College of Sciences E-newsletter

May 2008

In this issue:

Back to E-Newsletter Directory

UNLV Student Receives National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Research Award

Dan Curtis

In the photo above, Dan tracks Dungeness crabs in Barkley Sound, British Columbia. The crabs are fitted with ultrasonic transmitters and data loggers that allow Dan to not only follow their movements, but also record the conditions that they are exposed to.

Daniel Curtis a doctoral student in the School of Life Sciences is the recipient of a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada award of $ 63,000, for three years to support his research. NSERC awards to provide financial support to high-caliber students who are engaged in masters or doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering. This support allows these students to fully concentrate on their studies and to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields. As Dan noted, “This award provides financial support that allows me to focus solely on my research. Such support is vital to the completion of my dissertation because my research often requires that I travel to remote field sites for prolonged periods.”

Dan Curtis studies how crabs living in estuaries balance physiological stress from environmental conditions and the physiological demands associated with feeding and digestion. Recent investigations have shown that prior feeding can affect an organism’s ability to cope with subsequent physiological challenges. For crustaceans living in estuaries, the challenge of dealing with salinity stress while feeding and digesting holds especially true. Curtis is interested in the effects of salinity exposure on mechanical digestion. He examines extracellular and subsequent intracellular digestion in both a weak (Cancer magister) and an efficient (Callinectes sapidus) osmoregulator (an organism that can maintain a concentration of dissolved substances inside its body different from that of its surroundings). This project takes an integrative approach to investigating the prioritization of physiological processes following feeding, providing exciting new insight into the realistic consequences of feeding and digestion for crabs living in estuaries by examining the trade-off between the physiological demands of digestion and the physiological stress associated with low salinity exposure.  Additionally, this work will provide information on how changes in salinity conditions due to anthropogenic inputs or global warming will affect the energy budget of crabs in estuaries.

This research will improve our understanding of how changing environmental conditions affect individual and population level growth in the Dungeness crab, a commercially important species and provide important insight into the financial impact of these environmental shifts. Dan was drawn to UNLV specifically to work with professor Iain McGaw, school of life sciences. McGaw has conducted research at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC) in Bamfield, British Columbia for over 15 years.  Studying with Iain at UNLV offers Dan the excellent balance between access to the remote field sites near BMSC and the excellent laboratory facilities available at UNLV.

Back to Top



President’s Graduate Fellowship, Xavier Glaudas

Xavier Glaudas, a doctoral student in the School of Life Sciences, was awarded a President’s Graduate Fellowship, the most prestigious scholarship on the UNLV Campus. The scholarship provides a $20,000 stipend, full tuition and fees, and waiver of out-of-state tuition. President’s Graduate Fellowships are funded by gifts to the UNLV Foundation by the Frank Koch Living Trust for the research support of doctoral students.

Glaudas’ dissertation examines the process of habitat selection in the Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii). Habitat selection is a complex task that is critical for individual fitness, for organisms need to balance the costs and benefits of settling in a specific place. Glaudas’ project investigates how three factors: abundance of food resources, predation risk, and thermal profile of the environment vary across the landscape, and how they collectively affect habitat choice in a population of Speckled Rattlesnakes from the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States. The results of this study may provide valuable information for reducing the frequency of human-rattlesnake interactions, and for designing effective conservation measures for vertebrate predators occurring around rapidly expanding metropolitan areas such as Las Vegas, Nevada.

Glaudas

Xavier Glaudas holding a Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)

Glaudas observed, “The President’s Graduate Fellowship will allow me to dedicate all my efforts during the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters to finish the field component of my research. Being able to work continuously on my project will increase the quality of my dissertation, which in turn will enhance my career opportunities after I graduate from UNLV. I am very grateful for this fellowship, and will take full advantage of it.”

Glaudas’ research interests are broad, and include behavioral and evolutionary ecology, general herpetology, and biology of viperid snakes (Old World vipers and adders and Old and New World pitvipers, including rattlesnakes). He has published 11 peer-reviewed articles on different aspects of the biology of amphibians and reptiles in international scientific journals, and has presented the results of his research at 12 local, regional, and international symposia. In addition to the President’s Graduate Fellowship, Glaudas has received grants from the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the California Academy of Sciences, and UNLV’s Graduate and Professional Student Association to support his research.

Glaudas was born in Grenoble, a city in southeastern France situated at the foot of the Alps Mountains. He received a Maîtrise de Géographie (Bachelor’s Degree in Geography) from the Université Jean Moulin Lyon-III, France in 2000, and a Master of Science in Ecology from the University of Georgia, Athens in 2003. In Fall 2004 he joined the research group of assistant professor of life sciences Javier Rodríguez. Glaudas and Rodríguez currently collaborate research relating to the feeding ecology of the Speckled Rattlesnake, the Great Basin Rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus), and the Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum).

Rodríguez noted, “Xavier’s project demands a considerable time investment, during the snake’s active season he spends 4 to 5 days in the field relocating the snakes that he is monitoring. Because radio-tracking all these individuals can take up to nine hours of intensive field work, Xavier has the most physically demanding dissertation project of any student currently enrolled in our graduate program. He is a very talented, disciplined, and self-motivated researcher, and I am very proud of his many accomplishments. Receiving the President’s Graduate Fellowship is a well-deserved honor for Xavier, and yet another indication of the high quality of the graduate students in the College of Sciences.”

Back to Top



President’s Graduate Fellowship, Binbin Zhang

Binbin Zhang, a doctoral student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was awarded a President’s Graduate Fellowship, the most prestigious scholarship in UNLV. The scholarship provides a $20,000 stipend and full tuition and fees. President’s Graduate Fellowships are funded by gifts to the UNLV Foundation by the Frank Koch Living Trust for the research support of doctoral students. As a second-year astronomy graduate student, Zhang's research focuses on cosmological Gamma-Ray Bursts, intense bursts of gamma-rays received on the Earth from the deep space. In 2007-2008, he developed a set of software to automatically process the gamma-ray and X-ray data for GRBs obtained from the NASA Swift Satellite. Only two other institutes in the world have accomplished this goal. Based on the data products, Zhang and other members of the UNLV GRB group have done a comprehensive analysis of the data and confronted the data with the theoretical models. He also processed the data of several peculiar GRBs (e.g. GRB 060218 and GRB 060614), which led to important advance of our understanding of the classification scheme and radiation mechanism of GRBs. Zhang has published 14 papers in refereed journals, including 8 that were published since he joined UNLV.  His publications have been widely cited by the community. His first-author paper, which was published in September 2007 and reports the dramatic spectral evolution feature of early, steeply decaying X-ray afterglows of GRBs, has been cited for 24 times as of May 2008. He has reported these results in several professional meetings, including an oral presentation at the recent Swift Science Team Meeting held at UNLV in February 2008.

Dan Curtis

Binbin Zhang working on GRBs data analysis at UNLV.

“I am very grateful to this fellowship,” said Binbin, “and I will take full advantage of this award. It will enhance my research quality and let me continue exploring the new frontier of GRB research. With the support of the fellowship, I will be able to obtain more technical training to process the new data collected by GLAST, a new NASA mission to be launched in May 2008, and to attend annual GRB meetings and exchange ideas and results with the experts in the GRB field. It will also help to broaden my collaborations with scientists over the world, and enhance my career opportunities after I graduate from UNLV.”

Binbin was born in Yuanshi, a small town north China. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics in Hebei Normal University, China in 2003.  In Fall 2003 he began his graduate study at Yunnan Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2006, he joined UNLV as a visiting student, and transferred to the UNLV graduate program in Fall 2007.

Associate professor Bing Zhang, Binbin’s academic advisor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy commented, “Binbin is an invaluable member of my group. What he has done is equivalent to what can be done by a bright postdoctoral fellow. He is very talented, dedicated and diligent, and I am very proud of his great achievements. Receiving the President’s Graduate Fellowship is a well-deserved honor for Binbin, and yet another indication of the high quality of the graduate students in the College of Sciences.”


Back to Top



National Science Foundation (NSF) Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) Awarded To UNLV Student

Tereza Jezkova, a doctoral candidate in the School of Life Sciences, will receive a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Jezkova’s dissertation, “Integrating Comparative Phylogeography with Ecological Modeling to Investigate Late Quaternary Biogeography in Four Species of Kangaroo Rats (genus Dipodomys),” uses paleoclimatic reconstructions representing climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation variables) of the last glacial maximum (approximately 18,000 years before present) to reconstruct species niches during this cold period. Jezkova then formulates species-specific hypotheses about changes in range sizes, range shifting, and amounts of range fragmentation and tests these hypotheses using mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers. She applies this methodology to four species of kangaroo rats (genus Dipodomys) sympatrically distributed within the Great Basin of North America and evaluates whether co-distributed taxa demonstrate either congruent or independent responses to climatic changes. This is one of approximately 120 such awards granted in 2008.

Kangaroo Rats are indigenous to southern Nevada and have the ability to survive with very little water and, in the deserts, with no free water at all. They do not store water in their bodies for future use like other animals, yet experiments have shown that their bodies have about the same water content as other animals. They have the ability to convert the dry seeds they eat into water, and they neither sweat nor pant like other animals to keep cool. They also have specialized kidneys, which allow them to dispose of waste materials with very little output of water. Kangaroo rats interact strongly with other species, and their removal can create major changes in the environment, including plant and animal life.

TerezaTereza is interested in the role of climatic changes during the Quaternary (glacial-interglacial cycles) on range shifting and population structure of mammalian and reptilian species. In her research Jezkova combines genetic data with GIS-based landscape analyses and ecological niche modeling. Professor Brett Riddle noted, “This interdisciplinary approach is at the forefront of scientific research and Tereza’s research promises to offer broader impacts including the ability to predict species responses to future climate changes.”

Jezkova has also received funding from the Nevada EPSCor Advanced Computing in Environmental Science program (ACES) to support computer modeling, scientific data visualization, and other data-intensive techniques in environmental research. She has published research findings in the Journal of Biogeography, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, and other publication

Back to Top



Governor’s Cup Competition

Kyle George, a senior majoring in chemistry is one of three students who launched Waste Alternatives Transformation Technologies (WATTS, the winning entry in the 2008 Governor’s Cup Competition.

“Three UNLV Students Take Home $20,000 for Reusable Energy Business Plan,
Seniors Josh Beilin, Kyle George and Keeton Little place first in Nevada's Donald W. Reynold's Governor's Cup,” Rebel Yell, April 28, 2008, by  Brian Ahern, Managing Editor

“This time last year UNLV students Josh Beilin, Kyle George and Keeton Little weren't very sure about their post-gradation plans. That changed Friday when they were handed a check for $20,000.
The three seniors took first place Friday in Nevada's Donald W. Reynolds Governor's Cup competition – an annual contest designed to foster entrepreneurship and give students some serious cash to help jump-start their innovative business plans.

Known as Waste Alternatives Transformation Technologies, their team was the sole UNLV undergraduate participant. George said although he and his team had worked hard on their business plan since January, they knew they were facing an uphill battle. "UNLV hasn't dominated this competition in the past," George said. "Basically, it's been us vs. northern Nevada." "It was a lot more challenging than we expected," Little added.

The team's business plan focuses on a process of transforming waste from city dumps into clean energy and energy-related products. George said their business will work with small municipalities that aren't big enough to hire their waste management out to large companies. That niche has gone untapped, George said, and the profits for those who go after it could be huge. "We're thinking it could make around $100 million in eight years," he said.

Read the full text.

Back to Top



Patricia Mulroy Receives UNLV College of Sciences Math and Science Education Achievement Award

Patricia Mulroy is the 2008 recipient of the UNLV College of Sciences Math and Science Education Achievement Award. This award honors an individual who has demonstrated a significant impact on mathematics and science education in Southern Nevada. In presenting the award, Dean Ron Yasbin observed, “Pat never wavers in her efforts to improve the quality of life in Southern Nevada, and her tireless commitment to science education extends from K-12 education, through university education, to all our citizens.”

Pat oversees the operations of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, which provides water to more than 1 million customers, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is responsible for acquiring, treating and delivering water to local agencies that collectively serve approximately 2 million residents and nearly 40 million annual visitors. Mulroy joined the Water District more than 20 years ago and began serving as its general manager in 1989. She was a principal architect of the SNWA, which has served as a model for other Western water agencies since its creation in 1991.

A resident of Southern Nevada for more than three decades, Mulroy is equally active in the community. She currently chairs the University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Sciences Advisory Board, and she has served on the Nevada Public Radio Board of Directors. Mulroy also is actively involved with the Diocese of Las Vegas and Bishop Gorman High School. Her honors include National Jewish Medical and Research Center’s Humanitarian Award and the University and Community College System of Nevada Board of Regents' Distinguished Nevadan Award. Pat is a graduate of UNLV (B.A., M.A., German Literature).

Pat is also the driving force behind the creation of the Springs Preserve, a 180-acre cultural and historical attraction designed to commemorate Las Vegas' dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future.  Known as the birthplace of Las Vegas, the site of the Springs Preserve was once home to bubbling springs that were a source of water for Native Americans living here thousands of years ago. It also sustained travelers of the Old Spanish Trail and Mormons who came to settle the West.

Education is a key component of the Springs Preserve. Throughout its first year of operation, the Springs Preserve has developed numerous educational programs geared toward Clark County schoolchildren from kindergarten through high school. In its first year, the Springs Preserve provided free educational field trips based on Nevada State education standards to more than 23,000 students, and implemented a “Teach-the-Teacher” program to increase its field trip capacity. In accepting the award, Pat commented, “Taking a vested interest in our current and future generations is something that I not only value as a professional, but also as a resident of southern Nevada. By educating tomorrow’s leaders today, we’re helping to protect the valley’s precious resources and fostering the continued success of our thriving desert community.”

In addition to developing revenue-generating programs such as scout tours and camps, the Springs Preserve also managed a successful, community-oriented project with the SNWA’s Youth Advisory Council, and is working with a top-level Clark County School District task group to develop a grade-by-grade “Teacher’s Manual to the Springs Preserve.” Within three years, the CCSD will have entire grade levels scheduled to tour the Springs Preserve in supporting state and county educational standards.

Through a series of grants, the Springs Preserve provided no-cost transportation for field trips to 25 at-risk school groups, and is developing a Web-based curriculum for Jim Thebaut’s documentary film, “Running Dry.”

Adult education also plays a key role in telling the Spring Preserve’s story. In the past year, the Springs Preserve developed programming that reflects the attraction’s extensive scope in sustainable living, natural history, culture and history, gardening, lifestyle and special events. It also created and developed a programming guide and calendar of events—featuring nearly 80 classes and activities per month—that has become the Springs Preserve’s most widely distributed and recognized piece of collateral.

The “Untold Stories” lecture series received a grant from Nevada Humanities in recognition of its contribution to the documentation of Southern Nevada oral history, while it continued and improved the water-smart landscaping curriculum in content and design. The Springs Preserve also developed and implemented a training program for its staff, contractors and volunteers, and created a formal framework for long-term program development with UNLV. The attraction is developing a similar program with other post-secondary learning institutions.

However, the Springs Preserve has something for everyone who wishes to learn more about Southern Nevada and sustainability in our community. All visitors to the Springs Preserve can expand their knowledge at the Origen Experience, which teaches visitors about the early inhabitants who made the springs in the Las Vegas Valley their home. There are galleries, a theater, interactive children's exhibits and much more.

The Natural Mojave Gallery features interactive exhibits that explore the geological history of the Mojave Desert and the formation of the Las Vegas Valley springs. Kids can dig for fossils and learn about erosion. A flash flood exhibit demonstrates the danger of flooding in the valley and features a recreation of a ravine though which 5,000 gallons of recycled water come crashing down every 20 minutes.  The People of the Springs gallery includes 33 exhibits focusing on the cultural history of the Springs Preserve and the development of Las Vegas. On display are reconstructions of Native American dwellings and a multimedia recreation of the 1905 Las Vegas land auction. The arrival of the railroad is marked with a railroad train car and visitors can learn about the construction of Hoover Dam through an interactive exhibit.

In nominating Pat for this award, Jhone Ebert, assistant superintendent of the Clark County School District, highlighted a number of Pat’s contributions, noting that “Through her leadership and cooperation with the Clark County School District, the H2O University Program provides hands-on multi-media experiences and resources for teachers, students, and parents” Ebert also praised the Springs Preserve, which provides authentic learning experience opportunities for students and serves as, “the connection between science, community, culture, and history.”

Back to Top



Academic Recognition Ceremony

On Thursday, April 24, 2008 UNLV President David B. Ashley and Executive Vice President and Provost Neal Smatresk hosted the Academic Recognition Ceremony for faculty and students. College of Sciences faculty members were among those honored at this event.

Professor John W. Farley, physics and astronomy department, received the Regents Teaching Award ($5,000). Recipients of this award “have demonstrated significant record of excellence in teaching that brought recognition to his or her institution.” and have shown the ability to communicate effectively with students, impart knowledge, and/or develop skills in a manner that excites students’ interest in the subject matter as well as students’ interest in furthering their educational aspirations. Recipients also demonstrate “enthusiasm for assessing, revising, and updating instructional methods, materials and technologies; a willingness to attempt and revise innovative instructional activities through varied approaches, methods, materials, or technologies in an effort to create ongoing participatory/active learning in the classroom and move the state of instruction in a field to a new level or in new directions; and a recurring effort to create learning tasks (assignments, exercises, and/or exams) that encourage critical thinking/reasoning skills.” Professor Farley was also the recipient of the UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award.

The 2008 recipient of the UNLV Alumni Thesis Award, 2007-2008, is Francisco Javier Virgili. His thesis, entitled, "Monte Carlo Analysis of the Luminosity Function of Gamma Ray Bursts," applies the Monte Carlo simulation technique to constrain gamma-ray burst (GRB) luminosity function (number of GRBs as a function their luminosities) using a set of observational criteria. In particular, he focused on the possibility that low-luminosity GRBs might form a distinct new component. This is a theoretical investigation with the application of observational data. GRBs are short blasts of gamma-rays from a given location in the sky whose origin is still mysterious. These bursts are observed in equal numbers from every direction in the sky, suggesting they originate outside the Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers think GRBs are caused by massive collapsing stars, or mergers between very heavy objects such as black holes and neutron stars.

Associate professor of chemistry Clemens Heske received a Barrick Scholar Award ($2,500). 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 honoree selection(s). Professor Wanda Taylor, geoscience department, received the Division of Educational Outreach’s Faculty Excellence Award for her teaching efforts.

CSUN Faculty award recipients included MaryKay Orgill, chemistry department. The Faculty Excellence Award is presented each Spring by CSUN (Senate bylaw #43).  CSUN senators nominate one professor from each college who “goes above and beyond” to help students succeed. Following the nomination of faculty members from each college, an appointed board reviews the faculty resumes/biographies, and sits in on a class to observe the faculty member. The recipients are then selected. In selecting MaryKay Orgill, a board member observed that the group “chose Dr. Orgill because of her teaching ability. I had the honor to sit in on her class and I was so impressed by how well she knew all of her students. She walked around class before it started and talked to her students to see how they were doing. It seemed as though she truly cared about the students and wanted to make sure that they understood and remembered the material that was being presented in class. Every student in that class seemed to enjoy her as a teacher. She is an outstanding professor and I was very pleased to have her receive this award because I think she truly deserves it.”

The College of Sciences also announced its awards for Distinguished Service to associate professor Rod Metcalf, geoscience department; Distinguished Research, associate professor Clemens Heske, chemistry department, and Distinguished Teaching, MaryKay Orgill, chemistry department.

Outgoing Dean of the College Sciences Ron Yasbin was also recognized for his many contributions.

Back to Top



Beal Bank Nevada, Southern Nevada Regional Science and Engineering Fair Report

On March 7-8. 2008 the UNLV College of Sciences held the Beal Bank Nevada Southern Nevada Regional Science and Engineering Fair, the second event with your institution as title sponsor. The Beal Nevada Service Corporation and Beal Bank Nevada permit us to continue efforts to build the high school component of the science fair and recruit participation from schools across the region, and allow us to send a deserving winner to the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held in Atlanta, Georgia.

The project selected for entry into the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is entitled, "The Blur Effect," and involved the use of stationary digital cameras to capture photographs of moving objects (automobiles) traveling at varying speeds (using different light exposures and measuring from a variety of distances) to determine the parameters for capturing clear images. The student, William Lovell, is a night grade student, and we look forward to even more impressive science fair projects from him in coming years.

This year, we welcomed colleagues who organize the Western Nevada Regional Science & Engineering Fair, held in Reno, Nevada. With the 2009 INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair scheduled for Reno,  our two science fair organizers are embarking on a major state-wide effort to recruit Nevada students to participate in our regional science fairs and to volunteer (if not participate) in the international fair.

UNLV staff publicize the science fair at all our community events, including annual dinners for outstanding high school juniors who excel in mathematics and the sciences. Science and math teachers nominate students and accompany the students to the dinner. The CCSD encourages all area high schools to participate in this event, and we work with these teachers to encourage student submissions to future science fairs, with an emphasis on students from low and moderate income areas.

The 2008 Beal Bank Nevada Science Fair welcomed some 270 registered entrants for grades K-12 from some thirty schools. Our high school component included 72 registered projects, a significant increase from our inaugural year; the number of schools participating remained at five. The Science Fair is a wonderful opportunity to encourage, reward, and celebrate the best and brightest young minds in our region and to promote science and engineering as vital, exciting academic disciplines and career options for future generations of Nevadans.  UNLV staff and personnel from the Clark County School District are energized to reward the scientific exploits of our students.

 

Back to Top



Nate Forrest Stout Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Maureen Wruck Panzer, a former student in the Geoscience Department, will endow a graduate scholarship in memory of Nate Stout. Maureen is a generous and enthusiastic supporter of the geoscience department, and she supports a variety of geoscience initiatives, including the annual Geosymposium. Nate Forrest Stout completed a B.S. in geology at UNLV in which he, despite being confined to a wheelchair since his teenage years, enthusiastically participated in geoscience field trips.  Nate was a vibrant member of the department for over 14 years as a scientific illustrator, where, despite his deteriorating health, he always quizzed faculty, staff, and students about field excursions and clearly enjoyed the vicarious experience of the reports.  Nate's work lives on in the many published illustrations and maps that he drew, and his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of those students and faculty who were fortunate enough to know him. 

The annual Nate Forrest Stout Memorial Scholarship shall be awarded to a student(s) meeting the following criteria:  

  1. Student must demonstrate financial need through the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
  2. Student must be formally admitted to UNLV and must complete a UNLV Scholarship Application;
  3. Student must major in an M.S. or Ph.D. program offered by the Department of  Geoscience;
  4. Students must have a 3.25 cumulative grade point average or higher; and
  5. Preference will be given to women.

Recipients may reapply for this scholarship in subsequent years, provided they maintain the scholarship criteria and remain in good standing with the institution. 

 

Back to Top



NevBio Luncheon, David Lee

On April 9, 2008, at the UNLV Foundation Building, David Lee, assistant professor, school of life sciences delivered a presentation to the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) entitled, ““Bio-Robotics and BigDog.” Lee’s research on comparative biomechanics of animal movements has contributed to the mechanical design and control of BigDog, the world’s most advanced, four-legged robot. The video of the quadruped robot, BigDog is one of the most watched videos on the internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Dr. Lee also believes that by studying leg and joint mechanics to muscle function, one can develop a promising approach to understanding a variety of medical and health issues, including joint dysfunction in osteoarthritis.

Sponsors of NevBio include: Nevada Development Authority (NDA), Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET), Cox Business Services, UNLV College of Sciences, CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc., Regenerative Medicine Organization, Colebrook Resources, and Zak Consulting.

 

Back to Top



NASA Grant

Assistant professor Bing Zhang, physics and astronomy department, has received a grant from the NASA Swift Guest Investigation Program, Cycle 4, in the amount of $47,570. In his research project, Zhang will perform a Joint XRT-UVOT-optical spectral-energy-distribution (SED) analysis of Swift Gamma-ray burst (GRB) data. The goal is to understand the physical origins of multiwavelength afterglows and to explore the extinction properties of the GRB host galaxies.

Back to Top



Spring 2008 UNLV Graduate College Awards

Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards for 2007-2008

This award is funded by the Graduate College. Nominees are recognized for academic excellence in the completion of an outstanding thesis and dissertation between March 1, 2007 and March 1, 2008. Candidates are chosen by the Graduate College Student Awards Committee.  The winner of the Outstanding Thesis receives a $200 award.

Outstanding Thesis, 2007-2008: Francisco Virgili, Physics and Astronomy,

 “Monte Carlo Analysis of the Luminosity Function of Gamma Ray Bursts”
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bing Zhang

Presidential Graduate Fellowships, 2008-2009

The President's Graduate Fellowships (PGF) are funded by gifts to the UNLV Foundation by the Frank Koch Living Trust for the research support of doctoral students. Four annual awards provide a $20,000 stipend, full tuition and fees, and waiver of out-of-state tuition, if applicable. Nominees must be doctoral students working primarily on their dissertation with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5. Recipients must enroll as a full-time student (at least 9 graduate credits) in each semester (Fall and Spring) of the fellowship year. Nominations are submitted through the department chair by February 22nd, 2008. \

Xavier Glaudas, Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Javier Rodriquez

Binbin Zhang – Ph.D. student, Physics and Astronomy
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bing Zhang

Barrick Graduate Fellowships, 2008-2009

Barrick Graduate Fellowships were established by an endowment from philanthropist Marjorie Barrick. Awards given to outstanding doctoral students who have demonstrated excellent scholarship during their graduate study at UNLV. Two awards are given, each offering a $14,000 fellowship with full fees paid (up to 12 credits), including all out-of-state tuition, if applicable.

Applicants must: Be a doctoral-level student; Have completed at least 24 credits of doctoral study (at the time of application); Have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5; Enroll as a full-time graduate student (at least nine graduate credits) in each semester of the fellowship year in order to devote maximum effort to doctoral study. Criteria for selection will also include demonstrated excellence in research.

Thomas Muntean, Ph.D. student, Geoscience
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Andrew Hanson

GREAT Summer Assistantships, 2008

The GREAT Assistantships are available to enable advanced doctoral, DPT, and DMA students to pursue research over the summer. The assistantship includes a monthly stipend for 3 months of $2,000.00/month, tuition support for 1-3 credits during one of the summer sessions and an unencumbered summer of scholarship.

Elana Paladino, Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Andrew Andres

Adam Leland, Ph.D. student, Biological Science
Faculty Advisor- Dr. Brett Riddle

Lauren Reynolds – Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor- Dr. Lloyd Starks

Chrysanthos Kyriakides, Ph.D. Student, Physics and Astronomy
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Victor Kwong

Summer Session Scholarships, 2008

Summer Session Scholarships are designed to enable summer study for doctoral students, however, excellent master's and specialist's students may be considered. Ten awards are given, each offering a $2,000 scholarship during the summer.

Applicants must: Have completed at least 12 credits of graduate study at UNLV (at the time of application); Have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0; Enroll in six credits in any one or combination of summer sessions; Criteria for selection will include summer plans for conducting dissertation or thesis research.

Christopher Tabone , Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor- Dr. Steve Debelle

Christine Serway, Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Steve Debelle

 Xia Wang, Ph.D. student, Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Steve Debelle

Janice Morton, Ph.D. student, Geosciences
Faculty Advisor- Dr. Brenda Buck

Alumni Scholarships, 2008-2009

Alumni Association Scholarships are awarded to outstanding master's students who received their undergraduate degrees from UNLV. Three awards are given, each offering a $1,000 scholarship for the academic year.

Applicants must: Be a master's-level or specialist student; Have completed at least 12 credits of graduate study at UNLV (by the end of the current spring semester); Have minimum UNLV undergraduate and graduate GPAs of 3.5; Enroll in six or more graduate credits in each semester of the scholarship year; and Hold an undergraduate degree from UNLV.

Becky Cox, M.S. student, Biochemistry
Faculty Advisor- Dr. Bryan Spangelo

James F. Adams Scholarships, 2008-2009

The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association established these scholarships in honor of Dr. James F. Adams, former dean of the Graduate College (1980-85), to recognize academic achievement of master's-level students. Six awards are given, each offering a $1,000 scholarship.

Applicants must: Be a master's-level or specialist student; Have completed at least 12 credits of graduate study at UNLV (by the end of the current spring semester).; Have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5; and Enroll in six or more credits in each semester of the scholarship year.

Amanda Williams, M.S. student, Geoscience
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Brenda Buck

Ognje Grubor-Urosevic, M.S. student, Physics and Astronomy
Faculty Advisor-Dr. Michael Pravica

Back to Top



President’s Research Awards (PRA) 2008

Two UNLV faculty members will receive President’s Research Awards in 2008.

Andrew Cornelius, professor, physics and astronomy department, will receive a $ 49,682 award for his project, “Investigation of Chalcogenicide Thermoelectric Alloys, Thin Films for High Figure of Merit and Devise Applications.”

Abstract: As the finite capacity and environmental pollution from fossil fuels grow more pressing, new sources of sustainable energy are key current research interests. Recently, the National Research Council (NRC)  issued a report on a study funded by the NAS, DOE and NSF that identified eight important questions to be addressed by the condensed matter and materials science community in the near future. The second foremost question in the report was "How will we generate power in the future?" One approach is to generate electric power from thermoelectric conversion. Recent incredible developments in the field of thermoelectric materials show that these materials may play an important role in fulfilling the ever expanding global energy needs. A large amount of thermal energy is available from waste energy streams associated with many industrial processes which include refining, annealing, forming and melting. Cost effective conversion of waste heat to electric power is possible with thermoelectric converters. With the recent advancements, it may be possible to increase the conversion efficiency three times from 6-8% that has been achieved in past thermoelectric generators in the past. We propose to study bulk and thin film chalcogenide thermoelectric materials with an emphasis on correlating thermoelectric properties to nanoscale structure. These studies hold the promise to guide us to finding thermoelectric materials with vastly improved efficiencies that could lead us to a clean, reliable alternate source of electrical power.

Brett Riddle, professor, school of life sciences, will receive an award of $43,251 for his project

“Integrating Comparative Ecological Niche Modeling (CENM) and Phylogeography: An Emerging Approach to Assessing Responses of Species Assemblages to Historical Climatic Change.”

Abstract: Human impacts on climate change have gained attention at the local, regional, and global levels. A major issue for natural resource managers is predicting how species and entire assemblages of species may respond to future climatic change. Our research group focuses on understanding how organisms have been effected by past climate oscillations, which will eventually provide a proxy for predicting how assemblages of species may respond to current and future climate change. We are using GIS-based ecological niche modeling, paleoecological datasets, and landscape genetics to investigate the patterns of assembly and disassembly of warm desert, cold desert, and shrub-steppe small mammal and reptile communities across the Great Basin and Mojave regions over the past 21,000 years. We will first test the hypotheses that ranges of arid-adapted species within the Great Basin were either absent (warm desert species), greatly reduced (cold desert species), or substantially shifted and fragmented (shrub-steppe species) during the most recent glacial maximum period about 21,000 years ago. We will then consider responses of the same set of species to the Xerithermic interval about 6,000 years ago (the warmest phase of the most recent interglacial period) once the appropriate paleoclimatic models become available. Collectively, the range of responses to these two climatic extremes will provide a basis for predicting responses under models of future climate change.

Back to Top



DOE INCITE Award

Changfeng Chen, physics and astronomy department and his collaborator Jihui Yang at General Motors recently received a supercomputing grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program.  The program provides computing resources at the world's largest supercomputer for open scientific research through a highly competitive and selective process.  The goal is to help solve some of the grand challenge problems in science and technology in all research fields.  The project proposed by Prof. Chen and Dr. Yang aims to unveil fundamental atomistic mechanisms of structural, electronic and lattice dynamics properties of nanocomposite materials that hold great promise for high-efficiency energy conversion applications.  The 10 million CPU hours on the 88,000-node Leadership CRAY XT4 supercomputer received by the project represent the largest ever supercomputing allocation awarded to a single project in the history of scientific computing.

Abstract: High performance thermoelectric materials are essential components of automotive waste heat recovery technology. A successful technology development would save several hundred million gallons of gasoline on an annual basis. This project will address a key issue in the study of superior thermoelectric materials, the role of nanostructural features in the electronic, lattice, and mechanical properties of nanostructured bulk materials. (PbTe)1-x(AgSbTe2)x, one of the best intermediate temperature thermoelectric materials, will be used as a model material system for this study. Lattice dynamics and stress-strain calculations will produce phonon density of states and atomistic bond-breaking process of the materials, respectively, providing important insights into the mechanisms of the phonon scattering process, structural deformation, and failure modes.

The INCITE program awards significant allocations on some of the world's most powerful supercomputers to innovative, large-scale computational science projects to enable high-impact advances. Scientists from the national and international research community request allocations on machines at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

In 2008 the Office of Science expects to award up to a quarter of a billion hours through the INCITE program. Specifically, 80% of the leadership-class Cray computers at ORNL and the IBM Blue Gene resources at ANL are allocated through the INCITE program. In addition to the leadership-class resources at ORNL and ANL, 10% of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) high-performance computing resources at LBNL and 5% of the Hewlett-Packard MPP system at PNNL will be made available to INCITE. The INCITE program is open to all scientific researchers and research organizations, including industry. The program seeks computationally intensive research projects of large scale, with no requirement of current Department of Energy sponsorship that can make high-impact scientific advances through the use of a large allocation of computer time, resources, and data storage.

Back to Top



LVIS Laboratory

The Las Vegas Isotope Science (LVIS) Laboratory, housed in the Geoscience Department, is pleased to announce the publication of the initial article with data derived from the use of this new research facility.

The article, “Carbon Isotope Evidence for Widespread Methane Seeps in the ca. 635 Ma Doushantuo Cap Carbonate in South China,” appears in Geology, May 2008, Volume 36, Issue 5, 347–350. This article is the collaborative effort of Jiasheng Wang, Ganqing Jiang (UNLV), Shuhai Xiao, Qing Li, and Qing Wei.

Abstract: Distinctive sedimentary structures, textures, and extremely negative δ13Ccarb values from the Ediacaran Doushantuo cap carbonate (ca. 635 Ma) in south China were taken as evidence for a methane hydrate destabilization event, but existing data for a methane-derived δ13Ccarb signature were reported from a single locality in the Yangtze Gorges area. Here we report negative δ13Ccarb values as low as −48‰ (Vienna Peedee belemnite) from two additional sections ~6 km and 55 km from the original locality. These negative δ13Ccarb values were obtained from isopachous cements that fill stromatactis-like cavities, sheet cracks, and fractures, and from partially recrystallized carbonate crusts, consistent with carbonate precipitation at cold methane seeps. The new data support a widespread methane release event following the Nantuo glaciation in south China (ca. 635 Ma), which may have contributed to the origin of unusual sedimentary and isotope features of cap carbonates.

Back to Top



Geosymposium 2008

http://geoscience.unlv.edu/GeoSymposium/GeoSymposium.htm

The UNLV Geoscience Department hosted the 3rd Annual Geosymposium at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History, on the UNLV campus. The symposium is student-run and designed to provide graduate and undergraduate students with an opportunity to present their original research and receive feedback from industry, civic, and government professionals as well as academic experts.  UNLV Geoscience students planned the two-day event including presentations on Friday, April 18th and a field trip on Saturday, April 19th. Oral presentations were offered on Friday morning, and the 15 minute sessions included time for discussion with audience members. Lunch, generously funded by the Barrick Gold Corporation, followed the oral presentations, and poster sessions were scheduled for the afternoon session. A review panel awarded prizes for the best presentations and posters. The day concluded with a post-symposium gathering of all students, faculty, and invited guests at a reception with food and refreshments, and a silent auction of rock and mineral specimens.

gesymposim

Students, presenting research posters, engage Geosymposium guests in discussions.

On Saturday morning, a small but enthusiastic group set off in perfect weather to the River Mountains, near Boulder City, NV, for a six-mile roundtrip hike to the Black Mountain Overlook and excellent panoramas of the Las Vegas Valley, Lake Mead, and Boulder City. Discussions addressed the volcanic and tectonic evolution of the region, the formation of magnesio-riebeckite, and the development of jarosite through hydrothermal alteration of pyrite in Tertiary volcanic rocks of the area. The group also saw a desert iguana, a flock of bighorn sheep; and numerous species of desert flora in full bloom.

The UNLV Geosymposium showcased a wide range of important graduate and undergraduate research, and provided a forum for participating students to develop presentation skills in a friendly, relaxed environment. Student research projects included such diverse topics as: soils, geomorphology, hydrogeology, paleontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, geochemistry, volcanology, seismology, structural geology, and economic geology.

geosymposim

Geosymposium 2008 award winners:  Greg Zellner, Carl Swenberg, Amanda Williams, and Lora Griffin.

Cash prizes were awarded to the best undergraduate and graduate presentations in both the oral and poster sessions. This year’s deserving recipients were Amanda Williams, who won the award for most outstanding graduate student oral presentation with her talk entitled  “Biological Soil Crusts in the Mojave: Factors of Distribution and Models of Spatial Extent.”  Lora Griffin won in the undergraduate category for her presentation on “Identification and Quantification of Mineralogy Associated with Carlin-Type Gold Deposition, North-Central Nevada.” Greg Zellner was awarded the most outstanding graduate poster award for his presentation of “Geology, Ore Mineralogy, and Source Constraints of Mineralizing Fluids, Little Giant Mine, Yavapai County, Arizona”, while the award for best undergraduate research poster went to Carl Swenberg for “Exploring the Chemical Behavior of Platinum Group Elements.”

geosymposim

Geosymposium guests: Tim Garfield and Chuck Calavan, ExxonMobil; with Geoscience Department Char, Michael Wells, and Geosymposium chair Colin Robins, (graduate student) and Adam Simon, faculty advisor.

The 2008 UNLV Geosymposium was made possible in part through generous donations from: Maureen Wruck Planning Consultants, Barrick Gold Exploration Inc., EspressoWorld, Jim O’Donnell Geophysical Consultant, Jean Cline, Judith Costa, David Ely, Linda Linden, James Mills, and Saines Environmental Hydrogeology LLC. Our silent auction was made possible with donations from Jonathan Carter, Peter Druschke, Maria Figueroa, Steven Forrester, Patrick Haynes, Bruce Hurley, of the Geological Society of Nevada, Jean-Pierre Piron, of Jewelry and Minerals of Las Vegas, David Moore, Stephanie Mrozek, Ashley Tibbetts, Greg Zellner, and Mary Ellen Zellner.

Students and faculty of the Geoscience Department extend their most heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, speakers, and guests for a successful and rewarding 3rd annual UNLV Geosymposium.

Back to Top



Middle School Science Bowl

The first Middle School Science Bowl took place on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at UNLV

Sponsors included the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, the Air and Waste Management Association, Las Vegas Chapter and the Atomic Testing Museum. The Museum provided meeting rooms and free passes for contestants, volunteers, and students. Local television coverage included a report by Channel 3 news.

Two Teams from Hyde Park Middle School (Teams A and B) finished first and second in the overall competition. The Department of Energy (DOE) provides the questions for the competition and funds travel expenses for the winning team to travel to the National Finals in Denver, Colorado on 19-22 June, 2008. 

Here are the final results.

PlaceAcademicH2 CarOverall
1st Hyde Park BHyde Park AHyde Park A
2nd CortneyGrant SawyerHyde Park B
3rdCoral AcademyFaith Lutheran ACortney
4thFaith Lutheran AFaith Lutheran BF. Lutheran A
5thHyde Park A (tie)CortneyGrant Sawyer
6thGarrett (tie)GarrettCoral Acad.
7th Grant Sawyer (tie) Hyde Park BGarrett (tie)
8thFaith Lutheran B (tie)Coral Academy F. Luth. B(tie)

Back to Top



48th Arizona-Southern Nevada Branch Meeting, of the American Society for Microbiology

The 48th Arizona-Southern Nevada Branch Meeting, of the American Society for Microbiology was held on April 12, 2008 at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Two students in the school of life sciences received prizes. Karen Levy, who studies in the lab of assistant professor Helen Wing, received a $ 200 prize for offering the best undergraduate presentation. Holly Martin,a graduate student working with assistant professor Eduardo Robleto and professor Ron Yasbin, received an award for her poster presentation.

UNLV student presentations included:

“Regulation of the icsP Promoter in Shigella flexneri,” Dustin Harrison (G) and Helen Wing, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV.

csP is an outer membrane protease, encoded by virulence plasmid of Shigella flexneri. IcsP modulates the amount and distribution of IcsA, the Shigella actin-nucleating protein, on the Shigella surface. Since actin based motility is central to the Shigella athogenicity, we chose to examine the regulation of IcsP and to identify elements in the icsP promoter that are important for its regulation. Our previous studies show that icsP is positively regulated by the major virulence regulator VirB, and negatively regulated by the histone-like structuring protein (H-NS). We hypothesize that VirB binds directly to the icsP promoter to relieve the H-NS repression, and allow transcription of the protease. Using primer extension analysis we identified the transcription start site, and putative -10, and -35 sequences of the icsP promoter. In silico analysis of the icsP promoter revealed 10 putative VirB binding sites. To identify regions of the promoter required for regulation by H-NS and VirB, deletion analysis of the icsP promoter was performed. A nested set of 8 icsP promoters ranging in length from 1368bp to 92bp was constructed. These constructs were fused to lacZ to asses the activity of each promoter using the ?-galactosidase assay. Promoter activity was measured both in the presence and absence of VirB. Results from the ?-galactosidase assay suggest that VirB binds to at least one of these VirB binding sites located at position -1239. The same 8 promoter constructs were also transformed into wild type Shigella, and Shigella lacking hns. Our results show that both upstream and downstream regions of the icsP promoter are needed for full H-NS repression. In conclusion, we have identified key elements in the icsP promoter including putative VirB binding sites. Future studies will address the mechanism of regulation of the icsP promoter by H-NS and the virulence gene activator VirB. These studies will determine whether VirB directly binds to the icsP promoter. SinceVirB has only been shown to bind to the promoter of one other Shigella gene, our studies may lead to the development of an improved VirB-binding site consensus sequence.

“The Effects of Host Physiological Conditions on the Expression of icsP in Shigella Flexneri,” Karen Levy (U) and Helen Wing- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV.

Shigella flexneri is a gram-negative bacterium capable of causing diarrhea and dysentery known as shigellosis. It is estimated there are 167.4 million shigellosis episodes throughout the world each year causing 1.1 million deaths. Shigella invades cells in the lower intestine through an induced phagocytosis. Once in the cytoplasm, bacteria move from one cell to another using actin-based motility. The Shigella outer membrane protease IcsP regulates actin-based motility and cell-to-cell spread by cleaving the actin assembly protein IcsA from the bacterial cell surface. We hypothesize that IcsP may serve additional functions during infection. By examining which environmental signals trigger icsP expression, we aim to identify other regions of the body where IcsP might function. Shigellae are exposed to an array of environmental conditions in the body. We examined the presence of bile salts, low pH, and anaerobic conditions in this study. Expression of icsP and IcsP levels were assessed in bacteria grown under each of these physiological conditions using β-galactosidase assays and western blots, respectively. Growth of Shigella strains was reduced in the presence of deoxycholate, a common bile salt, as compared to the control. In stationary growth phase, icsP expression increased when the bacteria were grown in the presence of bile salts. Growth of Shigella in medium buffered at pH 5.5 was slightly elevated (<10% more growth) when compared to bacteria grown in medium at pH 7.4. We also found that anaerobic conditions negatively impact the growth of Shigella. Expression of icsP has not yet been measured under this  condition.

Role of Transcription in Stationary Phase Mutagenesis in B. subtilis. Holly Martin (G), Ronald E. Yasbin, and Eduardo Robleto- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV.

Our understanding of how mutations are generated invokes random and growthdependent processes. Mutations arise in actively growing cells due to mistakes during DNA synthesis or unrepaired damaged DNA. Very little is known about mutagenic processes in cells in non-dividing conditions. How are these mutations generated? Answering this question will provide new insights into evolutionary processes and mechanisms that increase genetic diversity in conditions of stress in all organisms. Stationary phase mutagenesis is defined as the accumulation of mutations during conditions of no growth or conditions of stress. In cells of differentiated tissue, this process may explain the generation of mutations that lead to neoplasia. While more is known about how DNA synthesis and repair systems contribute to mutagenesis, less is known on the role of transcription in the accumulation of mutations. It has been hypothesized that when transcription is increased the accumulation of mutations will also increase. We test the transcription associated mutagenesis hypothesis by modulating the level of transcription of a defective leuC allele; our assay measures reversion to leucine prototrophy in stationary phase conditions. Transcription of the defective leuC allele is modulated by altering the amount of isoleucine in the growth medium. In reducing amounts of isoleucine, transcription of the leuC allele is increased. Our results suggest an inverse correlation between the amount of isoleucine in the environment and the accumulation of revertants. This research provides strong support for the transcription associated mutagenesis concept.

Inducible Alleles Under Selection are Prone to Mutation in Bacillus subtilis. Christine Pybus (G), Ronald E. Yasbin, and Eduardo Robleto- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV.

Stationary phase (or, adaptive) mutagenesis is a process by which non-dividing cells acquire potentially beneficial mutations as a response to stress. Although the generation of adaptive mutations is essentially stochastic, many studies in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis have demonstrated that genetic processes are involved in this phenomenon. One question, however, is how do adaptive mutations form before the generation of deleterious mutations results in genetic load? An intriguing possibility is the role of transcription in this phenomenon. Here we demonstrate in an experimental construct how transcription influences the accumulation of adaptive mutations. We placed a mutated allele, leuC427, under the control of an inducible promoter and assayed the level of Leu+ reversion in conditions of leucine starvation. Our results demonstrate that, in the presence of inducer, reversion to leucine prototrophy increased significantly. Since transcription is a ubiquitous biological process, the transcription-associated mutagenesis hypothesis is relevant to the generation of mutations in diverse organisms. Stationary phase mutagenesis can provide a strategy for escape from growth-limiting conditions, as well as contribute to evolutionary processes.

Back to Top



University Forum Lecture, Brian Hedlund, April 23, 2008

On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrick Museum Auditorium, Brian P. Hedlund, School of Life Sciences offered a University Forum Lecture entitled, “Some Like It Hot: The Microbiology of Boiling Springs in Nevada and Beyond.”

Abstract: Geothermal habitats above 163 degrees Fahrenheit are devoid of plant and animal life, yet teem with diverse communities of microorganisms. They function without carbon or energy from photosynthesis through chemolithoautotrophy, a process in which inorganic ‘foods’ like hydrogen, magnetite (magnets), or carbon monoxide (poisonous gas) are ‘eaten.’ Molecules like oxygen, sulfate (a salt), or goethite (rust) are ‘breathed’ to yield energy for growth and reproduction. Microorganisms that grow at temperatures reaching 250 degrees Fahrenheit stretch the definition of life and force us to rethink whether life exists on other planets.

Back to Top



Radiation Chemistry

Recent activities in the Radiation Chemistry Program

*    The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) appointed UNLV as the Quality Assurance         (QA) contact for universities involved in GNEP activities.

*    Representatives of the Idaho National laboratory (INL), Pavel Medvedev and Paul Lessing        visited UNLV as a first step to collaborating on fast reactor fuel studies.

*    Chemistry and radiochemistry faculty interviewed with three potential candidates for a new             position, professor in radiochemistry.

*    Ken Czerwinski, Gary Cerefice, Jamie Warburton, Nick Smith, and Troy Robinson attended           Safeguards Working Group March 4-5 at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Troy             Robinson discussed a collaboration with Sam Bryan and PNNL; Jamie Warburton discussed          a collaboration with Monica Regalbuto at ANL; and students met with George Pomeroy who             was supportive of student interactions for NA-24

*    A meeting with INL staff, Thomas Hartmann and Rory Kennedy on March 7, included a     discussion of the development of fundamental collaborative research on actinide oxides and            metals for GNEP related research.

*    Chemistry of Materials, accepted publication, “Microscopic Characterization of Uranium   Nitrides Synthesized by Oxidative Ammonolysis of Uranium Tetrafluoride” by Silva, G. W.          Chinthaka; Yeamans, Charles; Ma, Longzhou; Cerefice, Gary; Czerwinski, Ken; and           Sattelberger, Alfred.

*    Two DTRA proposal preliminary applications were selected for full proposal development on         March 10.

*    Ming Tang from LANL visited UNLV to perform synthesis of uranium containing oxides from     March 17-27.

*    Chinthaka Silva and Cynthia Gong presented at the MRS meeting in San Francisco March 23-27.

*    Cynthia Gong, KRC: Formation of U(IV) Organophosphate Nanoparticles and Monolayers from   Uranyl Perchlorate: Photoreduction Synthesis of Versatile Uranium Colloids

*    Chinthaka Silva, Gary Cerefice, KRC: Systematic Evaluation of the Ammonium-actinide-   fluoride System

*    Chris Klug and Julie Gostic invited to participate in forensics internship at LLNL, Summer 2008

*    Ralf Sudowe and Ken Czerwinski invited to Nuclear Radiochemistry Workshop at LANL April     17-18.

*    Ken Czerwinski asked to participate in FBI WMD scientific working group.

Back to Top



Physics and Astronomy Colloquium

On April 4, 2008, professor Evan Scannapieco, Arizona State University, presented a talk entitled, ““AGN Feedback in Galaxies and Galaxy Clusters.”

Abstract: For the past 10 billion years, the typical mass of star-forming galaxies has been decreasing, seemingly in direct conflict with the prevailing model of cosmological structure formation. On even larger scales, the gas in the centers of many galaxy clusters is observed to be rapidly cooling , yet this never leads to star formation on the central cD galaxy. Using smoothed particle and adaptive mesh hydrodynamic simulations, I will demonstrate that the solution to these mysteries is likely to lie in the formation of active galactic nucleii (AGN), which are capable of exerting strong feedback on their environments.  A wide range of observations are fast uncovering the details of the key role these objects  have played though cosmic time.

On April 11, 2008,  Ms. Ashley Ruiter,  New Mexico State University, presented a talk entitled, “Formation  Channels of Type Ia Supernovae and Their Associated Delay Times.”

Abstract: I will show expected SN Ia delay times for our population synthesis model calculations for various SN Ia formation channels, and discuss these results in context of recent observationally-derived delay times of SN Ia.  Further, I will comment on how the variation of model parameters (common envelope evolution, star formation history, metallicity) affect the resulting delay times, in order to constrain possible SN Ia evolutionary history scenarios.

On April 11, 2008,  Mr. Glenn Kacprzak, New Mexico State University presented a talk entitled, “Extended Halo Gas and Galaxy Kinematics in The Lambda-CDM Paradigm.”

Abstract: We present new results on the kinematics connections between the galaxy rotational velocities and associated halo gas velocities as measured in absorption. We also analyze mock quasar absorption line observations of galaxies and their gaseous halos in L-CDM cosmological simulations in order constrain the dynamic interaction of the galaxy/halo/cosmic web environment and the distribution of gas within halos.  Previous observational results from six edge-on galaxies suggest that halo gas velocities are consistent with extended disk-like rotation. We demonstrate that the gas velocities are by and large not consistent with being kinematically coupled to the galaxy over galactocentric distances of 25-110 kpc.  Mock absorption line analysis of simulated galaxies are consistent with our new observations. Together, the suggested picture in which gaseous halos are chemically enriched by outflowing shock-heated supernovae winds while low metallicity gas inflowing along filaments produces an inhomogeneous temperature, velocity, and metallicity distributions with a non-unity gas covering fraction.

On Friday, April 18th, Professor Aaron Dutton, University of California, Santa Cruz offered a presentation entitled, “"The Structure of Disk Galaxies: A Challenge to CDM?"

Abstract: The Cold Dark Matter (CDM) framework successfully explains the origin of large scale structure in the  Universe.  However, on the scale of individual galaxies there are apparent   contradictions between predictions of CDM and observations: these include the central density and angular momentum problems.  I will address the question: Are these fundamental  problems for  CDM, or  are  they simply  a reflection  of observational biases  and our incomplete  knowledge of the  physics of galaxy formation?

On Friday May 2nd, Professor Mark R. Frank, Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University will deliver a talk entitled, “"Differentiation and Dynamics of H2O-rich Planetary Bodies."

Abstract: High-pressure polymorphs of H2O are a major component in many outer planets, extra solar bodies, and icy satellites.  This study sought to examine the influence of ionic impurities on the phase stability, thermal expansion, and melting curve of ice VII.  Ice VII formed from a NaCl-bearing aqueous solution at pressures greater than 2.2 GPa and less than 500 K can be indexed by ice VII only, whereas at temperatures greater than 500 K, diffraction lines indicative of halite (NaCl) are observed and become more intense with increasing temperature and only disappear at the melting point of the high-pressure ice.  This phenomenon was observed in all NaCl-bearing ice samples that were heated to greater than 500 K.  The melting curves of ice VII formed from pure H2O and a 5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution suggest that the presence of Na+ and Cl- in the ice VII structure results in a depression of the melting curve by approximately 40 K.  The exsolution of halite from the NaCl-doped ice VII and the depression of the ice VII melting curve may promote the formation of a self segregating layer or zone deep within ice-rich bodies.  This zone could initiate the formation of salt-rich melt pockets that may ascend towards the surface and result in surface manifestations such as salt-bearing aqueous vents, unexplained domes/diapirism, and/or salt rich regions.

Back to Top



Mathematics Colloquium

On Friday, April 11, 2008, Dr. Wei Cai, UNC-Charlotte spoke at the Mathematical Sciences Colloquium. His presentation was entitled,  “Numerical Methods of Electromagnetic Phenomena in Complex Inhomogeneous Systems.”

Abstract: Fast and accurate computation of electromagnetic phenomena plays an important role in understanding the underlying physics for many complex physical and biological systems, such as lasing in optical fiber lasers, electrostatics forces in solvation model of biomolecules, and quantum transport in nano-electronics.  In this talk, we will present two new algorithm developments for applications in these areas.

* Image Charge Approximations of Reaction Fields and FMM for Charges inside a Dielectric Sphere

The reaction field of a charge inside a dielectric sphere, induced by asurrounding dissimilar dielectric medium, has applications in the study of electrostatic forces in the defect evolutions in material under extreme neutron irradiation, and hybrid explicit/implicit solvation models for biomolecules. In both cases, the long range Coulomb interactions have been identified as of primary influence in material¹s resistance to amorphorization under extreme conditions in the first case, and the free energy and the solvation study of biomolecules for the second.  We have developed new discrete image charge approximations for the reaction field of a charge inside a dielectric sphere at high accuracy with only 2-3 image charges. Based on this result, we have extended the Fast Multipole Method to calculate the electrostatic interactions of charges inside or outside a dielectric sphere. The resulting O(N) algorithm has  applications in computational materials and biology.

* A Generalized Discontinuous Galerkin (GDG) Method based on Split Distributions for PDE with Nonsmooth Solutions

To model optical wave propagations in inhomogeneous waveguides under the paraxial approximation, we need to solve time dependent Schrödinger equations with nonsmooth solutions as a result of field discontinuities at material interfaces. We will present a new type of discontinuous Galerkin method based on split distributions and their incorporations into the PDEs to account for jumps in solutions and derivatives. Special integration by parts formula for the split distributions is developed. The resulting generalized discontinuous Galerkin (GDG) method will be flexible to handle various types of interface jump conditions (time dependent and nonlinear) with high accuracy and easy to extend to multi-dimensional and other type PDEs with nonsmooth solutions.

Back to Top



Chemistry Seminar

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, Dr. William H. Andrews, founder and vice president of research, Sierra Sciences, LLC, a biotech company located in Reno, Nevada delivered a presentation, ““The Struggle to Keep Our Telomeres Long.”

Abstract: One basic quality of human life is that every time our cells divide the tips of our chromosomes get shorter. This shortening of telomeres may be the molecular clock of aging. Indeed, the shortening of telomeres has been shown to be the trigger that induces senescence of human cells grown in culture; but whether this can be extrapolated to include human organismal aging itself is not yet known.  The correlation between telomere length and age is very strong and shorter telomeres directly correspond to shorter human life expectancy, but “cause and effect” are still debated.  Finding ways to prevent telomere shortening could be an ideal way to address these issues. Several biotech organizations and academic institutions have accepted the challenge to resolve these issues and surprisingly there has been more collaboration towards addressing this paramount goal than would typically be expected. The purpose of this presentation will be to review the progress by these groups emphasizing the great successes that have been recently attained. Three companies now have compounds that induce the activity of telomerase, the enzyme that our reproductive cells naturally use to maintain telomere lengths. One of them has an organic molecule that has already been tested in a small clinical trial with the results indicating that a telomerase activator can slow down, stop, or even reverse the aging process in humans at the genetic level. The second of these companies announced that they intend to file a new drug application with the FDA for their organic compound. The third company has discovered non-organic telomerase activators. The concerted efforts by all these groups increases the likelihood that control of human telomere lengths leading to significantly longer and healthier life spans will be achieved in our lifetime.

Back to Top



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/.

Back to Top



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.

Back to Top


Related Links


Get Adobe Reader