College of Sciences E-newsletter

March 2008

In this issue:

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UNLV College of Sciences Honored for Advances in Biotechnology

AWARD RECOGNIZES UNLV AS BEING CRUCIAL TO THE GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN SOUTHERN NEVADA

The UNLV College of Sciences was awarded the inaugural Nevada Biotechnology Award from the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) for its contributions to the advancement of biotechnology and life sciences in Nevada.

Growing the biotech sector in Las Vegas has long been a goal of city officials and the Nevada Development Authority, both of whom believe the industry is critical to their economic diversifications efforts in Southern Nevada and across the state.

The award was presented Feb. 18 during a meeting of the NevBio and Regenerative Medicine Organization at the Wynn Hotel and Casino. Senator Harry Reid was honored with the individual award for his support of both higher education and the growth of Nevada’s biotechnology sector.

"Most of the advancements in biotechnology that have occurred at universities later become the basis of new treatments for disease, economic diversification and improvements in the quality of life," said John Laub, executive director of NevBio. "We are pleased to honor UNLV’s College of Sciences for the impressive accomplishments it has made in the last few years."

The NevBio board cited several reasons for honoring the college with its inaugural award, including the College’s development of new research infrastructure, increased peer-reviewed funding, greater quality and quantity of faculty scholarship, and its commitment to community outreach. Ron Yasbin, dean of UNLV’s College of Sciences, says the award reflects years of hard work, strategic planning and a commitment by the university to hire and retain a team of excellent, collaborative faculty.

"UNLV believes it has a responsibility to help Nevada become a leader in biotechnology, and the College of Sciences has long made that goal a priority," Yasbin said "We are honored to receive this award and strongly believe that this honor is evidence of our progress toward that end. UNLV will continue to serve not only as a training ground for new scientists entering this exciting field, but as one of the catalysts for future economic growth and diversification across the state."

In 2007, the College of Sciences was awarded more than $20 million in federal research grants, published more than 300 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, and saw the medical school acceptance rate for its alumni increase to almost double the national average. Additionally, several of its academic programs have been recently recognized for their quality of research and contributions toward increasing the economic development of high-tech sectors in Nevada and nationwide.

The NevBio is an organization of institutes, companies, and academia in Nevada engaged in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceutical research and production, medical devices, and health science research. The mission of the NBBC is to foster and support biotechnology and life science-related businesses in Nevada and to promote and elevate the presence of life science research in Nevada.

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Project MIST (Mathematics Integrated with Science using Technology)

Project MIST is a three-year, $ 860,000 project funded by the State of Nevada Department of Education under Title II, part B of the Department of Education’s Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, with principal investigators: MaryKay Orgill, College of Sciences, UNLV; Kent J. Crippen, College of Education, UNLV; David Miller, Clark County School District; and Lynn Trell, Clark County School District. Funding from the Nevada State Department of Education.

Abstract: Project MIST (Mathematics Integrated with Science using Technology) is a 3-year teacher professional development project. The MIST partnership consists of three entities that collaborate via the UNLV Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE): the Curriculum and Professional Development Division of the Clark County School District (CPD/CCSD), the UNLV College of Education and the UNLV College of Sciences.

Project MIST seeks to provide teacher development to integrated teams of teachers from fifth through eighth grades. Annually, Project MIST will provide a 2-week summer Institute for approximately twenty-five triads of teachers. Each triad will consist of a middle school science teacher, a middle school math teacher, and an elementary school teacher. Estimation & Classification, Constancy & Change, and Causation & Correlation are the annual themes for the summer Institutes. The participating teachers, recognized as MIST Fellows, will continue with graduate-level coursework during the academic year. Fellows will gain highly qualified status by earning graduate credits in mathematics/science and education. Project goals include development of a professional learning community, reformed teacher practice, and improved content knowledge for both teachers and their students.

The theoretical model for Project MIST includes ten empirically supported guiding principles. Curriculum units will be grounded in the lives of students in the Las Vegas valley and use a series of driving questions to engage learners in a process of using evidence to support their knowledge and beliefs. Instruction in MIST classrooms will use multiple representations of data with technology to foster conceptual change. Supports will be included to accommodate all learners, with special attention given to English language learners.

The professional development model for Project MIST includes the innovative use of real-time video conferencing during the academic year for all participants. Participating teachers will use the academic year to design and implement classroom-based action research projects in order to disseminate and validate the MIST principles. The evaluation of Project MIST will include documenting changes in knowledge, dispositions, skills and behaviors for both teachers and their students.

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NIH Nevada INBRE Awards

Two UNLV faculty members in the School of Life Sciences have received NIH Nevada INBRE awards to support their research activities, 2008-2010.

Helen Wing, Assistant Professor ($105,000)

The primary focus of this proposal is the bacterial outer membrane protease IcsP (SopA), which is encoded by the virulence plasmid of the enteric pathogen Shigella flexneri. This proposal describes experiments designed to elucidate how this bacterial protease is regulated and whether this protease plays as yet unknown roles in Shigella pathogenesis. In specific aim 1, the regulation of icsP will be studied, with a view to understanding where IcsP functions in the human host. VirB is a major regulator of Shigella virulence genes. VirB up-regulates the icsP promoter. It remains unclear, however, whether VirB binds directly to the icsP promoter, or whether VirB acts indirectly to up-regulate icsP expression. To test this, purified His-tagged VirB protein will be used in electro-mobility shift assays (EMSA) and DNase I footprinting at the icsP promoter. Next, icsP transcription and levels of the IcsP protein will be measured under a variety of environmental conditions that Shigella encounter in humans. Low pH, high osmolarity, anaerobic conditions, presence of bile salts and low iron will all be tested. These studies will provide further insight into how IcsP is regulated and may elucidate where IcsP functions in the human host. In specific aim 2, the possibility that IcsP plays additional roles in Shigella pathogenesis will be explored. The only known substrate of IcsP is another outer membrane protein IcsA. Preliminary data suggest IcsP proteolytically processes at least one other Shigella outer membrane protein. Using 2-D gel electrophoresis and proteomic approaches, this and other outer membrane proteins cleaved by IcsP will be identified. We anticipate that the proposed studies will elucidate new roles for IcsP in Shigella pathogenesis and will improve our understanding of the roles that IcsP plays during bacterial cell growth and differentiation in the host environment. Since proteases expressed by eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells differ considerably from one another, prokaryotic proteases offer an exciting possibility as targets for drug therapy.

Eduardo Robleto, Assistant Professor ($110,000)

This proposal studies novel mechanisms of mutation that take place in cells under conditions of growth arrest. These mechanisms are of relevance to cell growth and differentiation and human health as they may generate mutations that circumvent growth cell cycle check points, which lead to genome instability, and the formation of tumors or cell death, all processes associated with cancer and other degenerative diseases. The overall hypothesis tested here is that increases in transcription (the making of gene products) of genes under selection in cells in conditions of growth arrest results in accumulation of mutations that promote escape from arrested growth (transcription associated mutagenesis). To examine this hypothesis, we use a bacterial model for cell growth and differentiation in which Bacillus subtilis cells are subjected to amino acidstarvation. Under these conditions, cells carrying genetic deficiencies in amino acid synthesis escape arrested growth by acquiring gain of function mutations in the genes coding for synthesis of the limiting amino acid (genes under selective pressure). We ask the question: does altering transcription levels of genes under selection lead to changes in the accumulation of mutations that promote escape from growth arrest? To answer this question, we will use two experimental approaches to assay the effects of modulating transcription of genes under selective pressure: 1) We will genetically inactivate factors mediating transcription and determine whether their inactivation leads to a decrease in expression and accumulation of mutations in a target gene. 2) We will build genetic constructs where expression of target gene can be induced or repressed and assay whether the accumulation of mutations correlates with levels of transcription. Ultimately, the experiments proposed here provide a better understanding on mechanisms of mutation that affect all organisms and are of particular importance to regulation of cell growth and differentiation and to human health.


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"Two Oxygenation Events in Ancient Oceans Sparked Spread of Complex Life"

Assistant professor Ganqing Jiang, Geoscience Department is one of the corresponding authors of the article, "Pulsed Oxidation and Biological Evolution in the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation," by McFadden et al, available at: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0708336105v1.

The article will appear in the print issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 4 (Issue 9, Volume 105, pp. 3197-3202).

Jiang received his B.A. in Hunan, South China and completed his Ph.D. from Columbia University in New York. He joined the Geoscience Department faculty in August of 2004.

"The rise of oxygen and the oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may have had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life, including animals, according to a study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online Early Edition during the week of February 25 – 29. Today, we take oxygen for granted. But the atmosphere had almost no oxygen until 2.5 billion years ago, and it was not until about 600 million years ago when the atmospheric oxygen level rose to a fraction of modern levels. For a long time, geologists and evolutionary biologists have speculated that the rise of the breathing gas and subsequent oxygenation of the deep oceans are intimately tied to the evolution of modern biological systems.

To test the interaction between biological evolution and environmental change, an international team of scientists from Virginia Tech, the University of Maryland, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined changes in the geochemistry and fossil distribution of 635- to 551-million-year old sediments preserved in the Doushantuo Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China. Millions of years ago, the Yangtze Gorges area was an ancient sea, said Kathleen A. McFadden, a Ph.D. candidate in geobiology at Virginia Tech and the lead author of the PNAS article.

To determine when there was enough oxygen to support animal life in the ocean, the researchers asked, "What kind of geochemical evidence would there be in the rock record?" said Shuhai Xiao, associate professor of geosciences at Virginia Tech. Scientists hypothesized that there was a lot of dissolved organic carbon in the ocean when oxygen levels were low. If oxygen levels rose, some of this organic carbon would be oxidized into inorganic forms, some of which can be preserved as calcium carbonate in the rock record. "We measured the carbon isotope signatures of organic and inorganic carbon in the ancient rocks to infer oxidation events," said co-author Ganqing Jiang, assistant professor of geology at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. "This is, however, only the first step in understanding the causal link between the ancient ocean chemistry and early animal evolution," Jiang added.

The layers of sediment exposed by the Three Gorges Dam represent millions of years of deposits. "We went through road cuts, bed by bed, measuring and describing the exposed rock, then took small rock samples every few feet or so,," said McFadden. She collected about 200 samples, along with hundreds of samples taken by the co-authors in other three labs.

The researchers cleaned and crushed the small samples to powder, which they reacted with acid to release carbon dioxide from carbonate minerals, and then burned the residue to get carbon dioxide from organic matter. "The CO2 that is released was measured with mass spectrometers to gives us the isotopic signature of the carbonate and organic carbon that was present in the rock," said McFadden. "The relative abundances of the carbon-12 and carbon-13 isotopes, which are stable and do not decay with time, provide a snapshot of the environmental processes taking place in the ocean at the different times recorded in the layers of rock," McFadden said.

The stratigraphic pattern of carbon isotope abundances suggested to these researchers that the ocean, which largely lacked oxygen before animals arrived on the scene, was aerated by two discrete pulses of oxygen. "The first pulse apparently had little impact on a large organic carbon reservoir in the deep ocean, but did spark changes in microscopic life forms," McFadden said. "The second event, which occurred around 550 million years ago, however, resulted in the reduction of the organic carbon reservoir, indicating that the ocean became fully oxidizing just before the evolution and diversification of many of Earth’s earliest animals," she said. "The Doushantuo Formation has a wonderful fossil record," McFadden said. "It allows us to look at major fossil groups, when they appear and when they disappear, and to see a relationship between oxidation events and biological groups."

"This study supports the growing view that life and environment co-evolved through this tumultuous period of Earth history," said geochemist Alan J. Kaufman, a co-author of the study from the University of Maryland. The researchers analyzed the fossils in the Doushantuo Formation, from microscopic life forms of 635 million years ago to large algae around 551 million years ago. Looking at data from four locations with very similar isotopic records, they report that the first oxygen spike resulted in a rise in microscopic organisms, some of which are thought to be the earliest animal embryos. The second spike in oxygen coincides with a dramatic increase in species of large complex algae.

"Both oxidation events appear to coincide with increased diversity of fossils assemblages in the Doushantuo basin, with the number of species nearly doubling," McFadden said. Following this second oxidation event, between 550 and 542 million years ago, there was a worldwide increase of Ediacara organisms, complex macroscopic life forms, an event recently dubbed as the Avalon Explosion( www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2008&itemno=1). "This was when we see the first burrowing animals and biomineralizing animals in the fossil record," McFadden said. Biomineralizing animals are the first animals to form external skeletons, or shells.

The triggers for the oxidation events remain elusive, however. "These events recorded in the ocean were probably related to oxygen in the atmosphere reacting with sediments on land," McFadden said. "Weathering of rocks and soils on the continents would result in the release of certain dissolved ions, such as sulfate, into rivers. These would then be transported to the sea where they might be used by bacteria to oxidize the organic carbon pool in the deep oceans," she said.

The article, "Pulsed oxidation and biological evolution in the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation," was written by Kathleen A. McFadden; Jing Huang and Xuelei Chu of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Ganqing Jiang, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Alan J. Kaufman; Chuanming Zhou and Xunlai Yuan of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Shuhai Xiao. The joint research was supported by NSF Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology Program, NASA Exobiology Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Virginia Tech Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Sciences, Evolving Earth Foundation, and several other funding agencies.

Gianqing Jiang can be reached at Ganqing.Jiang@unlv.edu or 702-895-2708. He speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.

 

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Seismic hazards, Mineral Resources, and More on Agenda for Geoscientists in Las Vegas

Approximately 500 geoscientists will gather 19-21 March 2008 for a combined meeting of the Cordilleran and Rocky Mountain Sections of the Geological Society of America. The meeting takes place at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, hosted by geoscientists from the UNLV Department of Geoscience and the Northern Arizona University Department of Geology.
Technical Session Highlights

Other sessions address structure and tectonics, paleoecology, and climate and environmental change in the Basin and Range area.
View the technical program at http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2008CD/finalprogram/.

Field Trip Highlights
Best known for its glittering night life, Las Vegas is also a geologic paradise. Field trips in the Basin and Range province will include destinations in the eastern Mojave Desert, northwestern Colorado Plateau, and northern Colorado River extensional corridor. Topics include active tectonics of the eastern California shear zone, dinosaurs of Nevada, northern Arizona's San Francisco volcanic field, and three of the best examples of Ediacaran and early Cambrian reefs in North America.

A complete listing and detailed descriptions of field trips are available at http://www.geosociety.org/sectdiv/cord/08mtg/fieldTrips.htm.

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2008 Juanita Greer White Lecture

rofessor Karl Stetter, Regensburg University, Germany) delivered the 2008 Juanita Greer White Lecture on Thursday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m. in White Auditorium. Stetter lecture, free and open to the public, was entitled, "Microbial Life in the Pressure Cooker: Unique Survivors of the Earth." The School of Life Sciences began Juanita Greer White Distinguished Lecturer Series in 1991, with an endowment from Juanita Greer White. This seminar series honors Dr. Juanita Greer White (1905-1997), in recognition of her status as a pioneer woman in science, and for her numerous contributions to the advancement of higher education in the State of Nevada. Each year the Juanita Greer White Lecture Series brings an internationally renowned biologist to Campus each year. Below are the researchers (including their institutional affiliations and seminar titles) who the Department has honored as Juanita Greer White Distinguished Lecturers. For more information on the lecture series please visit: http://sols.unlv.edu/lecture.html

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NASA Swift Meeting Summary

Some 60 scientists from the United States, Great Britain, and Italy visited UNLV to attend the NASA Swift team meeting on February 4-7, 2008. 

Swift is a NASA project dedicated to the study of cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Launched in November 20, 2004, Swift has been fruitful in detecting more than 300 GRBs. Several ground-breaking discoveries have been made over the years, which led the team to be ranked among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs for the year 2005 by Science and to win the 2007 Bruno Rossi Prize of the American Astronomical Society. 

At the UNLV meeting, the Swift team reviewed the progress of the current research efforts and planned for future activities in preparation with the upcoming NASA senior review of missions. On February 4th and 5th approximately 40 speakers offered presentations at the main team meeting, held in the Tam Alumni Center. Faculty members and students from the UNLV astronomy group also attended the meeting and presented 6 posters. On February 6th and 7th the Swift team divided into three instrumental teams (BAT, XRT and UVOT) and continued their discussions in the Bigelow Physics Building.

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Barrick Scholar Named

ULV is pleased to announce that Clemens Heske, associate professor of materials chemistry in the department of chemistry, is designated as a Barrick Scholar in 2008. The intent of the Barrick Scholar Awards is to recognize faculty members who have established a record of distinguished research or have demonstrated excellence in the area of creative activity. These awards are funded by an endowment from the late Marjorie Barrick and are made following recommendations of a committee of former recipients. The Provost's Office makes the final selection from those candidates with less than ten years in an academic environment after receiving the terminal degree.

 

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Faculty Profile: Anton Westveld, Mathematics

Assistant professor of mathematics Anton Westveld (anton.westveld@unlv.edu; (702) 895-0376; Office:  CBC-B 211 took a few minutes to introduce himself to the College of Sciences and the UNLV community.

Why did you choose to come to UNLV?
I chose to join UNLV since I felt that the university had and continues to have strong long-term growth prospects. Additionally, the knowledge that six new people would be hired in the Department of Mathematical Sciences (three in Applied Math and three in Statistics) meant that there would be entering cohort of sorts. In fact, this has been a great benefit both professionally and personally. At first, the cohort had such a graduate school feel that for a period of time, one of the other new hires kept referring to me as a student!

What has surprised you the most about the campus?
Of course, the proximity to the strip is quite surprising. However, I am more surprised that the campus is not completely covered in cacti and other native desert plants. I would definitely like to see more of that.

What are your teaching activities and research projects?
Currently I am teaching Experimental Design and Analysis at the graduate level. It is a particularly interesting subject due to its role in the evolution of statistical thinking. As far as research is concerned, I am continuing my work on the development of statistical methodology for interaction/relational data. This data structure occurs in a wide range of subjects, with a short list including: Political Science (interstate disputes, votes on bills by legislators), Economics (trade between countries, game theoretic experiments), and Biology (protein-protein interaction data, or more broadly systems biology data).

How did you develop your interest in statistics?
I was highly influenced by two professors at the University of Michigan. They conveyed to me a passion for the subject and an understanding of the use of statistics in modeling and examining a wide range of scientific inquiries. It is this variety that I enjoy. John Tukey once noted, "The best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard."

What do you do in your spare time?
I do all the typical things: go to the movies, dinner, the gym, etc. Like one of my colleagues, I am also a big fan of the show "MythBusters." At some point soon, I am hoping to visit the Red Rock Canyon national conservation area --- especially before the temperature reaches 117 degrees!

What books are you reading now?
Currently, I am re-reading The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century, since I made it required reading for my Experimental Design class. The book not only outlines in layman’s terms the development of statistical thinking but also discusses the lives and interactions between many of the key figures. An interesting historical fact that some in the college may not know, is that the Student’s "t distribution," (a probability distribution that arises in the problem of estimating the mean of a normally distributed population when the variance is also estimated) was developed by William Seally Gosset while working at the Guinness Brewery. Since Guinness did not allow their researchers to publish, Gossett used the pseudonym "Student."
What are your future plans?
Since I follow the credo that, "The best laid plans of mice and men …," I will just say that this summer I plan to spend time at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle getting my hands dirty with biological network data.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
The most surprising thing might be that I was a member of a U.S. national team that went to a Pan-American competition quite a number of years ago. In order to keep some intrigue, I won’t reveal the sport.

 

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Beal Bank Nevada Southern Regional Science and Engineering Fair

The Beal Bank Nevada Southern Regional Science and Engineering Fair for grades K-12 will be held March 6-8, 2008 in UNLV's new student union ballroom. Project drop-off for grades K-8 will be on Thursday, March 6 beginning at 2 p.m. The component for grades 9-12 will be held on March 7, also in the ballroom, with project check-in beginning at 2 p.m. The fair will be open to the public on Saturday, March 8.

The Beal Bank Nevada Southern Nevada Regional Science and Engineering Fair promotes an interest in mathematics and scientific studies for students in southern Nevada. Held at UNLV, the fair is sponsored by CCSD and UNLV and hosted by UNLV's College of Sciences and the College of Engineering. Participation in the fair, named after its donor, Beal Bank Nevada, is divided into three divisions, including elementary (grades K-5), middle school (grades 6-8), and high school (grades 9-12). Affiliation with ISEF requires that high school students (grades 9-12) follow guidelines established by the ISEF. Rules for the elementary and middle school divisions are determined by UNLV and CCSD, and are consistent with but not identical to (at an age-appropriate level) the rules for the senior high division.]

Winners of the high school fair may qualify for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) competition. The ISEF provides an opportunity for the world's best young scientists to come together to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge science projects, and compete for awards and scholarships. The Beal Bank Nevada Southern Nevada Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SNRSEF) is licensed by the rules and governances of the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a program of Science Service in Washington, D.C. The license allows students in the Southern Nevada region who attend public or private schools in Clark, Lincoln, Nye, and Esmeralda counties, and who are home-schooled in this area to have the opportunity to participate in the fair. Affiliation with ISEF requires that high school students (grades 9-12) follow guidelines established by the ISEF.

 

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Science Bowl

"The Meadows School team wins regional science bowl," Las Vegas Review Journal, February 13, 2008

"A team from The Meadows School in Las Vegas topped competitors from more than 30 schools in four states to win the 17th Annual Nevada Regional Science Bowl…Palo Verde High School of Las Vegas placed second, followed by Coronado High School of Henderson. The winning Meadows School team members were Kevin Kowalski, Tyler Fitzgerald, Matthew Shackley, Vishnu Halthore and Jimmy Zhou. They were led by assistant coach Jeff Clouse and coach Laura Glismann. They won $5,000 to be used in the school's science and math departments. They will represent the Nevada region May 1-6 at the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C."

Read the full text.

Thirty-two teams from high schools in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah competed in the seventeenth Annual Nevada Regional Science Bowl, February 8-9, 2008, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The winning team will travel to Maryland to compete with high schools across the country.

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Science Bowl, which will be held May 1-6, 2008 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is a highly publicized academic competition among teams of high school students who are quizzed on scientific topics in astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, general science, mathematics, and physics.

The objective of the Science Bowl is to promote and challenge the nation’s high school students to excel in math and science. The competition consists of a round robin followed by a double elimination final. Questions are submitted by scientists at all of Department of Energy's facilities as well as from other federal agencies and university consortia. Each Science Bowl team is composed of four students, one alternate student, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. More than 100,000 students have competed in the Science Bowl since its establishment in 1991.

The Science Bowl is supported by a group of notable donors including: National Securities Technologies, LLC (NSTec), Nevada Power Company, Northrup Grumman Technical Services, Stoller-Navarro, Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC, Desert Research Institute (DRI), and Wackenhut Services, Inc.

 

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Faculty Bibliography 2007

Full text: http://sciences.unlv.edu/pdf/bibliography_2007.pdf

The 2007 UNLV College of Sciences Faculty Bibliography includes more than 300 citations to scientific articles, essays, chapters, and other writings found in many of the leading national and international scholarly journals and publications. Authored by some 95 faculty and staff, this impressive body of academic work demonstrates both the breadth and depth of our scientific research, and contains state-of-the-art scholarship in the fields of chemistry, geoscience, life sciences, mathematics, and physics and astronomy. The publications are the product of countless hours of study and observation in laboratories and research facilities, challenging and often difficult field work in the deserts of southern Nevada and other locations around the globe, innumerable discussions with colleagues and students, and diligent writing and editing sessions required to produce first-rate scholarship. UNLV graduate students and undergraduate students also made significant contributions to selected works. Student engagement in scientific research is a hallmark of UNLV and these publications would be poorer in quality and fewer in number without student participation.

The bibliography includes works published by College of Sciences faculty members, post doctoral scholars, and staff in 2007, with an emphasis on peer-reviewed publications. In keeping with the growing trend in scientific scholarship, articles are often the work of multiple authors. In cases involving more that one College of Sciences author, the publication is listed under the name of each author. Science Librarian JD Kotula generously devoted this time and research skills to help compile this bibliography.

The scientific research projects that provide much of the data published in these articles and writings are supported by state, federal, and private funds. Federal funding provides critical resources necessary for scientific research, and in 2007 College of Sciences faculty received in excess of $ 20 million in funding from such entities as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Departments of Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), Agriculture (DOA), and other agencies. These funds support the creation of research facilities, the acquisition of scientific equipment, and funding for postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, and other activities.

The ability of UNLV faculty to compete for and acquire highly competitive federal grant funds corresponds directly to an increase in scholarly publications. In 2007 the NSF published a study, "Changing U.S. Output of Scientific Articles, 1988-2003," (http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07320/pdf/nsf07320.pdf). This report identified UNLV (99%) as experiencing the fourth fastest growth rate in science and engineering articles for the period 1992-2001. The contents of this bibliography indicate that scientific research at UNLV continues at am impressive pace. A review of the quantity of our scientific publications reveals a long and sustained growth in publications, beginning in the 1990s and continuing through today.

The scope of these publications includes such important topics as: alternative energy, anthrax spores, biochemistry, bacteriology, differential equations, environmental science, flora and fauna of the desert, galaxy formations, gamma-ray bursts, genomics, geochemistry, geology, high pressure physics, hydrogen fuel and storage, mammalian hibernation, marine biology, microbiology, nanoscience and nanotechnology, quasars, radiation chemistry, science education and instruction, soils science, volcanoes, and many others.

The College of Sciences publishes a number of print and electronic resources to document and promote the teaching, research, and community service activities of our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends. The College of Sciences website (http://sciences.unlv.edu/) serves as a gateway to our many activities and accomplishments, and additional information on our publications is available at: http://sciences.unlv.edu/publications.html.

Scientific publications are but one measure of a scholar’s contributions and value to his or her profession, institution, and field(s) of study. When joined with teaching, related research efforts, and service to the institution and community these publications serve as the measure of our efforts to improve the quality of life here in southern Nevada, across our state and region, and around the globe.

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Radiation Chemistry Program

In recent weeks the Radiochemistry program, including its faculty, staff, and students, have participated in a number of activities:

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"Scientists Worry That Not Enough Nuclear Engineers Are Being Trained for a Nuclear-Powered Future," Chronicle of Higher Education, February 19, 2008

Full text: http://chronicle.com/daily/2008/02/1713n.htm

In a report on the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Boston, the topic of nuclear engineers and radiation chemistry included notice of UNLV’s efforts.

"Visions of a rosy nuclear future were on display here this past weekend, as a panel of scientists laid out a research program for a new generation of safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly nuclear reactors. At the same time, there are concern that universities had not trained enough nuclear engineers to operate the proposed plants. "A little bit of uranium goes a long way," said Jacques Bouchard, chairman of the Generation IV International Forum, a consortium pushing the development of the next, or fourth, generation of nuclear reactors. "It gives off the same amount of energy as two tons of oil," Mr. Bouchard, a nuclear physicist, told an audience at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The 441 nuclear-power reactors in 31 countries around the world produce 17 percent of the electricity generated and used on the planet, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But by 2050, Mr. Bouchard estimated, the need for electricity will increase by a factor of four. So, he said, we will need new power plants, but as they produce more power, they will have to generate much less radioactive waste than the plants operating today.

"If they use uranium more thoroughly, there will be less waste," he said.

New Nuclear Families
The time frame raises concerns about the nuclear work force. A member of the audience pointed out that no reactor had been built in Britain for 20 years, and so there is a dearth of nuclear physicists and engineers at universities, making it hard to train a new generation. Similarly, in the United States, 37 nuclear programs at universities have been shuttered in the past 30 years. High-profile institutions such as Cornell University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign closed their research and teaching reactors recently (The Chronicle, November 17, 2006).

But that trend is slowly turning around. Energy companies have applied for licenses to build new reactors, indicating a future job market. And a few universities have started new programs in nuclear studies. The University of South Carolina at Columbia is one, and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas is another. Nevada touts what it calls "the fastest-growing nuclear-science-and-engineering program in the nation," and offers a new doctoral program in radiochemistry in addition to a master's program in materials and nuclear engineering. "I believe in markets," said Mr. Hill. "There will be a demand, so you will see a resurgence of academic departments. And that will supply more engineers."

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"ACCELERATED PROGRAM: Dual med school degree coming: Students would earn undergraduate diploma a year earlier," by Annette Wells, Las Vegas Review Journal, February 19, 2008

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A recent newspaper article highlighted a program developed in consultation with the College of Sciences Prehealth Advising Program.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine will launch a program this fall to attract more students into the field and give them an opportunity to complete undergraduate work one year earlier than usual. Developed for ace biology and science students, the goal of the bachelor of science/doctor of medicine program is to produce highly qualified medical doctors in a shorter period than it would take to complete the two degrees separately, said Dr. John McDonald, School of Medicine dean. The program is also an effort to bolster the number of students enrolled in the School of Medicine, and the number of practicing physicians in Nevada, he said…Cheryl Hug-English, associate dean of admissions and student affairs, said the School of Medicine has already increased its class by 20 percent in the past two years…Nevada's medical school has teamed with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' and the University of Nevada, Reno's biology and biochemistry departments for the program, Hug-English said…Hug-English said the School of Medicine plans to open its program to 12 students this fall -- six from UNLV and six from UNR.

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BIOS Leadership

BIOS is the association of the School of Life Sciences graduate students at UNLV. This organization was formed in the fall of 2001 to better represent the interests of graduate students both within the school and campus wide. Members of BIOS sit on many important departmental committees as well as the university’s graduate student association. Membership in the organization is voluntary; however most current graduate students count themselves as members. Its four primary goals are:
• To provide a strong bridge between the faculty and graduate students
• To raise travel money to be awarded within the department.
• To act as a sound board for fellow students to generate new ideas.
• To be involved in and improve our community and local schools.

The new BIOS executive leadership is as follows:

President, Xavier Glaudas

Vice President, Adam Leland

Faculty Representative, Connie Herr

Treasurer, Ben Constantino

Secretary, Tristy Vick

Graduate and Professional Student Association Representative, Marty Erwin

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Nuclear Forensics Symposium

UNLV and National Security Technologies, LLC presented the second integrated symposium, "Nuclear Forensics," on Friday, February 22nd, 2008, from 12:30-5:30 p.m., in the Marjorie Barrick Museum Auditorium. Featured presentations included: "Enhanced Detection of Surface Uranium Phosphorescence, Lt. Col. Craig Bias, UNLV Radiochemistry Program; "Characterization and Evaluation of Extraction Chromatography Methods for Platform Automation," J.M. Gostic, UNLV Radiochemistry Program; "Radiochemistry and Nuclear Forensics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas," Ralf Sudowe, UNLV Department of Health Physics; "Plutonium Particulates in BOMARC Soils: Nuclear Forensics Perspective," Richard C. Gostic, UNLV Radiochemistry Program; "Depleted Uranium Distribution Surveys at the Tonopah Test Range: Corrective Action Unit 484, " Craig Lyons , NSTec Remote Sensing Laboratory; "Robotics for Radiological Search," Craig Marianno and Jim Essex, NSTec Remote Sensing Laboratory.

A keynote address, provided by Major Dan Velasquez, Defense Threat Reduction Agency opened the symposium and provided an update regarding the future direction of nuclear forensics operations and research within the federal government.

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Physics and Astronomy Forum

On Friday, February 8th, professor Isaac Shlosman, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington presented a talk entitled, "Disk Evolution in Assembling Dark Matter Halos"

Abstract:
Disk galaxy formation is a complex problem. In my talk, I will discuss
some aspects of disk formation and its subsequent evolution. Specifically, I will include the disk-halo interaction and its dynamical feedback both on the halo and on the disk, the dominant morphology of the early galactic disks and the dark matter density profile in the galaxy.

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Geoscience Seminar

On Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Alan Wallace, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Western Mineral Resources Office, offered a seminar entitled, "Late Cenozoic Paleogeographic Evolution of Northeastern Nevada: Effects on Mineral Deposits and Ground Water ," in the Lilly Fong Building, Room 102.

Abstract: Allan Wallace’s research focuses on the regional geologic setting of areas that contain mineral deposits or ground-water resources. Projects range from regional mapping to deposit-scale ore genesis studies, as well as regional and local mineral assessment investigations. Specific studies have included: mineral deposits of the Colorado mineral belt, rift-margin tectonics and fluorite deposits of the Rio Grande rift, volcanism, sedimentation, and tectonism along the northern Nevada rift, genesis of sediment-hosted gold deposits, and mineral assessments of the Humboldt River Basin (NV) and the southern Rocky Mountains. He is also on the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Geological Sciences and the Hydrological Sciences Program at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he works closely with graduate students and faculty on a variety of geological, geochemical, and hydrologic projects.

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Center for Applied Mathematics and Statistics (CAMS) Seminar

On Friday, February 29, 2008, 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m., in CBC-C323
Professor E. Lee Bernick, Department of Public Administration, UNLV
offered a seminar on public sector research.

Abstract: Research in public policy and public administration employ a variety of methodological and statistical approaches. Survey research, secondary data analysis, and field experiments are in use today. Often policy questions are studied over time and\or across states and communities. Researchers are becoming increasing aware of the problem that one unit of analysis, an individual or a community, may be nested within another unit. The presentation covered topics under investigation by faculty and Ph.D. students at UNLV and explored the potential for additional collaboration.

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Upcoming Seminars

The College of Sciences has established a listserve to better publicize and promote scientific seminars offered throughout the academic year. For more information on upcoming seminars and to subscribe to the listserve, please visit: http://cmse.unlv.edu/seminar/.

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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.

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