COSM Weekly - Issue 2

COSM WEEKLY

THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

TheCollegehasbeenapprovedforsixfacultysearchesthisyearwithaFall2024startdate. Fourpositionshavealreadybeenallocatedandthesearchprocessesaregettingunderway. Weweregivenapprovalforthetwoadditionalpositionsjustthisweek,andwe’reworking throughtheprocesswiththedepartmentchairstodeterminehowtobestusethesetwo additionalpositionsinthemoststrategicmanner.Therearepotentiallyafewadditional facultysearchesthatcouldgetunderwaybasedonsomeexpectedretirements.

AdvancedMaterials: AspartoftheinitialstepstowardscreatingaPhDprogramin advancedmaterials,afacultylinewasallocatedtosearchforanassistantorassociate professor. Thisisanopensearchthatcouldbeinbiology,biochemistry,orchemistry dependingonthebestcandidateinthepool

BiomedicalSciences: AspartoftheinitialstepstowardscreatingBSandMSprograms inbiomedicalsciences,afacultylinewasallocatedtosearchforanassistantor associateprofessor Thisisanopensearchthatcouldbeinbiologyorbiochemistry dependingonthebestcandidateinthepool.

EnvironmentalChemistry: AnassistantprofessorplacedintheDepartmentof Biochemistry,Chemistry,andPhysicsthatsupportsthePhDprograminEnvironmental Sciences.

MolecularBiology: AnassistantprofessorintheDepartmentofBiologythatmust participateinthebiomedicalsciencesprogramaswellasotherareasofthebiology department.

Forallfourpositions,IamlessworriedabouttheirteachingcoveragethanIamensuring theyhelpusgrowandexpandourresearchaswellaspreparetheCollegefornewdegree programs.

Updates From The Dean -Dean Huggins

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Herearethedetailsfortheinitialfourfacultysearchesgettingunderway: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Research Facilities

COSMCoreResearchLab

TheCOSMCoreResearchLaboratory(CCRL)isavailabletoallfaculty,staff andstudentspursuingresearchprojectsatGeorgiaSouthernUniversity. ThefacilitiesarealsoavailabletoexternalusersbycontactingDr.Brent Feske,AssociateDeanofResearchandExternalAffairs,andDirectorofthe CCLRforinformationandpricing.Internal(GSU)userpricingisavailable bycontactingORSSP(duringexternalproposaldevelopment)orDr.Brent Feske(forupdatedusagecosts).

Tocheckthepresentstatusoftheinstrumentand/orsignupforatime slot,pleasevisittheCCRLwebsite.Wealsohavetwonewinstruments! TheyaretheShimadzuLCMS-9030andJEOLECZL-440SNMR.

ShimadzuLCMS-9030massspectrometerisaquadrupoletime-of-flight massanalyzercapableofppmmassaccuracyandresolvingpowerof 40,000FWHM.HPLC(Nexera30-C4andC18columns)anddirectinjection capabilitiesareavailable.

JEOL-400isa400MHzNMRspectrometerthatisusedforsolutionbased applications.ItisequippedwithaJEOLECZL-400Sconsole,400YHmagnet onananti-vibrationplatformandaHFXSprobe.Itcanrunonfull automationwitha24positionautosamplerunit.

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NewDegreePrograms

AswebegintodevelopavisionandroadmapforCOSM,thediscussions forpotentialnewdegreeplansaremovingquickly.Itisimperativethat COSMbegintooffernewprogramsthathelpusattractstudentsthat arecurrentlynotconsideringGeorgiaSouthern. Wehavethecore programsinscienceandmathematicsthatareneededforafirm foundationforourgrowthandfuture. Withthenewenvironmental sciencesandsustainabilityprograms,theeffortshavebeguntoadd someoftheavailableinterdisciplinaryprogramsthatbothmeet workforceandeconomicneedsaswellasbeingattractivetostudents. We must continue to develop collaborative and interdisciplinary programsthatfollowthemodelofEnvironmentalScience. WehaveproposedthreenewdegreeprogramsforinclusiononGeorgia Southern’sdegreeprogramforecastreporttotheUSG. Shouldthese programsbeselected,theywillbeontrackforafall2025startdate (andyes,ittakestwoyearstocreateanewdegreeprogram!). The proposedprogramsare:

B.S.&M.S.inBiomedicalSciences

M.S.inDataScience

Ph.D.inAdvancedMaterials

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B.S.&M.S.inBiomedicalSciences-Thisprogramisproposedasa4+1 programforstudentsinterestedinpursuinggraduatestudiesina professionalhealtharea-medicine,pharmacy,veterinary,dental,etc. In addition,thereisagrowingneedintheworkforceforstudentswith advanceddegreesinbiomedicalsciencesinavarietyofpotentialcareers. Thisprogramisexpectedtobeinterdisciplinarywithinvolvementfromthe biologyandbiochemistryprogramsinCOSMaswellaspotentially programsintheWatersCollegeofHealthProfessions.

M.S.inDataScience-DataScienceisaninterdisciplinaryfieldcombining appliedstatisticsandmathematicalfoundationswiththealgorithmicand computationalthinkingutilizedincomputerscience. Adatascientistshould havethemathematicalandstatisticaltoolstocollectandanalyzedata;the programmaticknowledgetomanage,visualize,transformandwarehouse thedata;andtheethicalpracticeandaccountabilitythataccompaniesthe responsibilityoflargedatasets. Datascienceisarapidlygrowingfield.

Ph.D.inAdvancedMaterials-MaterialsScienceisaninterdisciplinarySTEM fieldintegratingbiology,chemistry,geology,physics,andengineering. The disciplinecentersonthepreparation,structuralanalysis,andfunctionalityof allclassesofmaterials.Advancedmaterialsrefertoacategoryofmaterials thathavebeenengineeredordesignedtopossessspecificandoften superiorpropertiescomparedtotraditionalmaterials.Thesematerialsare typicallydevelopedthroughinnovativeprocessesandtechnologiesandare usedinawiderangeofindustries,includingaerospace,electronics,energy, healthcare,andmore.

Thedepartmentchairshavealreadybeguneffortstoassembleworking groupstodevelopthecurriculumanddrafttheprogramproposalsfor thesedegrees. Atthistime,wearewaitingfornotificationfrom AcademicAffairsonwhichoftheprogramswillgetthegreenlightto moveforwardwiththetargetforafall2025launch.

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Upcoming Events

CelebrateTogether:ThursdayOctober12from11a.m.to3p.m. attheResidentialPlazaattheStudentUnion.

BotanicGardenishostingaLunch&Learnentitled,“Recycle

toRocks:AUniqueRecyclingAlternative”onOctober12from 12-1pm.$20.00perperson.

BiologySeminar:Monday,October2ndat11:15am.Joseph

ColbertfromtheJekyllIslandAuthoritywillpresenthistalktitled "

Informingconservationeffortsforthegeneticallyisolated EasternDiamondbackRattlesnakeonJekyllIsland. "

https://georgiasouthern.zoom.us/j/83448022001?

pwd=WThYZHlzaFNTUzhxSTY3OGEzdG9rUT09

Passcode:156909WebinarID:83448022001

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Kudos!

Dr.MitchWeiland(Biochemistry)receivedtheCareerChampion Award2023-2023fromtheOfficeofCareerandProfessional Development.

JuliaFrees(mentorDr.RisaCohen), MSBiologystudentreceivedtheSea GrantTraineeship.

Alejandra“Alex”Daniel(mentorDr. DanielGleason),MSBiologystudent receivedtheSeaGrantTraineeship.

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Weneedupdated(2023)departmentphotographs.Thisincludes research,teaching,studentclubs,labs,classtrips,andetc...Please letAshleyKingsknowifyouwouldliketosignupforatime.

IfyoudonothaveanupdatedGSHeadshot,pleasecontact JonathanChickforanappointment.

ClaytonHeller,ProfessorofPhysicsandAstronomyandDirectorof theGSPlanetariumpublishedtwopapersrecently.StellarBarsin

SpinningHalos:DelayedBucklingandAbsenceofSlowdownwas publishedintheMonthlyNoticesoftheRoyalAstronomicalSociety inSeptember2023withco-authors XingchenLi,IsaacShlosman andDanielPfenniger.

AmyPotter,ProfessorofGeosciencesrecentlypublished an articleinTourismGeographies(2023)calledPlacingAfrican AmericanmuseumsintheAmericantourismlandscape

The2023-2024FacultyHandbookhasappro n theAcademicAffairswebsite.

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News

ShainazLandge,AssociateProfessorofChemistryhas collaboratedwithGeorgiaCollege&StateUniversity,Statesboro STEAMCharterSchoolandNewtonCollegeandCareerAcademy. Theprojectwilltransferundergraduateresearchexperience(URE) asanevidence-based,successfulSTEMearningmodeltotheHigh School(HS)levelandpromoterigorousearlySTEMlearning.The programiscalledPRESS:PromotingaRuralEssentialand SustainableSTEM.

ThelaunchorientationforthePRESSprojectwasonSeptemeber

27th.TheundergraduateresearchscholarsvisitedStatesboro STEAMacademyanditwasagreatsuccess!The11-12thgraders werecurious,initiallyhesitantandlaterhadalotofquestions.