DISTINGUISH • Issue 1 • January 2015

DISTINGUISH A JOUR NA L FR OM THE O FFICE O F G RADUATE S TUDIES

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INDIANA INDIANAUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PURDUEUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PURDUE FORTWAYNE WAYNE FORT

BRATEAT50E CELELE BR

CE

YEARYES ARS

50

from the

DIRECTOR

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Community Members, As the Director of Graduate Studies at IPFW, I have the opportunity to work with graduate students throughout their educational experiences. This includes helping connect them to services that can help them succeed academically and gain employment in Graduate Research, Teaching, or as Graduate Assistants. Working as a Graduate Assistant provides students with the opportunity to work alongside nationally- and internationally-acclaimed research faculty, using best practices in teaching, and learning important skills that will transfer to their professional career setting.

The graduate life is what the student makes of it. There are many no- or very low-cost activities that provide students with the chance for a great night out with their fellow graduate students.

Students with families can also participate in many family-friendly events. While I love the social aspect of what I do, my favorite part of the job is promoting our students and letting their successes shine – like these great examples: • C elebrating a graduate student who received the President’s Award at an international biology conference • T he graduate student’s professional production of a Sexual Violence video for use at college campus orientations, • A graduate student coordinating and pulling off a teaching conference for universities in the region • A graduate student who teaches the first college course in a budding college teaching career.

IPFW students who graduate with a master’s degree are truly prepared for, as many say, “The real world.” Especially those students who connect with the university throughout their educational experience at IPFW.

Carol Sternberger

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contents from the director.......................................... 2 features. . ......................................................... 4 highlights...................................................... 16 a bug’s life................................................ 18 nursing...................................................... 20 graduate computer science...................... 22 about us........................................................ 29 perspectives................................................ 29

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FEATURES

Biology graduate students

Lauren Hall and

Emily Stulik share the story of their trip to the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

They were able to attend through a travel grant provided by the IPFW Office of Graduate Studies.

Q&A

Can you tell me more about the conference you attended?

Emily: It was the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Ichthyologists and herpetologists are scientists who study fish, reptiles, and amphibians.

Lauren: It is an annual, national conference that numerous organizations, professors, and students attend. It’s a great opportunity to network and see what other people are researching.

What research did you present?

Emily: I presented my research on phebian (frog) occupancy in a restored wetland. I have been working on this for two years and Eagle Marsh is where I have conducted my research.

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Lauren: I presented my research on an endangered water snake, the copperbelly. They are difficult to monitor, and I am testing a new method of using a wildlife camera to collect data.

What were some of the highlights of this experience?

Emily: Being able to attend a national conference and getting to see what other people across the country are researching. Also, being able to talk to people about my research and get feedback.

Lauren: It was insightful to talk to people in the same field as myself and getting their perspective on my research. Also, we got to attend a dinner and social networking event at the Chattanooga aquarium.

How do you think your research will impact your professional life?

Emily: I think that because of the specific way I have conducted research, it will help me get a job in government. Also, my use of a new technique for long-term monitoring, occupancy modeling, and detection probability will be useful skills for a future career.

Lauren: The entire process of my research, from designing an experiment, doing the experiment, and writing a thesis document has helped me to become more independent as a scientist.

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Do you have plans after graduation?

Emily: I am planning (at this time) on applying for a position in the Department of Natural Resources or for a conservation job.

Lauren: I am currently applying to PhD programs in Entomology (the study of insects).

What are the advantages of being a graduate student at IPFW?

For more information on Office of Graduate Studies travel grants visit: http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/graduate-studies/ • Click on “Current Students” on the right hand side • Click on “Explore resources for current graduate students” • Click on “IPFW OGS Travel Grant Information” under Financial Assistance.

Emily: We have such a strong biology department and talented professors. I feel like students can really connect with their advisors and they can provide guidance with our research. I also appreciate that my degree will be from Purdue.

Lauren: The personal experience you get with your advisor, they get to know you and provide valuable input on your research process. Also, I think that the biology department has done some top notch research, it’s impressive.

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CELEBRATE 50

YEARS

INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE

HIGHLIGHTS

Ali Alavizadeh (Assistant Professor of IET in MCET

Ali Alavizadeh

Department) and Robert Palevich (Associate Professor of the Doermer School of Business) completed a project on optimization of an assembly line roller shaft operation at a local company in Huntington, Indiana. This research will help the company assess their capabilities in ramping-up production to meet a sudden high demand. For this, they conducted several computer-simulation experiments to determine the optimum number of operators needed to complete

Robert Palevich

the ramp-up production order.

Professors Alavizadeh and Palevich presented the results of the project in the Fourth IAJC/ISAM International Conference in Orlando, Florida, in September. They are currently working on developing additional simulation experiments to further optimize the roller shaft operation.

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ALIFE

’ BUG S

IPFW biology graduate student, Chris Culkin, attended the Entomologists Society of America (ESA) conference in Portland, Oregon in November. Over 3,400 attendees participated in Entomology 2014, with the theme “Grand Challenges Beyond Our Horizons”.

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C

ulkin received the President’s Prize for best graduate poster for

his work entitled “Physiological and molecular mechanisms of drought stress in soybeans: Impacts on soybean aphid populations and virus infection”. Culkin examined several new techniques in his soybean research. In addition to bringing national recognition and honor to IPFW, Culkin also received a one-year free membership in ESA, a $175 cash prize, and a certificate. According to Culkin, presenting at a large national research conference is a very valuable experience, and also serves as a great networking opportunity for potential PhD programs and employers. Culkin graduated in December and has been applying to entomology PhD programs to begin in fall, 2015. To support his conference attendance and travel to Portland, OR, Culkin received grants from the Office of Graduate Studies, Student Life, and the Department of Biology. Culkin was the President of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) and he brought a contagious energy to the organization, not to mention an appetite for all food leftover from an event!

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NURSING IPFW

Graduate Nursing alumni have dreamed big dreams, believed in those dreams, and persisted in following their dreams. Many IPFW nursing graduate students dreamed of becoming certified nurse practitioners and leaders in nursing education and have seen those dreams become a reality.

As nurse practitioners, IPFW graduate students provide care for patients and families in clinic settings helping to improve health quality and outcomes. Some examples of scholarship include their work in helping prevent urinary incontinence in elderly patients, help in managing diabetes in poorly controlled populations, investigating office wait times in primary care settings, and examining the effect of polypharmacy on elderly patients Students select the IPFW Graduate Nursing Program for several reasons. The outstanding clinical experiences provided by IPFW provide

excellent preparation for an advanced nursing practice. One particularly impressive educational opportunity for IPFW graduate nursing students includes the inter-professional simulated and actual professional practice.

Graduate nursing students work and learn side-by-side with members of other disciplines, and practice nursing in partnership with them.

Inter-professional learning scenarios allow them to enhance their leadership skills as well as be practice-ready upon graduation.

Students enjoy the opportunity to learn clinical skills by working with actors who play the part of real patients in a simulated environment. The IPFW nurse practitioner certification examination pass rate is well above the national average, and that is attributed to the rich clinical lab and contemporary instructional methods that are hallmarks of our program.

The outstanding clinical experiences provided

by IPFW provide excellent preparation for an advanced nursing practice.

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Graduate Computer Science

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omputer specialist jobs continue to be a high growth field and are among the highest paid jobs through 2020. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts computer and mathematical occupations requiring a Master’s degree are expected to grow 26.3 percent, which is the highest growth when compared to other professors.

The Master of Science in Applied Computer Science (ACS) at IPFW reflects current trends in the computing discipline and provides students with a solid theoretical and practical foundation for careers in computing and advanced graduate studies. The ACS curriculum allows students flexibility in acquiring in-depth knowledge within chosen areas of specialization as well as core courses covering traditional areas of computer sciences.

The Information Analytics and Visualization (IAV) Center promotes and conducts research in information

analytics and visualization, information security, mobile computing, and advanced 3-D graphics providing state-of-the-art computing resources for faculty and students. to engage in multidisciplinary research. The IAV Center also actively seeks partnerships with business, industry, and government enterprise.

COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL OCCUPATIONS REQUIRING A MASTER’S DEGREE ARE EXPECTED TO

GROW 26.3 PERCENT

Among many student success stories, David Kimmey was recently selected as U.S. Air Force summer graduate student and has worked with his supervisor, Dr. Jin S. Yoo, Director of ACS graduate program and an Air Force faculty fellow. Together they conducted research work in Big Data Analytics at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory /Rome Research Site in New York during the summer of 2014. Kimmey and Yoo’s work was presented at recent international conferences on Big Data sponsored by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and ASE (Academy of Science and Engineering).

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About Us The staff in the Office of Graduate Studies variety of work that helps students to go from to proud college graduate.

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e are the first point of contact for prospective IPFW graduate students, helping to guide them through the requirements necessary for submitting a successful application. Once a student decides to apply to a Master’s program at IPFW, we work to connect them with their appropriate graduate department. If a potential graduate student isn’t sure what program best suits them, we direct them to Dr. Barton Price who provides guidance in the decision. Our office sends the admission notices (via email) and we are the “gatekeepers” of applications. Our day-to-day relationship with the applicant will last through the application process to admission. It is through graduation certification that we see all those we have assisted through admission attain their academic goals by earning their Master’s degree or graduate certificates.

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Our staff stays connected with the graduate students as we help organize social events and schedule graduate student workshops. The week before school starts in August, we sponsor the graduate assistant orientation and graduate faculty mentoring workshops. As staff members, we participate in monthly graduate directors meetings providing valuable information and training for the directors and serving as links to information for departments’ clerical staff, graduate faculty, and graduate students. A major part of our role is to help with the data analysis related to students,

admission applications, and to certify students for graduation.

Creating and organizing events for the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is another task that we gladly undertake in order to provide entertaining social events for our graduate students. Besides the behind-the-scenes crucial, administrative duties, we collaborate

(OGS) performs a wide “information seeker”

to produce this online journal. We have enjoyed developing the content, writing articles, and interviewing students and faculty for feature articles.

We hope that you find Distinguish insightful, inspiring, and hope it increases your pride to be part of the IPFW Graduate Program. Stay in touch throughout your time at IPFW as a graduate student and share your successes after you graduate – and long after you graduate.

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Perspectives from

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Graduate Assistants

IPFW

Carly Thompson, Graduate Assistant in the Office of Graduate Studies Julie Stills, Graduate Assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs and the Psychology Department Carly: In our graduate positions we both utilize many of the same skills and traits. With our creativity we bring a fresh perspective and are able to generate new and exciting events for students, faculty, and community members. Using flexibility in our positions allows us to coordinate events and effectively troubleshoot. Together we market events to improve involvement and grow the academic programs within the school and community.

Julie: I think being able to work one-on-one with students in the Psychology Department is helping prepare me for my future work as a school counselor. I have the opportunity to help schedule classes and assist students in making decisions about their academic future. Forming relationships with students via these interactions and the department’s social media pages is helping me build interpersonal skills that I hope to transfer to my future profession. In the Office of Academic Affairs I am able to help organize events from the ground up while learning new software and programs along the way. I’m able to exhibit persistence in finding solutions to problems that arise and continue to build effective communication skills that will translate well into my future profession.

Our Graduate Assistant experiences thus far have been priceless. We’ve been able to build invaluable relationships, Learn more about Grad Studies at IPFW • List of programs - http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/graduate-studies/programs/ • Give to IPFW - CLICK HERE

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DISTINGUISH IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University.

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