The Scientist, Spring 2008

San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks

The Scientist (College of Science) College of Science

Spring 1-1-2008

San Jose State University, College of Science

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This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Science at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Scientist (College of Science) by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008

College of Science San José State University The Scientist

Message from the Dean Inside this issue: It’s been a busy I am also very pleased to an- Message from the 1 year here at the College of nounce that Dr. Singmaster Dean Science. Building on the has been designated the Geology: 2 great work of a planning SJSU Professor of the Year, a The Millers We are very pleased team made up of faculty, well deserved honor recog- to welcome our new Develop- Michael Graham: staff, and students that met nizing her years of selfless ment officer, Carol Beattie, 2 Kelp Discovery at a retreat at Asilomar a dedication to our students, who joined the university ad- year ago, we have nearly as well as her remarkable vancement staff in January. Physics and finalized plans for a College- teaching abilities. Carol has extensive experi- Astronomy 3 wide advising center, which We are continuing to ence in industry, consulting 2007 Highlights we hope will turn into a one- develop Professional Science and working with non-profits stop-shop for students in all Master’s programs that are such as the Children’s Health Mathematics News 4 departments of the college. designed to allow students to Council. Young Audiences of and updates This project, along with move into exciting and grow- Northern California, and the other initiatives promoting ing technical fields following San José Art Museum. Carol Physics of 5 and tracking student suc- a two year program offered will be working with our ad- Animation cess in the College of Sci- principally during evenings vancement council and fo- ence, will be supported by a and weekends. In addition to cusing on establishing con- Physics and 6 five year, $2 Million STEP the Department of Biological nections with individuals in- Astronomy Cont’d. (Science Technology Engi- Science’s successful Mas- terested in supporting the Chemistry: John neering and Mathematics ter’s in Biotechnology Pro- college. 7 Logan & Polymers Talent Pool Expansion) grant gram, we have submitted a Finally, I would like from the National Science proposal for a new program to invite all of you to attend Bob Bornstein wins Foundation that was in Medical Device Project our annual Student Research 8 Helmut Lang Award awarded to Associate Deans Management that represents Day, which will be held this Maureen Scharberg and a partnership between the year on Friday May 2 starting Biodiversity Center 9 Dan Walker. colleges of Science and Busi- at 10 AM. This is an out- Another grant pro- ness. We hope to admit the standing opportunity to see Late Breaking News 10 moting student success, a first class for this program in what kind of research is be- National Institute of Health the fall of 2008. ing conducted by COS under- COS Advising RISE (Research Initiative for Several searches are graduate and graduate stu- 10 Center Scientific Advancement) ongoing, but we have already dents. This year the COS stu- that was awarded to Drs. hired some world-class fac- dent advisory council, in as- New Faculty 11 Karen Singmaster and Herb ulty in the departments of sociation with the COS stu- Silber in the Department of Meteorology (Drs. Menglin Jin dent clubs, will be hosting a Provost’s Chemistry. This grant, which and John Abatzoglou) and barbeque lunch in the grill pit Outstanding 11 is aimed at bringing more Mathematics (Dr. Plamen next to Duncan Hall. Atten- Assesment minority students into sci- Koev). We are excited to dance is free to those that ence Ph.D. programs, con- have these additions to our attend the poster session. If Professor of the tinues the excellent pro- faculty and look forward to you haven’t been on campus 12 Year grams these two dedicated their contributions to our for awhile, this would be a scholars have already estab- teaching and research pro- great opportunity to pay us a $2M STEP Grant 12 lished for minority students. grams. visit.

Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 2

GEOLOGY department: : “THE MILLERS” Evolution of tectonics and magma systems

Professor Bob Miller and two undergraduate students made Jonathan Miller (no relation) in the presentations in March at a Geologi- Department of Geology have collabo- cal Society of America Meeting in rated for 10 years on numerous re- Las Vegas. search projects that have integrated The students and profes- field and laboratory studies focusing sors have enjoyed conducting field on the tectonic evolution of mountain research in scenic mountain and belts and the genesis and evolution desert country, most of which is in of magma (molten rock) systems. national parks, national forests, and This research has utilized natural other federal government lands. field laboratories in a variety of loca- The field work routinely involves tions, including the Washington Cas- camping and in many cases back- cades, Sierra Nevada Mountains (in packing, and one of the students “the millers” Yosemite National Park), southern accessed rock outcrops via kayak Jonathan miller (left) Nevada, and the Mojave Desert. on a large wilderness lake. Robert miller (right) A critical aspect of these The “Millers” (as they are studies has been the involvement of sometimes referred to by their de- dents by hosting potluck dinners more than 20 students conducting partment colleagues) and their stu- each semester and by having a their M.S. thesis research and 5 un- dents have been supported by more weekly brown-bag lunch where a dergraduate students carrying out than a million dollars in grants from recent journal article related to the National Science Foundation research being conducted by and the U.S. Geological Survey. This someone in the group is dis- funding has enabled the hiring of cussed. Bob and Jonathan have many other undergraduate and found great satisfaction in seeing graduate students to assist in the their students develop as scien- laboratory and field, and given tists. Some of the students have these students valuable research continued on to Ph.D. programs at experience beyond that received in MIT, University of Wisconsin, Uni- the classroom. The work of the pro- versity of Southern California, and fessors over the last 10 years has the University of California-Santa resulted in more than 25 publica- Cruz. Many of the students have senior research projects. These stu- tions in refereed journals and guide- taken jobs in local geological con- dents have all presented the results books, some with students as co- sulting companies and five of of their research at national or re- authors or first authors. Bob’s and Jonathan’s students gional meetings of the Geological Jonathan and Bob have are currently professors or in- Society of America and American attempted to create a “research structors at universities and com- Geophysical Union, and two M.S. and family” atmosphere for their stu- munity colleges.

role in offshore biology as founda- Moss landing marine labs tion species that support a unique Michael Graham : ecosystem—the kelp forest. Kelp discovery of new kelp environment forests can be the home of hun- dreds of different species, including invertebrates, fish, mammals, and Dr. Michael Graham, profes- oceanic regions previously thought to other algae. They are considered to sor of Phycology at the California be incapable of supporting kelps, mak- be one of the most productive and State University’s Moss Landing Ma- ing national news in late 2007. Kelp is biodiverse of the ocean’s communi- rine Labs, and colleagues have the term given to canopy-forming ties. found kelp ( Eisenia galapagensis ) in brown algae, which play an essential CONTINUED ON PAGE 8... Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 3

2007 updates Departments of Physics and Astronomy

Associate Professor Michael Kaufman is the Director of the Physics Department’s NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The program annually supports participation by 10 students in faculty research projects. SJSU students participate year round, while 5 students from national search participate in a 10-week intensive summer program. This year’s projects included analysis of Spitzer Space Telescope data, detection of pre-earthquake signals, calculation of can bring that experience back to tional efficiency, hydrodynamic meteorite trajectories, complex classi- their classrooms and assist in the fluctuations, transient flow, flow cal mechanics, and analysis of cuprate development of curriculum related instability, and algorithm develop- superconductors. Kaufman’s student to human exploration of remote and ment. Talks on applications of the Mark Cordier presented results of their extreme environments. This year, DSMC method are also welcomed research on star formation at the Ameri- Spaceward Bound was held at Cal- in topic areas such as aerospace, can Astronomical Society summer State’s Zzyzx Desert Studies Center micro-scale flows, nano-scale meeting in Honolulu. In April, Kaufman in the Mojave Desert. Kress took 6 flows, plasmas, gas-phase reac- was a lecturer at the Centre de Phy- students from her Astrobiology tions, phonon transport, dense sique in Les Houches, France, at a class to this event, for a total of 9 gases, liquids, granular flow, workshop for astrophysics graduate participants from San Jose State agent modeling, traffic, and students and postdocs who will use the University. Kress is also a co- planetary atmospheres. Herschel Space Observatory, a large investigator of a 5 year, ~$5M grant Assistant Professor Nata- space-based infrared telescope sched- awarded by NASA to the Virtual lie Batalha (Physics) is the direc- uled for launch in late 2008. Kaufman Planetary Laboratory. This team, tor of the UARC Systems Teach- is a member of several guaranteed-time lead by Dr. Victoria Meadows of the ing Institute (STI) at NASA Ames teams that will get data from Herschel University of Washington, had been Research Center. The STI is a during its first months of operation. a member of the NASA Astrobiology contract managed by San Jose Kaufman is also a member of the scien- Institute since 2001. Their pro- State University whose objective tific organizing committee and a posal, Exploring the Habitability and is to create student programs speaker at the upcoming workshop Biosignatures of Extrasolar Terres- and offer student resources that “Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Emis- trial Planets”, was one of only 4 a) offer practical training to stu- sion of the Interstellar Medium: Models proposals selected in this competi- dents pursuing careers in STEM meet extragalactic and Galactic Obser- tion. fields and b) support collabora- vations,” to be held Nov.5-8 in Bad Hon- Professor Alejandro Garcia tions between university and nef, Germany. See http:// is co-organizer (with Dr. M. Gallis of NASA scientists. The STI piloted www.ph1.unikoeln.de/FIR2007/ Sandia National Laboratory) of a the GSIP program (Graduate Stu- MainFrame.html for details. workshop entitled “DSMC: Theory, dent Internship Program) last During spring break 2007, As- Methods and Applications,” to be year. In 2007, the STI budget sistant Professor Monika Kress was a held in Santa Fe, New Mexico from received a 30% increase in order participating scientist in “Spaceward September 20-October 3. The goal to double the size of GSIP for Bound, an educational program organ- of the meeting is to bring together summer 2007. The STI recruited ized at NASA Ames in partnership with developers and practitioners of the students nationally and received The Mars Society, and funded by the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo over 75 applications for 8 posi- Exploration Systems Mission Director- (DSMC) method. Talks span all tions. One of these positions was ate at NASA Headquarters. The focus DSMC-related work, including theo- awarded to SJSU of Spaceward Bound is to involve teach- retical foundations, validation, veri- ers in authentic fieldwork so that they fication, convergence, computa- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6…

VolumeVolume 12, 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 4

Mathematics Department News and Updates

Changes in Applied Math at San Jose A career as an actuary is one of the Applied Math and CS Clinic and was State most lucrative careers that someone directed by Jane Day, who modeled Before Fall 2002 the Math and CS with good math skills can pursue. this program after the Applied Math departments were combined as one Actuaries evaluate risk for various Clinic at Harvey Mudd College. In CAM- department and most of our energies businesses and industries. Presently COS, a team of students under the su- went towards maintaining the com- we have about 24 majors pursuing pervision of a professor work on a puter science curriculum for roughly the Emphasis in applied math, 17 problem provided by a sponsor in busi- 1500 CS majors. After the Math De- majors pursuing the Emphasis in ness, industry, or government. In the partment split from the CS depart- statistics, and 14 majors pursuing past we have had CAMCOS projects ment in Fall 2002, one of the Math the Emphasis in Economics, Finance, sponsored by IBM, Intel, Lockheed, Department's main goals was to de- and Actuarial Science. Mathematical Hewlett-Packard, GTE Sylvania, NASA vote more time towards upgrading its Biology is now becoming a very ac- Ames, and the Dept. of Energy, among applied math programs. At that time tive area of research and we may others. The students working on a the Math Dept. had two options for work towards adding a minor in CAMCOS project receive 3 units of our applied math majors, a BS Ap- Mathematical Biology and eventually credit for Math 203 and are responsi- plied and Computational Math with a BS Applied and Computational ble for giving an oral presentation and an Emphasis in Applied Math and a Math Emphasis in Mathematical Biol- writing a report describing their re- BS Applied and Computational Math ogy to our applied math options in search results at the end of each se- with an Emphasis in Statistics. In the near future. mester. At the present time Tim Hsu is Fall 2002 we had 23 BS Applied and New Applied Math Graduate the CAMCOS director and he tries to Computational Math Majors but the Programs arrange for two CAMCOS projects each number of applied math majors has The Math Department recently ap- semester. increased every year since then and proved two new emphases for our the number of majors has roughly Masters programs, an MA Math Em- doubled in the last five years. phasis in Statistics and an MS Math Emphasis in Applied Math. Eventu- New Interdisciplinary Programs ally we hope to create a Professional In 2005/06 a third new BS Applied Science Masters Degree in Statistics and Computational Math Emphasis and a Professional Science Masters in Economics, Finance, and Actuarial degree in Applied and Computational CAMCOS team, supervisors and Science was approved. It has al- Math. The Professional Science NASA Scientists ready proven to be a popular option Master’s (PSM) Degree is an innova- for the students. It has been little tive two-year graduate program cre- This semester CAMCOS is running a more than a year since this program ated to meet industry needs by pro- student research project on the causal was approved and already the num- viding math, science and engineering set approach to quantum gravity. The ber of majors pursuing this option is graduates the skills essential to ex- project, guided by Dr. Jeffrey Scargle almost equal to the number of ma- cel in today’s high-growth technical from NASA Ames Research Center in jors pursuing the other two applied industries. PSM programs also fea- Mountain View, involves a team of five math options. ture internships, which provide es- students supervised by the mathemat- sential industry-based experience ics professor Slobodan Simić. Quantum and exposure. We feel that pro- gravity is the field of theoretical physics grams of this kind will be a good fit attempting to unify quantum mechan- with our Center for Applied Math, ics, which describes three of the funda- Computation, and Statistics mental forces of nature with general (CAMCOS) program, which gives stu- relativity, the theory of gravity. In dents experience working together causal set theory (pioneered by the on a problem sponsored by business, physicist Rafael Sorkin), space-time is government, or industry. considered as discrete and equipped Center for Applied Math, Computa- by a relation of partial order, represent- tion, and Statistics (CAMCOS) ing causal relations among events. CAMCOS started out in 1983 as the CONTINUED ON PAGE 5...

Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 5

its energy. With assistance from Drs. Math News and Updates Scargle and Simic, the students are Continued from page 4 expected (among other things) to implement causal sets as graphs The main goal is to use the so called (with various choices of weights at- "sum-over-histories" (or Feynman tached to the edges) using Matlab, path integral) approach, invented by perform computer experiments, and Richard Feynman for solving the interpret their results. The project will Schroedinger wave equation of quan- result in a written report and an oral tum mechanics, to study the prob- presentation to faculty, students, ability amplitude of a particle moving family and friends in May. through a causal set as a function of

Physics of Animation

The field of animation, including feature-length films and video game design, is a multi-billion dollar industry. Besides the entertainment industry, modern animation is used extensively in advertising, training, education, scientific visualization, and many other fields. San Jose State’s Animation/Illustration Program in the School of Art and Design is one of the premier programs in the nation, attracting students nationally and internation- ally with over 400 undergraduates currently majoring in the program. SJSU animation con- sistently wins prestigious national and international recognition at exhibitions, festivals, and screenings (e.g., “Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot” was selected for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival) and many graduates currently work at Dreamworks, Disney, ILM, Electronic Arts, and other major animation and gaming companies. Though animators may bend, stretch, even break the laws of physics for comic or dramatic effect, they are keen observers of the physical world. Animation artists carefully study the motion of objects, the appearance of light and shadow, and the properties of materials. They fill their sketchbooks with these observations, in the same fashion as their predecessors, going back to Leonardo da Vinci. Unfortunately, artists sometimes develop the same false notions as pre-Renaissance scientists, such as believing that heavy objects fall faster than lighter ones. This occurs because their training within the standard art curriculum does not include physics. At present there is little overlap between art and science in the typical university curriculum and physics courses for visual artists are extremely rare. To address this need, Professors Alejandro Garcia (Physics), Alice Carter (Animation/Illustration), and Courtney Granner (Animation/Illustration), in collaboration with Martin McNamara of De Anza college, have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to create content for “Physics of Animation” lectures for art students. Rex Grignon, head of character animation at Dreamworks, has agreed to serve as the external evaluator and consultant on the project. The topics in “Physics of Animation” are those most relevant to character and effects animation and differ significantly from the topics in the traditional undergraduate physics sequence. For example, common character animation sequences, such as jump- ing, pushing, fighting, (including punches and kicks) are analyzed in terms of the action- reaction and the work-energy concepts. In the same way that learning anatomy helps artists draw realistic people, learning physics will help them animate realistic worlds. T h e impact of “Physics of Animation” is already recognized by industry professionals. Jack Lew, Global University Relations Manager for Art Talent at Electronic Arts writes, “This class in particular is both innovative and timely. In the interactive industry (games) where technology is driving our growth and challenging how we work, the traditional computer animation artist would be well served if he/she understands thoroughly the physics principles.”

Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 6

Department of Physics and Astronomy 2007 Highlights (continued from page 3) student Massoud Fazal (Meteorology). Dr. Beyersdorf has introduced The STI also managed a new program podcasting to the classroom, recording this summer:the Small Spacecraft Sum- all class lectures and posting them for mer . Study Program (S4P). The UARC students to review at their leisure. Ac- solicited proposals from UC to develop cess to the podcasts is not limited to a low-cost scientific mission in collabo- enrolled students; the recordings have ration with the NASA Ames Small been downloaded in at least 13 coun- Spacecraft Center – a mission that is tries according to server statistics, al- relevant to the NASA strategic plan and lowing classes to reach a truly world- that has a high probability of being se- wide audience. The podcasts are avail- lected for flight. The proposal was able at http://www.sjus.edu/faculty/ awarded to Space Sciences Laboratory beyersdorf/ . (SSL/UCB) to develop the Lunar Sci- San Jose State University was ence Orbiter. Six students were se- accepted into the LIGO science collected to participate in the summer con- laboration in the fall of 2006. By vir- cept design study. While these stu- tue of this membership, faculty and dents were also recruited nationally, students will participate in develop- three of the six slots were offered to ment of technologies used in LIGO and students in the SJSU Aerospace depart- have access to data from LIGO, the ment. Laser Interferometric Gravitational Associate Professor Ken Wharton Wave Observatory the most sensitive presented his research results on time- instrument for observing cosmological symmetric quantum mechanics at con- gravitational signals that contain infor- ferences in Vaxjo, Sweden (June) and mation about the early universe. San Diego, CA (August). Professor Ramen Bahuguna In the past six months, Profes- filed a provisional patent application in sor Brian Holmes, an expert in the phys- May of this year. The title is: "A finger- ics of musical instruments and an ac- print sensor using a spectral filter and complished composer, has received a holographic optical element." Bahu- commissions to write new music for guna directs The Institute for Modern Castilleja School (Palo Alto), the Mission Optics, which collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra, the Contra Costa College of Engineering to start an MSE Children's Chorus, Vivace Youth Chorus Degree program with emphasis in Op- (San Jose), the East Central Illinois High toelectronics, for Lockheed Employ- School Honors Chorus, and the Parkers- ees. The courses are taught at Lock- burg (WV) Choral Society. New music heed. Professor Bahuguna and Adjunct was premiered by the Peninsula Professor Paul Bolton taught some of Women's Chorus and by the elementary the courses. A similar program is being chorus of Pinewood School. In addition, started at KLA-Tencore. On September one of his pieces is a finalist in this 20, 2007 the Institute for Modern Op- year's Ithaca College Choral Composi- tics participated at the Science Educa- tion Contest. The Walbrook Singers of tor’s Day sponsored by the Optical So- London, directed by Paul Ayres, will in- ciety of America (OSA), UC Berkeley's clude one of his carols on a recording to Student Chapter of OSA, and Stanford be issued this Fall. University’s OSA chapter.

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Chemistry’s John Logan: Polymer Dynamics Project upon. Several different experi- that are very difficult to measure John Logan ments are performed to character- experimentally, but are necessary joined the ize each sample. One of the ex- in the analysis of some of the ex- faculty of perimental observables is an order perimental spectra. A successful the Depart- parameter, which is a measure of outcome of these calculations will ment of the average of the local motions of allow additional information to be Chemistry in the atoms along the polymer back- measured from a different series the Fall of of experiments, helping to fill-in the 2005. His research group focuses “big picture” of how the molecules mainly on the dynamics of poly- move on the surface. mers on surfaces, but other pro- A model for the order pa- jects include the characterization rameter as a function of polymer of catalytic polymerization reac- coverage is being developed, and it tions, studying polymer diffusion in is being tested against the experi- bulk melts and on surfaces, and mental data, and once it is avail- developing new techniques for able it will be tested against the data analysis and acquisition of MD data. Various parts of this work nuclear magnetic resonance ex- have been presented at several periments. bone. The order parameters have conferences (oral and poster pres- The overall goal of his been measured on a variety of entations), and a manuscript is group’s research is to observe and samples with very different currently being prepared for publi- understand the dynamics of poly- amounts of the polymer on the cation. mers on surfaces. The polymers surface (ranging from several na- The polymer dynamics pro- used in these studies are analogs nometers thick films down to subject is a collaborative effort be- to the lubricants used on hard disk monolayer coverage). With many tween the Logan group and several drives. Hard disk drives have a of the experimental measurements scientists at IBM’s Almaden Re- molecularly thin layer of lubricant already completed, recent efforts search Center in San Jose. Several that protects the read/write head have focused on computations to of Dr. Logan’s students have been from the physical disk surface. help explain and support the ob- supported by the SJSU/IBM Re- This layer of lubricant is essential served data. search Experiences for Under- for the long life of the device. A full The computations fall in graduates (REU) program (Principle understanding of the dynamics of two broad categories (1) molecular Investigator: Prof. Joe Pesek, the polymers could be used for the dynamics (MD) simulations, and Chemistry, SJSU). These students rational design of even better lubri- (2) ab initio quantum chemical cal- have collected data for the polymer cants. culations. The MD calculations dynamics project, as well as a poly- The main technique used are used to simulate the dynamics mer synthesis project involving the to observe and quantify the dy- of a molecule using short time investigations of different cata- namics of the polymer molecules is steps. Next, the MD simulation lysts. NMR spectroscopy, the same fun- output contains the orientation of damental technique that magnetic the polymer as a function of time. resonance imaging (MRI) is based And that information is used to compute the order parameter: the quantity that’s measured experimentally. The ab initio quantum chemical calculations are also used to assist in the interpretation of the experimental data, but they are used in a very different way than MD simulation data. The quantum chemical calculations provide a few of the parameters

Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 8

Meteorology’s Dr. robert Bornstein: Recipient of helmut landsberg award By: Kristina Dragovic Dr. Robert Bornstein has had the privilege of being named the first American recipient of the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Helmut Landsberg Award. He has been recognized “for over three decades of international leadership in the field of urban meteorology, including funda mental contributions in the areas of air pollution meteorology, urban heat island dynamics, and mesoscale modeling of urban areas.” Dr. Bornstein is a retired Professor in the Meteorology Department at SJSU, currently participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program. He special izes in boundary layer and dispersion meteorology. Boundary layer meteorology includes the study of the methods by which cities create their own urban climate, and dispersion meteorology refers to the spread of pollution within and around cities. His findings were made utilizing the research information he gathered in the process of receiving his doctorate at New York University. Dr. Bornstein received his undergraduate degree from City College of New York (CCNY), a college which has shaped the minds of eight Nobel Prize winners. Dr. Bornstein obtained his own data from his work with his thesis advisor, who passed away and left him all of his work. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9...

Graham’s kelp with an integrated oceanographic map cooler temperatures of the last glacial of light, temperature, and nutrient lev- period. These newfound populations Discovery els, and used to predict the locations of suggest that kelp systems in deeper ...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2. kelp forests. The model was correct in tropical waters are thriving and may be pinpointing known populations of tem- far more common than previously Kelps are relatively common perate kelps and was then tested by thought. The existence of viable, poten- along rocky coasts in the temperate examining predicted novel locations in tially ancient populations may be the and cool waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, the Gálapagos Islands. Eight localities missing link in describing the connec- and Indian Oceans. These algae are were explored—all had kelp. tion between lineages of the kelps in restricted to rocky bottoms suitable for the Northern and Southern Hemi- permanent attachment. They have spheres. previously been thought to be re- In addition to the kelp, species stricted by two further criteria: (1) shal- of both invertebrates and algae known low waters (30 – 40m or less) where to be components of temperate kelp sunlight needed for photosynthesis is forests were found in the Gálapagos, able to penetrate the water; and (2) stimulating the question of whether Graham cool coastal waters where nutrients these deep-water forests could be Displays are delivered from the depths by up- analogous to temperate forests and Previously welling. The discovery of deep-water play critical roles in the biodiversity and Thought kelps violates both of these long- production of the surrounding region. standing assumptions, but was not a “extinct” These ecosystems will likely be a hot- serendipitous discovery—Dr. Graham Kelp bed for study in the coming years be- and colleagues carefully calculated cause they are potentially equivalent to where they might find such organisms Patches of deep-water kelp temperate forests in function, yet very prior to their expedition. D r . G r a - species had previously been found in a different in location. Furthermore, their ham’s hypothesis was that deep tropi- few locations, but not in such great den- depth will expose them to different oce- cal waters would be able to support sities. In the surveys conducted by Dr. anic conditions than those experienced kelp growth because the clarity of the Graham’s team, kelp densities contin- by the coral reefs found in shallow tropi- overlying tropical surface waters would ued to increase with increasing depth cal waters—a distinction that could lead to transmission of enough light up to the maximum depth that can be have great significance with regard to for photosynthesis. Unlike the surface sampled by SCUBA (60m). Densities are the effects of climate change. waters, however, temperatures at theorized to have increased even fur- depth would be cool with sufficient ther up to 200m depth, but were not For details see: saturation of nutrients. An experimen- directly observed. In the past, rare Graham MH, Kinlan BP, Druehl LD, Garske LE, tal model was mathematically created Banks S (2007) Deep-water kelp refugia as deep-water populations were hypothe- potential hotspots of tropical marine diversity by comparing the physiological re- sized to be relics of shallow-water popu- and productivity. Proceedings of the National quirements for successful kelp growth lations that had existed during the Academy of Sciences 104:16576-16580. Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 9

Bornstein WINS HELMUT LANDSBERG AWARD ...Continued from page 8

The data now resides at SJSU. About 20 graduate students working under Dr. Bornstein analyzed and reproduced (by use of computer based models) this data, successfully illustrating the fundamentals of urban heat island dynamics. While most meteorologists will analyze either observations or computer simulation results, Dr. Bornstein has quite as- tutely utilized both to fully understand urban climatology, as the observations can most clearly be understood through computer simulation, and vice versa. Through his original ideas, Bornstein has been able to prove that previously accepted beliefs of urban effects on weather are actually too simple. Rather than focusing on averages of all the data that generalizes an entire urban area’s climate, he has divided the data and found that various effects of urban areas have canceling effects upon one another. His work AMS 88TH ANNUAL MEETING, focuses upon temperatures, winds, storms (specifically thunderstorms) and NEW ORLEANS, LA on the various interactions these different parameters have upon the city. In actuality, the urban boundary layer created by the city has been proven to deter storms as they split around the cities they encounter, disproving the accepted belief that cities and their climate changes were too small to have an effect on the weather. Overall his work has been very influential in the understanding of urban climate: He continues to work to further clarify the effects cities have upon their surrounding climate.

of the Biodiversity Center is to promote sity Center also serves as a link to the BIODIVERSITY CENTER research, public awareness and educa- Biology Departments three museums. By: ana Dragovic tion directed toward preserving the di- Databases of the museums’ holdings versity of life. are now available to the public and The Biodiversity Center is lo- research scientists. This includes Biodiversity is the rich varia- cated in Duncan Hall 348. The room catalogued species collections of over tion in life forms on our planet; it in- previously was the invertebrate labora- 6,500 insect specis, over 15,000 cludes diversity in genetic composition, tory and has now been converted to be plant varieties and over 4,000 bird species and ecological systems. Many a phenomenal resource for students specimens. Currently, the center factors affect biodiversity not the least and faculty, alike. The center has sev- is still in the process of becoming an of which is alteration or loss of habitat eral computers equipped to run Geo- Organized Research Unit (ORU) to be through the influence of man. The role graphical Information able to conduct various research pro- Systems (GIS) that jects with different institutes and or- researchers will use to ganizations. In the meantime, it is investigate data from serving in an advisory role with: the field studies. GIS will Department of Fish and Game (DFG) greatly contribute to and DeAnza College. The DFG is utiliz- the success of the cen- ing the exceptional skills and knowl- ter because it provides edge from the faculty that are a part an invaluable analyti- of the center to help with various de- cal tool for research. It cisions that impact our local environ- will also facilitate an ment. The faculty include: Dr. Jeffrey environment where Honda (Director), Dr. Shannon Bros students and faculty (Asociate Director), Dr. Vida Kenk, Dr. can come together to Michael Kutilek, Dr. Susan Lam- discuss issues, work brecht, Dr. John Matson, Dr. Elizabeth on research and solve McGee, Dr. Leslie Parr, Dr. Sabine problems. In addition, Rech, Dr, Jerry Smith, as well as Julie it serves as a confer- Phillips, the Morgan Family Chair of ence room and will Environ mental Studies at De Anza house the office of the College, and Pat Cornely, the Director Director, Dr. Jeffrey of the Kirsch Center for Environ Honda. The Biodiver- ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 10

Biodiversity center Late breaking news ! ...Continued from page 9 From Dean parrish mental Studies at De Anza College. The diverse group of faculty associ- As we were doing some final tweaking on the newsletter, I ated with the center have many biodiversity learned about two more grant successes in the college. A MARC interests outside of teaching and research. For (Minority Access to Research Careers) grant submitted by Herb Silber example, Dr. McGee is currently involved in a in the Department of Chemistry was funded by the National Institute of summer outreach program that teaches grade Health for $1.5 Million over three years. The MARC grants provide re- school students about conservation of the search opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from environment during the summer months. Dr. underrepresented groups who are planning to enter doctoral programs Honda is involved in local insect fairs aimed at in biology or chemistry. The same day, we learned that a proposal sub- educating young children and their parents mitted by the Department of Biological Sciences (with Dr. Julio Soto as about insects and their impact on the environ- Principal Investigator) to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute was ment. funded for $1.3 Million. The proposal, which was a team effort by the The College of Science will benefit biology faculty, provides research opportunities for 2 cohorts of 20 from the Biodiversity Center in several ways. sophomore students, targeting underrepresented students. It also in- First, with a large focus on outreach, the cen- volves faculty support, curricular development, and development of ter looks to create a greater awareness to the faculty and facilities. Faculty involved with the MARC , Howard Hughes, general public and community about biodiver- RISE, and STEP grants will be working together closely in their shared sity and all of its implications. Secondly, it will goals of providing substantive attract students that are interested in this research experiences for under- field to attend SJSU. Lastly, the many grants graduates and graduates that are going to be associated with the center (particularly those from underrep- will generate revenue for the college and open resented groups), transforming up research positions for faculty and for stu- curricula, and promoting and dents. tracking student success. Kudos For more information, visit the website at: to Drs. Silber, Soto, Singmaster, http://www.biology.sjsu.edu/biodiversity/ Scharberg, Walker, and the many AppMain.html [email protected] . others that contributed to these efforts.

Cosac: Advisors are available in the College At the SJUS Career Center, of Science Advising Center to meet Melodie Doyle is an intern specializ- College of science with students and discuss study ing in careers in science. Her drop- advising center strategies and time management in hours are on Wednesdays, from By: Dr. Maureen Scharberg skills as well as provide referrals to 1-6pm in Clark Hall 128. She can other SJSU academic and student assist students in career planning, support services. They are also career advice and career counsel- The College of Science Advis- available for tutoring lower division ing. She also will be providing two ing Center (COSAC), located in DH biology and chemistry courses. Their workshops to assist students in 213, is in the beginning stages of hours of availability are posted out- choosing a major: Wednesday, providing academic advising and re- side of DH 213. April 9 from 3:30-4:45pm and Tues- lated services to College of Science As a pilot program this se- day, May 6 from 10-11:15am. Both majors. Our main goal is to increase mester, COSAC is working with workshops will be held in the Ca- student retention and success for our mathematics faculty who teach reer Center, MOD F. majors. In partnership with depart- "gateway" courses to identify those The College of Science Ad- ments, we will provide academic ad- students who are struggling in their vising Center is located in DH 213. vising and support for all frosh and math classes. We are referring Our hours are Monday through Fri- transfer students, beginning in Sum- these students to tutoring as well as day from 9-5pm. Please stop by! mer 2008. Please note that COSAC is inviting these students to meet with If you have any questions made possible by a NSF STEP grant academic advisors and the peer ad- regarding COSAC, please e-mail with Dan Walker as PI and Maureen visors. We plan to expand this ser- Maureen Scharberg @ mschar- Scharberg as Co-PI. vice to other College of Science [email protected] Currently, Science 2 Peer "gateway" courses in the future.

Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 11

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COLLGE OF SCIENCE STAFF

5 new staff members have DEAN’S OFFICE CHEMISTRY joined the College of Sci- CHRISTINA DE LA ROSA KHOUNG NGO ence. We would like to welcome the following... ADMINSTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT SUPPORT TECHNICIAN II

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE MOSS LANDING COMPUTER SCIENCE MARINE LABORATORIES FRED CORVI KEVIN ROSS GARY ADAMS COS ACADEMIC ADVISOR OPERATING SYSTEMS FACILITY SUPERVISOR ANALYST

The provosts outstanding assessment award By: Dr. Stephen Branz

The popular press and pected to participate in these FERP’ed (Faculty Early Retire- politicians often speak of assessment activities, there are ment Program) as of Fall 2007. accountability in education. For some faculty who have shown For Spring 2008, the Col- higher education, the buzzword is exceptional leadership in this lege selected Peter BeyersdorfBeyersdorf, assessment . (It all boils down to committee work. For the past an Assistant Professor in the De- an assurance that tax dollars are two years, Provost Carmen Sigler partment of Physics since 2005. being well spent.) It is no longer has asked each college to select Dr. Beyersdorf grasped the es- sufficient to count the number of a recipient for the Outstanding sentials of assessment early on books in the library or look at the Assessment Award. The winners and put an assessment plan into list of courses taught in order to of these awards are recognized at practice at a time when many judge the quality of a program. an annual Spring Conference de- faculty in the College of Science Accrediting agencies are demand- voted to “Teaching and Learning were reluctant participants at ing that we assess what students at SJSU.” best. The Department of Physics learn, not merely what they have Dean Parrish in consulta- has created a practical model been taught . This may seem to tion with the department chairs that other departments might be a subtle distinction, but none- selected Robert (“Bob”) Hyde as well emulate. theless it is a distinction that is of the inaugural recipient of this The faculty in the College increasing importance in higher award from the College of Sci- of Science were not trained in the education nationwide. University ence in Spring 2007. Professor social science of measurement faculty and administrators are Hyde joined the Department of and assessment of student learn- being asked to collect and ana- Biological Sciences in 1984. He ing. Professors Hyde and Beyers- lyze data on student learning was instrumental in establishing dorf have studied and developed and, when necessary, modify as- a culture of assessment in his expertise with assessment. Their signments or curricula to better own department and served as leadership and sharing of their serve student needs, hopefully the College of Science facilitator expertise has been of enormous leading to higher retention and to help other departments set up benefit to the students and fac- graduation rates. and implement assessment plans ulty of our College of Science. While all faculty are ex- of their own. Professor Hyde Congratulations !!! Volume 12, Number 1 Spring 2008 Page 12

2008 OUTSTANDING PROFESSOR AWARD Dr. Karen singmaster

as well as her colleagues." Participation grant that Singmaster was Karen A. Singmas- A faculty member funds a two-week chemistry coordinator and registrar for ter, chemistry professor, is the recipient of the 2007- since 1988, Singmaster's prep course and peer- "Expanding Your Horizons," a unique teaching techniques facilitated workshops. The conference that encourages 2008 Outstanding Professor Award at San José State attract students to her gen- program targets students young women to pursue sci- eral chemistry courses. One traditionally underrepre- ence and math, and served University. This award, which of her students said, "Dr. sented in the fields of sci- for eight years as chair of recognizes excellence in Singmaster stands out as a ence, math, engineering and the Minority Access to Re- teaching, is one of the top beacon to professors and technology. search Careers Steering four faculty awards given students alike in that she "Karen hires and Committee. Singmaster has annually by SJSU. understands and can explain trains the peer facilitators been awarded the Bruce Karen is a commit- the fundamentals of every- for these workshops while Mahan Memorial Teaching ted and passionate profes- thing she teaches, encour- coordinating all grant activi- Award by the University of sor who gives her all to the ages interest in the subject ties," said Stephen Branz, California, Berkeley, where advancement of education," matter, reaches out to stu- associate dean of the Col- she earned her Ph.D., and a President Don W. Kassing dents in need of extra help, lege of Science. "The work- Meritorious Performance said. "She is not merely an insightful scholar and inno- and instills in all a desire to shops are the most cost- and Professional Promise seek knowledge." effective intervention on Award by SJSU in 1990, vative researcher, she is also Singmaster is the campus to help students get among other teaching hon- a dedicated, hard-working educator whose top priority SJSU program coordinator through their gateway ors. She has a bachelor's for a National Science Foun- courses and success in their degree from Universidad de is student success. She is an dation Alliance for Minority chosen fields." inspiration to the students Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras.

College Seeks to Graduate More Students Using a New $2M Grant By: Dan Walker

The College of Science (COS) embarked on an important new project beginning Fall 2007. Most universities in the country, including SJSU, lose about 50% of the students who initially declare majors in science, mathematics, and engineering prior to graduation. Heeding the calls from local technology industries and from the National Science Board to increase the supply of highly skilled, technological workers, the College has adopted a multi-prong approach to increase graduation rates to about 75%. Resources to support the new project come from two sources: a new, two million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation; plus support from the COS Dean’s Office to expand the number of professional student advisors in the College and expanded facilities to house the project staff. The NSF grant is funded through the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) initiative. The two million dollars will be distributed over a five-year period. Based on the results of research studies of student retention/attrition, we are in the process of initiat- ing several interventions that should be effective in improving student performance, and, ultimately, graduation. We have just opened the new College of Science Advising Center (COSAC) located in Duncan Hall of Science. The center has a number of functions, most important of which is to advise all incoming science and math majors, both fresh- men and transfer students. The Center will track these College of Science students during their first two to three semes- ters at SJSU to identify those who are struggling with their studies. The advising staff will personally contact such students and arrange an advising session to help the student. The grant also contains funding to improve the educational experiences in our large, so-called gate-keeper , courses (i.e., those introductory level courses with average student GPA’s of 2.0 or less). Besides offering student tutorial services for these courses, the faculty who teach in these courses will be provided with professional development opportunities so that they can revise and enrich their courses in ways that will help the students to be more successful. During this first year of the grant, the focus is on the faculty of the Mathematics Department who teach the Calculus Sequence, especially in the Pre-calculus (Math 19) course that is the first in the sequence for most students. Revised Math 19 courses will be offered in Fall 2008. The grant was written by, and the new project is being directed by, Professors Dan Walker and Maureen Schar- berg, under the auspices of the COS Dean’s Office.