS Vacation).” The event includ- ede a panel discussion on mathematics Very few undergraduates can say researchr and featured eight students that their research is being pub- whow shared their undergraduate re- lished, but senior honors math major searchs experiences. “Prof. Frank Con- Adam Boocher has two papers in the nollyn eloquently likened the process process of being published. His most ofo studying mathematics to building recent paper, “Unique Factorization a cathedral—each mathematician Domains and Geometrically Regular addinga his or her contribution to the Fibers,” resulted from his work at an project,”p Boocher said. REU program at Williams College. As a freshman, Boocher was the “There were five of us in our onlyo first-year student ever invited group, and at the beginning of the intoi the SUMR (Seminar for Under- summer, our advisor gave us a graduate Mathematical Research) program at Notre Dame, a problem she had been trying to solve for the last several program for the most gifted junior and senior mathematics years...each day we would meet in the classroom and go to students. His other collaborative research paper, which was the board to try to crack the problem,” Boocher said. the result of his work in the Notre Dame REU, will be pub- Three students eventually decided to try another tack, lished in Linear Algebra and Its Applications. while Boocher and another student remained with their Boocher turned down an invitation to Harvard Univer- original strategy. He noted that at the end of the summer, sity as a high school senior and chose to attend Notre Dame, “when we mixed our two solutions together, we found that based on the reputation of Notre Dame’s math faculty. He is we understood the problem a lot better.” now applying to top graduate schools in the country. RENAISSANCE 16 UNDERGRADUATE RESE
Zebrafish possess certain stem cells that can multiply and repair damaged rods and cones, the first critical element of a long chain of mechanisms and chemical events that produce vision. Understanding these mechanisms could provide clues as to how humans might restore lost eyesight. One way of figuring out the process by which these stem cells operate is to tinker with the candidate genes that are thought to be the key to the zebrafish’s unusual ability to restore eyesight. One of Enright’s projects was to develop an in vivo technique to reduce the expression from these genes and test their role during retinal regeneration, thus giving a better clue as to how these stem cells are produced and re- main active. Inhibiting the proteins Pax6 and PCNA (prolif- erating cell nuclear antigen) could give them a better clue as Jenny Enright ’08 to how these stem cells are produced and remain active. BIOLOGY MAJOR She and members of the lab achieved what is known as ZEBRAFISH RESEARCH CENTER AT NOTRE DAME, “knockdown” of these proteins. The group found that Pax6 ACADEMIC YEAR 200607, SUMMER ’07, ACADEMIC YEAR 200708 knockdown prevented the newly formed stem cells from MARYANN MCDOWELL CELL BIOLOGY RESEARCH LAB AT NOTRE DAME, continuing to proliferate, suggesting a potential role for Pax6 SPRING ’06 in cell cycle regulation. Enright received a Braco Award, as well as a summer As a sophomore, Jenny Enright decided that undergradu- research grant from the Glynn Family Honors Program, to ate research was essential—both as a learning experience support her research. She plans to pursue a combined M.D./ and as a path toward medical school. She was interested in Ph.D. degree after graduation. the work of David Hyde, the Rev. Howard J. Kenna, C.S.C., Director of the Zebrafish Research Center, renowned for his work on understanding how zebrafish can regenerate the rods and cones of their reti- HerH research on measuring the levels nal neurons destroyed by “blinding light.” ofo macroinvertebrates has a direct cor- relationr to stream health and agricul- turalt run-off on natural stream systems ofo the Flathead Indian Reservation. Mary Alldred ’08 Alldred said she did not come to a definitived conclusion concerning the BIOLOGY MAJOR causec of the difference in diversity UNDERCWEST, SUMMER ’07 betweenb irrigation ditches and natural UNDERCEAST, SUMMER ’06 streams.s “However, I hypothesized Those who are fortunate to visit either of thatt the cause could be structural (less these two University of Notre Dame Envi- heterogeneity),h chemical (nutrient ronmental Research Centers—UNDERC-East concentrations),c or due to coloniza- and UNDERC-West—know long before their tiont effects,” she said. “The take-home journey begins that they will be venturing messagem is that changes in water qual- into some of the most unique habitats in ityi are having an observable effect on America to carry out their ecological re- thet biota, and that these changes can search projects. Mary Alldred is one of only beb detected early on by monitoring a handful of Notre Dame students who have experienced life macroinvertebrate community assemblages.” at both UNDERC sites. Because she collected so much data, Alldred is writing Under the guidance of Gary Belovsky, director of UNDERC, her senior thesis based on the results of her summer project and Gretchen Gerrish, assistant director of UNDERC-West, in Montana. She is more determined than ever to pursue Alldred tested the diversity of macroinvertebrates in irriga- a career in aquatic and marine ecology as a result of her tion ditches and the natural streams into which they flow experiences. within an agricultural irrigation system of western Montana. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE ARCH AT NOTRE DAME 17
Sarah Sullivan to the process of wound healing, but it also is im- ’09 plicated in the growth of BIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY tumors. One key player is a DOUBLE MAJOR lipid mediator called sphin- UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT gosine 1-phosphate (S1P), HEALTH CENTER, SUMMER ’07 which plays an important Jonathan INDIANA UNIV. SCHOOL OF role in cell survival, cell Stefely ’09 MEDICINE, SOUTH BEND, death, and even cell differ- CHEMISTRY MAJOR passion. “I became fired-up SPRING AND FALL ’07 entiation. Sullivan extracted lipids MARVIN MILLER LAB AT THE UNIV. to fight the global health from 400 serum samples OF NOTRE DAME, crisis and decided it was from cancer patients to see SPRING AND SUMMER ’07, time to get into the labora- if S1P could be a biomarker ACADEMIC YEAR 200708 tory and do my small part,” for early cancer detection, ELI LILLY & CO. GRANT, he said. Stefely joined the testing each sample via SUMMER ’07 Miller lab and conducted high-performance liquid a multi-step experiment Jonathan Stefely’s steps to chromatography (HPLC) to aimed at synthesizing a par- achieve his goal of develop- determine S1P concentra- ticular compound, a sugar ing his God-given gifts to tions in these patients. B-lactam, which would benefit humanity began in By the end of the sum- allow scientists to exploit his first-year organic chemis- mer, Sullivan was able to re- a vulnerability in the cell’s try class. port that her results showed outer wall. In that class, chemistry a variety of S1P responses “The basic idea is to take professor Marvin J. Miller in the patients undergoing advantage of the fact that explained how his lab syn- cancer treatment, and thus bacteria ingest sugar. If we thesized Mycobactin S, a si- rule out S1P as a biomarker can make a drug that looks derophore promoting growth for early cancer detection. like lactose to the bacteria, of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Her results opened up a they will ingest it. Then, by helping deliver critical variety of new hypotheses once inside, it will spring supplies of iron. Miller’s to be tested. into action and kill the research group was linking “My summer internship bacteria from within its own antibiotics to siderophores, Sarah Sullivan spent her was a wonderful experi- cell wall, just like a Trojan thus creating a “Trojan summer conducting ence. I would recommend an horse,” he said. Utilizing sug- Horse” antibiotic to deliver research at the Univer- experience like mine to any ar transport pores for drug a disguised antibiotic along sity of Connecticut in the student considering graduate transport would be espe- with iron. lab of Prof. Timothy Hla. school,” she said. cially important for attacking A primary investigator in In the fall of 2006, the bacteria such as thick-walled the vascular biology de- Notre Dame Forum on global Mycobacterium tuberculosis. partment, Hla studies the health ignited Stefely’s Stefely plans to continue mechanisms in which Cox-2 working in the Miller lab and EDG-1 genes function until he graduates and hopes during angiogenesis. His to use his experience to lead laboratory focuses on the a multidisciplinary team in molecular mechanisms of drug development in the angiogenesis, the process future. Eli Lilly & Co. offered that regulates the formation him a grant to continue his of new blood vessels during work in the Miller laboratory normal conditions, as well next summer. as during tumor formation. Angiogenesis is essential RENAISSANCE 18 UNDERGRADUATE RESE
Patrick Holvey ’10 CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS DOUBLE MAJOR NANOBIO REU PROGRAM, UNIV. OF NOTRE DAME, SUMMER ’07 Sophomore Patrick Holvey investigated the use of super- critical water as a coolant in power plants as part of his research initiative this past summer with his advisor, Daniel Gezelter, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Raising the temperature of water to increase power genera- tion efficiencies is great. But the problem is that supercritical water is extremely corrosive on pipes, such that you have to switch out the pipes every two weeks to a month,” Holvey explained. The Department of Energy has explored ways that supercritical water might be used in nuclear power plants, but the obvious problem of radioactive water and thathldhilf would attach itself to a cancer cell lldik and stick on it,” he pipes has made this option unattractive. explained. “If you release a bunch of them into the blood- In his research, Holvey used a new model of a water stream, then scan the body with infrared light, you can see if molecule, called a “Soft Sticky Dipole,” which enabled him any tumors are present,” he said. to calculate and measure the energy of each model atom. Holvey has already decided the type of research he will His investigation gave him insight into another potential for pursue. “Computational chemistry is very physics-based. I research on metallic nanoparticles: cancer. “We could take am looking forward to spending two more summers here, nanoparticles and attach them to a cancer-seeking virus and possibly a third. The teachers are great here. They really opened my eyes to computational chemistry,” he said.
Stephanie Nienaber ’09 The project concluded that the neutralization of the cytoplasmic granule containing these two proteins leads to PREPROFESSIONAL STUDIES MAJOR rapid degradation of perforin, but not granzyme B. The lab CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER is currently conducting further research on preventing the AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SUMMER ’07 degradation of perforin. Nienaber was inspired by the career of her mentor, Kimberly Risma, M.D., Ph.D., of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and an assis- tant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Med- icine. Under Risma, Nienaber plunged into her work with an intensity that made others at the hospital take notice. What drove Nienaber to spend long hours in the lab with such unusual energy? She explained: “I began at the age of 13 as a volunteer at a local hospice. Much of my philosophy on life has been affected by three very special patients I met during my time there.” After her intense summer of immunological research, Nienaber is interested in pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. degree, hav- ing been inspired by her mentor and the many people she’s encountered who have faced death. “I think about all of the Last summer, Stephanie Nienaber conducted laboratory families that I have met and helped, and I am driven to use experiments involving two main proteins: perforin and science and research to help future patients. It seems like an granzyme B, which are utilized by natural killer cells triggered appropriate way to honor their memory,” says Nienaber. by the immune system to attack cells infected by viruses. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE ARCH AT NOTRE DAME 19 Where are they now?
Four College of Science alumni who conducted undergraduate research “Oftentimes in looking back, our graduates say that it was in the research lab that he success of our alumni they understood most about what it would mean to pursue a vocation in science.” who have performed —Dennis Jacobs, associate provost and professor of chemistry and biochemistry who has research demonstrates the mentored many undergraduate student researchers Tvalue of the undergraduate research programs at Notre Dame. Our students have performed hands- on biology research at UNDERC (Uni- Schiffer, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, where she modeled versity of Notre Dame Environmental electronic transport. Research Center), mathematics “That was a particularly great research through the SUMR (Seminar experience,” she recalled. “Having for Undergraduate Mathematics Re- that kind of exposure got me in- search) program, research in all four terested in biophysics and in using disciplines through REU (Research computational methods in chemis- Experience for Undergraduates) pro- try and biology.” It opened her eyes to what it grams, and various research investi- means to do research every day, gations in faculty laboratories. and the commitment that was re- Former biology REU students quired. “That was the most impor- Perciliz Tan ’04 and Scott Breunig tant thing that I learned. It’s only ‘06 have graduated with Ph.D.’s when you’re in an independent from Johns Hopkins and Princeton Susan McGovern research project, where the burden University, while Matthew Mendlick B.S. IN BIOCHEMISTRY AND is definitely upon you, that you re- ally appreciate what it means to do ’97 is pursing an M.D./Ph.D. at the MATHEMATICS, UNIVERSITY OF research,” she said. Ohio State University, a top-ranked NOTRE DAME, 1997 After graduation, McGovern M.D., PH.D. NORTHWESTERN research and medical institution. joined the Shoichet Laboratory UNIVERSITY, 2005 Former UNDERC student (Lisa Cellio at Northwestern University to be ’94) became a doctor of veterinary In the late 1990s, a radically new involved in research using compu- medicine. Physics alumnus Tonio approach to biochemistry was tational methods in drug design. Buonassisi ’01 completed his Ph.D. taking hold. The development of After receiving her M.D. and Ph.D. massively parallel, special-purpose at UC Berkley and is now an assistant degrees at Northwestern in 2005, supercomputers and innovative she began her residency training professor at MIT. SUMR participant mathematical and computational at the University of Texas M.D. Kevin Thomas ’03 earned an M.D. at techniques made it possible to di- Anderson Cancer Center in the Loyola University, Chicago. Recent rect unprecedented computational department of radiation oncology. alumnus Leonard Edokpolo ’07, who power toward solving difficult “By taking care of patients, I see performed research in the Hyde lab, is scientific and technical problems in new opportunities for research to now pursuing an M.D. at Harvard. molecular simulation and design. make a difference in the lives of That was also when Notre Dame Following are the profiles of four people with cancer. My long-term undergraduate Susan McGovern plans are to continue in the field recent alumni whose careers were found her research niche. of radiation oncology and develop influenced by their early research As a senior biochemistry and drugs that make cancer treatments experiences. mathematics double major, she less toxic and more effective,” she joined the computational chemis- said. try laboratory of Sharon Hammes- RENAISSANCE 20 UNDERGRADUATE RESE
Where are they now? continued
Jon Camden B.S. IN CHEMISTRY AND MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2000 PH.D. IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 2005 At Notre Dame, Jon Camden main- tained a balance between his two loves: music and chemistry. Although he majored in both, he spent sum- mers in the laboratory of chemistry professor Dennis Jacobs, conducting beam scattering experiments on silicon surfaces. Helga Schaffrin Interacting with graduate students hyperthermal ion collisions involving Huntley and post-docs and dealing with issues the scattering of high-energy neon B.S. IN MATHEMATICS, on a high scientific level was a new atoms off silicon surfaces. His ex- UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 1999 experience for Camden. “I certainly periments, supported by the U.S. Air M.S. IN MATHEMATICS, got a flavor of what research was Force and the National Science Foun- all about during my years at Notre NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 2003 dation, related to the understanding Dame,” he said. PH.D. IN MATHEMATICS, of the effect of atoms in a rarified Camden wrote computer code for NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 2005 atmosphere on a satellite in lower molecular dynamics simulations of In my senior year at Notre Dame, I Earth orbit. nearly quit my research. I had been Camden received the College of in Prof. Frank Connolly’s Seminar for Science Dean’s Award and the Out- Undergraduate Mathematical Research standing Chemist Award. After gradu- (SUMR), and was working on my own ating summa cum laude in music and project within differential geometry. It chemistry, he went to graduate school was an interesting subject, and I loved at Stanford, studying under the pre- pushing the limits of my understanding. eminent physical chemistry scientist However, I was also taking an overload Richard N. Zare, Jacobs’ advisor in the of regular classes and with time for mid-1980s. “Dennis got his Ph.D. with research scarce, had not made much Dick in1988, and I got my Ph.D. with progress in weeks. Dick in 2005,” Camden said. One weekend, I picked up the book I Now a post-doctorate at Northwest- was working through, found the part I ern University, Camden conducts Air was stuck on, and half-heartedly started Force-supported research. “All this once again on the derivation. This time, would not have happened, obviously, however, it worked! Any thought of if I had not done undergraduate re- quitting was gone. search,” he said. “To this day, Dennis It is very rewarding to solve a and I keep in touch. I really think problem—more so than completing undergraduates can have a lifetime an assignment or acing an exam. In relationship with their college profes- graduate school, a professor told us, “It sors if they are willing to foster it.” is interesting that there is anyone who wants to do research in math. After all, you spend most of your time being un- happily stuck.” I had learned that lesson
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Andrew Serazin B.S. IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES WITH A CONCENTRATION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND VALUES, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2003 PH.D. IN MEDICAL SCIENCES, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, 2006
during my undergraduate years, but I Andrew Serazin, a research officer in Global Health had also learned how to see beyond the Discovery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, immediate obstacles and to forge ahead. received his doctorate as a Rhodes Scholar at the It was not a straight path from my University of Oxford for work on genomic aspects undergraduate thesis on “Hyperellip- of antigenic variation in P. falciparum. He tells tic Riemann Surfaces” to my current us how his Notre Dame undergraduate research position researching ocean currents and experienceexperience aaffectedffected hihiss career. their mathematical models at the Uni- versity of Delaware. After graduating from Notre Dame, I spent a year volun- The path from Galvinli Hall H to the Gates Foundation was a rather teering with a development organiza- tion in Zambia, assisting with anti-AIDS quick one for me—a little under four years from graduation day to “day and orphan support programs. When I one” at the world’s largest charity. Unsurprisingly, there is a direct link returned to the U.S., I started graduate between the skills I acquired as an undergraduate research student with school at New York University. The first year was tough, but very rewarding. Nora Besansky and Frank Collins and theers focus of biological of my current sciences, work. includ- Their The focus of my research has impact, along with many faculty memb changed from theoretical to applied ing Michelle Whaley, has been profound, but I will concentrate here on mathematics, but my undergraduate two interrelated themes, which were first taught at Notre Dame and are research experience remains valuable— many of the skills I learned then have daily sources of inspiration to me. been as relevant in my volunteer activi- My role in the Global Health Discoveryition, team and at reproductivethe Gates Foundation health. In ties as in my research position. I cannot broadly covers infectious disease, nutr credit undergraduate research alone, though: my Notre Dame education such a capacity I have great access to some of the most exciting discover- consisted of much more—its breadth, ies in the life sciences. including research and classes, sciences Fortunately, it isn’t enough to make independent observations as a and humanities, the academic and the lone investigator—no matter how exciting they are. New results must extracurricular—serves as a solid foun- dation for the multifaceted interests I be filtered by the experience of a community of scientists through mecha- pursue today. nisms large and small—peer review of papers, scientific conferences, and journal clubs the world over. In this way, faulty logic will be exposed; non-repeatable results will be discounted. Therefore, an attitude of healthy criticism makes the whole system work. My experience at Notre Dame helped me develop this frame of mind while putting science in the context of larger social aims. At the Gates Foundation, we attempt to maintain this restless skepti- cism of new results and new data, much like any member of the scien- tific community. More than this, we aim to challenge the way science is done. In linking activities in the laboratory to real-world solutions, we highlight the important contributions of scientists, many of whom are at Notre Dame, in improving the lives of the poorest people in today’s world.
×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – × < ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< ÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< ÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + < – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – RENAISSANCE ÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >22÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + GRADUATE>÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >RESEAR÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + Graduate Research at
nder the direction of their faculty mentors, College of Science graduate students conduct a wide range of inves- tigations, but all of them learn new ways of approaching problems, acquire new skills, and eventually develop their own, original research projects. Throughout the process, they form collaborations with faculty at Notre Dame as well as researchers across the nation and around the world. They share the results of their research U through poster and oral presentations at scientific meetings and earn prestigious NSF and NIH fellowships. Along side faculty, they become some of the best mentors for undergraduate student researchers. We have chosen four current graduate students and four graduate alumni to demonstrate the variety of graduate student experiences at Notre Dame. Stacy Hoehn PURSUING A PH.D. IN MATHEMATICS and attended a conference on B.S. IN MATHEMATICS AND surgery theory in Scotland. COMPUTER SCIENCE, XAVIER Hoehn has a participatory UNIVERSITY, 2004 teaching style and encour- M.S. IN MATHEMATICS, ages students to explore Leslie Patterson UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, mathematic topics in which PURSUING A PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY 2006 they are interested. She has B.S. IN BIOLOGYCHEMISTRY, Fourth-year graduate stu- taught Principles of Finite MANCHESTER COLLEGE, 2004 dent Stacy Hoehn specializes Mathematics, and says, TheT research of third-year in the study of geometric “Instead of merely lecturing graduateg student Leslie Patterson topology. Her research in- to the students, each day ccould make a big difference in terests have led her to study I give the students sample tthe lives of people affected by Siebenmann’s end theorem, problems that they can work ironi overload diseases. Patterson surgery theory, algebraic K- on in small groups.” That synthesizeds a compound that theory and automorphisms way, the students are more consistsc of a known iron chela- of manifolds. This year, she actively engaged in their tor,t Desferal®, conjugated to a is organizing the Topology learning. noveln peptide. The peptide was Seminar at Notre Dame, discoveredd by the Theil group and last spring, she gave a andd was found f d to facilitate f ili release of iron from ferritin. talk at the Graduate Student Patterson’s compound was shown to increase the release Topology Conference at the of iron by eight times over that of the peptide alone. University of Chicago. Patterson recently published the results of her collab- Because of her promising orative research with her advisor, Prof. Miller, and Prof. work, she received a presti- Elizabeth Theil from the Children’s Hospital Oakland gious three-year Graduate Research Institute (CHORI) and a biologist at UC Berk- Research Fellowship from ley. Her research, which originally appeared in the Nov. the National Science Founda- 2, 2007 edition of Journal of Biological Chemistry, was also tion in 2005 that included a featured as an editor’s choice in the journal Science. $30,000 stipend and inter- national travel allowance. In This is the molecular structure of the compound 2006, she flew to Germany Patterson synthesized. to give a presentation on mi- crobundles at a workshop on high-dimensional manifolds >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< – ×< JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE >CH÷ + >÷ + >AT÷ + >÷ + NOTRE>÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + DAME>÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷23 + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ + >÷ Notre Dame
experimentally and on a computer) glassy bimetallic nanoparticles to figure out if laser-induced heating followed by an extremely rapid cooling due to their small size would lead to glass forma- tion. Glassy materials have some interesting and unique physical properties, and no one has yet been able to create glassy nano- particles. Vardeman’s research confirms that silver-copper alloys would be a good target for researchers to tackle. Vardeman is one of the principal authors of the research group’s simulation code, OOPSE (Object Oriented Parallel Simulation En- gine). He set about to form glassy particles using copper and silver alloys. “I have used experimental data to create a realistic model for how nanoparticles cool after laser-induced heating in water and Charles “Chuck” Vardeman II then looked at the resulting structure of those nanoparticles.” “Chuck’s research projects have posed computational challenges PURSUING A PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY that are beyond many of the graduate students that I have known B.S. IN CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2000 over the years,” Gezelter said. “He has a deep understanding of com- All graduate students in the Department of putational algorithms and physical chemistry, and has applied this Chemistry are required to create an original knowledge to systems of wide interest.” research proposal, and the proposal that Charles “Probably the most important aspect of my experience here has Vardeman II wrote was “in a word, phenomenal,” been the leeway that I have had to pursue research,” Vardeman according to Chemistry Associate Professor J. said. “It has given me a broad base of knowledge that will open up a Daniel Gezelter. lot of possibilities after graduation.” Vardeman, a specialist in computational chemistry, proposed a project to create (both
themselves. But I never made James Whitcomb the connection that training PURSUING A PH.D. IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES is the same as teaching,” he B.S. IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, said with a laugh. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, 1995 Now Whitcomb regularly After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Biolog- visits a local high school ical Sciences, James Whitcomb worked for awhile where he brings hands-on in private industry before becoming a technician science to the classroom. in the laboratory of biologist Mary Ann McDowell. His work is part of a new “Eventually, I made the logical transition to gradu- program in the physics department funded by the National Science ate school,” he explained. His research involves the Foundation called NDeRC (Notre Dame extended Research Commu- study of the infectious disease, leishmaniasis, and nity), which links graduate students with K–12 teachers. “During the specifically, the role of the Vitamin D receptor and week, the students perform an experiment that uses zebrafish with how it modulates our immune response. and without pigments to study the genetics of pigmentation. The stu- Until he became a Notre Dame graduate student, dents pick out a male and female zebrafish for mating. The next day, Whitcomb had never considered himself to be a the zebrafish have laid eggs, and for the rest of the week the students teacher. “I have always enjoyed training people on use a microscope to make observations as the embryo develops… The the job. If I knew how to perform a technique, I was students get really excited when they start to see organs like the eyes more than happy to help someone learn how to do it and heart form.” Now that he has discovered his talent for teaching, he envisions himself in a classroom after graduation. RENAISSANCE 24 GRADUATE RESEAR Where are they now?
Four College of Science alumni who conducted graduate research
Sean Seymore B.S. IN CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, 1993 M.S. IN CHEMISTRY, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, 1996 PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2001 J.D., UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2006 Dori Woods This fall, Sean Seymore will join the faculty of Washington B.S.B IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Va., where UNIVERSITYU OF ARIZONA, 2001 he will teach courses in patent law as well as law and sci- PH.D.P IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, ence. His Ph.D. in chemistry combined with his law degree UNIVERSITYU OF NOTRE DAME, 2007 from Notre Dame have prepared him well. DoriD Woods’s academic career He will bring to his students the overriding message that ata Notre Dame has been he learned during his years at Notre Dame: to do high- markedm by one success after quality, meticulous work. “Graham Lappin [chairman of the another.a Woods chose Notre chemistry department] once told me that you want people DameD for her graduate degree to be able to trust what you publish,” he said. “This is true ini biology following her grad- with the professors throughout the chemistry department,” uationu from the University of Seymore added after ticking off a list of people who had a big Arizona.A Under the direction impact on his professional development. ofo Alan Johnson, professor of The professor he mentioned above all was Seth Brown, biologicalb sciences, she wrote his thesis advisor. “In addition to being a brilliant chemist, herh dissertation, “Follicle Brown was an outstanding mentor and a fine teacher. He is SelectionS and Differentiation very warm person who truly cares about his students. I really of the Granulosa Cell Layer in the Domestic Laying Hen.” enjoyed working with Seth,” said Seymore, who is currently Shortly afterward, she initiated her own research project a visiting assistant professor at Northwestern investigating the underlying mechanisms of human granu- University School of Law. losa cell tumors. This study, published in Cancer Letters, has Seymore’s experience important implications for the study of ovarian cancers. with Brown certainly “Being able to establish independent research at Notre rubbed off. Seymore won Dame was really important to me. When I presented my the Emil T. Hofman Out- research at scientific meetings, I was able to do so with standing Graduate Teach- confidence. I had a sense of ownership of my project, and ing Award during graduate this really opened a lot of doors for me,” she said. school. His dissertation Woods gives Johnson a lot of credit for guiding her early was titled “Polar Effects of on. “He made it very clear in the beginning that I would be Metal-Mediated Nitrogen conducting independent research. It involved a lot of hard and Oxygen Atom Transfer.” work. But once I got going, it became really fun,” she said. When he returns to his After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the home state of Virginia this Department of Biological Sciences, she will be leaving in fall, Seymore will carry August for the Harvard Sciences’ Vincent Center for Repro- with him many of the les- ductive Biology. sons he learned at Notre Dame. His own students will be the beneficiaries. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE CH AT NOTRE DAME 25
ductors (DMS) with Prof. Bruce Bunker. Nevertheless, des- tiny had something else in store. My adviser was a key sci- entist in the new Environmental Molecular Science Institute Bhoopesh Mishra (EMSI) on campus. Environmental issues always intrigued M.S. IN PHYSICS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, 2000 me, and I saw this as an opportunity to learn and contribute. PH.D. IN PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 2006 I soon learned I preferred environmental science. Mishra is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department My thesis dealt with identifying a new reactive group of Geosciences at Princeton University. As a graduate student (sulfhydryl) on bacterial surfaces that play a key role in at Notre Dame, he received the Outstanding Graduate Dis- binding metals at realistic geologic settings, and proving that sertation Award for his thesis work specializing in the applica- despite significant morphological differences, a broad range tion of synchrotron based X-ray microspectroscopy techniques of bacterial surfaces behave the same from a metal adsorp- on a variety of environmental science problems. He recently tion chemistry point of view. I complemented synchrotron- wwrote the following about based X-ray experiments with equilibrium thermodynamic hhis Notre Dame experience: modeling for these studies. These results can be directly I was shy, inhibited, and applied to developing bioremediation strategies to clean up uunprepared when I came the metal and radionuclide contaminated sites in the United tto Notre Dame. It took me States, a legacy of the Cold War era. mmonths to overcome the As graduate school passed by, my conscience urged me ccultural shock of coming to stay close to academia and share my knowledge and tto the United States from experience with others. I am now a confident and passion- mmy small, Brahmin town in ate researcher, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton NNorthern India. Yet, Notre University, embarking on a journey as an assistant professor. DDame soon became my I am a dreamer. I have been a dreamer since childhood. Notre hhome. Dame taught me how to make my dreams come true. I started working on ddilute magnetic semicon-
J. Patrick Loria B.S. IN CHEMISTRY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, 1990 PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, 1997 Now an associate professor of chemistry and biophysics at Yale University, J. Patrick Loria sees his time at Notre Dame as a time of transformation. It began with his first trip to campus. “Notre Dame was not my first choice for graduate school. When I came to the campus on a visit, I met Tom Nowak and Tony Serianni. I talked with Tom about science and the projects in his lab. I saw the type of environment there. That changed my mind on the spot to come to Notre Dame,” he said. He began working on his doctoral thesis in conforma- of dividends. I felt I did not need a lot of supervision. I was tional changes in yeast pyruvate kinase, which involved a not uncomfortable trying to tackle projects on my own. Tom considerable amount of protein chemistry and late-night should get a lot of credit for that.” NMR experiments. Loria felt he matured greatly during the years he spent But in the process of starting his work, Loria learned at Notre Dame, as a student and as a teacher. “Serianni, something else that was to have a profound effect on him: a Nowak, and (Paul) Huber were excellent and their teach- sense of independence. “I was in my early 20s, and I admit ing styles got me excited in areas of science distinct from my I was pretty naïve,” he explained. “Tom was very insightful thesis,” he said. The campus still holds a lot of fond memo- and guided me and the other graduate students without us ries for Loria in one other aspect: “I met my wife at Notre knowing it at the time. He fostered independence, so when I Dame.” joined another lab that operated at a faster pace, it paid a lot RENAISSANCE 26 Notre Dame Launches InnovatiInnovation n OTRE DAME’S EMERGENCE AS A WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH UNIVERSITY HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY NOTICED IN EVERY NCORNER OF WORLD—BUT THAT’S ABOUT TO CHANGE. David Brenner, a 1973 College of versity and that it is important Business alumnus, is a seasoned entre- that we do this the right way,” preneur who has helped guide start- he said. To that end, Innova- up businesses in Grand Rapids, Mich. tion Park will be patterned Now he’s prepared to do the same for after the most successful busi- fledgling enterprises spawned by Notre ness, technology, and research Dame research. parks in the country. “No one There was a time when Notre Dame park does it completely right. scientists and engineers would go to a But we will take the best ideas place that would take their successes in from each and mold them spe- the laboratory and transform their in- cifically to what will work best novative work into a marketable prod- for Notre Dame,” he said. uct. That place was called “elsewhere.” In 2000, Brenner founded In just 18 short months, that place IdeaWorks, LLC in Grand will be called “here”—a 50,000 square Rapids, to accelerate the foot building that will launch the cre- development of fledgling ation of an incubator facility, known companies such as Product as Innovation Park at Notre Dame. Animations, a 3D simulation The facility will be built starting next technology company head- spring on 12 acres of undeveloped land quartered in Chicago, and immediately south of campus. Eager to LumenFlow, which dealt with get started, Brenner is not waiting un- advanced optics. til the new facility opens. He is actively Innovation Park expects exploring temporary facilities in the to draw a $1 million commit-
area to use beginning in early 2008. David Brenner ment from the City of South As its new director, Brenner in- Bend with additional support tends to develop a research park that is consistent with the coming from St. Joseph County’s Project Future, the Medi- historic mission of Notre Dame, one that encourages active cal Education Foundation of South Bend, and the Indiana exploration and pursuit of innovative ideas that serve so- Economic Development Corporation through its certified ciety’s needs. “As a long-time member of the Notre Dame technology park program. But it will clearly have a Notre family, I understand the mission and tradition of the Uni- Dame emphasis. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 27 Park
Brenner said the first building planned for Innova- It is on these two floors where the newly formed com- tion Park will consist of three floors, with the first floor panies become tenants. Depending on their needs, a wet containing a “greenhouse” where entrepreneurs will or dry lab may be built or simply brought in on wheels. “It bring their freshly germinated ideas to the park to be will be a very flexible facility that will be nothing like you nurtured in an ideal environment for accelerated growth. have seen on this campus,” Brenner said. “The greenhouse will Brenner said the Innovation Park will have many simi- Brenner intends to be a place where our larities to other Midwest facilities, such as those at Purdue develop a park that faculty, students, and University, the University of Indiana Fort Wayne, and the graduate students Southwest Michigan Innovation Center in Kalamazoo. As encourages active can bring their ideas these communities have learned, the benefit of successful exploration and pursuit and engage in a free- new companies extends well beyond the park itself, bring- wheeling discussion ing new life and exciting jobs to the immediate area. of innovative ideas… with industry experts. “There will be many opportunities for faculty and stu- We intend to work dents to get involved with the park. We have a lot of smart closely with all of the colleges, especially the colleges of students here and a lot of basic work that needs to go on in science and engineering, and help them move their theo- the park, such as market research and data- ries quickly to the proof of concept stage where potential mining. The park will benefit from their talents and energy, market applications might lie,” he said. and the students will leave here much richer for the expe- Once those discussions lead to a sound business pro- rience,” he said. posal, the next step in the sequence could involve the Brenner insists that his core staff, while small in num- participation of “angel” investors or venture capitalists in ber, will include former entrepreneurs who have experi- the talks. In his career of fostering entrepreneurial talent, enced the tough times most start-up companies face. Some Brenner has learned that attracting capital is not always an members of that core group could come from the Irish An- issue facing prospective start-up companies. “Capital will gels, a newly formed network of Notre Dame alumni and always chase a good start-up idea,” he noted. “The park’s friends who have first-hand experience with the challenges job is to increase the odds that this happens with our ten- and the exhilaration of new venture development. ants, by working closely with them to understand what Brenner confidently predicts that the park will make a the market demands from their venture.” positive contribution to the University and its mission, by Once the business proposal is determined to be viable opening new pathways for Notre Dame’s research to flour- in the marketplace, then the ventures will move up— ish and make a difference in the market. literally—to the second and third floors of the Innovation Park complex. RENAISSANCE 28 New Titles and New Faces
Chaloner Begins New Role as Undergraduate Research Coordinator
he College of Sci- faculty. According to He originally came to the University ence is pleased to Chaloner, “Undergrad- of Notre Dame in 2000 to work as a Twelcome Dominic uates should conduct post-doctoral researcher in the Stream Chaloner, Ph.D., as the research because it is Ecology Laboratory. He completed his new undergraduate simply the best way to Ph.D. in zoology at University College research coordinator. In learn how to ‘do sci- London in the United Kingdom. this role, Chaloner hopes ence.’” He recommends Chaloner has taught several under- to enhance the college’s that students talk to graduate courses, including “General existing infrastructure to their professors about Ecology” and “Earth in Crisis—Current support undergraduate research and continu- Environmental Issues.” His research in- research, to promote the ally keep their eyes and terests include the ecological influence many successes resulting ears open for opportu- of Pacific salmon on streams in Alaska Dominic Chaloner from the mentorship of nities, on and off cam- and the Great Lakes, funded by grants undergraduates by science faculty, and pus. Since competition can be intense, from the U.S. Department of Agricul- to provide advice to students about Chaloner advises students to apply to ture and the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, pursuing the most appropriate and as many different programs as possible as well as the ecotoxicology of ionic fulfilling avenues of research. to maximize their chance of success. liquids, a novel replacement for or- Chaloner strongly believes in the Chaloner has been a research as- ganic solvents used in industry, funded value of undergraduates pursuing sistant professor in the Department by grants from the National Oceanic original research with mentorship from of Biological Sciences since 2005. and Atmospheric Administration.
Astrophysicist Directs Digital Visualization Theater
n January, the College of Science science faculty knowledge welcomed astrophysicist Keith Davis to find the ar- and interest Ias the director of the Digital Visu- eas of the cur- will be a tre- alization Theater (DVT) in the Jordan riculum where mendous asset Hall of Science. Davis plans to ex- an immersive to the college. pand the use of the DVT and enhance experience is He received our faculty’s ability to interact with vital to under- his doctor- students during presentations. “The standing, and ate in physics immersive qualities of the DVT can then to create from Clemson then be combined with the flexibility content for University in of traditional teaching aids to make the the DVT that South Caro- DVT a truly amazing teaching tool,” provides that lina, where Davis explained. experience. He he was the Keith Davis In addition to developing content also hopes to planetarium for courses in the College of Science, collaborate with other directors of full- manager and an astronomy instructor. Davis will also be forming collabora- dome theaters around the country to He earned a master’s degree in phys- tions with departments across the share and create new content. Even- ics, also from Clemson University, and University. He plans to work with tually, he would like to host a digital a bachelor’s degree in applied math- faculty in disciplines such as engineer- content library to make noncommer- ematics with an emphasis in environ- ing, architecture, film, and economics cial content more readily available. mental science from the University of in much the same way he works with Davis’ well-rounded scientific Tulsa. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 29
Veteran Cardiologist Guides Students in Careers in Medicine
eginning this semester, pre- This same two medical professional students are being approach un- textbooks, The Bguided by a veteran cardiologist, derscores his Clinical Guide Vincent Friedewald, M.D. Because of philosophy to Bioweapons his experience as a cardiologist, clini- about educat- and Chemical cal professor of medicine, and clini- ing students. He Agents and The cal researcher, Friedewald is a perfect plans to work Clinical Guide to fit to advise students and coordinate with Keith Da- Cardiovascular clinical research opportunities for pre- vis, director of Diseases, which professional students. He joins three the Digital Visu- will be released other faculty advisors in the Center alization Theater, early this year. for Health Sciences Advising: James to develop 3D He has also Foster, C.S.C., M.D., the director of the medical anima- cowritten four center; Kathleen Kolberg; and Jennifer tions. One exam- books in the Ask Nemecek, who collectively advise over ple would be the the Doctor series 200 students in each class year apply- development of titled Depression, ing to medical, dental, veterinary, and a program that Hypertension, other professional schools. shows the inside Asthma, and Breast Vincent Friedewald Friedewald’s philosophy on un- of a human cell Cancer. dergraduate research for premedical in a way that no illustration can. “I Friedewald has gained national students is that, “The more research is want to focus on educational programs recognition as an executive producer personally relevant, the more impact in which 3D really makes sense and for health-related video and televi- it will have.” For instance, he might not to just develop a show that ‘wows’ sion productions. For physicians and guide a student toward conducting pe- people,” he said. other healthcare professionals, he has riodic blood pressure and cholesterol He is a 1963 preprofessional studies produced Milestones in Medicine, Journal tests on fellow students and tracking alumnus who, after earning his M.D. at Watch, and Pharmacy Rounds. He also these results over four years to see the Southwestern Medical School in Dallas produced and hosted Cardiology Today effect a collegiate diet might have on and completing a medical internship and Morning Rounds for MDTV, a syndi- health prospects years later. at the University of Indiana Hospitals, cated network of 300 television stations “We know that the critical time for began his residency at the Baylor Col- in the United States and Canada. His developing the risk for heart disease lege of Medicine in Houston. It was at most recent, is around age 20,” he Baylor that Friede- Internet-based CME series on cardio- said. “Students could wald began to find vascular medicine, The Personal Profes- run an experiment In addition to his career that his real strength sor, is produced in conjunction with The in a controlled en- as a cardiologist for over as a doctor lay in his American Journal of Cardiology, for which vironment in which 25 years, Friedewald has abilities to empa- he is the assistant editor. they make all sorts of been a clinical professor, thize with his patient The achievements of his prolific measurements related author of medical and to talk with the career have given Friedewald the to future health. So I textbooks, editor of a patient until he had experience, the insight, and the wisdom think there are many medical journal, and an enough information to prepare him to guide preprofessional opportunities like executive producer of to make a diagnosis. students in the Center for Health this in undergraduate medical television and Friedewald is also Sciences Advising. research that we could video series. the author of several tap into,” he said. books, including RENAISSANCE 30 New T&R Faculty
his fall, the College of Science welcomed six talented new faculty members. As leaders in their fields, these individuals will join an already impressive group of teachers and researchers to Tenhance the academic excellence of the college. Nero Budur The Rev. Howard J. Kenna, C.S.C., Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Before coming to Notre Dame, Budur was a member the Institute of Ad- vanced Study at Princeton University, preceded by three years as the J.J. Sylvester Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University. He was a visiting research assistant at Harvard Uni- versity before completing his Ph.D. Mark Caprio He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Assistant Professor of Physics Mathematics in 2003, both from the Most recently, Caprio was a post- doctoral associate at the Center for Theoretical Physics at Yale Univer- Brandon Ashfeld sity and was a visiting fellow at the Assistant Professor of Chemistry European Centre for Theoretical and Biochemistry Studies in Nuclear Physics in Trento, Italy. His research interests focus on Ashfeld came from the Department the structure of the atomic nucleus of Chemistry at Stanford University and on phenomena that occur in where he was a Ruth L. Kirschstein quantum systems consisting of small National Institute of Health Postdoc- numbers of particles. He taught toral Fellow. His research interests “Electricity and Magnetism” this include organic synthesis and the semester. Caprio earned a Ph.D. in design of novel synthetic processes. Physics from Yale University in 2003 He earned a Ph.D. at the University and both a Master of Philosophy in of Texas at Austin in 2004 and a Physics and a Master of Science in bachelor of science from the Uni- Physics from Yale University in 1998 versity of Minnesota-Twin Cities in and 1999, as well as a Bachelor of 1998. He taught “Advanced Organic University of Illinois at Chicago. His Science in Physics and Mathemat- Chemistry II” this semester. Ashfeld research interests include algebraic ics from Oglethorpe University in explained his reasons for joining geometry and the study of higher- 1994. He explained his reasons for the faculty here, “I chose to come to dimensional geometric objects. He choosing Notre Dame, “Notre Dame Notre Dame because of the Univer- taught “Topics in Algebraic Geom- was especially appealing as a place to sity’s commitment to maintaining a etry: Singularities” in the fall and come to, since it has a vibrant phys- reputation of excellence as a world- is continuing the class this spring. ics research community, with a long renowned research institution, as Budur said he was “attracted to Notre history in nuclear physics, and yet well as the level of quality in the Dame by the quality of the research.” it also places a strong emphasis on undergraduate and graduate students undergraduate teaching. It therefore who matriculate.” combines some of the best aspects of the research and liberal arts worlds.” JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 31
Antonio Delgado David Galvin Karsten Grove Assistant Professor of Physics Assistant Professor of Mathematics The Rev. Howard J. Kenna, C.S.C., Memorial Chair Delgado came from CERN in Geneva, Galvin came from the Department Professor of Mathematics Switzerland, where he was a post- of Mathematics at the University of doctoral fellow. Prior to that, he held Pennsylvania, preceded by member- positions at Johns Hopkins Univer- ship at the School of Mathematics sity in the Department of Physics and at the Institute for Advanced Study Astronomy and at the Instituto de at Princeton University, which Estructuro de la Materia at C.S.I.C. followed a postdoctoral research in Madrid, Spain. He is a theoretical position at Microsoft Research in the high energy physicist with research theory group. His research focuses interests related to the last building on discrete probability, combinato- rics, and graph theory. He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from the Univ. of Cambridge in 1995, completed Part III of Mathematical Tripos at the Univ. of Cambridge in 1996, and earned a Ph.D. in Mathe- matics at Rutgers University in 2002. In the fall, he taught “Introduction to Operations Research.” Galvin said, “I am excited to join the Notre Grove was previously a professor Dame family. I am looking forward of mathematics at the University of to the opportunities and challenges Maryland. He has profoundly influ- associated with working alongside enced the development of modern a world-class research faculty, and Riemannian geometry. The “Grove an intellectually curious and socially Program” to classify positively aware student body.” curved manifolds by their symme- try groups has become a flourishing block left to be discovered within the research area. Grove has also made standard model of particle phys- fundamental contributions to a ics, the Higgs boson. He is teach- variety of other subjects, including ing “Quantum Field Theory” this geodesics, rational homotopy theory semester. He earned a Ph.D. at the in geometry, singular metric folia- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid tions, and manifolds with curvature in 2001 and a bachelor of science at bounded from below. His research Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in interests include metric and differen- 1997. He said, “I chose Notre Dame tial geometry, topology, and geo- because of the good atmosphere I metric analysis. He earned a Cand. found when I visited, and also the Scient. in 1971 and a Lic. Scient. in quality of the high energy group.” 1974 from the University of Aarhus in Denmark. Grove reflected on why he joined the Department of Mathe- matics, “I thought it was an exciting opportunity. In my area of research, it’s already a very strong depart- ment, and I think I can help make it even stronger.” RENAISSANCE 32
JINA Reaches Out
lizabeth High has firm plans about where she wants to go in life. Outer space is one of Ethose places. By the time she graduated in 2007 with a 4.0 GPA from Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind., she had decided that a career in physics could put her on the right trajectory to take her there. This past summer, she landed a job working at the Institute for Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics (ISNAP), under the guidance of physicist Ed Stech, an assistant professional spe- cialist. High was already familiar with the institute and its FN Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator, having partici- pated in JINA’s new summertime out- reach program for high school teach- ers and students, PIXE-PAN (Proton Induced X-ray Emissions—Physics of Atomic Nuclei) Elizabeth High in its inaugural year in 2006. This JINA is a Although she is only 18, High can two-week summer National Sci- lay claim to having rubbed shoulders course is designed ence Foundation with some of the leading nuclear to give high school Physics Frontier physicists in the world. Notre Dame physics teachers and Center, one of hosted the JINA Frontiers 2007 their students a look only 10 in the Workshop that brought together JINA into cutting-edge nuclear research. country. JINA fosters communication participants to discuss recent and High has become the shining star of within the different fields of nuclear planned research in nuclear astro- several outreach programs that were astrophysics to help solve questions physics. “I was lucky enough to be begun in 2003 by the Joint Institute concerning the origin of the elements able to sit in on these presentations, for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), a in the universe. which, although I may not have com- collaboration of physicists from the Shortly after beginning her first pletely understood the information, University of Notre Dame, Michigan semester as a freshman at Notre Dame, were very informative and interest- State University, and the University of High was chosen to work on a proj- ing,” she said. Chicago. Michael Wiescher, the Frei- ect looking at the effects of radiation There is no better place than Notre mann Professor of Nuclear Physics at on ultra-thin aluminized kapton foils. Dame to run a summer program like Notre Dame, currently serves as JINA’s This material is being developed as an PIXE-PAN. The Nuclear Structure first director. advanced propulsion system for space- Laboratory at Notre Dame is one of craft sent on extended missions. The only three medium-scale accelerator foils were sent to Germany for further testing. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 33
Left: 2007 PIXE-PAN participants Below: A 2007 PIXE-PAN team per- forms an experiment in a Jordan Hall of Science physics laboratory. laboratories in the United States fund- their parents and ed by the National Science Foundation gave PowerPoint to perform basic research in a wide presentations spectrum of areas that overlap with describing their most of the highest priority scientific experiments. The objectives in modern nuclear physics. parents sat in the PIXE-PAN is by no means the only student’s chairs outreach activity conducted by JINA. while the teams of A week-long summertime program for students presented grades six through eight called “Sens- their experiments. ing our World” introduces young, One team set aspiring scientists to the principles out to prove the behind lasers and electronics. theory behind the One of the first outreach initia- Compton Effect tives created by JINA was its “Art-to- that light has a dual nature as both wrote afterward reflected their pride Science” program, which contributes a wave and a particle. Another team in seeing their sons and daughters instructors, textbooks, and art supplies measured the speed of light, while an- distinguish themselves before a crowd. to at-risk students in the local area. other determined the elemental make Two comments conveyed the general JINA scientists also facilitate field trips up of various samples using X-ray sentiment of all the parents: for local students to see the Notre fluorescence. A fourth team showed “I wanted to let you know that my Dame research facilities in Nieuwland how proton-induced X-ray emission is son is still talking about his experience Science Hall and the National Super- useful for determining the elemental at Notre Dame… It definitely had an conducting Cyclotron Laboratory at composition of various artifacts and impact on him!” Michigan State University. historical documents, while a fifth “I was very impressed by what the JINA’s creation of these outreach team used three different formulas to students were able to accomplish and initiatives has inspired both students determine the charge-to-mass ratio of grateful for the opportunity for my and their parents. On the final day the electron and compared their find- daughter to be involved in this of the 2007 PIXE-PAN program, the ings with the accepted value. program.” students assembled in Nieuwland with “You could see the look of astonish- ment on the faces of these parents as their teenagers gave their PowerPoint presentations,” said Mary Dewitt, JINA outreach specialist. What the parents RENAISSANCE 34
QuarkNet Students Travel to CERN
or two local high school stu- is related like a dents, Tony Coiro and Caleb distant cousin to Phillips, their summer experi- the demo version Fence with QuarkNet took them Coiro and Phillips far—4,300 miles—on trip of the life- constructed. Some time to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, of those collisions the site of the Large Hadron Collider. are expected to Coiro, a senior at Marian High produce a very School in Mishawaka, and Phillips, a specific signal indi- senior at La Lumiere School, in cating the presence La Porte, Ind., had teamed up this of the Higgs boson, summer at the QuarkNet headquar- the mysterious and ters on Eddy Street to produce cosmic long-sought entity ray detectors for use in museums and thought to endow planetariums. everything in the Caleb Phillips Called CRiL—for Cosmic Ray universe with the interactive Laboratory—the detector essential property called mass. Higgs, at last, has been found. is made of four tiles of scintillating Notre Dame’s involvement with the So, this past summer, Coiro and plastic with embedded wave-shifting Large Hadron Collider is not incon- Phillips were put to work fabricat- fibers. Every time a high-energy cos- siderable, for deep within the CMS ing the detectors. Coiro was given the mic ray, or proton, hits the air in our are critical components called optical job of soldering a Crockcroft-Walton atmosphere, the collision produces a decoder units (ODUs) that were built generator, a network of capacitors and shower of subatomic particles, one of by QuarkNet students along with high diodes to gener- which is a muon. Countless muons school teachers involved in the Notre ate high voltages Left: Tony Coiro, Mike McKenna and Caleb pass through us every second. The Dame RET (Research Experiences for that comprise Phillips assemble the scintillators in the detectors will record Teachers) program under the direction the heart of the CRiL frame. a weak light signal indicating that a of physics faculty Randal Ruchti and detector. It was Middle: During a day muon just passed through. Dan Karmgard. One of these ODUs a perfect fit for off the group explores These are the same kind of muons may pick up the much-anticipated the eccentric teen Chamonix, France. that will be detected at the Large Had- and unmistakable signal of the Higgs. who could be Right: Jeff Chorny ron Collider by a gigantic detector, the When (and if) that happens, the news counted on for stands in front of a Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), which will spread across the globe that the raising the energy muon detector. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 35
QuarkNet
QuarkNet is an educational program sponsored by the National Science Foun- dation (NSF) and the Department of En- ergy (DOE) whose aim is to support sci- ence education in schools by establishing a nation-wide science teacher network. It provides opportunities for school sci- ence teachers to learn firsthand about frontline physics research in universi- ties and establish mentor relationships between science teachers and physicists at universities and national laboratories.
Tony Coiro level inside the QuarkNet headquarters Danielle McDermott, a high school with his antics. “QuarkNet allowed me teacher from the Arkansas Delta who to be me for an entire summer,” Coiro developed the touchscreen software said. Meanwhile, Phillips built the cy- display for the CRiL, and Jeff Chorny, lindrical casing for the muon detectors a high school teacher from Michigan under the direction of Mike McKenna. who has been working on similar “QuarkNet was an amazing experi- cosmic ray detectors in the QuarkNet Left: Caleb Phillips holds ence because we found ourselves do- program for several years. the detection hardware for ing live science,” Phillips said. “Some They delivered their detector to the CRiL. of the students worked with fiber- a visitors’ gallery called SX5, where Right: Tony Coiro optic cables that are going into the it now sits quietly counting passing stands on a city street in Chamonix, France. International Linear Collider (the next muons and waiting for that epic day— generation collider is still on the draw- perhaps in 2009—when a spray of ing boards). It was absolutely fantastic muons signals the moment of man- and intellectually stimulating working kind’s greatest scientific achievement, with a scientific purpose.” the detection of the Higgs boson. Coiro and Phillips built a dozen cosmic ray detectors, one of which is already in use at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Others will be on display at the Jordan Hall of Science, Fermilab in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The pair left Detroit Metro Airport in September with Randy Ruchti, Barry Baumbaugh, Mike McKenna, Cindy McKenna, Dan Karmgard, and RENAISSANCE 36
Young Science Elite Show Their Talents at
2007 Siemens Team: Christopoher Ding and James Jiang Competition
Nandini Sarma PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SIEMENS FOUNDATION SIEMENS THE OF COURTESY PHOTO
ifteen extraordinary young scientists from the Ms. Sarma, a senior at Shawnee Mission East High Midwest brought their innovative, independent School in Prairie Village, Kans., won a $3,000 college research projects to Notre Dame Nov. 16–17 scholarship for her research on the herpes simplex virus for the Region 3 Finals of the 2007–08 Siemens (HSV), a highly infectious pathogen affecting a significant F percentage of the human population. Her project was titled Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premiere competition for high school students. “Cellular translation factors are required for the Virion Host Shutoff (Vhs) function of Herpes Simplex Virus: Use of siR- These science superstars presented the results of their NAinduced depletion of cellular factors to test involvement ambitious investigations into such topics as breast cancer in Vhs activity.” cryotherapy, Vitamin D deficiency in women, the delivery Crislyn D’Souza Schorey, associate professor in the Notre of drugs across the blood brain barrier, and methods to Dame Department of Biological Sciences who served as a combat muscle atrophy. judge, said, “The herpes simplex virus produces a protein But only one individual and one team would be chosen that ultimately causes destruction of the host cell. Ms. to move on to the national finals at New York University, Sarma’s work enhances our understanding of how this pro- New York City, to vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 tein does that, providing novel insight into the mechanism to the top prize of $100,000. by which the herpes virus elicits disease. Her work could The winning individual in the judging at Notre Dame provide strategy for therapeutic intervention.” was Nandini Sarma of Overland Park, Kans., whose re- The team of Ding and Jiang shared a $6,000 scholar- search focused on the herpes simplex virus. The top team ship for their research on brain tumors, titled “Inhibition prize went to the collaborative effort of Christopher Ding, of VEGF decreases photodynamic therapy-induced angio- a senior at Adams High School in Rochester Hills, Mich., genesis, and reduces tumor regrowth of nude mice bearing and James Jiang, a freshman at Troy High School in Troy, U87 human glioma.” Mich., for their project on brain tumors. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 37
The primary judge of their entry, Alan Johnson, a Solving Mankind’s professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, said, “This team evaluated the effectiveness of a photodynam- Energy Crisis ic therapy in treating brain tumors using a mouse model system. They found that this treatment actually results hen you have some of the brightest minds from in greater tumor growth. Their experiments showed Wmidwestern high schools as your audience, what that by blocking a protein that promotes growth of new do you say to them? blood vessels that allow tumors to grow, they could Joan Brennecke had no trouble coming up with a reduce tumor size. Their results suggest the possibility of topic that would hold the attention of 15 contestants a more effective, potentially noninvasive treatment for who had gathered at Notre Dame in mid-November for brain tumors.” the Regional Finals of the 2007 Siemens Competition in Ms. Sarma, her class valedictorian and a tennis varsity Math, Science & Technology. letter winner, is a three-time Intel International Science and Engineering Fair first place Grand Award winner The professor of chemical engineering exhorted the (microbiology, 2005–07). She has presented research at students to use their tal- the London International Science Youth Forum and the ents to address one of the Portugal Youth Science Forum. Ms. Sarma is fluent in single-most important is- Spanish, is a proficient pianist, and earned fourth place sues facing mankind: the at the International Baldwin Piano Competition. energy crisis. “Where will Ding is a member of National Honor Society, German our energy come from?” Club, and Science Olympiad. He plays the piano and clari- she asked, while not- net and has performed with the Metropolitan Youth Sym- ing that the use of new phony. He became interested in different cancer therapies sources of energy must after volunteering at the neurology department at Henry not worsen the concen- Ford Health Systems. Fluent in Chinese, he hopes to trations of carbon dioxide study international relations, environmental science, or in the atmosphere that pre-law. His dream job is to become a diplomat. Jiang is a member of Club Med, Chinese Club, and are creating global Biology Competition. He is also a pianist, having at- warming. tained a superior rating in solo piano at a 2007 National Even from a practi- Federation Festivals event. He enjoys track, basketball, cal point of view for the running, and reading, and aspires to become a surgeon. United States, a huge Joan Brennecke Kobe Bryant is his personal hero. infusion of dollars for At the Siemens National Finals in New York City on research and technology into clean sources of power is Dec. 3, Sarma received a $20,000 scholarship. In the needed because our oil and gas reserves are projected team category, Ding and Jiang shared a $30,000 scholar- to last only another 50 years. ship. The $100,000 scholarship winner was Isha Jain of While the United States has much larger reserves Bethlehem, Pa., for her research on bone growth. The of coal— enough for 150 years— the global warming $100,000 prize in the team category went to Janelle threat makes it essential that the coal undergo gasifica- Scholossberger and Amanda Marinoff, of Plainview, N.Y. tion through a process that removes nitrogen, so the The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America’s best and brightest math and science pollutants known as nitrous oxides are not emitted. To students. This year, 1,641 students registered to enter the develop this gas, known as “syngas” (for synthesized competition, with a record number of projects submitted. gas), we must solve some key issues similar to those that Based in Iselin, N.J., Siemens provides more than $2 mil- are preventing the necessary leaps in efficiency for other lion in scholarships and awards annually. promising technologies such as photovoltaics, wind Also hosting regional competitions were the Califor- power, geothermal power, and hydrogen power. nia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, “A lot of miracles need to happen,” she said, adding Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute that it will take the brain power of our most talented of Technology, and the University of Texas at Austin. students to solve the power problem. RENAISSANCE 38
FACULTY ACCOLADES
Ani Aprahamian, profes- Jeremiah Freeman, professor emeritus malaria control by Frank sor of physics, was elected of chemistry and biochemistry, received Collins, the George and chair of the scientific the 2007 Founder’s Award from the Dr. Winifred Clark Professor council of Laboratory Tom Dooley of Biological Sciences and GANIL (Grand Accel- Society. The director of the Center for eratoeur National D’ions award, which Global Health and Infec- Lourdes) in Caen, France is the highest tious Diseases. (2007–09). given by the society, is in Shahriar Mobashery, William Dwyer, the Hank recognition of the Navari Family Profes- Professor of Mathematics, his numerous years of service that Free- sor of Life Sciences, was was awarded the degree of man gave to preprofessional students. named a Fellow of the honoris causa, by the Univ. American Association for of Warsaw at a ceremony Don Howard, professor of philoso- the Advancement of Sci- held in Warsaw, Poland, on phy, has been elected a Fellow of the ences (AAAS). Mobashery July 31. American Physical Society through the was cited for “creative work on antibi- APS Forum on the History of Phys- otics and the mechanism of antibiotic Peter Garnavich, associ- ics. Howard was recognized “for his resistance in bacteria, especially for ate professor of physics, ground-breaking studies of the interplay contributions on methicillin-resistant has been elected a Fellow between physics and philosophy of sci- Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Mobashery of the American Physics ence in the 20th century, especially in is a world-renowned expert in antibiotic Society “for pioneering connection with the work of Einstein resistance and enzyme inhibitors. He work on the discovery of and Bohr, and for organizing conference serves on the editorial boards of eight dark energy and the cos- series and editing book series fostering scientific journals and numerous gov- mic equation of state, along with impor- the dialogue between physicists and phi- ernmental and industrial panels. He has tant observational discoveries regarding losophers and historians of science.” published more than 200 scientific pa- the nature of gamma ray bursts and the pers and holds eight patents. He received physics of supernova light curves.” Dennis Jacobs, vice presi- the AAAS honor in Boston on Feb. 16. For his work with a team of collabo- dent and associate provost, Mobashery is the 2008 recipient of an rators from other universities, Garnavich led a panel of three Notre Astellas USA Foundation Award by the was awarded a share of the 2007 Gruber Dame faculty at a special American Chemical Society for his work Prize in Cosmology along with a share event highlighting global on antibiotic resistance and his contribu- of the $500,000 cash prize. The team health initiatives at Notre tions to the understanding of the bacte- identified a supernova, called “2006gz,” Dame at the opening of rial cell wall. The award, which carries a caused by the collision of two stars. the 62nd session of the United Nations $30,000 prize, will be presented to him General Assembly in New York City on at the 236th ACS national meeting in Malcolm Fraser Jr. pro- Sept. 25. Rev. Thomas Philadelphia in Aug. 2008. fessor of biological scienc- Streit, C.S.C., research es, presented “Progress in assistant professor of bio- Richard Taylor, pro- Group I Intron Inhibition logical sciences, presented fessor of chemistry and of Dengue Virus Infection “Eliminating Elephantiasis biochemistry, was named of Mosquito Cells” at the in Haiti” while a description the “Silveira Distinguished Third Annual Grand Chal- was given of the work on Lecturer” by Oswego State lenges in Global Health meeting in Cape Univ., Oswego, N.Y. Town, South Africa, Oct. 7–9. JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 39
STUDENTS
GRADUATE STUDENT Balles awards are given to two seniors Four undergraduate research students in with the highest GPAs in mathematics. the Department of Biological Sciences Katie Hull was awarded the Eloise One award is given to honors majors were selected to receive the Braco Gerry Fellowship by Sigma Delta while the second is given to non-honors Award for their work in cell research. Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science majors, with ties broken by considering The award, which was presented in in August. This research award is given the quality and quantity of math courses November, includes a $500 mini-grant annually to outstanding female graduate completed. While several honors math- to cover research expenses. The recipi- students and postdoctoral researchers ematics majors held 4.0 GPAs, Boocher ents included Caitlin Lazar, a junior in in the sciences. Criteria for the award had taken the greatest number of the laboratory of Kevin Vaughan; Sara include overall scientific merit, quality graduate courses. Lederer is a math and Putnam, a senior, also in the Vaughan of proposed research, and collaborative/ French double major who is enrolled laboratory; Blake Jones, a senior in the mentoring capacity. Hull is a graduate in the dual degree program leading to McDowell lab; and Jenny Enright, a student in the Henderson group, and her a bachelor of science and a master’s of senior in the laboratory of David Hyde. project is directed towards the synthesis, business administration degree. The Braco Award was established by structure, and application of novel gemi- Robert Braco, M.D., who is a 1976 biol- nal diorganometallic complexes. Patrick Brown, junior chemistry and ogy alumnus who practices occupational biochemistry, received a 2007 Vincent medicine at the Occupational Health UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS P. Slatt Fellowship award for under- Center, a division of Beloit Memorial graduate research in the field of energy Hospital. Braco has supported biology Adam Boocher and Julie Lederer were systems and processes. The fellowship student research projects since 1988. selected as the 2007–08 Robert P. Balles was created by Christopher and Jeanine He also sponsors the Braco Award for University of Notre Dame Mathemat- Slatt. Christopher Slatt is a 1980 Notre Research Excellence, which is given to ics Scholars. Both Boocher and Lederer Dame alumnus. sophomores in the cell research course hold 4.0 GPAs in mathematics. The who faithfully attend their final poster presentations each spring.
ALUMNI
David DeMartini, who earned a bach- Stanford, presented at the Fraunhofer hand surgeon, Lynch completed her elor’s degree in physics from Notre Dame IZM Munich Forum 2007 ‘be-flexible’ residency, serving as chief resident, at followed by a Ph.D. in physics from the Thin Semiconductor Devices on Dec. 5. the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Ohio State University, was designated He is Unidym’s chief technology officer, and her fellowship at the Indiana Hand on Nov. 12 by Lexaria Corp. to conduct holds 51 U.S. patents, has authored 19 Center. a thorough reevaluation of existing journal publications, and received the seismic and other technical information. 2002 National Team Innovation Award James Merz, who received his bach- Since September, DeMartini has been from the American Chemical Society. elor’s degree in physics from Notre Dame writing customized software to apply to and who is the Frank Freimann Profes- existing seismic data to assist the com- Nancy Lynch, who holds a bachelor’s sor of Electrical Engineering at Notre pany in prioritizing oil and gas targets degree in preprofessional studies (A&L) Dame, was named a 2008 Fellow of the in the region. He was inducted to the and psychology from Notre Dame, an American Association for the Advance- Offshore Energy Center Hall of Fame M.D. from the Washington University ment of Sciences (AAAS). Merz was as a Technology Pioneer in 2006 and School of Medicine in St. Louis, and an cited for “distinguished contributions to is a thorough investigator and prolific M.B.A. from Duke, was promoted to the field of photonic devices and particu- author, having contributed to 19 public- principal of Scale Venture Partners on larly to optical spectroscopy of semicon- domain publications and many more Sept. 12. Lynch “has made significant ductor nanostructures.” He attended the proprietary to Shell. contributions to the team, identify- University of Göttingham in Germany ing innovative companies in the areas as a Fulbright Fellow, and earned his Paul Drzaic, who earned a bachelor’s of orthopedics, diabetes, and obesity.” master’s degree and doctorate at Harvard degree in chemistry from Notre Dame A Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, University, where he was a Woodrow and a Ph.D. in chemistry from AAOS Fellow, and fellowship-trained Wilson and Danforth Fellow. RENAISSANCE 40
Frederick Morin III was named dean of Internal Medicine, president of the Asso- and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Uni- the College of Medicine at the Univer- ciation of Program Directors in Internal versity School of Medicine before joining sity of Vermont on Aug. 25. Morin came Medicine, and a member of both the Duke University Medical Center in 1992, from the University of Buffalo, a mem- Health and Human Services’ Council on where he was professor and chief of ber of the State University of New York, Graduate Medical Education and the Na- otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. where he was the A. Conger Goodyear tional Board of Medical Examiners. Professor and Chair of Pediatrics in the Paul Vogt was named vice president of School of Medicine and Biomedical Cindy Parseghian, a member of the process development services for SiGNa Sciences and chief of pediatric service College of Science Advisory Council who Chemistry, Inc., on Nov. 15. Vogt re- for Women and Children’s Hospital holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy ceived his bachelor’s degree in chemistry of Buffalo and Kaleida Health. Morin from Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from from Seton Hall University and his Ph.D. earned a bachelor’s degree in biological Northwestern, was named to the NIH in chemistry from Notre Dame. SiGNa, sciences from Notre Dame and an M.D. National Neurology Advisory Council an advanced materials company, has de- from Yale University School of Medicine. on Oct. 16. The council serves as the veloped a green nanotechnology-based He completed a residency in pediatrics primary principal advisory board to the solution that makes reactive metals far at Stanford University and a research NINDS (National Institute of Neurologi- more efficient, safer, and more cost ef- fellowship in neonatology at the Uni- cal Disorders and Stroke), the nation’s fective. As a member of the company’s versity of California San Francisco. He primary supporter of basic, translational, senior leadership team, he will help also served as interim vice president for and clinical research on the brain and drive the company’s strategic growth and health affairs at the University of Buf- nervous system. She is founder and rapid product development. falo and interim dean of the School of president of the Ara Parseghian Medical Medicine and Biomedical Sciences from Research Foundation in Tucson, Ariz.—a Richard Zakour became executive 2005 to 2006. volunteer, nonprofit organization that director of both the Tech Council of funds research on the fatal genetic disor- Maryland’s MdBio division and the Thomas Nasca, a College of Science der known as Niemann-Pick. charitable MdBio Foundation on Sept. 4. alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in Zakour, who is also a board member preprofessional studies and an M.D. William Richtsmeier was chosen to be of the MdBio Foundation and the Tech from Jefferson Medical College, was listed in the “Best Doctors in America” Council, was previously general manager named chief executive officer of the Ac- 2007–08 database on Sept. 23. Rich- for Fisher BioSciences and held positions creditation Council for Graduate Medical tsmeier earned a bachelor’s degree in with Cambridge Biotech Corp., Allied Education on Sept. 12. Nasca was dean biological sciences from Notre Dame, Signal, Inc., and the National Institute of Jefferson Medical College, senior vice a doctorate in microbiology from the of Environmental Health Sciences at president for academic affairs for the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a Research Triangle Park, N.C. He holds a university, and president of Jefferson medical degree from Case Western doctorate and master’s in biology from University Physicians. Nasca has held Reserve University. Before becoming Rice University and a master’s and bach- numerous positions in medical educa- a Bassett Healthcare physician, he was elor’s in biology from Notre Dame. tion, including chair of the ACGME’s chief of head and neck oncology in the Residency Review Committee for Department of Otolaryngology–Head
Faculty, students, and alumni may submit information on awards and achievements to [email protected] for inclusion in Standing Ovations.
Reunion ’08
College of Science alumni, if you will be attending Reunion ’08, please plan to attend the College of Science Open House where you can reconnect with your professors, chat with your fellow classmates, and take a tour of the new, 202,000 square foot Jordan Hall of Science that opened in 2006. We will meet on Saturday, May 31 in the Jordan Hall of Science. Please consult the Reunion Weekend website, alumni.nd.edu/reunion for the specific time, or send us an e-mail at [email protected]. College of Science NSF-Sponsored Research Programs Summer 2008 BIOLOGY REU t May 27–August 1 Devoting their time to full-time research, undergraduate students conduct investigations on several topics in integrative cellular and molecular biology. They develop their own research proposals, hone their scientific writing skills, and publicly present their findings. nd.edu/~biology/reu/indexpage.html GLOBES REU t May 27–August 1 The GLOBES (Global Linkages of Biology, the Environment, and Society) undergraduate research pro- gram provides an exciting opportunity for students to be involved in cutting-edge research with the intent of providing real-world solutions to global environmental and human health issues. globes.nd.edu/ MATHEMATICS REU t June 23–August 2 Going beyond what is usually available in the undergraduate curriculum, the Mathematics REU introduces students to the challenges and rewards of mathematics research and prepares them for graduate work. nd.edu/~ndreu/ NANOBIOENGINEERING REU t May 28–August 2 Undergraduates participate in projects at the interface of biology and engineering. They use a variety of advanced research instrumentation under the guidance of faculty from the departments of chemistry and biochemistry, biology, mathematics, and others in the College of Engineering. nd.edu/~nanoreu/ PHYSICS REU t May 27–August 2 Undergraduates work closely with faculty and graduate students on a range of research projects including atomic physics, elementary particle physics, astrophysics and astronomy, nuclear physics, complex systems/biological physics, and solid state/low temperature physics. nd.edu/~sciwww/reu/index.html RET (Research Experience for Teachers) t June 11–August 3 High school teachers conduct research projects directed by faculty members from several depart- ments in the colleges of science and engineering. The projects cover a wide choice of mathematical, scientific, and technological topics. nd.edu/~ndrets/ QUARKNET t June 12–August 2 High school students and teachers join others from around the globe in education and research. QuarkNet centers are connected to high-energy physics experiments operating at CERN in Switzer- land, at Fermilab in Illinois, and other locations. nd.edu/~quarknet/
QuarkNet Director Beth Marchant (left) explains an Optical Decoder Unit to two area school teachers at the NDeRC (Notre Dame extended Research Com- munity) Forum. The units were built by students at QuarkNet and taken to CERN for an experiment for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Over one hundred K-12 teachers attended the NDeRC Forum on Dec. 1 in the Jordan Hall of Science. College of Science
Junior biology majors Brennan Bollman, Megan Rybarczyk and Greg Podolej traveled to Haiti in January 2008 to assist the Notre Dame Haiti Program with educational and medical initiatives. Clockwise from top: Brennan with a local family, Greg with children at an orphanage, local children playing, the three students with local program administrators and medical personnel at Hopital Sainte Croix.
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