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Summing up the Genome: Statistical Genetics Collaboration Examines Wealth of New Data Page 4 in This Issue: Florida Blue Key Honors CLAS Faculty December 2003 / January 2004 Vol. 17 / Vol. 18 notes CLASThe University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Summing Up the Genome: Statistical Genetics Collaboration Examines Wealth of New Data page 4 In this Issue: Florida Blue Key Honors CLAS Faculty ........................ 3 Summing up the Genome ............... 4 The Dean’s Around the College ......................... 6 Grants ................................................ 8 Musings Bookbeat ........................................ 10 Focusing on the Basics CLASSC Wishes UF As we close out the calendar year and prepare for new university A Happy 150th Birthday ................ 12 leadership, it is a good time to reflect on what is most important for the college and our programs to accomplish in the future. Above all, quality must be our first consideration. We are judged on our standards of teaching, writings and scholarly contribu- tions, so we must focus on selected areas where we can build a mark of distinction that would set UF apart as a recognized leader. We cannot do this in all disciplines, and must be careful to select areas of promise and fields of study relevant to the modern needs of the nation and the state. E-mail [email protected] with your news and As the state seeks to develop new high-tech industrial growth events information for publication in CLAS- in such areas as biotechnology, it cannot succeed without a truly notes. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month prior to the month you would high-quality university environment to provide the leadership, like your information published. Don’t wait! the new workforce and the public awareness that is required. The Send us your news and events today! long-term future of the state depends on how successful we are in building a first-class research university enterprise in the next few years. The new biotechnologies developed in the genetic sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences including genomics and bioinformatics, will play a major role in News and Publications the future of UF and the new industries in the state. The keys to 2008 Turlington Hall unlocking the methods for understanding inheritable diseases, the PO Box 117300 aging process, and how to develop new agriculture crops will be Gainesville FL 32611-7300 [email protected] generated by the new generation of biochemists, mathematicians, http://clasnews.clas.ufl.edu cell biologists, geneticists, statisticians and biomedical engineers who are now focusing on research at the most fundamental levels. CLASnotes is published by the College of Liberal As advances are made in genomics, and we learn how to handle Arts and Sciences to inform faculty, staff and stu- dents of current research and events. and interpret the complex data, major applications important to health and the quality of life are sure to follow. Dean: Neil Sullivan Basic science is not the only important component for suc- Editor: Allyson A. Beutke Contributing Editor: Buffy Lockette cess. The ethical issues of handling personal records and research Design & Photography: Jane Dominguez studies will require the involvement of ethicists and social scien- Interns: Brenda Lee tists to a degree previously not encountered. They will be respon- Kimberly A. Lopez Garry Nonog sible for developing new paradigms to protect the rights of the individual in this brave new world. It is the great universities that Additional Photography: provide the atmosphere and the liberty for this research and these Cover Illustration: Garry Nonog, Jane Domin- guez; DNA model courtesy Doug Lundberg; discussions, and UF must be in a leader in these new areas. data courtesy Connie Mulligan Courtesy Department of Astronomy: p. 6 (Kandrup) Neil Sullivan [email protected] On the Cover: UF geneticists and statisticians are examining the relationships between DNA and gene functions by using complex data analysis methods, an area known as statistical genetics. Read the full story on page 4. page 2 CLASnotes December 2003 / January 2004 Florida Blue Key Honors CLAS Faculty During the 2003 Homecoming showcased in convertibles during because it comes from students, festivities, three CLAS professors the Homecoming Parade. faculty and administrators. “The were honored for their outstand- Dolbier received his under- award validates my strong belief ing service and dedication to UF. graduate degree from Stetson that if you strive for excellence in Chemistry Professor William Dol- University and a PhD from Cor- all that you do, and in the process bier, Psychology Professor Carolyn nell University. In 1966, he joined remember to reach out and touch Tucker, and Political Science and the Department of Chemistry somebody’s heart and somebody’s Jewish Studies Professor Kenneth and has since served in numerous hand each day, you will be con- Wald were three of the four win- capacities, including department tinually blessed.” ners chosen from across campus chair. He has been recognized for Since coming to UF in 1983, to receive a 2003 Distinguished his work in fluorine chemistry Wald has served as chair, 1989– Faculty Award from Florida Blue and his dedication to teaching, 1994, and graduate coordinator, Key (FBK). receiving the Professorial Excel- 1987–1989, of the Department Dolbier Each year, a commit- lence Program Award and Teacher of Political Science. In July 1999, tee selects honorees based on of the Year from his department. he became the director of the nominations endorsed by college “As someone who has been Center for Jewish Studies. He also deans. The committee is generally on the UF faculty for 36 years, I has served as a Fulbright profes- composed of students, faculty, consider this an honor to be par- sor at the Hebrew University of an administrator and the current ticularly recognized for my teach- Jerusalem and as a visiting profes- FBK advisor. Jonathan Kaskel, the ing accomplishments,” Dolbier sor in Scotland and Israel. Wald 2003 committee chairman, says says. “Although I certainly enjoy received his bachelor’s degree the award highlights the accom- doing research, I have always from the University of Nebraska plishments of faculty members loved teaching.” and earned his graduate degrees who have reached out to the com- Tucker has taught at UF at Washington University in St. munity, beyond their disciplines. since receiving her PhD from the Louis. His research focuses on the “Florida Blue Key seeks to recog- State University of New York at intersection of religion and poli- nize faculty who have contributed Stony Brook in 1976 and, as a tics. not only to their academic field, clinical psychologist, specializes in “The rewards of this pro- Tucker but also to the university commu- research on contributors to cultur- fession are rarely direct and nity. Recognizing and rewarding ally sensitive healthcare and the immediate, so when students and faculty for their vital role on cam- predictors of mental and physical colleagues take the time to honor pus is one of Florida Blue Key’s health among children in minori- you, it’s especially nice,” Wald stated goals, and this award is one ty and low-income families. She is says. “I hope I received the award way of demonstrating the respect a UF Distinguished Alumni Pro- because my career at UF has we have for our professors.” fessor and has received numerous emphasized teaching, scholarship The winners were recognized other honors, including a 2003 and service. Then again, maybe at the annual FBK banquet, Doctoral Dissertation/Mentoring they just thought I would look which this year featured a keynote Award. A veteran of academic cool in a convertible during the address by Attorney General John awards, Tucker says the FBK Homecoming Parade.” Ashcroft. Honorees also were award is a “treasured blessing” —Kimberly A. Lopez Wald CLASnotes December 2003 / January 2004 page 3 Summing Up the Genome: Statistical Genetics Collaboration Examines Wealth of New Data “If you do the experiment right the first time, you don’t need to use statistics” is an old adage among scientists that might make statisticians cringe. But while some scientists still choose to analyze their own data, many have realized they need a more sophisticated statisti- cal approach to obtain better results. “Researchers might be looking to associate a trait, such as height, weight or growth, with a certain gene, but many geneticists cannot get by any- more by doing simple statistical t-tests,” says George Casella, chair of UF’s statistics depart- ment. “Now, we’re dealing with much more complicated data sets, so a more complex analy- sis must be done, and this is where statistical genetics plays a role.” At UF, a group of more lesson might help explain why and well-founded scientific Anthropologist Connie Mul- than 40 faculty members and this field has become even more inference. ligan and statistician Rongling students from across campus important during the last 20 Statistical genetics has even Wu are collaborating on a genetics study using advanced who work as geneticists and years. Genetics has its origins more relevance today, since the statistical analysis software. statisticians have formed the with Gregor Mendel (1822– Human Genome Project was Statistical Genetics Group. “A 1864) who derived basic laws completed in 2003. The project, few years ago, we started having of heredity such as: hereditary which began in 1990, is a scien- a weekly seminar series where factors do not combine but are tific effort to map and sequence we would come together and passed intact; each member of the three billion chemical pairs talk about what we do and how the parental generation trans- that make up human DNA and we could assist each other,” mits only half of its hereditary identify the roughly 100,000 Casella says. “We’ve brought factors to each offspring (with genes that comprise a person’s together folks from CLAS, IFAS certain factors “dominant” over genetic code.
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