CNAS NewsWatch

Biology Graduate student awarded wildlife conservation fellowship continuation

Gale Lininger — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:47:32 +0000

Ashley Whaley, graduate student in the biology department at Missouri State University, was awarded a $11,200 fellowship continuation by the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation. Whaley is evaluating a rangeland education curriculum developed by the Welder Wildlife Foundation and training teachers to use the curriculum. She also serves as the conservation educator at the Welder Wildlife Foundation refuge leading programs for students and the public.

“Ashley has completed one year of evaluations on the effectiveness of the curriculum on student knowledge and understanding of the benefits of rangelands, which are a vital part of Texas culture and history,” said Dr. Janice Greene, professor of biology. “It is important that students today understand the benefits of rangelands to water quality, wildlife diversity and the economy.”

Whaley is currently in her second year of the three-year fellowship. The Welder Wildlife Foundation has a national reputation in the wildlife management and conservation fields, and was established in 1954 to conduct research and education in those fields.

For more information, contact Greene at (417) 836-5306.

Funding continued for Springfield water quality research

Gale Lininger — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:46:07 +0000

Dr. Robert Pavlowsky, professor of geography and director of the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute(OEWRI) at Missouri State University, was awarded $28,033 for continuation of the “Springfield MS4/TMDL Monitoring Project” by the Storm Water Services Division of the Springfield Public Works Department.

“This grant is part of a larger group of towns and counties in southwest Missouri for which our project team is completing storm water testing and analysis,” said Pavlowsky. “Having a central unit like OEWRI coordinate and complete the water quality monitoring allows the costs to be reduced to the public while maximizing educational and research benefits.”

The five-year monitoring project will assist the City of Springfield in complying with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations related to the Clean Water Act. OEWRI staff and MSU geography, geology and planning graduate students are collaborating with the city’s lab at the Southwest Water Treatment Plant to complete the project.

For more information, contact Pavlowsky at (417) 836-8473 or visit the project website.

New research instrument shows colorful vibrations of stars

Gale Lininger — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:34:26 +0000

Professor builds Grindstaff Tricolor Camera with National Science Foundation funds

Although photography is classified as an art form, Dr. Mike Reed, associate professor of astronomy at Missouri State University, has developed a new photographic instrument that can be used to further his seismology research. It is a variation of a 3-CCD photometer, which he has termed the Grindstaff Tricolor Camera or GT Cam, and it is only the fourth such instrument in the world.

A 3-CCD photometer is a set of three cameras mounted at three locations, and each camera photographs the same field of stars while being connected to its own computer. These cameras simultaneously take pictures in three separate colors, according to Reed.

“We do seismology of stars – that is the vibrations of stars. The vibrations are different depending on the color you look at, so by looking at a vibrating star simultaneously in three colors, we see three different features that we can use to understand the inside of the star,” Reed explained.

The National Science Foundation granted Reed the funds to build this instrument for his seismology research.

Reed, along with a team of students and researchers, completed the build shortly before their January observations at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The team will return to Kitt Peak for more observations on Feb. 20.

http://news.missouristate.edu/2012/02/01/gtcam/

New book focuses on service-learning in information sciences

Gale Lininger — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:11:51 +0000

Dr. Ken Vollmar, computer science department head, co-authored a chapter in the book “Service-Learning in Information Sciences.” The chapter is entitled “Some Worked Better than Others: Experience with a Variety of Service-Learning Projects.”

In the chapter abstract, Vollmar wrote: “For a number of years, we have incorporated service-learning into our computer science undergraduate curriculum through software engineering course projects. Although students benefit from participation, project outcomes have been mixed. The number of causes of project failure is relatively small but difficult to recognize and predict at project start.”

The book will be published by IEEE press July.

BIO Student, faculty research of spiders, turtles makes splash at conference

Gale Lininger — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:59:40 +0000

Biology student Erin Murray and Dr. Day Ligon, assistant professor of biology, presented research at the annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. The meeting took place Jan. 3-7 in South Carolina.

Murray presented “Predation in the Strawberry Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio: Are Adults and Juveniles Equally Protected from Ctenid Spiders?” and Ligon presented “Thermal Ecology of Yellow Mud Turtles (Kinosternon Flavescens) during Hibernation.”

Charlie Tucker, graduate student, co-authored “Can Automated Radio Telemetry Quantify Ornate Box Turtle Activity and Nesting Patterns?” with Ligon and other researchers but was unable to attend the conference.

Graduate students Denise Thompson and Brad Graevs attended the annual meeting.

Hospitality students receive scholarships from Missouri Travel Council

Gale Lininger — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:42:35 +0000

Matthew Evans and Catherine Blankenship,Missouri State seniors majoring in hospitality and restaurant administration, each recently received $1,000 scholarships from the Missouri Travel Council.

GGP Professor receives funding to study cemetery

Gale Lininger — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:24:33 +0000

Dr. Kevin Mickus, professor of geology, has received a $4,000 grant from the City of Springfield for a ground penetrating radar study of Hazelwood Cemetery. The purpose of the project is to attempt to identify possible locations of graves in the southern portion of the cemetery.

For more information, contact Mickus at (417) 836-6375.

Faculty promotes closer working ties between food service industry, food producers

Gale Lininger — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:24:38 +0000

Melanie Grand, assistant professor of hospitality and restaurant administration at Missouri State University, was a featured speaker at both the Nutrition Educators Conference and the Missouri Livestock Symposium. Both were held the first weekend of December in Kirksville, Mo. and were sponsored by the University of Missouri Extension.

At the Nutrition Educators Conference, Grand presented “The Science behind the Art of Food” followed by “The American Diet and How We Got There” and “Ten Foods and Beverages that Changed the History of the World.” She presented the same three sessions the following day at the Livestock Symposium attended by over 1,900 ranchers, researchers, students and purveyors.

“I was honored to be included in these important events,” said Grand. “I am a strong believer that the food service industry needs to work closer with food producers statewide. Conferences such as these work to strengthen this important relationship.”

The Nutrition Educators Conference sessions were broadcasted statewide and recorded for future training needs. The Missouri Livestock Symposium attendees came from over 17 states and approximately 80 of Missouri’s 114 counties.

Melissa Dallas, head of the department stated, “Melanie is a real asset to Missouri State University students and to the larger foodservice industry in Missouri. Her presentations are always thought-provoking and profound.”

New hellbender research recently published in Zoo Biology

Gale Lininger — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:06:38 +0000

College of Natural and Applied Sciences Laboratory Supervisor Adam Crane and Dr. Alicia Mathis, biology department head, recently published an article in Zoo Biology. The piece was entitled “Predator-Recognition Training: A Conservation Strategy to Increase Postrelease Survival of Hellbenders in … Continue reading →

Physics student wins award for presentation

Gale Lininger — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:04:58 +0000

Student gives oral presentation at conference for biological science, physics, chemistry

James Hansen, a senior physics major at Missouri State University, recently received 2nd place for his oral presentation, “Synthesis and Structural Characterizations of Graphene-supported Tin Oxide Nanoparticles,” at the Arkansas INBRE Research Conference.

Hansen’s research is with graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms that exhibits high electrical conductivity. The application of graphene in a photovoltaic cell as a conducting electrode could improve the efficiency of the solar cell and lower its manufacturing costs.

“The results were promising and opened an avenue for us to collaborate with Dr. Paul Thibado, a professor in the physics department at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, for future research,” said Dr. Lifeng Dong, associate professor in the department of physics, astronomy and materials science.

The INBRE Research Conference involves participation from colleges and universities in Arkansas and surrounding states in biological science, physics and chemistry. Students get the opportunity to present their research and see the research of their peers.

The conference was Hansen’s first professional meeting. “At the conference, I realized the importance of collaborating with other scientists to understand and make new discoveries in science,” he said. “It motivated me to work harder as a student to learn and understand more.”

For more information, contact Dong at (417) 836-3755.

Professor continues to collaborate on NASA satellite mission

Gale Lininger — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:45:03 +0000

Dr. Michael Reed, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Missouri State University, was recently awarded $41,000 from NASA (project #00029558-01) via Missouri S & T for continuation of the Missouri Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) project.

The MSGC grant will continue to be used for funding student involvement in research (training in techniques and equipment used in scientific research), educational outreach and public outreach programs.

This grant has funded both masters and undergraduate students for the past 21 years, and the research has focused on global warming, ices in the outer solar system, variable star astronomy and materials for solar cells and better rechargeable batteries.

For more information, contact Reed at (417) 836-5131

Student, alumni, professor prepare poster for chemistry conference

Gale Lininger — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:10:36 +0000

Jacob Robison, graduate student in the chemistry department, presented the poster “Synthesis and Characterization of New PEGylated Poly(estersulfide) Denrimers,” co-authored with alumni Jonathan Fury and Dr. Reza Sedaghat-Herati, professor, at the 242nd National American Chemical Society meeting in Denver, Colo.

Chemistry students present research at American Chemical Society meeting

Gale Lininger — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:15:39 +0000

Five Missouri State University chemistry students presented their research at the American Chemical Society Regional Meeting in St. Louis. The meeting took place Oct. 19-21.

Chad Hagan and Melissa Hayes, chemistry graduate students, presented “Raman Scattering of Deuterated DNA Nucleosides and Solid DNA Structure,” which they originated with graduate student Sarah Nichols and Dr. Gary Meints, associate professor of chemistry.

Michael Hilton, undergraduate chemistry major, presented work he co-authored with Dr. Nikolay Gerasimchuk, associate professor of chemistry, and Henry Charlier. The project was entitled “Preparation, characterization and Human Carbonyl Reductase (HCBR) inhibition studies of 2,4-dichlorophenyl-cyanoxime, H(2,4-diCl-PhCO).”

Stephen Kramer, chemistry graduate student, presented “Assignment of Proton Resonances for Damaged DNA Using Two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.” This project was a joint effort with chemistry graduate student Brianna Medrano and Meints.

Lauren Verheyen, chemistry graduate student, presented “Synthesis of Some New Tridentate Ligands to Complex Silver(I)” which was aided by Dr. Eric Bosch, professor of chemistry.

Chemistry professor co-authors, publishes research with students

Gale Lininger — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:13:23 +0000

Dr. Mark Richter, professor of chemistry, recently co-authored two articles for publication. With Megan Schnuriger, graduate student, he published “Electrogenerated chemiluminescence from Osmium(II) Polypyridine Carbonyl Chloride Systems” in Inorganic Chemica Acta. He co-authored “Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Quenching of Ru(bpy)₃ ²⁺ (bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine) in the Presence of Acetaminophen, Salicylic 2+ Acid and Their Metabolites” with Catherine Haslag, which was published in the Journal of Luminescence.

Associate professor published in Journal of Nanotechnology

Gale Lininger — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:06:20 +0000

Research explores nanotubes, antibiotic effects

Dr. Lifeng Dong, associate professor in the department of physics, astronomy and materials science at Missouri State University, recently had two research articles published in the Journal of Nanotechnology. They are titled “Antimicrobial Activity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Suspended in Different Surfactants” and “Uptake of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Conjugated with DNA by Microvascular Endothelial Cells.”

“Our findings reported in these two publications indicate that low toxicity to humans and high antibiotic effects make nanotubes serve as potential drug and gene vehicles for therapeutic applications,” said Dong. “They may also solve problems surrounding drug-resistant and multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains.”

Collaborators on the first article include Dr. Christopher Field, professor in the department of biomedical sciences, and Alex Henderson, a student from Truman State University. Those for the second article include student Joseph Harvey and Dr. Jianjie Wang from the department of biomedical sciences, and Dr. Kyoungtae Kim and student Jacob Hayden from the biology department. The research projects are supported in part by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the National Science Foundation.

Both articles are online at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnt/contents. For more information, contact Dong at (417) 836-3755.

Graduate students present biology research at regional conference

Gale Lininger — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:50:24 +0000

Biology graduate student Denise Thompson, advised by Dr. Day Ligon, won the Toland Award for Best Student Presentation at the recent Kansas Herpetological Society’s annual conference in Wichita. Her presentation was entitled “Rocky Raccoon Must Die: Nest Predation Patterns in a Reintroduced Population of Alligator Snapping Turtles.”

In addition, two other MSU graduate students presented their work: Biology graduate student Travis Anthony presented “Freshwater Turtle Community Composition and Microhabitat Preferences among Three Rivers in Northeastern Oklahoma” and Charles Tucker presented “Can Automated Radio Telemetry Quantify Ornate Box Turtle Activity and Nesting Patterns?”

Graduate student wins ‘best presentation’ at mammalogist meeting

Gale Lininger — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:47:55 +0000

Biology graduate student Joe Lemen, advised by Dr. Lynn Robbins, received the Best Student Presentation by a Master’s Student award for his talk on maximum entropy modeling of habitat for Indiana bat maternity roosts. He presented this at the Central … Continue reading →

Biology research published in online ecological journal

Gale Lininger — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:53:10 +0000

Missouri State University biologists recently published an article in the International Journal of Ecology. The work, which was written by Adam Crane, laboratory supervisor for the College of Natural and Applied Sciences; Carly McGrane, a recent biology graduate; and Dr. Alicia Mathis, biology department head, is entitled “Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Ozark Zigzag Salamanders to Stimuli from an Invasive Predator: The Armadillo.”

Chemistry student takes second place in regional presentation

Gale Lininger — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:24:47 +0000

Chemistry senior Anneli Hoggard won second place in the Chemistry/Biochemistry Oral Presentation category at the Arkansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Conference held at the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville on Oct. 21. The title of her talk was “Simultaneous Simplex and Genetic Algorithm Optimization of All Intramolecular Parameters for Aromatic Molecules in the Amber Force Field.”

Student leads university in EPA Game Day Challenge

Gale Lininger — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:16:37 +0000

Missouri State University will compete in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2011 Game Day Challenge during the Homecoming football game on Oct. 29. Colleges across the country are competing to see which schools can reduce, reuse and recycle the most waste as part of this program, and the champions will be crowned in December.

The schools participating in the challenge design a waste reduction plan for one 2011 regular season home football game and measure the results. Schools can collect common materials for recycling including paper, beverage containers, cardboard and food to be donated and composted. The amount of waste generated and recycled will determine which school is the greenest on the gridiron.

Evan Clark, a sophomore biology student at Missouri State, is coordinating the effort for the university. “Missouri State’s participation in the EPA Gameday program is important for not only raising awareness but also increasing our sustainability as a university. Having a recycling program at a big event like a home football game also allows the university to inform and engage with the community on sustainable practices,” Clark said.

Winners will be announced in several categories, including:
• Least amount of waste generated per attendee
• Greatest greenhouse gas reductions from diverting waste
• Highest recycling rate
• Highest organics reduction rate (i.e., food donation and composting)
• Highest combined recycling and composting rate

The competition is sponsored by EPA’s WasteWise program, a voluntary program through which organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefiting their bottom line and the environment. Reducing waste generated at collegiate sporting events can save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, more than 75 participating schools kept 500,000 pounds of waste out of landfills, which prevented nearly 940 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 180 cars.