College of Sciences E-newsletter

August 2008

In this issue:

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Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

http://sciences.unlv.edu/urop/

On August 6, 2008 the UNLV College of Sciences will celebrate the accomplishments of undergraduate students participating in the Summer 2008 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and the Research Experience For Undergraduates (REU) Program.

Please join us to view student research posters.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (public viewing)

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., (Welcome and Acknowledgements)

Place: Student Union Ballroom (Room 208)

Some 25 UNLV undergraduates and a cohort of 10 undergraduates selected from colleges and universities across the nation will mark the completion of ten-week intensive research projects with UNLV faculty members, including projects in the life sciences, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines. This important program is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Nevada Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Program (INBRE).

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) cultivates and supports research partnerships and invites undergraduates to work as the junior colleagues of faculty. The program offers the opportunity to work on cutting edge research—whether you join established research projects or pursue your own ideas. As participants, undergraduates engage in each phase of standard research activity: developing research plans, writing proposals, conducting research, analyzing data, and presenting research results in oral and written form. The projects take place over the summer, and research can be done in any academic department or interdisciplinary laboratory. Projects can last for an entire semester, and many continue for a year or more. Students use their experiences to become familiar with the faculty, learn about potential majors, and investigate areas of interest. Participants gain practical skills and knowledge they eventually apply to careers after graduation or as graduate students. Most importantly, they become involved in state-of-the-art research.

Students will present research posters, summarizing their work at UNLV. The students and their faculty mentors will be available to discuss and elaborate upon their scientific projects.

 

A SELECTION OF RESEARCH PROJECTS

Tesla Birnbaum, UNLV
mentor: Bing Zhang, assistant professor
An Investigation of the Origin of the Bimodal Distribution of Optical Afterglow Luminosities of Gamma-Ray Bursts
The determination of which properties of gamma-ray bursts and the surrounding interstellar medium contribute to the observed bimodal distribution of optical afterglow luminosities will provide insight into the physical processes that give rise to the two families of optical afterglows. Making this determination will require a solid understanding of the standard afterglow model, as well as the use of a language such as C to create programs consisting of codes that perform calculations involving afterglow parameters and Monte Carlo simulations.

Mitchell Chaires, UNLV
mentor: Brian Hedlund, assistant professor
Microbial Nitrogen Cycling in Great Basin Hot Springs
Hot spring habitats above maximum photosynthetic temperature (73 ºC) are not well understood with respect to nitrogen (N) cycling. Few predictions have been made, and even fewer measurements of in situ activities have been reported. Thermodynamic calculations based on in situ chemical and temperature measurements will be used to predict the occurrence of the specific N-cycling reactions. In addition, these measurements in two springs will aid in an attempt to cultivate ammonia oxidizing species.

Lauren Emes, UNLV
mentor: Duane Moser, Desert Research Institute
The Effects of Daily Diabetina Tea Consumption on Glycosylated Hemoglobin, Fasting Glucose, Lipid Levels and Body Mass Index in Normoglycemic Individuals.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality in the United States, especially among some ethnic minority populations. Diabetina tea, a commercially-available herbal blend tea, is a well known herbal remedy for high blood sugar among Hispanic American diabetics. This study will examine the effect of twice-daily unsweetened Diabetina tea consumption over an 8 week period on glucose (sugar) and lipid (fat) metabolism. Potential effects of Diabetina tea consumption on glucose metabolism will be measured by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose tests, while the potential effects of Diabetina tea consumption on lipid metabolism will be measured by fasting blood lipid levels, in addition to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements.

Crystal Erickson, UNLV
mentor: Lloyd Stark, associate professor
Potential antimicrobial properties of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus in relationship to the moss Bryum argenteum
Biological soil crusts play important ecological roles in arid desert regions. These crusts cycle nutrients, prevent wind/water erosion, and form the basis of food chains and soil formation in desert communities. Primary components of these structures include two desert moss species Bryum argenteum and Syntrichia caninervis, and Microcoleus vaginatus, a cyanobacterium. Our Phase I experiment strongly suggests that in an environment of intense light, a condition of stress to Syntrichia caninervis, there is an increase in shoot regeneration when cyanobacteria are present compared to when they are absent. Microcoleus is a highly motile species and our lab observations of fewer deleterious bacteria, algae, and fungi in cultures containing the cyanobacterium led us to hypothesize that the cyanobacterium may be deterring the development of bacteria/algae/fungi that can slow moss growth. The current experiment seeks to determine whether a benefit of Microcoleus to the mosses lies in its antimicrobial activity. Two microbial candidates (a fungus and a bacterium) were selected from early lab cultures and determined to impede the growth of these moss species. These microbes were then cultured individually and in combination with the moss only, with the cyanobacterium only, and with both moss and cyanobacterium together. Each treatment was allowed to incubate under simulated natural conditions of light and moisture for a period of eight weeks. Final results will be determined through biomass weights and area measurements.

Robert Kobey, UNLV
mentor: Allen Gibbs, assistant professor
Desiccation Resistance and THOR
Using microarray analysis of Drosophila melanogaster, the Gibbs lab has identified several hundred candidate genes that may be involved in desiccation resistance. One of these genes is Thor, an important downstream target of the TOR/insulin signaling pathway. Preliminary results confirm that Thor plays a role in desiccation resistance. Further research will be needed to verify these results and understand the mechanism by which Thor increases desiccation resistance. This research will also serve as a proof-of-principle for testing microarray-derived hypotheses.

Whitney Shofner, UNLV
mentor: David Hatchett, associate professor
The characterization and chemical synthesis of composites containing aniline and N-Phenylenediamine (NPPD), synthesized with palladium, will be analyzed according to recent studies [1] to confer hydrogen storage capabilities. The palladium metal will be introduced as either PdCl42- or PdCl22-. The experiments will be carried out under both acidic and non-acidic conditions forming a total of 8 different compounds. Each compound will be reduced with NaBH4 and analyzed using gas chromatography to measure hydrogen storage. Infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy will also be used to gather data concerning each compound.

Brandt Abeln, Drake University
mentor, Andrew Cornelius, associate professor
Correlated-electron systems are so named because there are strong interactions between electrons unlike traditional metals such as copper that have “free electrons” which interact very weakly with each other. Studies on correlated-electron systems have wide ranging interest from defense related issues to future use in nanoscale devices. In some of these systems, unconventional superconductivity emerges out of the suppression of magnetism. The magnetic system U3Bi4Rh3 is going to be studied as a possible candidate for superconductivity.

Samantha Combs, Eckerd College
mentor, Malcolm Nicol, professor
Density of States of Iron Solid Solutions at Ambient and High Pressures using Nuclear Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering
Nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NRIXS) of synchrotron radiation uses the energy transferred during the inelastic nuclear absorption of photons to determine phonon density of states for solid Mössbauer isotopes. This type of experiment can be conducted at ambient and high pressures with the use of a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and a rhenium gasket. Here, we are concerned with the phonon DOS of a-FePt 10% at pressures up to 30 GPa, as well as FeAl 4.3%, 6.4%, and 27.1% at ambient pressures. The iron samples used are doped in order to increase the pressure at which the alpha to epsilon phase transition for iron occurs. As the most abundant element within Earth’s core, the study of iron is fundamental in geophysics and in terms of thermodynamic modeling.

Mike Brawner, UNLV and Greg Hoth, Reed College
mentor, Pamela Burnley, associate research professor
We are studying how the mineral fayalite deforms under stress while it is subject to high pressures and temperatures. Specifically, we are analyzing x-ray diffraction spectra obtained from experiments with the D-DIA apparatus at Brookhaven national labs. By fitting peaks to the diffraction spectra, we can calculate the spacing between lattice planes of fayalite and so we can observe how this spacing changes over time as the crystal structure deforms We hope to show that this deformation can be modeled using an Elastic Plastic Self Consistent model. In such a model, the material is treated as a cluster of independently oriented grains. When stress is applied to the material, deformation takes place because the lattice planes can slip by each other. A variety of slip systems are used to model the different ways these planes can move. The model allows us to calculate the aggregate properties of the material from the microscopic properties of the individual grains.

Martin Galley, SUNY-Cortland
mentor, Michael Pravica, assistant professor
We performed Raman spectroscopic studies of 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene at elevated pressures up to 10 GPa with the aim of examining possible planarization of the molecule and further studying two prior-discovered phases of the solid with pressure. The Raman excitation source was a Krypton-ion laser operating at 674.1 nm (give wavelength).

Weldu Gebremichael, UNLV
mentor, Andrew Cornelius, associate professor
Study of Thermoelectric Materials at High Pressure
Abstract: It is of extreme importance to develop new potential energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. As a result of this, the study of thermoelectric materials, capable of changing heat into electrical energy, has become a field of great interest regarding fundamental properties. To help better understand these materials, facilities for the measurement of relevant properties at high pressure have been developed, but lack the ability to characterize the materials at high temperature and pressure. Therefore, this project has the goal of developing a heater arrangement to be used in conjunction with the high pressure capabilities already developed to fully characterize these materials.

Louis Prahl, Lewis and Clark University
mentor, David Shelton, professor
Determination of Ferroelectric Properties in Carbohydrate Glasses Using Atomic Force Microscopy
Piezoelectric Force Microscopy (PFM) is a variant of Atomic Force Microscopy, in which a voltage is applied to the scanning tip, and tip-surface interactions are used to map regions of localized dipole orientation in a sample, called ferroelectric domains. This technique will be used to image domains in capacitor dielectric ceramic material (Barium Strontium Titanate), and then applied to map domains in carbohydrate glasses. The advantage of a molecular glass is that it “freezes” the liquid phase in place, potentially allowing us to image domain structures. Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering experiments have indicated evidence of localized domain formation in polar liquids, and carbohydrates are possible candidates for this effect.

Allison Savage, University of Iowa
mentor, Oliver Tschauner, associate research professor
Spatially resolved optical absorption spectrometry and single crystal diffraction on metamict materials. The goal is to identify and characterize polyamorphisms metamict glasses. Further, we examine the hypothesis that pyrochlores do not amorphise but undergo a structural transition upon metamictization this part of the project will be conducted at the APS.

Markus Vasquez, Oklahoma State University and Lucas Wilson, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
mentor, John Farley, professor
The Study of Spinels by Laser Micro-Raman Spectroscopy Standards of spinels, composed of two metals and oxygen with the formula AB2O4­, are being created with known composition to identify spinels in samples of unknown composition by comparison with the spectra obtained from the standards. Laser micro-Raman spectroscopy allows the identification of chemical species based on their unique vibrational modes. The degree to which spinels of varying composition can be identified will be determined. This will aid in the study of the corrosion of steel by liquid metal. Spinels are a likely component of the oxide layer. Understanding the composition of the products of corrosion leads to an understanding of the processes involved in corrosion. This work is vital to the transmutation of nuclear waste.

 

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“Ocean Redox Evolution at the Dawn of Animal Life: An Integrated Geological and Geochemical Study of the Ediacaran Yangtze Platform in South China,” National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant ($454,613)

Ganqing Jiang, UNLV assistant professor of geoscience, will serve as the principal investigator and be joined by co-principal investigators Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University; Shuhai Xiao, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; and Timothy Lyons, University of California, Riverside on a two-year $454,613 grant. This innovative, multi-institution grant will engage research scientists, graduate students, and undergraduates in a project to enlighten our understanding of the environmental forces that shaped the development of early animal life on earth.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggested that major oxidation events during the Ediacaran Period (ca. 635 Ma to 542 Ma) triggered the first appearance and evolution of the Earth’s earliest animal life, but critical evaluation of the proposed linkages is limited by the lack of a detailed documentation on spatial and temporal redox (oxidation-reduction) changes of Ediacaran oceans and the responses of Ediacaran organisms to such redox changes. An integrated geological, geochemical, and paleobiological study of the Ediacaran Yangtze platform is aimed at improving our understanding of the interplay between ocean redox changes, geochemical anomalies, and early animal evolution in a rarely preserved, fossiliferous sedimentary archive. The proposed research is designed to test the following hypotheses: (1) the deep ocean was anoxic/euxinic until ca. 551 Ma; (2) episodic oxidation of a large oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir led to the formation of geochemical anomalies including unusually negative carbon isotope excursions; and (3) the spatial and temporal distribution of Ediacaran organisms was coupled with ocean redox conditions. Objectives of the research are to determine: (1) carbonate and organic carbon isotope variability across the basin to test a potential surface-to-deep ocean carbon isotope gradient that may have been much greater than in the modern ocean; (2) spatial and temporal sulfur isotope variability to test the persistence and/or fluctuation of sulfate reduction and sulfur disproportionation across the basin; (3) spatial and temporal changes of molybdenum (Mo) concentrations and Mo isotopes, iron (Fe) speciation and Fe isotopes to determine the secular redox evolution and potential redox fluctuation associated with stable isotope excursions; and (4) spatial and temporal occurrences of Ediacaran fossils and their relationships with geochemical boundaries/anomalies. The ultimate goal of the research is to integrate paleontological and geochemical data to test the coupling between redox conditions and spatial/temporal patterns of Ediacaran organisms. Anticipated data would provide important information for our understanding of the environmental forces related to a significant biological innovation in Earth history.

The project will partially support Ph.D. students from University of Nevada Las Vegas, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of California at Riverside, and Arizona State University. The project develops new collaborations between researchers at four different institutions and provides a broad training opportunity for interactions among students with different research foci. Research results will be integrated with courses taught at four institutions and will enhance undergraduate involvement in the research project at four institutions. The project will also promote international collaborations with scientists from institutions in China and Canada.

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“Mathematical and Numerical Study of Electromagnetic Waves Interacting with Metamaterials, National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant ($41,853)

Associate professor of mathematics Jichun Li is the principal investigator on a one-year NSF-funded grant for a mathematical study of metamaterials which gain properties from their structure rather than directly from their composition.

Abstract: This project is concerned with the mathematical analysis and design of robust and efficient computational algorithms for modeling wave interactions with negative index metamaterials (NIMs). These negative index metamaterials have some exotic properties (such as near field refocusing) never seen before in those natural electromagnetic materials. The numerical NIM analysis plays an important role for the design of the nano-structures with complicated geometries that establish a NIM. These NIM models are far more complicated than the well-studied Maxwell's equations in free space due to its dispersiveness, and the introduced electric and magnetic polarization currents. Solving them accurately and efficiently is quite challenging and very little work has been done in regards of solid mathematical analysis and modeling. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop an efficient set of time domain finite element methods that are mathematically sound, accurate and fast convergent for simulating wave interactions with metamaterials. Study of metamaterials is one of the hottest topics in many disciplinaries since 2000, with potential revolution in design of antenna, waveguides and radar, nanolithography and imaging at subwavelength resolution (used for better understanding of the images obtained from noninvasive geophysical probing and tumor detection), near field control and manipulation (used for detecting low levels of chemical and biological agents, manipulation of molecules), and invisibility cloak (used for stealth technology). Developing robust and efficient algorithms for negative index metamaterials will benefit broader areas such as electrical engineering, materials, optics, physics, nano-technology, and biomedical technology. Furthermore, the proposed project will help the PI recruit and train graduate students to pursue careers in computational mathematics.


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National Science Foundation (NSF) Award for Dissertation Research: "Integrating Comparative Phylogeography with Ecological Modeling to Investigate Late Quaternary Biogeography in Four Species of Kangaroo Rats (genus Dipodomys), $ 11,516

Brett Riddle, professor in the School of Life Sciences is principal investigator and graduate student Tereza Jezkova is co-principal investigator) for an $11,516 dissertation research award from the National Science Foundation.

Abstract: This project addresses the role of climatic changes during the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles on the distribution and evolution of species in the Great Basin of western North America. The investigator uses reconstructions of climatic conditions of the last glacial maximum (approximately 21,000 years before present) to reconstruct species distributions during this cold period and contrasts them with modern distributions. She then formulates hypotheses about the changes in distributional locations and sizes through time and tests these hypotheses using genetic data. She applies this methodology to four species of kangaroo rats (genus Dipodomys) distributed within the Great Basin of North America and evaluates the response of each species to climatic changes over the past 21,000 years. This research aims to effectively test general theories on how Great Basin organisms responded to past climatic change. Understanding the relationships between climatic changes, distributional changes, and population structure can provide an important foundation for conservation efforts. For example, regions where high genetic diversity has accumulated may represent areas where species have persisted through past episodes of climate change, and should therefore be prioritized as potential protected areas as the Earth experiences future episodes of human-induced climate change.


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“Lifelong Love for Science Leads UNLV Graduate to Discover Gene, by Gregan Wingert, Rebel Yell, July 28, 2008

Hiba Risheg, College of Sciences Alumnus of the Year in 2008 is the subject of a Rebel Yell article. Hiba recalls her UNLV days and her current research activities.

Click here to read the full text.

Discovering a gene was never on Hiba Risheg's to-do list when she entered UNLV at age 16. Little did she know, however, that in her early-blooming career she would discover what was previously unknown to the scientific world: the gene that causes FG syndrome, a form of mental retardation found in men.

Friends and family foresaw her incredible success before she did.

Risheg's mother, Samira Risheg, knew her daughter would embark on a science-related career path when she asked for a microscope at age six. Her mother nicknamed Risheg her "little scientist."

From this early age, Risheg's family helped prompt her success. Father, Mohammed Risheg taught statistics and economics courses as a part-time instructor on campus, from which her family lived just a few miles away. Consequently, Risheg received ample exposure to academia at a young age. "I had a great UNLV experience," Risheg recalls, "I totally grew up on campus."

A large group of Rebel alumni (mother, father, and several aunts and uncles all attended UNLV), Risheg's family tremendously influenced the path of her life – especially her cousin, Zied Risheg.

Born with a genetic disorder known as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), Zied suffers from mental retardation, epilepsy and tumorous organs. "He changed my life and my parents' lives," Risheg said. Risheg's parents continued their studies at the university in order to educate children with disorders like Zied's. Risheg, meanwhile, was drawn to another aspect of aiding those with mental retardation.

After three years at UNLV she obtained a bachelor’s in cellular and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry. Once enrolled in the masters program at UNLV, which she admits not finishing, she gained insight into human genetics while teaching lab courses. "I discovered for me this whole different world of genetics," Risheg said.

Inspired, she spent the next four and a half years earning her doctorate in medical genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After earning her Ph.D., she set off to complete a 3-year-long fellowship at the Greenwood Genetic Center in South Carolina where she discovered the HOPA/MED12 gene on the Xq13 chromosome – the gene responsible for FG syndrome.

Her success did not come without struggle. The Center, after briefly sampling 25 males with the syndrome and finding nothing conclusive, wanted to retire the search. "They wanted to put it to rest," Risheg said.

Risheg, however, was in search of a project and opted to take on the assignment. So she set off to sequence 45 different regions of 25 DNA samples, both forward and reverse. Reaching the end of her fellowship, Risheg felt irritated with the lengthy project that was rendering few results, "I just wanted to be done with it." Throughout hurdles and moments of frustration, Risheg's family supported every step of her academic and professional career.

"They were great cheerleaders," Risheg said, adding there were some moments when she didn't know if her research would amount to anything. Then finally, after nine and a half months of searching, she saw something. "[At first] I didn't think I found the gene," Risheg said, adding she didn't want to get her hopes up.

She conducted more tests on a general population of 1,000, and when she didn't find the gene in any of those unaffected by the syndrome, she started to get excited. After years of research, she found what she was looking for.

Risheg, now 30, works directing the lab at the GeneCare Medical Genetics Center in North Carolina. She has reached her goals of becoming a lab director and says she's happy with what she has accomplished. "I like being able to know that I've helped someone," Risheg said. "I want to enjoy what I've learned, and I want to keep on learning."

Lewis Karstensson, a former professor of economics at UNLV who is now retired, remembers teaching Risheg. "She was a very, very good student," Karstensson said, "It's not surprising to me, what she's accomplished in her life." Unsure of her next career step, Risheg expressed interest in teaching at the college level one day. Of Palestinian heritage, Risheg has also considered one day taking her research to the Middle East.

As for what lies in Risheg's future, her mother had no trouble trumping her daughter's modesty. "I could see my daughter winning a Nobel Prize."

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Tesla Birnbaum; Physics; Class of 2011

Tell us a little about your family life and years prior to attending UNLV?

I am the second oldest of four children, born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. My family is very close, loving, funny, and tolerant, and their support and guidance has been invaluable to me during my career as a student.

Why did you attend UNLV?

UNLV not only is conveniently close to my family, but this university also offered me amazing scholarships and opportunities that I just couldn’t pass up.

What is your primary field of study/research? Please provide a brief bibliography of publications, accepted, publications, presentations, etc.

Currently I am working on a theoretical astrophysics research project with UNLV assistant professor Bing Zhang. He is a leading figure in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and I am studying these luminous electromagnetic flashes of gamma rays that emanate from places in deep space at random times. Gamma-ray bursts sometimes exist for seconds, but can range from a few milliseconds to several minutes. The initial burst is often followed by an "afterglow" that emits longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio). We observe GRBs from orbiting satellites about two to three times per week, and the number appears to be increasing. The sources of most GRBs are billions of light years away.

I study gamma-ray bursts as part of a summer research program funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) grant. At the end of the summer I will be participating in a poster session, and my research may possibly lead to a publication.

Can you name some memorable people, places, or events during your UNLV years?

Although I recently completed my freshman year, I can already name many professors, mentors, and peers that are sources of encouragement and inspiration to me. One example would be Professor Zhang, my research mentor. Others include Professor Dr. Maria Jerinic in the Honors College and physics professor Dr. Len Zane.

How has your UNLV education contributed to your personal and professional growth?

Working hard to get my education while living on campus as part of a larger community at UNLV has definitely contributed to my personal growth in that I feel increasingly independent and responsible. Being able to participate in a research opportunity at UNLV this early in my college education has definitely contributed to my professional growth.

What about UNLV has surprised you the most?

The caliber of the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty, as well as the caliber of the Honors College Program at UNLV, and the research opportunities available to undergraduates at UNLV are certainly on this list. I look forward to finding more “surprises” as I continue my UNLV education.

What will you be doing twenty years from now?

I can see myself working as a researcher/professor of astrophysics in twenty years, but I maintain an open mind about future career opportunities.

What would someone be surprised to know about you?

My parents did not graduate from college, but they have worked very hard to provide my siblings and me with the opportunity to do so. I was not named after the famous inventor Nikola Tesla; rather, it seems to be odd chance that my parents chose the name and I ended up as physics major.

What advice would you offer a student beginning his/her UNLV education?

No matter what university you attend or what discipline you choose to major in, hard work and unflagging determination are essential to your success. When it come down to it, you – and only you – are responsible for your own success.

 

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Pre-Health Science Professional Program

The Pre-Health Science Professional Program, established on January 1, 2005 under the direction of Dr. Joseph Nika, provides advising services for UNLV undergraduates interested in careers in the health sciences, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, pharmacology, and others.

The charts below illustrate admission trends for our students to medical and dental schools. UNLV now exceeds the national percentage of students accepted to for medical and dental school by approximately 5%. In relation to the Pre-Health Science Professional Program, UNLV students who use this resource demonstrated an 86.9% acceptance rate in 2006 and an 86.7% acceptance rate in 2007 for medical school. Pre-dental applicants who used the program resources demonstrated a 92% acceptance rate in 2006 and an 87.5% acceptance rate in 2007.

The application cycle to these schools spans 15 months and is in the earliest stages for 2008, thus data for the current year will not be available until Summer 2009.

 

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“No dirt to dig up here: Soil from Nevada in D.C. debut. Orovada, the state’s official earthen resource, in Smithsonian exhibit, by Phoebe Sweet, Las Vegas Sun, July 23, 2008

This article quotes Brenda Buck, associate professor of geoscience, in a story on the designation of Orovada as Nevada’s official soil, designated as such during the 2001 legislative session.

Click here to read the full text.

 

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American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Undergraduate Research Fellowship

UNLV undergraduate Mary Ehrsam has been awarded the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Undergraduate Research Fellowship. This is an extremely competitive and prestigious award, for which ASM receives hundreds of applications from across the nation each year. Mary is working in the laboratory of Duane Moser, associate research professor at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), who observed. “Mary's project occupies a unique niche in our laboratory’s research portfolio. Mary is truly dedicated to her work and we’re really proud of her achievements in the lab and in obtaining outside recognition. Mary is contributing to the efforts of a distinguished group of researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Parks Service, and academia focused on recovering the endangered Devils Hole pupfish and other threatened species of desert oases. Our work specifically addresses microbial and microalgal communities of desert aquatic systems. Understanding life at the base of desert aquatic foodwebs will be critical to guide recovery plans and assess the effectiveness of future restoration efforts.”

The ASM Undergraduate Research Fellowship is aimed at highly competitive students who wish to pursue graduate careers (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.) in microbiology. Fellowship winners have the opportunity to conduct full-time research at their home institutions and present research findings at the ASM General Meeting the following year. In its award letter, ASM officials noted, “We strive to afford this elite opportunity to the best and the brightest rising young scientists, whom we recognize will represent the society and themselves to their full potential. For this, we applaud your determination and motivation within the sciences and hope that you will enhance your research through the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.” Mary is conducting her research project for 10 weeks over the summer of 2009. The Fellowship provides a $4,000 for a student stipend; a two-year ASM student membership, and $1,000 in travel support to present the results of the research project at the 2010 ASM General Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In accepting the award Mary noted, “A nationally competitive award such as this assists in building my curriculum vitae as well as allowing me to continue research into the summer. I believe that research is an important part of a well-rounded education in science as it permits a more direct practice of science and allows the student to work closely with a faculty member. Plus I sincerely enjoy representing UNLV's College of Sciences at meetings and now as an ASM fellow!”

Project Abstract: Located adjacent to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, Devils Hole is a hydrologic island in the desert; best known for its critically endangered Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis). Devils Hole is a tectonically-formed water-filled cavern within the discharge zone of the vast regional aquifer that underlies much of southern Nevada and eastern California. Part of Death Valley National Park, Devils Hole and hydrologically-related springs within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, NV, were among the first sites to be designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (1968).

As Devils Hole is filled by upwelling water from the deep regional aquifer via faults, we hypothesize that the microbial communities observed will be a combination of subsurface-derived microorganisms and those that grow within the limited photic zone at the surface. In conjunction with an ongoing physical and chemical monitoring program, here we describe an initial molecular- and cultivation-based characterization of microbial communities at various depths within Devils Hole as well as several deeply sourced reference springs. Intensive sampling, which bracketed a rare (e.g. roughly semi-annual) storm-driven runoff event, was also performed to document microbial community response to sporadic inputs of allochthanous carbon and nitrogen. Consistent with oligotrophic nutrient chemistry, Devils Hole consistently showed very low numbers of planktonic cells.

This project combines several proven laboratory techniques for microbial community analysis with a chemical and physical dataset being generated by Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the National Park Service (NPS). Since the cause of the decline in C. diabolis numbers remains unknown, characterization of the lower food web will have implications for endangered species preservation.

 

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“Engaging High School Students in Science,” National Science Foundation ((NSF) Research Experience for Teachers

Sara Kienzle delivered a seminar on her high school teacher experience on Wednesday July 23rd at 11:30 a.m. in BHS 134. The title of her talk was, “Engaging High School Students in Science.” Sara is the recipient of a NSF Research Experience for Teachers award and is working in the lab of School of Life Sciences’ assistant professor, Helen Wing.

 

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“The Chemistry of Integrity, UNLV professor receives national recognition for research, drive and passion exhibited,” Rebel Yell, June 30, 2008, by Laura Davis

Clemens Heske, associate professor of chemistry, was selected as one of fifteen national finalists for an Inspire Integrity Award. The Rebel Yell profiled Heske in this article.

"Integrity" means something different to everyone.

To Dr. Clemens Heske, a chemistry professor at UNLV, integrity is "humility, honesty, self-criticism and self-reflection; consistency, empathy, and diplomacy" – according to his personal essay on the subject.

It was the implementation of these very principles that earned Heske his nomination for the national Inspire Integrity Awards.

The Inspire Integrity Awards are sponsored by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, an academic honor society that invites freshmen and sophomores in the upper 20 percent of their class with GPA's of 3.4 or above.

It is the only national student-nominated faculty awards program.

According to the NSCS Web site, these awards are "presented to full-time university faculty who have, through their lessons and actions, made a significant impact on the lives of their students and instilled a high degree of personal and academic integrity."

Heske is one of 15 professors to be nominated in the nation. Three nominees are selected from five different regions of the country.

As a finalist, Heske will receive $250 dollars in personal prize money, an award certificate and recognition.

The national recipient will win $3,000 in personal take-home pay, a $2,500 contribution to his or her institution's general scholarship fund in his or her name, an engraved award, recognition at a high-profile event and media exposure.

With all these benefits, Heske says the tangible rewards are not important to him.

"To me that doesn't really matter so much," said Heske.

"The biggest honor was the initial step," or the nomination by one of his own students.

It has not been revealed to Heske exactly who nominated him. His only clue is that it came from a member of UNLV's chapter of NSCS.

The work done by Heske is unquestionably worthy of the esteem that comes with the Inspire Integrity Awards.

He works with his team on energy conversion, specifically solar energy, a subject very important in these times.

There are multiple motivations for him, both inside the classroom and out. He says that a lot of his inspiration comes from being excited about bettering the planet.

"Energy availability is one of the biggest problems in the world," Heske said. "I really think, especially [in the U.S.], the awareness of where you use energy is very low."

"It's so much fun to explain to people about energy and see the shine in their eyes."

On a local level, Heske is determined to educate people on this increasing problem.

"People here have it in them that the desert is here to use or to take. There's not the feeling that it is something to be conserved," Heske said.

So how can people start bettering the cause? Knowing where the energy is being wasted is a good start.

"My favorite example is the automatic door opener," Heske explained.

"Everyone uses them, and even though they don't convert a lot of energy into heat, there's some; and if you multiply it…"

A lot of energy is used.

Heske also expressed enthusiasm for a current campaign by Nevada Power known as the "Summer of 78," in which every household is encouraged to keep their air conditionings at or above 78 degrees.

Heske says this is a big help, especially since there is no need to keep thermostats below 78.

"Frozen buildings… I work for 10 minutes and then go outside to thaw!"

Making UNLV proud with all of his work and accomplishments, Heske's passion for both teaching and forwarding world issues has been recognized with his well-deserved award.

 

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