College of Sciences E-newsletter
December 2005
In this issue:
- Your College E-Newsletter
- Undergraduate Research - National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Awards, 2005 - 2006
- "Keeper of the Green," Professor Dale Devitt and the Center for Water Conservation
- Brenda Buck extends soil's research into the Atacama Desert of Chile
- Patrick Drohan's project with Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History releases soil exhibit promotional video
- Physics Forum Presentation, Dr. Hossein Sagedhour, December 1, 2:00 p,m., BPB 217
- University Forum Lecture Series, "Stopping Time," Eric Mazur, Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics at Harvard University, Monday, December 5, 2005 - 7:30 p.m., Barrick Museum Auditorium
- Stem Cell Debate, November 21, 2005
- SET Building Update
- College of Sciences Day at UNLV Football Game
- Submit Your News Items
Back to E-Newsletter Directory
This electronic newsletter is an attempt to enhance communication within the College of Sciences. We plan to include brief announcements, notices, and information of interest to faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College of Sciences and the larger university community.
In order to succeed, this publication will rely upon your submissions, suggestions, comments, and ideas. Please submit brief notices of research and teaching accomplishments, awards and presentations, grants and donations, alumni news, hirings and promotions, publications, guest lecturers, and other events, activities, and news of interest to the College of Sciences family.
Undergraduate Research - National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Awards, 2005 - 2006
UNLV undergraduates have received research funds to support a variety of projects. Students and their faculty mentors include: Marcin Chmiel (Biosciences, Junior), Faculty Mentor: Brett Riddle; Julius Deleon (Bioscience/Biotech, Senior), Faculty Mentor: Helen Wing; Meredith Gibe (Biosciences, Junior), Faculty Mentor: Eduardo Robleto; Marci Haddad (Physics, Sophomore), Faculty Mentor: Andrew Cornelius; Alia Jabali (Biosciences), Faculty Mentors: Javier Rodriguez and Deborah Hoshizaki; Jennifer McClanahan (Biosciences, Senior), Faculty Mentor: James Raymond; Archana Nelliott (Biosciences/Biotech, Senior), Faculty Mentor: Deborah Hoshizaki; Sandra Saldana (Astrophysics/Geoscience, Senior), Faculty Mentor: Cathy Snelson; Cyndi Tran (Biosciences, Senior), Faculty Mentor: Deborah Hoshizaki.
View a list of the research projects, with abstracts (PDF).
"Keeper of the Green," Professor Dale Devitt and the Center for Water Conservation (Las Vegas Sun, November 28, 2005)
Professor Dale Devitt was featured in a front-page article of the Las Vegas Sun, November 28, 2005.
A UNLV researcher is working to keep the green on the fairways and in the wallets of Las Vegas golf course operators. Dale Devitt, director of the UNLV Center for Urban Water Conservation, is working with the Black Mountain Golf and Country Club to find the optimum mix of turf care, fertilizer and, perhaps most importantly, water for Southern Nevada. This is not your casual lawn care, Devitt noted recently. It's "what we're calling precision agriculture," he said. The project is using lawn mowers outfitted with both global positioning satellites to determine position on the golf fairways and greens and sophisticated sensing equipment to determine the turf's health.
The point is not just to make the grass green, but to aid an industry that is important to Las Vegas and is struggling with new rules to cut water use, Devitt said. "What we're basically doing is trying to help the golf industry," he said. "The golf resort industry is an integral part of the Las Vegas experience. One of every 25 visitors to Las Vegas comes here to play. They generate $250 million a year just in greens fees. "They also rent hotel rooms and play in the casinos, so the actual impact to the community is much, much larger." Golf clubs, however, are finding it a tough environment to operate in as regional water distributors are raising the price of water and asking the clubs to get by with less of it. "We want to make our golf courses the most water-efficient in the United States," Devitt said. "Golf courses have a place here, but they need to be as efficient as possible. We're providing the management tools. We're trying to move the golf course industry into the 21st century."
Read the full article.
Brenda Buck extends soil's research into the Atacama desert of Chile
Dr. Brenda Buck, with Dr. Jason Rech of Miami University, is trying to figure out what soil processes in the Atacama lead to soil formation and how these processes might used as an analogue for Mars. Dr. Buck and students Mike Howell and Amy Brock recently traveled to Chile to sample soils.
Patrick Drohan's project with Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History releases soil exhibit promotional video
Dr. Patrick Drohan has been working for four years with the Soil Science Society of America and Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. to develop an exhibit on soil and society. This week, the main fundraising campaign for the exhibit was kicked off with the release of an exhibit promotional movie. See a low resolution version of the Quicktime movie.
Physics Forum Presentation, Dr. Hossein Sagedhpour, December 1, 2:00 p,m., BPB 217
A special Physics Forum presentation is scheduled for Thursday,December 1. Dr. Hossein Sagedhpour from the Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (ITAMP) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Harvard Physics Department will speak at 2:00 p.m. in the Physics conference room (BPB 217). Refreshments will be served at 1:45 p.m. Please note the special time. The title of Dr. Sagedhpour's talk is: "Tunable Electronic Bands in a periodic 2D array of Carbon Nanotubes."
University Forum Lecture Series, "Stopping Time," Eric Mazur, Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics at Harvard University, Monday, December 5, 2005 - 7:30 p.m., Barrick Museum Auditorium
Time is of both philosophical and scientific interest: Emotions, life, and death are all related to our interpretation of the irreversible flow of time. This lecture will discuss the concept of time and historical attempts to "stop time" by capturing events of a very short duration, including current research using ultrafast laser pulses. Professor Mazur’s visit is co-sponsored by UNLV's Department of Physics and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education.
Stem Cell Debate, November 21, 2005
The College of Sciences, with co-sponsorship from CSUN (Student Government) and the University Forum, hosted a lecture by Professor John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University. Professor Gearhart spoke on the scientific issues surrounding the topic of embryonic stem cell research to a crowd of more than 400 people in the Moyer Student Union. A panel discussion, including questions from the audience followed the lecture. The Rebel Yell reported on this event in its November 28th edition.
SET Building Update
Work for the Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) Building includes a new information technology duct bank between the System Computing Services Building and the SET Building. The route is along the east side of Lilly Fong Geoscience north through the CEB breezeway and along the east side of TBE. The work is divided into three phases beginning at Lilly Fong. Although most of the work will be performed during the Winter Break and is scheduled to be completed before the start of the Spring Semester, the southern most phase must start immediately.
Beginning Monday, November 21, the subcontractor performing this work be closing the sidewalk on the east side of Lilly Fong Geoscience. Excavation will begin near the System Computing Services building and progress north. The work will be performed in a manner allowing sidewalks to remain open as long as possible. Large trucks and excavation equipment will be employed.
Students, faculty and staff are asked to use particular caution around this work and equipment. We thank everyone who may be impacted for their understanding and cooperation.
If you have any questions, please call Tim Lockett at 895-2805.
College of Sciences Day at UNLV Football Game
Approximately thirty faculty staff, students, and friends of the College of Sciences enjoyed a tailgate party and seats at the November 19th UNLV Running Rebels Football game versus the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium. Our thanks to everyone who helped organize the event, contributed to the tailgate festivities, and did their best to support our Rebels football team.
Submit Your News Stories
The College of Sciences E-Newsletter is published on or about the first of each month. Please submit news items via email by the fifteenth of each month, for consideration. You may send your submissions to: Bill Brown, Director of Development (william.brown@unlv.edu).
