Think Magazine - Fall 2016

Graduate School FA L L 2 016

Graduate School FAL L 2 01 6

EDITOR: Cynthia Adams CONTRIBUTORS: Cynthia Adams, Natalie Hampton, Matt Shipman DESIGNER: Julie Sanders PHOTOGRAPHERS: Julie Williams Dixon, Freeman Fotographics, Marc Hall, Becky Kirkland, Laura Nichols, Darren White, Roger Winstead

Table of Contents MAGDA SORGER

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Sorger hunts for trap jaw ants and changes gears.

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Shoemaker reframes our questions about science.

ALEXANDER KAPATOS

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Kapatos wants to leave his mark on vet science.

Malladi makes her case in 3 minutes flat.

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After 48 years, Peggy Olive is still going strong.

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DUBROY AND BAILEY-LASH

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1,4-dioxane identified in the NC water supply.

CHARISSE HOLMES

PEGGY OLIVE

HARITHA MALLADI

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CATALINA LOPEZ-VELANDIA

DOUGLAS SHOEMAKER

Can certain compounds make us overweight?

READ THINK ONLINE AT WWW.NCSU. EDU/GRAD

Alumnus host SMART Scholars workshop.

ON THE COVER: Recent graduate Douglas Shoemaker at North Carolina State University’s Center for Geospatial Analytics. He currently works in geospatial research at UNC-Charlotte.

PHOTO BY: BECKY KIRKLAND

Public Document Cost Statement: 40,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $.9605 per copy.

IMAGE CONTEST WINNERS

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Capturing the beauty of discovery.

AMANDA WALTER

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The value of horseshoe crabs to vaccines.

A Message From the Dean

I AM PLEASED TO INTRODUCE THINK, A MAGAZINE WHICH LINKS YOU WITH GRADUATE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENTS AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY. WE BUILT OUR FIRST ISSUE OF THINK AROUND BIG IDEAS. HERE’S WHY:

F R E E M A N F OTO G R A P H I C S

T

he NC State University campus comprises many acres. Yet

tainted water from the Cape Fear River Basin. Only a half mile further

scholarship at the university spreads beyond what was

away, GPS technologies are being used to model how sea level changes

once a traditional campus with discrete boundaries. One of

may alter our coastline and our environmental future.

the benefits of the Graduate School’s vantage point on the

And yet, there are no finite boundaries for NC State University, and

Centennial Campus is our witnessing the incredible fusion

the big ideas of its past, present and future scholars as they are launched

of opportunity with academics.

into the greater world.

Researchers, projects, big ideas and big breakthroughs are being

born right here.

lecturing in our campus classrooms, and leading discussions around the

The wafting construction dust is a constant reminder that opportunities are being formulated alongside visionary scholarship.

NC

State

Big idea people are walking across campus this very moment,

integrates

research,

innovation

and

scholarship

world. Our amazing Hunt Library abounds with them.

It is exhilarating to witness our evolution—the extraordinary merger

with

of graduate education and opportunity at NC State University! What a

entrepreneurship, one weaving into the other. We are thinking and doing,

wonderful thing to Think about! Please let us hear from you! You will notice

as is our mission.

on the attached envelope we want to share your amazing stories. 

Here are only a few examples. Nearby, a toxicology team ponders how to make personal products safer. In another facility, a student seeks to unlock the mysteries of cancer. Another research team tests potentially

MAUREEN GRASSO

Email us at: success-stories@NCSU.edu

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Magdalena Sorger

a M gDaa

Evolution of a Would-Be Businesswoman into a Scientist

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

In 2006, Magdalena Sorger was just starting her last year at the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Austria, her place of birth. “I was focused on my goal to have a career in business as a management consultant in a big company and earn tons of money. And then I went on my exchange semester to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and decided to take a biology class in addition to my business classes, just out of curiosity, to get a glimpse of a different field since that is not something the Austrian university system typically encourages.”

There is a sense of deep joy in Sorger, having battled her way from being pegged joylessly in business to life as a scientist. She had to overcome a lack of scientific background to win her place within the scientific community at NC State—plus, she had to win over her parents, who presumed she would follow in her father’s footsteps in business management. This is her story.

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B E C K Y K I R K L A N D, U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

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agdalena Sorger has a picture of herself wearing a

“I’m so happy,” she says—and not only because she is celebrating the

smart, conservative business suit, looking officious and

completion of her doctorate. She is living a dream and has reimagined her life.

somber. In the picture, her dark hair is smoothed and

She grew up in one of Europe’s most renowned cities and was three

her expression is all business. The image was taken

courses away from an MBA degree and a life in management consulting.

circa 2008, just before she graduated from business

There was the allure of financial success and all the trappings—an expensive

school with an MSc in International Business Administration. For contrast,

car and apartment. But the powerful tug of an animal behavior class taken

she shows another of herself after she abandoned the pursuit of business.

during studies in the United States, her favorite classroom experience ever,

In this picture, Sorger looks every inch a scientific adventurer, wearing

changed her destiny.

safari-beige and green garb, a backpack and standing in a forest, as if she

“It was the best class I had experienced, but not in my field…there was

was caught mid-frame in a Wild Kingdom documentary. Her hair is pulled

a moment in this class that stood out. They showed the ants (trap-jaw ants)

into a messy pony tail; you can see the sweat beading on her skin and can

flying in the air, jumping backwards.” After class she waited to talk with the

taste the peculiarly acrid taste of life in the wild. She hasn’t bathed in a few

lecturer. Sorger was enraptured—she felt something she had never known

days. She probably hadn’t slept much either, on the hunt for trap jaw ants.

in former classes, discovering in this one elective course how much she was

Sorger beams joyfully in this shot.

intrigued by science.

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ANT SPECIES SIZES AROUND THE WORLD

COMMON SUGAR ANT

SOUTHERN FIRE ANT

NORTHERN WOOD ANT

Sorger also describes her affection for America, with its sense of adventure, discovery, and even pop culture. (As a teenager she liked the

AFRICAN ARMY ANT

AUSTRALIAN BULLDOG ANT

here it is! In my hand!” She visited Mayan ruins , and went off to do other things with guides, including a two-day hike into the jungle.

film American Pie.) By the time she was 17, Sorger already knew the words to

“There in Guatemala, I knew I always liked the idea of being like Lara

the American anthem, and memorized all the American capitols following

Croft or Indiana Jones, but I didn’t know if I would be cut out for it. Then

an American holiday with her parents.

and there, I knew I was, I loved it…I was so in my element. So I came back to

But thanks to that science class, she was also positively in love with ants. “Ants,” she chortles. “I couldn’t explain it.”

But was she in love with business? Not so much.

Vienna—with all these insects I had collected…and had no time because I’m in this internship, not yet making money. And I think that was good because I could have been distracted by money.”

“All of this went hand in hand with self-discovery,” she marvels. “I don’t

Sorger remained in touch with the Illinois teacher who had ignited her

know if I found the ants or the ants found me. A friend said to me, when he

scientific passion. “Chris Smith, the teaching assistant, put me in touch with

heard I switched to ants, ‘I thought it was interesting you chose something so

people. I wrote about 15 professors at universities. I told them I loved ants,

unpopular when you are so driven.’ I told him, it chose me.”

I want to come study…I guess at that point, the decision happened. I was

Sorger found through the study of ants what she loves best.

scared to tell my parents and friends. My father is a very serious, career-

“Towards the end of the class, the teaching assistant said, ‘Let’s stay

oriented person.” She found entry into the scientific community at NC State.

in touch.’” She was 24 and still had a business thesis to complete. After

And yet, Sorger decided she had to tell her family. Her friends were

completing her studies, Sorger also traveled with friends for nearly three months to visit Hawaii, Yellowstone Park, and Las Vegas, ending her journeys in Montreal. During these trips she paid greatest attention to insects.

incredulous.

“I think they thought I was crazy. In general, my mom reacted like a mom: what makes you happy makes me happy. My father is from a generation when

“I took pictures of them…I found ants and spiders interesting. And

getting an education was a privilege. He’s a realist…in addition to worrying

then, at some point,” she snaps her fingers, “something happened. And

about money.” But Sorger was adamant. “What had happened at that point

when I looked at an ant, it did something within me. The best way to explain

was, I didn’t care about money anymore.”

that is love.” She laughs heartily.

Three years later “with a great deal of passion and determination to

In 2008, after finishing her master’s, she joined an expedition to a

study ants for the rest of my life, two years of learning and working at

research station in northern Guatemala. “The ant diversity was way beyond

the Natural History Museum in Vienna, a year of basic biology classes at

anything I had seen. I was in a bungalow with no electricity or light…doing

the University of Vienna, a trip to Guatemala and Borneo…I’m a biologist,

field studies.” And Sorger was euphoric, collecting ants and beginning to

exploring the tropics, chasing around ants in the jungle, answering exciting

grasp how much she would need to learn to conduct research. “I saw army

science questions,” she says proudly.

ants; and trap jaw ants. I was jumping around—this animal I’ve learned about,

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Sorger eventually left Vienna behind, famously one of the world’s

LAUREN M. NICHOLS

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most livable cities (recently voted among the top three) and also a sure-fire

induced physical pains in her chest prior to her preliminary examinations.

money-making life as a consultant to find fulfillment and a dream fulfilled

She had felt extreme pressure to catch up on a number of science courses

as a scientist in Raleigh at NC State. For her, this was a paradigm shift, a

in order to qualify as a doctoral student. That pressure dogged Sorger.

triumph and the realization of a passion. It was also a chance to prove

She tackled the confidence issue and volunteered for scientific

sometimes life offers second chances, and sometimes it is worth it to make

lectures. Since then, Sorger has given frequent lectures to general audiences

the sacrifice to change direction.

here and overseas, coming to love opportunities to discuss ant research.

Her final doctoral topic was “On ants, islands and evolution,” she explains proudly. “I got lots of nice feedback.”

“When I go back to Vienna I’ve given talks at the Natural History Museum, which is so old it was built before electricity. I have also given

Was it easy? No. Was it vital to her fulfillment? Yes.

a talk at the Daily Planet in the Nature Research Center in Raleigh.” All of

“I just presented my work,” Sorger announced, with a huge smile last

which, she says, helped her in her doctoral defense preparations.

November. The Rubicon passed, she reflected from a meeting room in the

Encouraged by successful speaking experiences, Sorger explains her

Hunt Library. Sorger, now age 32, wore a black shirt, red pants and boots

doctoral research by talking about islands, and what makes them interesting

rather than the business suits she formerly wore.

as systems, weaving in the work of evolutionary scientists Charles Darwin

“For the first time, I understood the impact of my work within the

and Alfred Russel Wallace. Her work followed their lead, in realizing how

scientific community. I felt the shift from looking up to them and learning

ecological systems shape natural selection. “Islands are not just ocean

from them…I became a colleague and built that self-confidence.”

surrounded, but can also be a lens through which we see things—cities as

Her new-found self-confidence was a giant leap from the end of her third year as an NC State graduate student, when Sorger developed stress-

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islands, and city parks—on different scales.”

As Sorger laid out her academic defense, she built the progression of

her research as if sharing a research journey around the world. Her thesis chapters tied into Florida, Borneo and Ethiopia, each places with island-like systems where she has gathered research.

“In Florida, I studied ancient sand ridges that at some point corresponded to shore lines. These ridges are like islands because they have been isolated for a long time and now have unique ecosystems. There is an ant species that only occurs on two ridges and could have been separated for up to a million years.”

Sorger knows she has career options in academia, a museum setting, or a research institution, given her additional business background. “When I started, it was from a perspective of business is bad, biology is great. But as I’ve gone on, I realize if I had done things the other way around, I would have wound up in the same place. I also see my mission and purpose. This is how I can connect with people. The challenge (now) is to find the job that lets me be the most useful but in a purposeful sort of way.”

Her parents came to NC State for her final doctoral defense, which was held in Gardener Hall. Sorger talked for nearly an hour as her visiting parents watched proudly. “It felt great.”

She says she is deeply grateful to them and to others within the academic world who nurtured her dream when it looked nearly impossible.

In an online post, she wrote: “I couldn’t have done it by myself, when I was armed with nothing but

Settings Where Scientific Passions Were Stoked Top: The Daily Planet in the Nature Research Center

my passion for ants. I had amazing support from people who believed in me,

in Raleigh, NC. Sorger has lectured here and at her

facilitated, encouraged and taught me. Dr. Herbert Zettel (Natural History

favorite museum back home in Vienna. Bottom: The

Museum Vienna), Dr. Chris Smith (Earlham College, Indiana), Dr. Martin Pfeiffer (National University of Mongolia), Dr. Andy Suarez (University of

Natural History Museum in Vienna. Before changing her discipline and arriving at NC State as a doctoral student, Sorger found support for her love of

Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Dr. Rob Dunn (North Carolina State University).

entomology thanks to museum friends and academics

Thank you.”

she met throughout her journey.

But Sorger herself has undergone an evolution of her own, and successfully segued from a life as a businesswoman to life as a grateful scientist. Today, she holds the freshly-earned doctorate to prove it. 

 NCStateGradSchool/Magda

“IN GUATEMALA, I KNEW I ALWAYS LIKED THE IDEA OF BEING LIKE LARA CROFT OR INDIANA JONES, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IF I WOULD BE CUT OUT FOR IT. THEN AND THERE, I KNEW I WAS.”

—MAGDALENA SORGER, NC STATE GRADUATE SCHOOL

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B E C K Y K I R K L A N D, U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

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Douglas Shoemaker

The Visionary: At the Computational Frontier, Envisioning Responsible Environmental Change

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

Douglas Shoemaker, who completed his doctorate this year, trained at NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics before accepting a directorship at the Center for Applied GIS at UNC-Charlotte on July 1 this year.

His forte is a meshing of ecology, geospatial analysis and time-space modeling. He uses “an ecosystem services lens to explore and quantify linkages between human and environmental systems, providing analyses of pressing global resource and sustainability concerns.”

Douglas Shoemaker, landscape ecologist, is one part pragmatic straight-talker, and one part visionary. He may make a point citing the science fiction film Jurassic Park, or the work of a Nobel Laureate. He is passionately invested in changing both the landscape we know and that of the future, working within what he calls the computational frontier.

“I focus on impactful publication and produce analyses that are contextually relevant, scientifically rigorous, and legally and economically credible.”

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S

hoemaker tackled other frontiers before returning to academia. Despite his youthful appearance, he spent years in industry before exchanging a briefcase for a backpack full of books. Then, as now, he was equally invested in the natural world, preferring to cycle rather than drive. He did not fit the

traditional mold of doctoral students—for one thing, he is presently the parent of two teenage daughters (ages 19 and 16) as well as a son, age two.

Shoemaker’s studies while at NC State integrated ecology, geospatial analysis and time-space modeling. He describes using “an ecosystem services lens to explore and quantify linkages between human and environmental systems.” Dynamic spatial-temporal modeling, a tangible component of Shoemaker’s research, investigates urbanization and its impact on socio-ecological systems.

While the work sounds esoteric, it addresses the pressing issues of our time and influences public policy. Landscape ecology is an evolving science, one which studies the relationships between environments and ecological processes. In examining ecological processes, landscape ecologists consider spatial patterns as they occur in different landscapes.

They address both research and policy, with an eye to improving them.

Data—in a dynamic form—springs to life, becoming three-dimensional and relatable, rather than static pages of charts, algorithms and statistics. Photos

MOVING FROM MANAGEMENT RANKS TO ADDRESSING THE BIG QUESTIONS OF OUR TIME Shoemaker feels a need to reframe our questions about science. He isn’t

at top and on following pages by Becky Kirkand,

a dystopian thinker, yet not a utopian either. He merges interdisciplinary

University Communications

studies in ecology, geospatial analysis and time-space modeling, and draws upon the work of economists and philosophers. His extensive experiences in the business world grounded him in practicalities—a perspective he draws upon now. While climbing the tiers of upper management, he worked in large urban centers in northern Virginia and Boston. He “kept running into really smart people” in Boston—meaning, ones who were smart and degreed. Shoemaker was smart, successful, but not degreed.

“It bothered me,” he says frankly.

The fact that he had flunked out of undergraduate school rankled Shoemaker, despite his business achievements. He banked enough to return to school at age 39, graduating with honors. “I finished at University of Massachusetts at Boston in 2003 with a B.S. in Biology, summa cum laude.

(But) I had a laugh thinking about my lab partner in Physics II...we had a great time, but he was stunned to discover I was the same age as his dad!”

Shoemaker then entered graduate school at Florida, where he developed a method to measure the amount of climate-changing carbon dioxide absorbed by trees via analysis of satellite images.

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Shoemaker accepted a research position at UNC-Charlotte’s Center

runs, be able to instantly visualize the trade-offs,” he says. “As scientists,

for Applied Geographic Information Science and became acquainted with

we’re objective and we find multiple solutions to complex problems.

Ross Meentemeyer.

Sustainability is not about a single best answer: It’s about trade-offs.”

“I met Ross in 2005, interviewing for my first real job after getting my MS in Forestry from Florida.”

At the Center for Geospatial Analytics, spatially explicit, emergent models allow faculty and students to simulate problems as diverse as

In 2013, Meentemeyer joined NC State’s Center for Geospatial

flooding, or ill-planned urban sprawl. The models use data to precisely

Analytics, and Shoemaker followed, enrolling in the doctoral program. At

and dynamically demonstrate the impact of a proposed highway, for

NC State, Meentemeyer became his advisor.

example, or of a controlled burn, or of sea-surge on the coastal regions.

He has high praise for his mentee. “Doug is one of two students

Data—in a dynamic form—springs to life, becoming three-dimensional

working on a new physical user interface that allows anybody to model and

and relatable, rather than pages of charts, algorithms and statistics. Policy

visualizes changes in landscapes, a software/hardware framework we call

makers, for example, can witness authentic demonstrations of ecological

“Tangible Landscapes,” says Meentemeyer. “Think of Google Earth meets the

impacts and virtual outcomes.

playground sandbox: It scans the sand, and when you push the sand into a hill, that hill appears on the screen and in the map,” he explains.

Shoemaker points out that two of North Carolina’s key economic interests, agriculture and tourism, depend upon one basic thing: fertile soil.

“Doug is conscious of the interface design. He looks at why is it

“Nothing works unless there is some widespread recognition of the

relevant and practical. He wants to make it easy to investigate whatever

role natural capital plays in our economic systems and our wellbeing. To

variables users think are important in the landscape, and after the system

sustain it, we see the need for fertile soil, clean water,” he says.

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DOUGLAS SHOEMAKER’S WORK BRIDGES SOCIAL AND NATURAL SCIENCE APPROACHES, ENABLING HIM TO CONDUCT A WIDE RANGE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY AND COLLABORATIVE STUDY.

At NC State, Shoemaker was able to pursue interests in ecology and study

Heterogeneity and Urban Pattern in Modulating Ecosystem Services’ in

how ecosystems changed over space and time.

late March and graduated in early May.”

On a personal level, there were more lessons concerning time. While in the business world, Shoemaker says, “I loved time management.” As

For Shoemaker, a Ph.D. is the ultimate brass ring, which he grabbed and held tight despite multiple challenges.

a doctoral student at NC State, those skills were also put to the test.

Shoemaker has successfully joined the “really smart people” ranks,

He commuted weekly from Charlotte, keeping a Raleigh apartment and

he jokes. A sense of humor and a sense of a bigger vision has seen him

juggling an active family life back in Charlotte. He is pleased that he

through the journey.

powered through his dissertation and graduated in the spring of this year.

“On planning the re-entry into academia, I engaged in a ‘limitless’

Shoemaker’s dissertation concerned the question, “what does a

dream exercise where I asked myself what would I do every day if there

benign landscape look like?” He elaborates, describing his notion of just

were no barriers. After some thought, I settled on a conundrum that had

such an environment. “We live closer together, we build close to the tops

held me, one where my favorite trout hole was right next to a road, the

of the hills, not down near the streams and wetlands. We use porous

valleys being the only place for level roads and the low spot for water. The

building materials. We process a lot of things on site. We compost. We

stream was being polluted by MTBE, the winter additive for gasoline in

process waste on site. If we don’t sprawl, we have plenty of room. You

those days, and I realized that place, and specifically the location of roads

could take everyone on the planet and give them a garden apartment, and

and streams relative to each other, had to be understood in order for any

they would all fit in an area the size of Texas.”

successful protection of the water. My dream then was to explore the

“Amazingly, I did everything ‘on schedule’” he emailed in late June.

interplay between (physical and built) topographies and ecosystems, and

“I successfully defended my dissertation, titled ‘The Role of Spatial

report my findings so we as a society could protect our natural heritage.”

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The dream he carried became reality.

Then Goldblum sets out to demonstrate unpredictability by pouring

“While all this was happening, I was able to apply for a half-dozen

water onto a hand, asking observers to predict which way the water will

openings around the country,” says Shoemaker. “I was delighted to find

trickle. Will the water roll off her thumb, or finger? Will the water roll the

a relative abundance of opportunities for my qualifications, which I

same way, each time? He demonstrates the water changing course. “Why?”

understand is not the typical academic job-hunt reality. I made the final

the fictitious scientist asks. “Because tiny variations, the orientation of

cut for three positions.” He chose the one which landed him back in

hairs on your hand, the amount of blood distending from your vessels,

Charlotte where his graduate studies first solidified.

imperfections in the skin…all vastly affect the outcome.”

“I will be Director of Research and Outreach at UNC-Charlotte, and

Tiny variations change outcomes, with impact within and beyond

spend much of my time conducting and communicating research,

complex systems. “It’s hubris to think that we can control things from the

developing new ideas for research funding, and cultivating collaborations

top down,” Shoemaker points out. Eventually, top down decision-making

among the Center’s grad students, and, other internal and external faculty.”

–and a dose of hubris—led to the dramatic unraveling of Jurassic Park.

Now, he envisions a world wherein proactive human agency works

Shoemaker is further frustrated by how poorly scientific matters

towards building the common wealth—or the common good. As a former

are related to the public. “I’m well aware that things don’t work well. I

New Englander, Shoemaker grew up with the everyday idea of a “common

battle with science communication,” he says. To succeed as a landscape

wealth” he says, and that has influenced his geopolitical reality.

ecologist, he knows their work must be viewed by the public as relevant

For Shoemaker, there is an urgent need for this sort of meaningful

and relatable if a truly benign landscape can occur.

discourse about human agency and the environment. In his expansive

This brings Shoemaker back to modeling physical outcomes in

vision for the future, there is ample room and resources for everyone

demonstrable, tangible ways. It is a useful tool in the hands of a visionary,

on planet Earth—that is, if we consider the common good. “Things can

because the dynamic models they build are easily understood by those

happen,” he says with conviction.

outside the scientific community. It is a tool for the common good, and

Shoemaker mentions a scene in the film Jurassic Park in which a

can and does influence those beyond the Center’s halls.

scientist played by actor Jeff Goldblum discusses chaos theory. The

The Center’s research, and Shoemaker’s passion, can shed light—and

actor explains that chaos theory “deals with unpredictability in complex

a better understanding—upon ecological matters for policy shapers and

systems. The shorthand is the Butterfly Effect. A butterfly can flap its

makers, and the public. And, infuse a healthy dose of hope. 

wings in Peking and in Central Park you get rain instead of sunshine.”

 NCStateGradSchool/Douglas

north Carolina State University College of Natural Resources Center for Geospatial Analytics As the technological and intellectual hub for the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program in Geospatial Analytics, the Center for Geospatial Analytics ignites novel collaborations across several Colleges to advance geospatial frontiers.

Advancements in geospatial analytics are rapidly transforming science, society and decision-making by helping us understand spatial aspects of built and natural environments, and communicating location-aware information among people and places. The power of spatial computing is seen everywhere. Industry uses geospatial analytics for building site selection, mobile navigation, and asset tracking. Scientists use geospatial tools to track endangered species, predict infectious disease spread, monitor sea-level rise and understand global population dynamics. In the classroom, students are learning new critical thinking skills to structure problems, find answers, and communicate solutions using the properties of space.

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Catalina Lopez-Velandia

W

R E T A

WARRIO

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 Catalina Lopez-Velandia  Monitoring Drinking Water In North Carolina’s Largest Watershed

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

Lopez-Velandia completed her master’s at North Carolina State University earlier this year. Her work caught the attention of fellow scientists and gifted students alike when she recently received third place at the Graduate Student Research Symposium for her research concerning 1,4-dioxane in the Cape Fear River watershed.

This honor was one among numerous awards Lopez-Velandia has won for research that has taken her across North Carolina’s largest watershed. Her research has ascended in a field populated by talented scientists. She also won first place at the 3rd annual Latin American Student Association Research Symposium, took first place at the Environmental, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering Research Symposium and second place at the North Carolina American Water Works Association student poster contest.

The many awards affirm her seminal work with NC State professor Detlef Knappe, whose research focus will help safeguard North Carolina’s drinking water. Here’s why you should know about this endeavor.

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W J U L I E W I L L I A M S D I XO N

hen environmental engineer Catalina Lopez-Velandia turns on

weren’t aware of its concentration levels, primarily because they were not required to

the water tap, her thoughts are on many things.

test for it. This year, the presence of the chemical was reported in the Washington Post a month after Lopez-Velandia defended her graduate thesis.



Although the water flowing from the tap may look just as water should, and may smell and taste as tap water normally does, it may not be as pure as it seems.

What is invisible to the eye most concerns Lopez-Velandia. However, she also

For the past two years, Lopez-Velandia has been analyzing water supplies in the Cape

knows it is nearly impossible to filter out the chemical she has been studying over the

Fear River basin for the presence of 1,4-dioxane. Her professor, Detlef Knappe, was

last two years—one that shouldn’t be present.

initially tipped off by a colleague about the presence of 1,4-dioxane in North Carolina.

Lopez-Velandia is specifically looking for an unregulated contaminant called

Soon, the Knappe research group discovered that 1,4-dioxane concentrations in the

1,4-dioxane. The chemical is a by-product of some plastics and surfactant production

drinking water of many residents in the Cape Fear Basin were higher than in most

processes, and it is also used as a solvent in a variety of manufacturing processes and

other locations in the United States. This was worrying, especially given that the basin

products. It is found in waxes, paint strippers and varnishes. 1,4-Dioxane has been

is North Carolina’s largest watershed, serving as a source of drinking water for about

identified in the water supply of many North Carolina cities. It shouldn’t be there.

1.5 million people.

It took a lot of tedious sample-taking before the research team understood the sheer scope of the problem.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 1,4-dioxane as a likely human carcinogen. But it was largely overlooked by treatment facilities—treatment plants

Knappe wanted to know why such high 1,4-dioxane concentrations occurred. In order to do so, he had to get to the source of the contamination.

How was this solvent getting into our watershed?

“1,4-dioxane is widely used in many different applications,” explains Lopez-Velandia.

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

W



J U L I E W I L L I A M S D I XO N

“In the past, it was thought of as a ground water contaminant because it coexists with the solvent 1,1,1-trichloroethane, or TCA. TCA had ozone depletion potential so it was

Only a few years ago, Lopez-Velandia was still living in her native Colombia. Having

banned in 1995. As a result, 1,4-dioxane usage decreased.”

earned two undergraduate degrees in environmental engineering and in chemical

Despite the ban of TCA, the levels of 1,4-dioxane found in the Cape Fear River

engineering from the Universidad de los Andes, she worked in a small Bogota,

Basin were high. The chemical 1,4-dioxane is a by-product in the production of

Colombia firm designing water treatment plants. The engineer, a small-framed woman

plastics and surfactants, and it is also a solvent used in textile and specialty chemical

with dark hair and warm, lively eyes, was then only 24 years of age.

production, among its many applications. It is also commonly found in detergents and

She found the consulting work both useful and meaningful—two things that

personal care products, such as shampoos and cosmetics—all of which are discharged

were important to her. Absorbed by the work, water treatment, Lopez-Velandia also

regularly into wastewater.

grew more interested in extending her professional knowledge.

How long had this been a concern?

“It is hard to say,” she replies by email. “But the first detection of 1,4-dioxane

In 2013, she began investigating postgraduate studies abroad in the United States in earnest.

in water from NC was in a water sample that was collected in 1982 by Andrea

“While I was working, I was also searching for programs and professors with a

Dietrich, then a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. Although 1,4-dioxane was detected, no

strong water treatment emphasis. I found Dr. Knappe at NC State. I read his work and

concentration levels were reported at that time.”

knew that was what I wanted to do.”

Contamination of the water supply by 1,4-dioxane is especially problematic

She made contact with the professor. Knappe replied, and his response was

because most drinking water treatment processes are not effective for 1,4-dioxane

positive. Lopez-Velandia felt confident that this was the mentor she wanted to study

removal. Also, Lopez-Velandia showed that commercially available household filters

under; then, she began looking seriously at life in the Carolinas.

were not effective for removing 1,4-dioxane from tap water.

16

Lopez-Velandia quickly admits that she knew nothing about the culture of the

South, and nothing at all about Raleigh, North Carolina. An older sister lives in Miami

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), we located waste water treatment

with her family, yet Miami was a significant distance away from Raleigh. She began to

plant discharges and started mapping them within the Cape Fear River watershed.

research the Raleigh area to determine if this was an environment where she could

We sampled upstream and downstream of each wastewater discharge to identify

enjoy living as well as studying. She relied largely upon what she could glean from

1,4-dioxane sources. We could quickly see a clear pattern. Some locations always

the Internet. She noticed something specific that interested her about Raleigh. Nearby

showed a large increase in 1,4-dioxane concentrations and others did not.”

was a place named the Research Triangle Park. Lopez-Velandia dug further.

The researchers noted variations in the point sources and streamflow. She

“After I researched the University, I was attracted by a small city having such

explains there were two key factors affecting 1,4-dioxane concentrations: source

a wide academic variety. I realized you had the Research Triangle Park, Durham and

variability and streamflow. Yet the concentrations of the contaminant were high—

Chapel Hill. The Raleigh area has great academic institutions, but the advantage of a

much too high.

The research work undertaken involved a full year of monthly sampling at 47

small city.”

Raleigh was only small if you considered Lopez-Velandia’s roots. By contrast,

locations across the watershed, Lopez-Velandia explains. It required difficult, tedious,

Bogota is a city of nine million. “It would take me two hours to drive from home to

and methodical sampling. “There are so many variables—that is the biggest challenge,”

work,” she adds, grimacing. As Lopez-Velandia studied the statistics of the Research

she admits. They pursued their data collection, returning to the field to take samples

Triangle area, she thought, “This sounds like a very nice place to live and work.”

again and again. The repeated sampling attempted to capture different environmental

Her father, a lawyer, was adventurous by nature, and inspired her to be as well.

conditions such as variability in stream flow.

“At 16 years of age, my dad left his family to move from a small town to Bogota.

The results were clear. Knappe’s team documented identifiable hot spots

He always told me, ‘When you leave home, you grow. The experiences you get, those

associated with three municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges located in the

are experiences you will never forget.’ He told me, ‘You can do it. You will be a better

headwaters of the Cape Fear River watershed.

Once the team identified the hotspots and the presence of 1,4-dioxane in the

person if you do.’”

She listened to her father’s advice and her mind was made up—Lopez-Velandia

rivers, the team worked to identify what exactly was happening to the drinking water downstream.

enrolled at NC State.

A NEW FOCUS…

The research team worked in three downstream towns, Pittsboro, Fayetteville, and Wilmington, in order to determine 1,4-dioxane levels and its fate during drinking water treatment.

Meanwhile, Knappe had begun working on 1,4-dioxane, funded by National Science

“We collected daily composite samples over a period of eight weeks,” she explains.

Foundation and North Carolina Urban Water Consortium grants. Lopez-Velandia

Their findings showed high variability in the levels of 1,4 dioxane. “Sometimes we

joined Knappe’s research group.

found 2 µg/L in Pittsboro and the next day we would see 35 µg/L.” The EPA established

The widespread occurrence of 1,4-dioxane made it all the more challenging as a

that, if an individual were to drink 2 liters of water each day containing 1,4-dioxane

research effort. Lopez-Velandia explains that because 1,4-dioxane is commonly found

at an average concentration of 0.35 µg/L over his or her entire lifetime, that person

in shampoos and cosmetics, it is nearly ubiquitous. In the concentrations that personal

would have one-in-a-million increased chance of developing cancer as a direct result

products contain, 1,4-dioxane levels in the resulting wastewater are quite low.

of drinking water containing this chemical.

“But,” she stresses, “What we are seeing [in the case of high levels found in NC] is a result of industrial contamination.”

Of the cities affected, each had unique issues. For example, Lopez-Velandia’s research discovered that Pittsboro was the city most affected by 1,4-dioxane

Lopez-Velandia explains how they approached the research of 1,4-dixoxane

contamination. “Then, by the time you get to Wilmington the concentrations decrease,

contamination within NC. “Our starting point was the data reported by the EPA in the

but they were never below 0.35 µg/L. 1,4-dioxane was not removed by the drinking water

Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. The EPA sampled different public water

treatment processes in Pittsboro and Fayetteville, but, ozone treatment in Wilmington

systems in the entire United States between 2013-15. The EPA collected 32,740 samples.

removed about two-thirds of the 1,4-dioxane levels present in the source water.”

The results showed the Cape Fear Watershed as having the highest concentrations nationwide.

She adds, “1,4-dioxane loves water. There is no readily available treatment for it now. We have been working with the State, and DEQ is beginning to address the issue

“We said, ‘Wow.’ What is making us special to have this level of contamination that is not found in surface water anywhere else? With the help of the North Carolina

by modifying the discharge permits of the three waste water treatment plants we identified as key sources.”

How safe is Cape Fear drinking water?

The Knappe research group discovered that 1,4-dioxane concentrations in the drinking water of many residents in the Cape Fear Basin were higher than in most other locations in the United States. The basin is North Carolina’s largest watershed, serving as a source of drinking water for about 1.5 million people.

The EPA sampled different public water systems in the entire United States between 2013-15 for 1,4-dixoxane contamination (32,740 samples).

The results showed the Cape Fear Watershed containing levels among the highest concentrations found nationwide.

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Lopez-Velandia also studied home filtration devices to determine their effectiveness for 1,4-dioxane removal. None of the tested pitcher and refrigerator filters effectively removed 1,4-dioxane. Therefore, the NC State researchers devised a simple pitcher filter, using a tailored resin designed for 1,4-dioxane removal. The tailored home filtration device was built by opening a Brita cartridge, removing the sorbent materials and replacing them with an equal volume of carbonaceous resin designed for 1,4-dioxane removal.

She further explains.

“1,4-dioxane concentrations in drinking water derived from the CFR watershed can change rapidly. As a result, it is important to assess the performance of home filtration devices under variable 1,4-dioxane concentrations. Of particular interest is the possible release of 1,4-dioxane from the filter when a period of high 1,4-dioxane concentrations is followed by a period of low 1,4-dioxane concentrations. This assessment is less critical for drinking water derived from groundwater as groundwater concentrations of 1,4-dioxane are not expected to exhibit high temporal variability,” Lopez-Velandia adds.

In short, Lopez-Velandia’s research showed that the commercially available pitcher and refrigerator filters she tested “were not effective for 1,4-dioxane removal and prone to release 1,4-dioxane when influent concentrations were variable. In contrast, the custom filter exhibited an average removal of 72 percent, after treating 40 gallons of affected water, and that 1,4-dioxane release under variable influent concentrations was negligible.” 

J U L I E W I L L I A M S D I XO N

 For Further Information: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrro_

Catalina Lopez-Velandia samples water from the

factsheet_contaminant_14-dioxane_january2014_final.pdf

Cape Fear Water Basin for analysis in the NC State

https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation

lab overseen by Detlef Knappe. The presence of 1,4-dioxane in the drinking supply has been reported by NC media and the national press.

However, tainted water related to Duke Energy's coal ash pits potentially eclipsed the issue of 1,4-dioxane.

capefearwatershed.jsp https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-us-drinkingwater-many-chemicals-are-regulated—but-many-arent/2016/06/09/ e48683bc-21b9-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html

Catalina Lopez-Velandia: Short Take How long is it suspected that 1,4-dioxane has been present in the NC water supply?

Lopez-Velandia: It is hard to say, but the first detection of 1,4-dioxane in water from NC was in 1982 by Andrea Dietrich, currently a professor at Virginia Tech. Although authors detected 1,4-D no concentrations were reported.

What is the end goal(s) of the research project with professor Detlef Knappe and your team?

Lopez-Velandia: His research is focused on developing and evaluating physical-chemical treatment processes for the control of emerging contaminants in drinking water and to overcome gaps between the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act by developing information about the effects of reactive and unregulated wastewater contaminants on drinking water quality and treatment.

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W F R E E M A N F OTO G R A P H I C S

The Cape Fear River Basin Did you realize the Cape Fear River Basin is North Carolina’s largest water resource serving a fourth of the state’s population?

In addition to the Cape Fear, the Neuse River Basin and the Tar-Pamlico River Basins are of vital importance. According to the Clean Water Education Partnership, the Outer Banks of North Carolina is among few remaining natural coastal barrier island systems in the world.

1. The Cape Fear River Basin has 6,049 miles of streams and rivers and is North Carolina’s largest river basin.

2. The Cape Fear River Basin covers 9,322 square miles, and it begins and ends in North Carolina. It contains 25 percent of North Carolina’s total population.

3. The Cape Fear River is the only river in North Carolina that flows directly into the ocean.

4. The Cape Fear River Basin supports 95 different species of fish that support commercial and recreational fishing.

Source: Clean Water Education Partnership cleanwater@tjcog.org NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) https://ncdenr.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Water%20Resources/Planning_Section/Basin_ Planning/Cape_Fear/Jordan_Lake/Model/cf-neuse.jpg

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BY MATT SHIPMAN

C H R I S TO P H E R KO L B S U P E R N O VA R E M N A N T S I M U L AT I O N S

NC State’s First Research Image Contest Winners Highlighting the scope of research at NC State and the beauty of discovery.

BY MATT SHIPMAN

S

imulating the aftermath of an exploding star. Capturing a bee

First place in the graphics and illustration category goes to Christopher Kolb,

in mid-flight. Tracking how cancer cells move through the

a physics doctoral student, for his entry: “Supernova Remnant Simulations.”

blood stream. These are the images that captured first place

First place in the photography and microscopy category goes to Jonathan

in NC State’s first Research Image Contest.

Giacomini, an applied ecology doctoral student, for his “Queen Bumble Bee.”

We received scores of submissions from graduate students

First place in the video and interactive category goes to Tyler Allen, a

and postdoctoral researchers, representing six colleges. Entries were made

comparative biomedical sciences doctoral student, for his “Dangerous Moves.”

in three categories: graphics and illustration; photography and microscopy;

Each first-place winner will receive a $250 prize, with second-place

and video and interactive.

The high quality of the submissions made it difficult to choose winners,

winners receiving a $100 prize, thanks to sponsorship from the NC State Graduate School. 

but we ultimately chose a first- and second-place winner for each category —as well as two honorable mentions for each category.

 All winning entries can viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/144255340@N04/sets/72157671621463646/ with/28629915665/.

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J O N AT H A N G I ACO M I N I Q U E E N B U M B L E B E E

CLINT PENICK GLOWING ANT

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Alexander Kapatos

Can Doctoral Student Alexander Kapatos Help Deliver a Knock-Out Punch to Lymphoma?

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

A

ccording to news reports this year, the most promising

maturation is a good thing, says Kapatos. “Think of it as fine-tuning the

cancer therapies and drugs work by engaging our own

specificity of the response. However, this also changes the receptor, and as

immune systems in battling disease.

you can imagine, if we are targeting this as a tumor antigen, any changes

All signs point to the fact that graduate student

may allow the cells with an altered receptor to escape.”

Alexander Kapatos’ research in cancer immunotherapy is

According to Kapatos, T cell cancers do not alter their receptors and

potentially a breakthrough therapy. Imagine this headline: Cancer Vaccine

therefore may be less evasive. “So it has been proposed that T cell cancers

Targets Lymphoma.

may be a better target for this type of immunotherapy. That is why Paul

Working under Professor Paul Hess in NC State’s Hess Lab, Kapatos

Hess wanted to go down this road.”

is involved with research to create a cancer vaccine for T cell lymphoma.

Cancer immunotherapy is a rapidly growing, promising field of

Similar research has been conducted with B cell lymphomas, Kapatos

research, Kapatos explains. “Advances in science and medicine are making

explains. Researchers have long sought the means to stimulate the body of

it possible to tailor-fit treatments for individual patients. I think this is a

a cancer patient in order to seek and destroy cancerous cells.

great example.”

“A common term used in this field is ‘tumor antigen’—basically a

In his view, the human immune system possesses an elegant design.

molecule present on tumor cells which the immune system can target,”

During his first immunology course as an undergraduate at Queens

Kapatos says. Cancers involving cells of the adaptive immune system (like

University, Kapatos marveled at the body’s ability to do what it does,

T cell lymphoma) possess a receptor idiotype. The idiotype is unique to

with impressive efficiency. He told his parents, “If you were an engineer

each T cell, he explains. “Therefore, it would be present on every cancerous

designing an immune system you would almost do it the way it is now.”

cell, because they all come from a single cell.” Unlike B cells, T cells do not change—a key difference.

“Aside from expressing their receptors at the surface of a cell, B

If Kapatos realizes his post-doctorate dream, he will do what his major professor, Hess, does: “To be in research and also have hands-on work with clients as a vet.” Hess holds both a DVM and a Ph.D.

cells can also secrete their receptors (as antibodies). Also, while once

Kapatos currently works part time at a Raleigh animal hospital while

a functional T cell receptor is made it does not change, B cell receptors

completing his doctorate in comparative biomedical science. “I get hands-

undergo a process known as affinity maturation after they are made.”

on research there. We see dogs come in with all kinds of tumors.” His dog

In a healthy person’s immune response to a pathogen, affinity

22

(named Zeus) is a German Shepherd/Irish Wolfhound mix, and Kapatos

DA R R E N W H I T E

pulls up an images of his pet on his phone. Hess owns a Golden Retriever, a breed known to be particularly susceptible to lymphoma. So, it is no accident that lymphoma has figured into the team’s research.

While Kapatos is only 27, he has considered mortality more than other twenty-somethings.

“If I were reading my own obit in the New York Times, I would want

“There is a little peptide that could be presented to healthy T cells

it to say that I had a positive impact on veterinary science, or the science

by the cancerous cells, and healthy cells can potentially recognize and

community in general. And that I left something that could be built upon.”

respond to it—a cell based cancer therapy, an anti-T-cell T cell. If we discover the specific little peptide, then you can vaccinate for it.” Kapatos

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315690/

is most hopeful that he will help develop a new immunotherapy to treat certain cancers, as well as a treatment protocol to supplement existing

Fast Facts:

ones. “A dog comes in with enlarged lymph node, is diagnosed with T cell

1. Lymphoma is a cancer originating within the lymphatic system.

lymphoma and gets chemotherapy,” he explains. “You kill the cancer off, but

2. Lymphoma’s cause is unknown and the cancer cannot be prevented.

not really. Some cancerous cells are not eliminated by chemotherapy. This

3. The good news? Post treatment survival rates for lymphoma are high.

would be a way, after chemotherapy, to come in and kill off all the stragglers.”

4. More good news? The future holds promise for a cancer vaccine.

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Q & A with Alexander Kapatos Can you potentially identify the idiotype of canine T cell lymphoma?

Kapatos: “We isolate DNA from a T cell lymphoma biopsy. Very briefly, we use PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and gel electrophoresis to amplify and isolate the TCR DNA from the cancerous cells. We then sequence the DNA—this gives us the “code”, from which we can determine the amino acid sequence. We were able to determine the idiotype sequence from 10 individual lymphoma samples.”

Can a common dog MHC allele (DLA-88*50801) bind idiotype peptides?

Kapatos: “We synthesize peptides from the idiotype sequence (the entire sequence is roughly 30-40 amino acids long; a peptide is normally 8-11 amino acids long). Using a custom cell line we created, we test whether the peptides can bind to this MHC molecule. We were able to show that several of these peptides were able to bind to MHC.” In your future work, can idiotype peptides be naturally processed and presented? If so, are there T cells that are capable of responding to these peptide: MHC complexes?

Kapatos: “If we discover that cancerous idiotype peptides are capable of being presented in MHC, and that idiotype-specific CTLs exist, we can potentially stimulate the immune system to respond to and destroy the cancerous cells. This can be done with vaccination or adoptive T cell therapy.”

What do your research outcomes with immunotherapy show thus far?

We have so far been unable to demonstrate processing and presentation of TCR idiotype peptides in our system. We are giving it one more try and will have that data by the end of October. There can be several reasons why we didn't get back the data we were hoping for. First, the chance of any given peptide having the right properties to bind any given MHC allele is small. If you take an example from the literature, researchers years ago found that of all the possible peptides contained within a single protein of a virus that infects mice (this protein was several hundred amino acids long), each different mouse MHC allele they studied could bind only a select few. Our idiotypes were 30-40 amino acids long, so each contains far fewer potential peptides. As you can see, the odds were not in our favor to begin with. Although we showed several of our idiotype peptides were capable of binding, this experiment was done under optimal conditions with synthetic peptides. To determine whether the peptides are processed and presented we had to put the idiotype DNA inside a cell, let the cell make the protein, chop it up, and fit it into our MHC allele. So, there's a lot more that goes into it than pulsing cells with synthetic peptides and seeing if they bind. Another possible reason for our results is the way our cells chopped up the idiotype protein into peptides. Just like MHC is selective in what peptides it binds, the machinery inside our cells that chops up and recycles our proteins is selective in where it chops. It is possible that due to the way we expressed the idiotypes proteins inside the cells we used, those peptides we were hoping for were never even made.

To address that second possible reason, we have re-designed our experiment.

What is the significance of these outcomes?

Although we didn't get back the peptides we were hoping for, we did get back a lot of useful data that has taken our research in a few promising directions. In these experiments we do, we get back hundreds of "self" peptides that were processed and presented inside the cell. By looking at the sequences of all those peptides, we are able to get a better idea of the types of peptides our MHC allele likes to bind. This is very helpful in predicting which peptides may or may not bind.

Through scanning the literature, we have also found that some of these self peptides we found are potential tumor antigens themselves. I can't give the names because we haven't published this data yet, but I can tell you that our preliminary data shows that some of these potential tumor antigens are over-expressed in several lymphoma samples I have tested.

Magnified T cells or cancer cells

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Peggy Olive

F R E E M A N F O TO G R A P H I C S

BY NATALIE HAMPTON

hen Peggy Olive started work at NC State’s Graduate

She has stayed through eight Graduate School deans, four location

School in 1968, Lyndon Johnson was in the White House,

changes on campus and has seen the Graduate School staff grow from

the Vietnam War was in full swing, and few people had

less than 10 to more than 30. She remembers typewriters and mimeograph

heard of a Washington, DC hotel called Watergate.

machines, but she has transitioned to computers and copiers.

Forty-eight years later, Barack Obama is president, the war in

Despite all the changes, Olive says graduate students remain about

Afghanistan is still in full swing, and the infamous Watergate Hotel has been

the same. “I’m not sure the students are any different. They may have more

almost forgotten. But Olive still works at the Graduate School, and though

problems now than they did then,” she said.

she is well past the standard retirement age, she has no plans to retire.

When she’s not working at NC State, she enjoys working in her yard,

“I love everything I do—I love the students, my Graduate Services

reading and solving puzzles, being involved with her church and spending

Coordinators, the Directors of Graduate Programs and the faculty,” she said.

time with family. Her three sons live nearby, and she has four grandchildren

“I don’t think I’d change a thing.”

and one great-grandson.

Olive started out working as a clerk, became an administrative

Olive likes the fact that there are so many different things to do in her

assistant, then supervisor of records, and today she is one of four college

job. If she gets tired of doing one thing, she moves on to the next. “I love it,”

liaisons who see graduate students through from the time they apply to

she repeats. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.” 

graduate school until they earn their degrees.

 NCStateGradSchool/PeggyOlive

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F R E E M A N F OTO G R A P H I C S

26

Charisse Holmes

a TOXICOLOGIST with a

PURPOSE and a

FOCUS

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

Toxicologist Charisse Holmes has been interested in health and science since her undergraduate days studying chemistry. At NC State, she investigated adverse health triggers which can occur in ubiquitous consumer products.

This summer, she launched her toxicology career, working in drug safety with PRA Health Sciences in Charlottesville, Va.

“I think in general, society is getting a little better about being informed and staying on top of what we are exposed to,” Holmes says, using the example of a simple water bottle on the table before her. “Now, you see things on water bottles about BPA. Even though I’m 28, I knew there wasn’t as much stressed about that in the past.”

Water bottles were only one indication of an increasing level of public engagement and interest in consumer safety.

Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, has been used since the 1950s in many household products, including baby bottles. Known to be an endocrine disrupter, BPA is now banned from certain products.

As a toxicologist, Holmes doesn’t duck the big issues facing health and science, such as cancer-causing compounds.

In fact, she continues doing what she has since a teenager with a gift for science: she dove in head-first, immersing herself in her work, while also investing herself in her community.

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EARLY DAYS AS A RESEARCHER Holmes first became interested in cancer research as a Wake Forest University undergraduate.

“I performed experiments for advisor Mark Welker, chemically synthesizing a uniquely designed prostate cancer-specific PL 3-kinase inhibitor.” Prostate cancers rely upon signaling for their survival and growth.

The family of enzymes the inhibitor belonged to perform various cellular functions, some of which were involved in cancers.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Holmes transitioned for a year to a breast cancer project at Wake Forest Medical Center. “We predicted that muscadine grape seeds and muscadine grape skin extracts could inhibit breast cancer. We tested this hypothesis using breast cancer cells and nude mice. I also worked with Mark Espeland on a clinical trial project called LOOK AHEAD (online at https://www.lookaheadtrial.org/ public/home.cfm.) and analyzed data using SAS software.” Muscadine grapes are a known source of polyphenols, with healthy benefits.

Fast forward only a few years. Holmes, a Delaware native, remained in North Carolina and applied to Graduate School at NC State. She had her sights on earning a doctorate in biological science. She obtained her doctorate in May this year.

Is there a link between metabolic syndrome and

Holmes worked under research professor Gerald A. LeBlanc, director

commonly used chemicals? At NC State, Holmes

of the toxicology program at NC State. She remains fascinated by helping

studied how the chemical triphenyl phosphate may

further the ways in which better science can make us healthier.

impact weight and bone strength.

“After acquiring those research experiences, I picked Jerry LeBlanc’s lab because I thought he was a great guy and his lab seemed like it would be a great fit for me. He was interested in chemical mixtures, nuclear receptor signaling pathways pertaining to human health, and metabolic disorders such as weight gain and diabetes,” she explains. “Basically, it’s a blend of my interests and topics that I had worked on in the past.”

LeBlanc’s research work in metabolic syndrome is a familiar media topic. It is a serious medical condition frequently discussed on health care websites and in physicians’ offices. According to LeBlanc, the condition is now endemic in the U.S. “A lot of people define metabolic differently,” says Holmes. “Typically, it involves weight gain, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.”

“OUR LAB ALSO LOOKED AT THE CHEMICAL TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE,” EXPLAINS HOLMES. “TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE IS IN NAIL POLISH, PLASTICS, FURNITURE AND HOUSEHOLD DUST.” SHE ASKS, “IS IT SAFE, OR ISN’T IT?”

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F R E E M A N F OTO G R A P H I C S

METABOLIC SYNDROME—A GROWING PROBLEM WITH ENDEMIC NUMBERS Metabolic syndrome is a prevalent medical condition earmarked by

linkage between exposure to some environmental chemicals and metabolic syndrome. However, lab studies generally indicate that exposure concentrations of chemicals required to cause metabolic syndrome are much greater than what humans are typically exposed to.”

the presence of several indicators (e.g., high blood sugar levels, excess

According to LeBlanc, Holmes’ research concerns the possibility “that

abdominal fat, and/or high blood pressure) that become far more serious

low, environmentally relevant levels of some chemicals, in combination,

when they occur together. As a cluster of conditions, metabolic syndrome

act synergistically to perturb lipid and glucose homeostasis resulting in

signals an increased risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease, warn

metabolic syndrome.”

sources such as the Mayo Clinic.

The warning becomes direr, considering that such a significant

Those chemicals are frequently used in household products such as flea medications and even commonly used cosmetics such nail polishes.

percentage of American adults have metabolic syndrome. It also casts a

“Our lab was also looking at the chemical triphenyl phosphate,”

wide net, even affecting children. “The population it affects is estimated at

explains Holmes. “Triphenyl phosphate is in nail polish, plastics, furniture

20-30 percent,” Holmes confirms.

and household dust.” She asks, “Is it safe, or isn’t it?”

Meanwhile, LeBlanc is working towards establishing whether a

Holmes says it is known that certain compounds (such as triphenyl

correlation exists between metabolic syndrome and certain chemicals—at

phosphates) can inhibit receptors that reduce weight gain. “It stimulates

a lower threshold than previously understood.

receptors that are responsible for weight gain,” she adds. “I know it can

LeBlanc writes in an email, “Epidemiological studies suggest a

reduce bone strength.” There may be other issues, such as implications of

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F R E E M A N F OTO G R A P H I C S

the length of exposure. There may be a connection between leaving nail

the five-year-old canine to periodically submit to assessments which

polish on too long, she adds.

determined sociability and responsiveness.

How can this be tested? “Generally, scientists do thoroughly screen

“He had to know basic commands,” she says. “I had to take him for

chemicals using cells and cellular-based assays first,” Holmes says. “Then if

interviews, and see a behavioral expert. He was subject to tests every six

the chemical appears to have an adverse effect, they screen the chemicals

months.”

using animal models which can include water fleas, fish, rodents, and pigs.

Typically, rabbits, guinea pigs, and pigs are used for cosmetic screenings.”

CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM Holmes works to maintain a healthy lifestyle balance of her own outside her work and volunteer life. She stays fit by running in the afternoons with Rudy, a golden retriever/corgi mix, and sometimes brought the very wellbehaved Rudy to the toxicology lab. (“There were a lot of dog lovers in my department,” she confides.)

She took her four-footed pal on much more serious forays. Holmes volunteered at the Wake Medical Center near the NC State campus, where Rudy worked as a trained therapy dog. The hospital volunteer gig required

30

He handled it like the pro he is, says a proud Holmes. Rudy wore his volunteer badge while on the job, one he earned by mastering skills the work required as part of the hospitality pet program for two years.

Volunteering is something her parents, Beverly and Ronnie, encouraged.

“Growing up, my Mom emphasized volunteering and l always wanted to do that. I could spare two hours of a day,” she says.

Throughout her doctoral studies, Holmes helped assist and comfort families at the front desk in the Emergency Room. It was humanizing work; hours spent at the hospital connected Holmes to the very people whom her research may affect and hopefully benefit in the near future. 

 NCStateGradSchool/Charisse

Opposite page: Holmes’ former lab is on the same street as the Graduate School three buildings away. Rudy occasionally joined her at the laboratory while she was still at NC State.

“The secretaries all have dogs and are dog lovers,” she recalled fondly about her time spent there with her favorite canine. Both Rudy and Holmes are happily adjusting to life in Charlottesville, Va., where Holmes now works in drug safety with PRA Health Sciences.

NAIL POLISH

LIPSTICK

HAND SOAPS

ANTI-AGING CREAMS

SUNSCREEN

SHAVING CREAM

IS YOUR NAIL POLISH SAFE? WHAT ABOUT OTHER ITEMS IN YOUR MAKEUP DRAWER? When in Doubt, Try Reading Ingredient Listings More Closely—and Tossing Out the Scary Stuff.

Trying to be a responsible consumer? Squinting so hard in concentration that your expression could scare small children? You must be trying to read the ingredients listed on a given personal care product—say, the many ones listed on a typical nail polish bottle. (But here’s a bonus—if you can manage to read the listing, you might just have passed the test for perfect vision.)

And that is, if a list of ingredients can even be found. Often the contents of common beauty products are printed on an informational flier tucked inside the packaging. And you’ve likely already tossed the packaging for that polish, or for a new lip gloss, or the latest, greatest anti-aging cream before the thought occurred: what exactly is in that product?

If you also read websites which concern dangerous chemicals commonly found in cosmetics, it’s enough to make a body squeamish. Even paranoid.

According to the Breast Cancer Fund website (http://www.breast cancerfund.org/) there are many chemicals that should be on your watch list. And, ones to be avoided. Simple items such as lipsticks and balms may not be safe depending upon the chemicals used in the formulation. But the watch list doesn’t only contain information of concern to those who use cosmetic products. They concern us all.

Take sunscreen, for example.

The UVA protective sunscreen you slather on religiously before a morning run may contain a chemical that mimics estrogen.

That dispenser of hand soap or hand sanitizer may contain triclosan/ triclocarban—chemicals found on an ominous “to be avoided” list.

The hair color in your bathroom cabinet may contain chemicals that

are known hormone disruptors. The hair gels and shaving creams in your bathroom cabinet contain nonylphenol—also something to be avoided.

Those costly anti-aging creams, if they contain BHA, might be worth tossing. Ditto for those containing petrolatum.

And your hair sprays and aerosols? Give them away if they contain the propellant isobutene.

When it comes to your nail polishes, give them a toss if they contain the deadly three ingredients: formaldehyde, DBP or toluene. (And, as toxicologist Charisse Holmes advises, give triphenyl phospate and paraben, the cold shoulder. Triphenyl phosphates work well as a fire retardant; but they are also a known toxin. It might well be worth heaving it right into the waste basket—not using it on your body.) 

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Amanda Walter

AMANDA WALTER:

P R O U D G RA D UAT E ,

P R O UD

WOMAN,

Taking her place in science Walter believes that graduate studies at NC State lent her scientific credibility and eventual access “to the very people who determined whether or not pharmaceutical companies can market biosimilar drugs.�

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

32

M A R C H A L L , U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

D

rug terms like generic and biosimilar can be confusing if

has energized me to achieve my long-term career goal: being part of team

not bewildering to the layman.

that develops the next therapeutically significant biologic.”

NC State graduate Amanda Walter, who works in

For Walter, now 28, NC State was the culmination of all she has been

the pharmaceutical industry at Merck, jumped at the

working towards. “I firmly believe my time at BTEC has made me a strong

opportunity to speak with policy and lawmakers on the

competitor in the workforce pool.” BTEC, or the Biomanufacturing Training

topic of biosimilar drugs. She wanted to help clarify and parse out the

and Education Center, offered a graduate program directly affecting her

terms for people in a position to enact the laws that govern them.

career progression within the pharmaceutical industry.

Although the science behind a biosimilar drug versus a name drug may not be transparent to all, the economics are clear. Biosimilar drugs, as Walter explains, “can cost one third less than the cost of name drugs.”

That savings can determine whether or not a patient can afford to remain compliant with a drug therapy. Compliance can be a matter of enormous importance for thousands of patients.

Today, Walter works at Merck as an engineer, where she investigates product deviations for the vaccines manufactured here in NC. “It is immensely gratifying to be part of a team that helps manufacture products

With a background in biology, Walter says her undergraduate focus was more on the principles of the scientific method and the underlying principles of biology, chemistry and physics. But Walter credits her Professional Science Master’s degree with providing a technical base to understand scientific and engineering principles in her daily work life. It contributed skills such as collaboration and communication, which help her succeed as part of a professional team.

THE WORLD IS THE SCIENTIST'S PLAYGROUND

that ensure the health and wellness of patients around the world,” she

It seemed inevitable that Walter would follow her dream to become a

says. “Furthermore, studying at NC State and working within the RTP area

scientist, one inculcated in her youth. Her father took her to lectures at

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M A R C H A L L , U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

the New York Academy of Sciences where he was a member. Her now

attracted to NC State,” she says. “We were in State territory already,” she

deceased father was a pharmacist in the health care industry. Always, she

smiles.

says, he insisted that she could do anything with her life. “My father and I

In the interim, Walter worked at a retail store to chip away at

were very similar,” she says. Her mother was also involved in the sciences,

her sizeable debt from her undergraduate years at the University of

working in radiology and ultrasound.

Massachusetts.

“I was raised ‘You can do anything you put your mind to!’” Walter says.

She pursued biology at the University of Massachusetts and developed an equal passion for marine science. “The world is the scientist’s playground,” she muses, “one where you seek to solve unanswered questions.”

As her interests in biology and marine science intensified, her fiancé accepted a job with Cisco Systems, Inc. and the couple transferred from Massachusetts. She found herself living minutes away from the NC State campus and volunteered her help to NC State researchers—Walter desperately needed to return to her interests.

However, Walter isn’t glib about what it meant to work and study full-time.

She contemplated beginning graduate work at NC State as she worked. Debt was a sobering financial concern. “It was a huge burden that affected me,” Walter says, and she required a graduate program that would accommodate her desire to work.

Otherwise, Walter says “it would not have been financially responsible to go back to school.”

She found herself making inquiries about opportunities. Soon she

“I approached the biology and marine science departments. I sort

was assisting NC State doctoral students with their research. “One was

of showed up and said, ‘Hi!’.” She had worked as a lab technician at the

studying fish populations in the local lakes.” Walter volunteered on the

University of Massachusetts Amherst and at NOAA, a marine laboratory

project while still interviewing for jobs.

in Beaufort, N.C. She sought volunteer connection with NC State. “I was

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“I felt I could make the jump to the pharmaceutical industry. I was

The widespread pharmaceutical need for horseshoe crabs Horseshoe crabs aren’t just an oddity found on the beach. They are vitally important. After extracting a portion of their blood, the horse shoe crabs are safely released into the wild. Limulus Amebocyte Lysate is critical to pharmaceutical safety measures. “LAL endotoxin testing is the current industry standard,” says Walter. “Pharma manufacturers have to quantify and confirm safe levels of endotoxin prior to releasing (vaccines) to patients.

doing research into what research I would be doing in their lab.” Soon

“The legislators that I had the pleasure of speaking with were all

after working with the NC State Biology Department, she was hired as a

very interested in how biosimilars could benefit their districts and the

laboratory analyst by Hospira (Hospira was acquired by Pfizer in 2015.)

state of North Carolina as a whole. The most memorable interaction I

Walter performed quality control testing and worked on test protocols.

had was my conversation with Senator Paul Lowe, Jr.” says Walter. “After I

She entered NC State as a graduate student in 2013, while at Hospira

had introduced myself I told him about our case study of biosimilars. He

conducting complaint investigations and addressing compliance risks

proceeded to express his concern regarding patient access and affordable

and gaps. Her background in marine science became a definite advantage.

patient care, noting that many of his district’s constituents suffer from

Walter was well aware of the widespread pharmaceutical need for

terrible health issues but have a difficult time affording the medications

horseshoe crabs— commonly found along the eastern coast and the Gulf

required for treatment. “

of Mexico. Their value to pharma was discovered over 60 years ago, when

While Lowe’s concern was pointed, the opportunity it provided to

it was found that a protein (coagulogen) exclusively found in horseshoe

make the most of their interaction was pivotal for Walter. And she was

crabs’ blood cells trigger a clotting response in the presence of harmful

ready, having then spent three years in the realm of drug investigations.

bacterial components (endotoxin). Their extracted blood cells are purified

“He then asked me, ‘Do you think biosimilars can make a difference

to into Limulus amebocyte lysate, or LAL. LAL is used to carryout bacterial

for these individuals?’ I felt a huge responsibility in that moment. I spoke

endotoxin testing, a required test to release product to market.

plainly and openly about how biosimilars offer a good opportunity to

As a writer for The Atlantic observed, “the idea that every single person in America who has ever had an injection has been protected because we harvest the blood of a forgettable sea creature with a hidden chemical superpower makes me feel a little bit crazy. This scenario is not even sci-fi, it's postmodern technology.”

Sci-fi or not, here was a convergence of Walter’s interest in marine science and biology. Hospira made her an offer, which meant a significant salary increase and industrial lab experience. Fortunately, too, Hospira offered tuition reimbursement benefits which would cover the majority of her tuition at NC State. “It was an easy decision at that point,” she notes.

TAKING SCIENCE TO THE LAWMAKERS

increase patient access; however, the degree of their success will be determined by many factors, including regulatory and legislative pathways.

He continued to say that he was a supporter of the biosimilars bill that had been recently passed (House Bill 195), and he thanked me for our (my team’s) work. I was very touched, because he was genuinely concerned for patients and he seemed to have appreciated our conversation.”

As Walter said later, the exchange between lawmaker and scientist felt like a victory. The evidence points to the fact that biosimilars can perform as well as costlier name drugs. “The BTEC program at NC State has allowed me to utilize the principles I learned in undergrad and apply them in a real world setting,” she says.

“Worldwide legislators have an interest in patient access and

As for conversing with state legislators last year, Walter’s background

affordable healthcare, which makes biosimilars attractive” Walter

enabled her to effectively communicate her point of view as both a

explains. “However, the innovator of the reference biologic incurs hefty

scientist and as an NC State biomanufacturing student.

research and development costs up front—so, there is a tension between

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the innovators and the biosimilar developers….” Walter points out the

As an undergraduate, she had found herself frightened of certain

tension. “From a patient access perspective it’s wonderful; from a patent

STEM courses, even though she was interested in complex analysis.

protection aspect and return on investment for the innovator, it’s not.”

BTEC offered a bridge. “While we often applied technology as part of

While at NC State, Walter had worked on a case study to evaluate

learning and studying these topics, understanding how the technology

a biosimilar monoclonal antibody. The antibody was similar to a name

worked wasn’t always emphasized. I found myself often questioning

brand drug at a fraction of the cost.

how the technology was developed, which I now realize is more of an

Last summer, Walter accepted a new job at Merck in Durham, NC,

‘engineering’ mindset. Truth be told, I was scared of complex math, so I

completing her professional science master’s degree in biomanufacturing

avoided engineering, thinking that I wouldn’t be suited for the field. But as

last fall.

I learned more, I came to discover that it more aligned with my interests

At Merck, her title is associate engineering specialist for deviation

in biotechnology and its applications. The BTEC program allowed me to

management. At the Durham facility she works with products such as the MMR

utilize the principles I learned in undergrad and apply them in a real

vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. “My job at Merck is to investigate/ document any deviation in the processing of those vaccines. What we determine within our investigations has a direct effect on the release of our vaccines to market. We have to know it’s safe, efficacious and pure.”

world setting.”

Walter says the program also fed her curiosity about biotechnology, leading her to find her niche in bio manufacturing.

She completed her course work this past December, and attended NC State graduation ceremonies in May 2016. Walter spoke at graduation but

"THINGS THAT WE LEARNED AT BTEC HAVE REAL IMPACT"

says she had reflected over those six months on her message. Her topic

For someone with a background such as Walter’s, professional program

with breast cancer this past fall, and is being treated with Herceptin, a

helped bridge the gap between biology and biotech. “BTEC produces

biologic. It is a medication that we were able to study during our course

graduates who are ready to enter the biomanufacturing industry,” she

work at BTEC because it is an example of the manufacturing principles

explains.

that we apply at BTEC and within the biomanufacturing industry.”

was her story. “I spoke about how what we do and learn at BTEC can impact real patients including those close to us. My grandmother was diagnosed

What you should know about Biosimilars 1. Biosimilars are therapeutic proteins that provide the same efficacy and safety as a reference (innovator) biological medicine that is already on the market.

2. Unlike small molecule drugs that are chemically synthesized (aspirin, ibuprofen), biological products are proteins produced in living biological systems (e.g. cells).

3. Biosimilars are not "bio-generics" as they are not identical in composition or structure to their on-market reference drug like a small molecule generic is; however, biosimilars are allowed by numerous states to function like generics through substitution at the pharmacy level. As of August 1, 2016 thirty-six (36) states have filed bills or resolutions related to biologics and biosimilar substitution.

4. Since biologics are produced in living systems, they are complex and costly to both develop and manufacture. As biosimilars are modeled after the innovative biologic, companies do not have to invest large amounts of capital and time into the discovery or research development phase of drug development. As such, biosimilars are projected to provide a 20-30 percent reduction in cost per dose. This reduction in cost creates an exciting opportunity for biosimilars to provide more affordable care and increased patient access.

5. In March 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first biosimilar for market within the United States. Zarxio™ (Sandoz, Inc.), a biosimilar to Amgen Inc.'s Neupogen® (filgrastim), is used to reduce the chance of infection within immunocompromised patients with low white blood cell counts, such as chemotherapy patients.

6. Inflectra™, a biosimilar to Janssen Biotech, Inc.’s Remicade® (Infliximab). Inflectra™ is used to treat inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and is the second biosimiliar to reach the U.S. market.

36

Walter told the audience, “Things that we learned at BTEC and apply out in the world have real impact…I spoke from the heart.”

She says she was chosen because she voiced to the program manager that she “wanted them to include student speakers and I felt so strongly about BTEC contributing so much to my career. I felt an urgency to publicly thank them.”

Walter sees herself mentoring anyone interested in coming back to school. “A passion for me is women in science. One of my requests for my graduation was a series of textbooks that Michael Flickinger, Ph.D., professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, edited that contained the technical subject matter we have learned through the program. I requested them as a desk reference; and I asked him to sign the book during graduation.”

She adds, “It's the passion that drives the science—the faculty is wonderful. NC State has been wonderful for progressing my career and my education, for helping me discover what matters to me and how I can make an impact. We are fond of the state and what it has to offer.”

Then Walter smiles, noting, “NC State is a big part of me now.” 

 Visit the NC Legislature website at http://ncleg.net/ and enter HB195 in the Find a Bill box.

Amanda Walter, a master of biomanufacturing candidate at NC State, joined select graduate scholars to meet NC Legislators during a Graduate Education Day last year. It was a convergence of both work and studies for Walter, providing her opportunity to discuss biosimilar drugs which were ratified in House Bill 195.

Walter, above right, is shown during her meeting with Senator Paul Lowe, Jr. Graduate School Dean Maureen Grasso is shown at left. Walter completed her degree last December and addressed her fellow graduates.

WALTER SAYS HER EXPERIENCE AT THE LEGISLATURE MADE HER FEEL THAT SHE NOW HAS ENTREE TO THEM. “NOW I KNOW IF I WANT TO MAKE CHANGE IT IS ATTAINABLE—WHAT I DO MATTERS—AND NC STATE REITERATED THAT!"

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Haritha Malladi

Haritha Malladi, right, shown here with her parents, Dr. Satyanarayana Malladi and Veda Kumari Mynepalli travelled 10,000 miles to see the highways and attractions of the United States after she earned her Ph.D. She is now a postdoctoral scholar in the

BY NATALIE HAMPTON

Haritha Malladi

Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering department at NC State.

spent five years of graduate school at NC

State working on strategies for recycling old asphalt by incorporating it into

“The U.S. infrastructure isn’t doing that well—much of it was created years ago,” she said. “We need to invest to keep it up to grade.”

new roads. So after earning her Ph.D. in December, she set out to see some

In her 3 Minute Thesis presentation, Malladi described how the U.S.

of the United States roads for herself—more than 10,000 miles of roads, to

road system is the longest in the world—so long that it could circle the

be exact.

globe 100 times. It was one of the images that Malladi used to connect

While completing her research in civil engineering last fall, Malladi

with a lay audience, and it resonated with 3MT judges.

won first place in the Graduate School’s first 3 Minute Thesis competition,

Malladi has a true passion for communicating science to a lay

where Ph.D. candidates describe their research in just three minutes. In

audience, which is why she chose to enter the 3 Minute Thesis competition.

February, she won second place out of 38 competitors in the Southern

Last spring, she participated in the 2015 Triangle ComSciCon, a science

region 3MT competition, with her presentation, Reduce and Recycle: How

communications workshop for graduate students, where participants

to Turn Black Roads Green.

were challenged to present their research in one-minute “pop talks.”

From December through February, Malladi spend two months exploring the United States’ vast road network. “I’m a roads person, and I couldn’t think of a better way to explore than to just get in my car and drive,” she said.

“Compared to 60 seconds, three minutes seemed like a really long time,” she said.

Scientists may balk at communicating their work because science

She traveled 10,700 miles (not including a prior trip of 2,800 miles

can be intimidating for a lay audience. But Malladi believes that it’s

to Florida), north to Lake Ontario, west to the Hoover Dam in Nevada

important for scientists to be able to distill their work into concepts and

and south to New Orleans. She stayed with friends, “couch-surfed” and

terms that anyone can understand.

camped in some wilderness areas.

“I’ve always been really interested in science communication,” she

She was most impressed with the engineering achievement of Hoover

said. “I think it’s important for a scientist, a grad student, to be able to

Dam, which brought water and power to the Southwest. She marveled at

explain his or her research to a lay audience, especially in these times.

the levees and locks of the Mississippi River that made life in New Orleans

If the public doesn’t understand your science, they don’t really have a

possible, and she witnessed the city’s continuing recovery from Hurricane

motivation to invest in it.

Katrina.

She was also struck by the maintenance needs facing U.S. infrastructure.

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“A lot of people are afraid of science; they think it’s beyond them, but really it’s not,” she said. “Science is just a way to describe the world

B E C K Y K I R K L A N D, U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

around us and to think of solutions to problems. So it’s important for all of us (in the research world) to be able to do that.”

One of the biggest challenges of 3MT, Malladi said, was creating a single slide to depict her research. “I had to think a lot about that,” she said. “As scientists, we love our graphs and pictures, but sometimes they don’t translate that well.”

For her slide, she chose simple images—a road map of the United States and a green plant emerging from black asphalt—and short text to make her case for the importance of recycling asphalt.

At the regional 3MT competition, first-place winners from 38 institutions competed in four heats on February 20. The next morning,

But Malladi said that contractors are not that interested in switching to a softer binder, the sticky black material that binds road construction components together. Her research found that the softer binder shunned by contractors wasn’t necessary for adding recycled asphalt.

“You can just do as you normally do and just use warm-mix (asphalt) technology and be able use up to 40 percent recycled material, and it performs just as well,” she said.

In addition, Malladi conducted performance tests on such asphalt to determine its susceptibility to moisture damage and to rutting—the wavy tire patterns that sometimes appear in roads. The material performed well, she said.

eight finalists were named from the heats, and all immediately went into

Malladi will soon return to NC State as a postdoctoral scholar in civil

the final round of competition. Malladi was one of three competitors who

engineering, solving another problem: skid resistance of pavements with

tied for second place.

crack sealants. She will also teach an undergraduate section of statistics.

Her biggest regret, however, was not being able to hear presentations

Malladi’s interest in research and teaching come naturally—her father

from the 37 other competitors. “I wish I could have seen all the

is a physicist, who retired from the Indian Space Research Organization,

presentations,” she said. “These people have won at their universities and

the NASA of India.

have come (to the regional competition), so clearly they know how to present and are good communicators.”

The concept of mixing old asphalt into new asphalt in road construction is not new, Malladi said. The U.S. has recycled asphalt since 1970s, making it one of best recycled products in the country. And because the U.S. has such a vast roads network that must constantly be maintained, there is a growing

When Haritha Malladi won the 3MT in October, her father Dr. Satyanarayana Malladi posted a comment on the Graduate School News page, saying, “Hearty congratulations to all the 3 MT winners. I am doubly happy as the proud father of Ms. Haritha Malladi.”

Even in retirement, Haritha’s father is teaching full-time, as she aspires to do. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 

need to utilize more old asphalt in new road construction.

 NCStateGradSchool/Haritha

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Tashni-Ann Dubroy and Tiffani Bailey-Lash

" t h e W i l d a b o u t B i o i n f o r m at i c s " Created by NC State Chemistry Alumnae to Excite Young Students about STEM Careers

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS

O

n Saturday, August 13, young women in grades 5-8

Bailey-Lash is a director at the National Institutes of Health. She

interested in STEM disciplines participated in a

manages the research portfolios for the Biosensors, Platform Technologies,

program called, “The Wild about Bioinformatics,”

and mHealth (or Mobile Health) programs at the National Institute of

created by Shaw University President Tashni-Ann

Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). Bailey-Lash is also

Dubroy and by fellow chemist Tiffani Bailey-Lash.

the program director for the NIBIB Point of Care Technologies Research

Each summer, a foundation created by the two scientists hosts a SMART

Network, consisting of three centers charged with developing point-of-care

Scholars workshop at North Carolina State University's Friday Institute for

diagnostic technologies through collaborative efforts that merge scientific

Educational Innovation.

and technological capabilities with clinical need.

SMART represents NC State’s Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarship.

Both women are NC State alumnae, having received doctoral degrees in Chemistry. Dubroy and Bailey-Lash have also shared an interest in business.

Bailey-Lash has been selected as a science policy fellow for both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Engineering. She also has a background in small business innovation and intellectual property.

They are the owners of Tea and Honey Blends, LLC, and co-founded the

In 2012, the United Negro College Fund’s National Alumni Council

Brilliant and Beautiful Foundation, or BBF. BBF focuses on the advancement

presented Dubroy with an “Outstanding Young Alumni” award for her

of women in scientific enterprise. Its stated mission “is to provide educational

service to Shaw. In 2014, she was awarded the “Distinguished Alumni in

support, leadership, and opportunities for women in science.”

Science Diversity” Award by NC State. 

At age 34, Dubroy became Shaw’s 17th president in August of 2015.

Dubroy began her research career at BASF, a chemical company and later joined Shaw University. There, she ascended from professor and department chair to becoming a special assistant to the president before her appointment in 2015.

Last year, the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers honored Dubroy and Bailey-Lash for their work in science and Entrepreneurship, calling them "21st century visionary, entrepreneurial leaders, who are the New Chemists on the Block."

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 NCStateGradSchool/Dubroy and Bailey-Lash

WILD

B E C K Y K I R K L A N D, U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S

A foundation created by Tashni-Ann Dubroy and Tiffani Bailey-Lash hosts a SMART Scholars workshop at North Carolina State University's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. SMART represents NC State’s Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarship. Dubroy is shown with young students center above, and Bailey-Lash, center, in the photo at top.

SMART

N O R T H C A R O L I N A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y G R A D U AT E S C H O O L T H I N K M A G A Z I N E FA L L 2 01 6

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NONPROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE

PAID

RALEIGH, NC PERMIT 2353

The Graduate School 1020 Main Campus Drive Room 2300A PO Box 7102 Raleigh, NC 27695-7102 P: 919.515.2872 www.ncsu.edu/grad R O G E R W I N S T E A D, U N I V E R S I T Y C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

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