Science Journal June 2013

June 2013

Viruses:

Developing Strategies to Prevent and Treat Infections

Craig Cameron – Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PG 12

The Big Bounce and Dark Energy PG 4

Alternative Energy

PG 20

Table of Contents

FEATURE STORIES:

4 Discovering the Very Early Universe: the Big Bounce and Dark Energy

Learn how scientists from the Departments of Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics are working to uncover the behavior of the universe in the early eras of its development.

12 Viruses: Developing Strategies to Prevent and Treat Infections

Explore how scientists at Penn State are using different research methods to develop vaccinations and treatments for RNA viruses.

20 Innovation Across the Disciplines: Alternative Energy

Investigate how Penn State scientists are working to develop forms of alternative energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and address the global energy challenge.

COLLEGE NEWS:

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:

ALUMNI NEWS:

Penn State’s PremedicalMedical Program Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence

Faculty Awards and Honors

Penn State Mourns Alumni Leader and Philanthropist J. Lloyd Huck

Ethical Research Standards: Training the Next Generation of Scientists

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:

Evolving Pedagogies: Influencing Instructional Design

2012-2013 Commencement

DEPARTMENT NEWS: Astronomy & Astrophysics

New Faculty

Student Awards and Honors Undergraduate Scientists Student Group Focus

OUTREACH: Expanding Your Horizons

BMB Chemistry Physics Statistics

Editor: Tara Immel Writers: Barbara Collins, Kristen Devlin, Barbara Kennedy, Brenda Lucas, Joslyn Neiderer, Katrina Voss. Special thanks to all of our other contributors!

Design: Graphics & Design Printer: Progress Printing

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Alumni Association Awards H. Jacob Hanchar with a 2013 Alumni Achievement Award Alumni Impacting the Future Today Snapshot of Philanthropy: Funding the Future of Penn State Science Eberly College of Science Student Academic Center: Be a Part of Making It a Reality Chicago City Lights Event at Adler Planetarium 4th Annual Alumni Mentoring Program Workshop Benefits Both Mentors and Protégés Upcoming Events

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Dear Friends of the College, In the last year we have had many exciting changes transpiring in the Eberly College of Science, from impressive faculty hires, to new programs, to improving the experiences of our students.

The last two years have been remarkable for hiring new faculty. From astronomers, to biochemists and molecular biologists, to statisticians, chemists, physicists and mathematicians, this new group of faculty brings outstanding talents and remarkable research activity that will complement the exceptional research work done by our current faculty members. A number of the new faculty were or are being hired through multi-college initiatives in genomics and cyberscience.

In addition to world-class research, several of our faculty members are involved in teaching endeavors that have the potential for worldwide impact—online education and the emergent form of online education that is getting great attention in the press, massive open online courses (MOOCs). The numbers of online courses and the numbers of students enrolled in these courses have been growing rapidly within the college and across Penn State. Additionally, the college is sponsoring one of the first five free MOOCs offered by Penn State. Epidemics the Dynamics of Infectious Disease will be taught by eight outstanding faculty members, including Marcel Salathé, Ottar N. Bjornstad, Andrew Read, Rachel A. Smith, Mary L. Poss, David P. Hughes, Peter Hudson, and Matthew Ferrari. The course, scheduled to begin this fall, will run for eight weeks.

Thousands of people have already signed up for the course—have you? Sign up today at https://www.coursera.org/course/epidemics.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Although online education has been getting great attention as the new trend in higher education, we continue to be deeply committed to attracting the highest caliber students to Penn State and offering wonderful educational experiences.

This year we introduced the Millennium Scholars program. I’m very excited about this program, which will provide outstanding educational opportunities to a diverse and high achieving group of students. The first cohort of students will begin this summer with a six-week bridge program.

Mary Beth Williams, associate dean for undergraduate education, has been leading the charge for the college and has worked to select the most talented STEM students for the program. The Millennium Scholars program is a partnership with the College of Engineering and the Schreyer Honors College. Additionally, we’re partnering with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which directs the Meyerhoff Scholars program and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which administers the Chancellor’s Science Scholars; each has served as a model for our program.

We’ve also launched a number of ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing the undergraduate student experience for all students, including improved career information, increasing international study opportunities, and building a greater sense of community among the students in the college.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to these making these changes around the college a reality; these new projects would not have been able to launch without the hard work of faculty, staff, students, and alumni. I look forward to sharing the positive outcomes of the programs and initiatives in future issues of the Science Journal.

Sincerely,

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Feature Story Discovering the Very Early Universe:

the Big Bo and Dark 4

Penn State Eberly College of Science

What was the Universe like in its infancy? It’s a question that many ponder and investigate, but not one that is easily answered. Scientists in the Eberly College of Science are at the forefront of new research aimed at providing a clearer understanding of how our universe behaved at a very early age.

unce Energy SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Feature Story Faculty members and researchers in physics and sities that its behavior was not ruled by the astronomy have been involved with research that classical physics of Einstein’s general theory of entails looking back in time into the furthest relativity, but by a more fundamental theory reaches of the universe. The findings from this that also incorporates the strange dynamics of research will not only alter the way the world quantum mechanics. Then, the density of matstudies the cosmos, but will lead to even more ter was much larger than 1094 grams per cubic discoveries about the origins of the universe. Ad- centimeter, compared to the density of an atomditionally, for the first time ever, humanity will ic nucleus today, which is 1014 grams. In this begin to uncover how the universe functioned in strange, quantum-mechanical environment, its very early life. physical properties would be very different from “We humans always the way we experience them today. Among these have yearned to underdifferences, Ashtekar said, are the concept of stand more about the ori“time,” as well as the changing dynamics of vargin and evolution of our ious systems over time as they experience the universe,” said Abhay very fabric of quantum geometry itself.

Ashtekar, holder of the No observatories have been able to detect Eberly Family Chair in anything in the very early eras of the universe Physics and the director that are described by this new paradigm; howABHAY ASHTEKAR of the University’s Instiever, scientists have been able to detect cosmic tute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. background radiation when the universe was Ashtekar, along with his team of postdoc- only 380 thousand years old, by that time the toral fellows, Ivan Agullo and William Nel- universe had been through a period of rapid exson, have developed a new paradigm for un- pansion called “inflation”. The new paradigm derstanding the earliest eras in the history discovered by Ashtekar’s team includes the peof the universe that provides a mathematical riod of time before inflation back to the beginand conceptual framework for describing the ning of the universe itself. “quantum-mechanical geometry of space time.” Using techniques THE BIG BOUNCE POSTULATES THAT THE from an area of modern physics UNIVERSE DID NOT EMERGE FROM NOTHING, called loop quantum cosmology, the new paradigm of loop quanBUT FROM A SUPER COMPRESSED MASS THAT tum origins shows, for the very first time, that the large-scale MAY HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF IT’S OWN. structures that are now visible in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuaThe inflationary paradigm, which until now tions in the essential quantum nature of “space was the standard model for describing the early time” which existed even at the very beginning universe, uses the classical physics equations of of the universe over 14 billion years ago.

Einstein and treats space as a smooth continuThe paradigm shows that during this early um. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins era the universe was compressed to such den- uses loop quantum cosmology that goes beyond

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PLOT OF THE POWER SPECTRA in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) predicted in Loop Quantum Cosmology and in the Standard Inflationary Scenario.

The two different spectra are contrasted in this plot, which shows their ratio as a function of k, the inverse of wave length, of fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background. For many of the parameters, observable wave numbers k are greater than 9 and the two predictions are indistinguishable. For a narrow window of parameters, observable k can be smaller than 9.

Then the two predictions differ. Both are in agreement with currently available data, but future observations should be able to distinguish between them.

Credit: Ashtekar group, Penn State University

EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE according to the new paradigm of Loop Quantum Origins.

Image source: P. Singh Physics 5, 142 (2012). Credit: Alan Stonebraker.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Einstein’s theories to include quantum gravity in order to understand situations where classical general relatively breaks down.

In their earlier work with loop quantum cosmology, Ashtekar and his team updated the concept of the Big Bang with the Big Bounce. The Big Bounce postulates that the universe did not emerge from nothing, but from a super compressed mass that may have had a history of it’s own. “It is an exciting time in our group right now, as we begin using our new paradigm to understand, in more detail, the dynamics that matter and geometry experienced during the earliest eras of the universe, including at the very beginning,” Ashtekar said.

Even though the conditions at the beginning of the universe were very different from the conditions after inflation, the two paradigms have a connection. When the inflation paradigm is used together with Einstein’s equations to model the evolution of the universe, seedlike areas are sprinkled throughout the cosmic background radiation; these seeds evolve over time into galaxy clusters and other large-scale structures that are seen in the universe today.

When the Penn State scientists used their loop quantum origins paradigm with its quantumcosmology equations, they found fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of “space time” at the moment of the Big Bounce.

These fluctuations evolve to become the seedlike structures that are seen in the cosmic background radiation.

The discovery of these fluctuations pushes the genesis of structure all the way back to the beginning of the universe. “Our new work shows

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SDSS-III Researcher

Feature Story that the initial conditions at the very beginning of the universe naturally lead to the large-scale structure of the universe that we observe today,” Ashtekar said. “In human terms, it is like taking a snapshot of a baby right at birth and then being able to project from it an accurate profile of how that person will be at age 100.”

The loop quantum origins paradigm has narrowed down the conditions that existed at the beginning of the universe and shown that the evolutions of those conditions agree with the previous information gathered during the study of cosmic background radiation. “It is exciting that we soon may be able to test different predictions from these two theories against future discoveries with next-generation observational missions.

Such experiments will help us to continue gaining a deeper understanding of the very, very early universe,” Ashtekar said.

While Ashtekar and his team are using their new paradigm to envision the universe before the period of inflation at its birth, another team of scientists in astronomy have been involved in research to understand how the force responsible for the subsequent and continued expansion of the universe, dark energy, worked in the very early eras.

For the past five billion years, a mysterious repulsive force known as dark energy has powered the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is the most dominate substance in the universe; however, there is no explanation DONALD SCHNEIDER for its existence or its magnitude. The exploration of the nature of dark energy is one of the most important aspects of modern cosmology. Using a new technique that

Suvrath Madadevan, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics works with the SDSSIII, focusing on the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) and the Multiobject Apache Point Observatory Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS) components. His team consists of Penn State postdocs Rohit Deshpande, and Chad Bender, as well as graduate students Ryan Terrien and Sam Halverson.

In his work with APOGEE, Madadevan and his team are looking at M dwarfs, the most common of stars in our Galaxy; they are in search of binaries, and any massive planets around these stars. They are also seeking to characterize the intrinsic properties of stars.

He is observing 100 eclipsing binaries to determine their dynamical masses and radii that will lead to further understanding of the evolution and physical properties of stars. He is also working on the development and testing of an innovative wavelength calibration source with APOGEE. In his work with MARVELS he is using data collected from the Penn State’s Hobby Eberly Telescope to confirm or refute planet candidates and binaries that MARVELS finds.

The higher precision and larger light-collecting power of the HET allows the team to study many of these systems in more detail.

For more information on Madadevan’s research and the SDSS-III project, visit astro.psu.edu.

measures the three-dimensional structure of the distant universe Donald Schneider, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, along with a team of international scientists within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey – III (SDSS-III), have made the first measurement of the rate that the universe was expanding just three billion years after its inception.

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is one of the most ambitious and influential surveys in the history of astronomy. Over eight years of

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operations, it obtained deep, multi-color images covering more than a quarter of the sky and created 3-dimensional maps containing more than 930,000 galaxies and more than 120,000 quasars (read more about SDSS at http://www. sdss.org). Now in it’s third phase, SDSS-III is a six-year project that is working to expand the current understanding in fields ranging from the planets outside our solar system to the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe. SDSS-III began to collect data in 2008, and will continue until 2014, using the Sloan Foundation 2.5-meter Telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico.

“Observations in the past 15 years have revealed that the expansion rate of the universe is accelerating,” said Schneider. “Most cosmologi-

cal models predict that when the universe was young, dark energy had little influence on the expansion; at that time the evolution of the largescale structure of the universe was dominated by gravitation, which is an attractive force that acted to slow the expansion. The new SDSS-III observations are an important probe of this early era.” Schneider is the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s survey coordinator and scientific publications coordinator. SDSS-III will learn more about dark energy as it collects more than a million and a half galaxies and more than 160,000 quasars by the end of the survey in 2014.

“If we think of the universe as a roller coaster, then today we are rushing downhill, gaining speed as we go,” said Nicolas Busca of the Laboratoire Astroparticule et Cosmologie of the

HOW THE UNIVERSE’S EXPANSION RATE has changed over the last 10-billion years. Until recently, three-dimensional maps by BOSS and other surveys were able to measure the regular distribution of galaxies back to only about five-and-a-half-billion years ago, a time when the expansion of the universe was already accelerating. The numbers along the bottom of the graph show the time in the universe’s past, in billions of years. The vertical scale (y-axis) shows the expansion rate of the universe; higher means the universe was expanding faster. These older measurements appear as data points toward the right of the graph. The new SDSS-III measurements, shown as the data point to the far left, have now probed the structure of the early universe at a time when expansion was still slowing down.

CREDIT: Zosia Rostomian, LBNL, and Nic Ross, BOSS Lyman-alpha team, LBNL

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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SDSS-III Researcher

Feature Story French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), one of the lead authors of the study. “Our new measurement tells us about the time when the universe was climbing the hill – still being slowed by gravity.”

The new measurement is based on data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey is one of the four surveys that comprise SDSS-III. The BOSS uses a technique pioneered by the SDSS called “baryon acoustic oscillations” (BAO). The BAO technique uses small variations in matter left over from the early universe as a “standard ruler” to compare the size of the universe at various points in history. Using that new standard ruler to observe a part of the universe that now is so very far away requires new techniques because objects, like galaxies, are so faint when observed from Earth. The new technique that was developed uses clusters of intergalactic hydrogen gas in the distant universe; the astronomers can see it because the gas absorbs light from the quasars behind it. Measuring the spectra of these quasars reveal how the gas absorbed the light as it made it’s way to earth. Measuring this absorption rate, known as the Lyman-alpha Forest, produces a detailed picture of the gas between Earth and the quasar.

“It’s a cool technique, because we’re essentially measuring the shadows cast by gas along a single line billions of light-years long,” said Anze Slosar of Brookhaven National Laboratory.” The tricky part is combining all those one-dimensional maps into a three-dimensional map. It’s like trying to see a picture that’s been painted on the quills of a porcupine.” For the first time, the team’s new map is large enough to show very subtle variations of the BAO in the Layman-alpha Forest gas using the light

Penn State’s Distinguished Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Niel Brandt is working alongside graduate student Nurten Filiz Ak, as well as an international team of collaborators, as part of SDSS-III’s Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The team is investigating the variability of the powerful winds that flow outward from the central regions of many quasars.

Filiz Ak and Brandt have identified 19 quasars whose gas clouds have disappeared in just a few years. Quasars are fueled by gas, which is continually falling into massive black holes in the centers of galaxies. The gravitational force from the black hole is so powerful and is exerting so much force on this gas that it heats up and glows brighter than the entire galaxy that surrounds it. Much of this gas, having not found its way into the black hole, escapes and is blown off by the winds churning out of the center of the quasar.

The team’s work is novel because, for the first time, they have identified a large and uniformly selected sample of quasars all showing clear wind signatures, and have high-quality multi-year spectroscopy for all of them. Their sample, which is about 100 times larger than those used in previous relevant work, will allow the team to derive reliable statistical constraints on wind variability.

For more information on Brandt’s research and the SDSS-III project, visit astro.psu.edu.

from 50,000 quasars all across the sky. The new measurements taken combined with measurements of the same peaks at other points in the universe’s history produces a picture of how the universe has evolved. Their findings were consistent with the current understanding that dark energy is a constant part of space, but for the first time this measurement reveals how dark energy worked before the universe’s current acceleration began.

The BOSS measurements show that the expansion of the universe was slowing down elev-

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AN ILLUSTRATION SHOWING HOW SDSS-III was able to measure the distant universe. Light rays from distant quasars (dots at left) are partially absorbed as they pass through clouds of intergalactic hydrogen gas (center). When the light arrives at the spectrograph of the Sloan Foundation 2.5-Meter Telescope (square at right), some has been absorbed, leaving behind a record in the form of a “forest” of small absorption lines in the observed spectrum. These lines can be interpreted to make a map of the gas along the line of sight between us and the quasar. By examining light from thousands of quasars all over the sky, astronomers can make a detailed threedimensional map of the distant universe. In this illustration, the dots at the far left are quasars, and the thin lines show light rays that left those quasars more than 10-billion years ago. Yellow dots are quasars that had been measured by prior projects of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. By measuring the spectra from ten times as many quasars in this range (red dots), BOSS can reveal the large-scale structure of the early universe in much greater detail. CREDIT: Zosia Rostomian, LBNL; Nic Ross, BOSS Lyman-alpha team, LBNL; and Springel et al, Virgo Consortium and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics

en billion years ago due to mutual gravitational attraction of all the galaxies in the universe.

As the universe expanded the repulsive force of dark energy began to dominate as the concentration of matter was dissipated by the expansion of space. Therefore, more than eighty years after Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaitre first measured the expansion rate of the nearby universe, the SDSS-III has made the same measurement of the expansion rate as it was eleven billion years ago.

No technique has ever been able to measure the expansion rate in so early an era of the universe’s development. Eleven billion years ago the expansion rate of the universe was actually slowing down, however, today the expansion rate is speeding up. Why and how dark energy

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

caused, and continues to cause, the rate of expansion to accelerate is a key focus of cosmology.

For the first time ever, a picture of the early universe is starting to come into focus; Penn State scientists are at the forefront, exploring different eras in the early universe in ways that have never been possible. By analyzing the data and reviewing the discoveries from the projects at Penn State, scientists around the world are advancing their understanding of the universe and expanding the research to continue furthering our knowledge of the cosmos. For centuries human beings have studied the stars, now we are closer than ever to understanding how the universe evolved.

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Cover Story

Virus 12

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ses:

Developing Strategies to Prevent and Treat Infections

Over the past decade, the world has observed the emergence of SARS, the spread of West Nile, and the fear of a global flu pandemic; besides being viruses, the shared link between each of these diseases is RNA. The threat of intentional release of RNA viruses as biological weapons has increased substantially as well, motivating scientists to develop innovative strategies to produce vaccines to prevent infection and new antiviral therapies. Viruses have not only become a threat to human health, but have impacts on other parts of society, such as food supply and the economy.

Craig E. Cameron, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and holder of the Eberly Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, studies viruses and looks for ways to cure diseases caused by them.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

CRAIG E. CAMERON

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Cover Story The viruses he studies all contain a common bond—RNA is their genetic material. Cameron’s research focuses on RNA polymerases and RNA-binding proteins required for viral replication or mitochondrial function. His work has contributed to the conceptual and practical development of strategies to treat and to prevent viral infection.

Although Cameron is now a research scientist and faculty member, that was not always the plan. “When I first went to undergraduate school, I really thought I wanted to become an M.D.,” Cameron said. “I spent a lot of time volunteering in hospitals but discovered that dealing with aging, death, and dying on a daily basis just wasn’t for me.”

Cameron knew that although he wanted a career where he could help people using science, there were paths aside from being a doctor. “I was a student during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. HIV was discovered during that time,

This image illustrates a

as well as the first drugs to treat HIV/AIDS. Watching the devastation caused by this viral parasite inspired me to enter a career that would facilitate annihilation of viral pathogens.

I saw research as a viable way to help people,” he said. “Viruses were clearly a menace, and we just weren’t equipped to deal with the challenges associated with combatting them.”

Although the effect of viruses on the body is often complex, the way they work is pretty simplistic: infect a cell, make more viruses and then break out of the cell to infect more cells.

Viruses multiply quickly with the help of an enzyme, polymerase, which makes more copies of the viral genetic material. Once a virus infects a cell, the immune system kicks in and tries to control the spread. If the immune system is unsuccessful at stopping the spread of the virus, it can cause disease or even death. However, if the body has been exposed to a vaccine – a weakened form of the virus – the body can respond

This image illustrates an anti-

This image illustrates an

human cell during a normal viral

viral drug causing adverse effects.

antiviral drug without adverse

infection. Credit: Craig Cameron lab,

The skull and crossbones, which

effects. The ideal situation is to

Penn State University

represent the antiviral drug, illustrate

design a drug that would get into

that the drug gets not only into the

the viral RNA only, but not into

viral RNA, but also into the healthy

the mitochondrial RNA. Credit: Craig

mitochondrial RNA, causing side

Cameron lab, Penn State University

effects and problems. Credit: Craig Cameron lab, Penn State University

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more rapidly when it is exposed to the virulent strain. The key to developing vaccines is finding the mutation that will prime the immune system without causing disease.

Since its inception, the primary goal of Cameron’s laboratory has been development of strategies to treat or to prevent infections by RNA viruses, using poliovirus and hepatitis C virus (HCV) as primary model systems. Cameron’s initial research focus was viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. He studied the kinetic, thermodynamic and structural basis for fidelity of nucleotide incorporation, a topic of considerable importance not only for accurate maintenance, transmission and expression of genetically encoded information but also for targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) for antiviral therapy.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Cameron and his team, consisting of postdoctoral scholars, research assistants, graduate students, and undergraduate students, are currently working on several projects, including: RdRp mechanism; viral attenuation and vaccine development; picornavirus genome replication; biochemical mechanisms and biological functions of HCV NS3 and NS5a proteins; mitochondrial transcription and disease; and, lethal mutagenesis as an antiviral strategy.

The long-term goal of Cameron’s RNA research program is to develop strategies to treat and/or prevent RNA virus infection by targeting the RdRp. Using poliovirus, and its RdRp (3Dpol) as their model system, the team has obtained new insight into the chemical mechanism for nucleotidyl transfer. They have discovered a link between RdRp incorporation fidelity and pathogenesis and a connection between RdRp dynamics and incorporation fidelity. These discoveries have led Cameron and his team to hypothesize that RdRp incorporation fidelity is a target for antiviral and vaccine development.

Cameron’s studies of the chemical mechanism of the RdRp have led to the first universal, polymerase mechanism-based strategy for viral attenuation and vaccine development in which one amino acid substitution produced a poliovirus vaccine with the efficacy and stability of the Sabin vaccine strains. He discovered that the mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT) is an off-target for therapeutic ribonucleosides, especially those developed to treat hepatitis C virus infection that exhibited adverse effects during clinical trials. The FDA now expects evaluation of the effect of therapeutic ribonucleosides on POLRMT prior to consideration of investigational new drug applications.

“It’s nice to be able to see that your work has practical outcomes that could prevent people from getting sick,” said Cameron. “Creating 15

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Focusing on Viruses

Cover Story that knowledge is exciting. But of course, there are numerous hurdles that need to be cleared in order to show that it is a promising strategy for the future.”

Viral attenuation and vaccine development is an important aspect of Cameron’s research. Vaccination is the only known approach to prevent viral infection, with the most effective vaccines being live, weakened virus strains. Current approaches for development of vaccine strains are random, slow, and prohibit a rapid response to natural, unintentional or intentional outbreaks caused by viruses. Cameron’s team has discovered a polymerase-mechanism based strategy for viral attenuation and vaccine development that can be extrapolated to any RNA virus. They are currently using mouse models to characterize the immune response to vaccine candidates.

Because of their success to date with the mouse models, the team is expanding the program to include other viruses, including West Nile Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

The Cameron group’s work also focuses on another emerging threat to public health, picornaviruses, which are small, RNA-containing viruses of the family Picornaviridae, including poliovirus and the rhinoviruses that cause the common cold. The objective of their work with picornaviruses is to reconstruct picornavirus genome replication in vitro from purified components. In collaboration with Jim Hogle, a professor of biochemistry at Harvard Medical School, Cameron’s team has solved the first crystal structure for a picornaviral 3CD protein. Additionally, working with David Boehr, assistant professor of chemistry at Penn State, and Mark Foster, professor of biochemistry at Ohio State University, they developed the technology to study 3C-RNA interactions by using NMR spectroscopy. Cameron doesn’t plan to

Since fall 2011, Joseph Moran, a junior microbiology student, has been working in the Cameron lab, studying picornaviruses.

After meeting Cameron in 2011 as a freshman, the two had several discussions regarding Moran’s future in the biological sciences; after a few talks and lab meetings, Moran decided his focus would be viruses.

“Since joining the picornavirus group, I’ve had the honor of studying under great minds like Akira Uchida, a postdoctoral scholar, and Djoshkun Shengjuler, my graduate student adviser. The research I’ve done lately is an extension of the groundwork that Uchida and Shengjuler, which focuses on the PV-3C protein and its ability to bind to RNA, as well as, different phosphoinsitides,” Moran said.

Working in the lab, Moran learned many techniques that he’ll use for the rest of his research career, such as protein purification. However, professional development is where Moran feels he has benefited the most. “Even as an undergraduate, you’re expected to think critically and drawl conclusions from your data. Being able to discuss data concisely and effectively with others in the field is an area that I improve in each lab meeting,” Moran said.

For Moran, producing results is another incentive of working in a lab. “Being able to produce and analyze data is the most rewarding feeling. You put in so much time and effort into your experiments, when everything goes right it’s really satisfying.”

Although he’s only an undergraduate, Moran has felt very welcomed in the Cameron lab. “If you’re having trouble with an experiment or analyzing data there is always someone there who is more than happy to help you.”

In the future, Moran plans to pursue a career in research; he is looking to attend graduate school for either viral or cell signaling research.

stop with those discoveries; his team continues to study picornavirus genome replication as well as exploring newly discovered functions for 3CD protein.

Cameron’s most recently published work involves replicating the adverse side effects of

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certain hepatitis C medications in the lab. “The new method not only will help us to understand the recent failures of hepatitis C antiviral drugs in some patients in clinical trials,” said Cameron. “It also could help to identify medications that eliminate all adverse effects.” The team’s findings, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, may help pave the way toward the development of safer and more-effective treatments for hepatitis C, as well as other pathogens such as SARS coronavirus and West Nile virus.

which affects over 170,000,000 people worldwide, is the leading cause of liver disease and, although antiviral treatments are effective in many patients, they cause serious side effects in others.

“Many antiviral medications for treating HCV are chemical analogs for the building blocks of RNA that are used to assemble new copies of the virus’s genome, enabling it to replicate,” he said. “These medications are close enough to the virus’s natural building blocks that they get incorporated into the virus’s genome. But they also are different in ways that lead to the virus’s incomplete repTHE TEAM’S FINDINGS MAY HELP PAVE THE WAY lication. The problem, however, is TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFER AND that the medication not only compromises the virus’s genetic mateMORE-EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR HEPATITIS C, rial, but also the genetic material AS WELL AS OTHER PATHOGENS SUCH AS SARS of the patient. So, while the drug causes damage to the virus, it CORONAVIRUS AND WEST NILE VIRUS. also may affect the patient’s own healthy tissues.”

Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is currently A method to reveal these adverse side effects no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection. At in the safety of a laboratory setting, rather than least 3% of the world’s population is infected in clinical trials where patients may be placed with hepatitis C virus (HCV); over 50% of in- at risk, has been developed by the research fections never resolve, resulting in persistent team, which includes Cameron; Arnold; Suresh virus carriage. Over time, this chronic infec- Sharma, a research associate in Cameron’s lab; tion can lead to liver fibrosis and, progressively, other scientists at Penn State; and researchers to severe and fatal diseases including liver cir- from other academic, government, and corporhosis and primary liver cancer. In the United rate labs.

States, hepatitis C is an emerging disease, with “We have taken anti-HCV medications and, 1.7 million individuals already chronically in- in Petri dishes and test tubes, we have shown fected and 30,000 more infected every year. that these drugs affect functions within a cell’s The economic cost of this medical burden is mitochondria,” Cameron explained. “The celluestimated at approximately $1 billion per year. lar mitochondria – a tiny structure known as Because of this, it’s critical for researchers to ‘the powerhouse of the cell’ that is responsible develop effective treatments, and perhaps a for making energy known as ATP – is affected vaccination, for the disease. by these compounds and is likely a major reaJamie Arnold, a research associate in Cam- son why we see adverse effects.” Cameron noted eron’s lab at Penn State, explained that the HCV, that scientists have known for some time that

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Cover Story certain individuals have “sick” mitochondria. Ebola virus, could be treated using this class of Such individuals are likely more sensitive to the compounds as well.” mitochondrial side effects of antiviral drugs.

Lethal mutagenesis is another antiviral “We know that antiviral drugs, including the strategy that Cameron is pursuing with his reones used to treat HCV, affect even normal, search. The quasispecies nature of RNA viruses healthy mitochondria by slowing ATP output,” permits these viruses to resist challenges by the Arnold added. “While a person with normal host that would otherwise kill the virus populamitochondria will experience some ATP and tion. Poliovirus, and likely most RNA viruses, mitochondrial effects, a person who is already has optimized population diversity. In the case predisposed to mitochondrial dysfunction will be pushed THE TEAM MEMBERS ALSO HOPE THEIR over the ‘not enough cellular energy’ threshold by the antiMETHOD WILL BE A MEANS TO STUDY TOXICITY viral drug. The person’s mitoAND SIDE EFFECTS IN OTHER DISEASES. chondria simply won’t be able to keep up.”

Cameron added that the next step for his of poliovirus, each member of the population team is to identify the genes that make some differs from another by a few single nucleotide individuals respond poorly to these particular changes. The previous studies done by the team antiviral treatments. “By taking blood samples of the broad-spectrum, antiviral ribonucleoside, from various patients and using the new method ribavirin, demonstrated that the compound is to test for toxicity in the different samples, we a lethal mutagen of the poliovirus genome and hope to discover which individuals will respond functions by increasing the number of differwell and which will experience mitochondrial ences between members of the population to an reactions, based on their genetic profiles,” he extent that does not permit the population to said. “That is, we hope to use this method as a be sustained. These studies defined lethal mustep toward truly personalized medicine, open- tagenesis as a clinically tractable mechanism ing the door to pre-screening of patients so that for antiviral drug development. In collaboration those with mitochondrial diseases can be treat- with other institutions around the world, this ed with different regimens from the start.” project has transitioned to a study that focuses The team members also hope their method on identifying the properties of RNA viruses will be a means to study toxicity and side ef- that determine sensitivity to lethal mutagens. fects in other diseases. “Specifically, our tech- Additionally, the team is working to develop, nology will illuminate toxicity of a particular synthesize and validate antiviral ribonucleoclass of compounds that interrupts viral RNA sides that function by exploiting the promiscuity synthesis,” Cameron said. “While this class of the RdRp. Lethal mutagens represent a subof compounds currently is being developed for set of these antiviral compounds. Although sigtreatment of HCV, a wide range of other RNA nificant efforts have been made in developing efviruses, including West Nile virus, Dengue vi- fective therapies for viral infections, the number rus, SARS coronavirus, and perhaps even the of approved antiviral drugs is limited. Cameron

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

and his lab are hopeful that their work with lethal mutagenesis will someday allow for the development of antiviral drugs that are more effective and available for more ailments.

In addition to interest in creating vaccinations and treatments for RNA viruses, Cameron also focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction in human diseases. Scientists and the medical community suspect that altered mitochondrial function include certain cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, muscular dystrophies and cardiac diseases. A primary goal of mitochondrial medicine is the assignment of specific defects in mitochondrial molecular biology to particular disease states.

Cameron’s team was the first to reconstitute human mitochondrial transcription in vitro from purified components produced solely in bacteria. The system, marketed by Indigo Biosciences, defines a new era for the field. Cameron is now focusing on the enzymology and regulation of human mitochondrial transcription ini-

the different stages of mitochondrial transcription; developing three-dimensional reconstructions of images captured by using negative stain electron microscopy as an additional approach to view the structures of the various transcription complexes; studying factors that may facilitate coupling of transcription to translation; testing the hypothesis that the mitochondrial RNA polymerase is an off-target for antiviral ribonucleosides being developed for the treatment of HCV infection; and pursuing the hypothesis that mutations in mtDNA regulate mitochondrial transcriptional output and are involved in the transformational process of certain cancers.

By combining their abilities with the capabilities of their collaborators, Cameron and his team are hoping to better understand how defects in transcription of the mitochondrial genome contribute to disease and aging.

The threat of disease and viral pandemics continues to rise each year, encouraging scientists like Cameron to develop vaccines and effective treatments. Creating new A PRIMARY GOAL OF MITOCHONDRIAL vaccines and expanding access to people across the world can eradicate MEDICINE IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF SPECIFIC viruses that threaten our society, extending life expectancy. Treatments DEFECTS IN MITOCHONDRIAL MOLECULAR for these viruses can also improve the quality of life for those affected.

BIOLOGY TO PARTICULAR DISEASE STATES. Cameron and his team continue forgtiation, elongation, and termination. To achieve ing ahead with their research, aspiring to conthis, the team has established a network of col- tribute to improving lives around the globe with laborations to utilize their capabilities, which antiviral discoveries. includes researchers at Penn State, in addition to scientists at other universities and industries across the country. These collaborations involve using mass spectrometry to define interactions between the core RNA polymerase and transcription factors; employing X-ray crystallography to achieve a structural perspective of

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Feature Story

Innovation Across the Disciplines:

Alternative Research Reducing dependence on fossil fuels and discovering methods for sustainable energy are high priorities for scientists around the world, including many researchers at Penn State.

Minimizing the usage of these fuels not only benefits the environment, but has economic advantages as well. Researchers at Penn State’s Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation (CLSF) and The Center for Solar Nanomaterials are both using innovative strategies to address this global challenge.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Energy The CLSF is working with plant matter, specifically lingocellulose, while The Center for Solar Nanomaterials is addressing the utilization of solar energy. Both of these collaborative institutions bring together talented people across disciplines to work as a team, something that Penn State has become known for: addressing global challenges as a united front.

The CLSF is one of the 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in 2009 to address the nation’s critical energy challenges. The EFRCs include universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, and for-profit firms, which were selected by scientific peer review. The EFRCs focus on unifying the talents of leading scientists in a setting that is designed to accelerate the research process. The centers were initially funded at $2-5 million

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Feature Story per year, with the understanding that after the initial award period they may be invited to apply for additional funding. Penn State was chosen as a lead institution and was awarded $21 million for the initial five-year project.

The CLSF at Penn State partners with North Carolina State University and Virginia Tech; each contributes special expertise to the center.

The team is comprised of plant and microbial molecular biologists, chemists, physicists, material scientist, engineers, and computational modelers. The researchers are working together to identify means to produce food, fiber, and fuel more efficiently while utilizing the most abundant renewable biological resource on the planet: lingocellulose, the main structural material in plants.

Lignocellulose is a matrix composed of three main types of carbon-based polymers: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Mankind has been

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Center theme 1: Understand Cellulose synthesis

Center theme 2: Understand Lignocellulose assembly

Center theme 3: Understand relationship between nano scale structure and macro scale properties

THE CLSF IS FOCUSED on developing a detailed understanding of lignocellulose, the main structural material in plants, from cellulose synthesis and fibril formation to a mature plant cell wall, forming a foundation for significant advancement in sustainable energy and materials.

using plants for food, clothing, and heat for thousands of years and despite its cultural and economic importance much remains unknown about the process of how plants actually build cell walls. Lignocellistic sources include wood, agricultural residues, water plants, grasses,

Penn State Eberly College of Science

“The biggest solar collectors on Earth are plants, which use sunlight to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into complex structural materials like cellulose and lignin. These make up wood, paper, cotton, and many other everyday materials and globally represent a huge untapped reserve of bio renewable energy,“ said Daniel Cosgrove professor of biology, and holder of the Eberly Chair in Biology and director of CLSF at DAN COSGROVE ILLUSTRATION OF THE ENERGY FRONTIER Research Penn State.

Centers (EFRCs) in the United States Each year tons of corn stalks, wheat stems, and other ridged plant substances. Wood and and wood shaving are disposed of because they paper products alone have played a vastly im- have had no alternative uses. These waste parts portant role in the evolution of civilization while contain the lignocellulose, an inedible part of other composites that utilize lingocellulose in- the plants that make up a significant portion of clude plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, and the world’s food supplies. Turning these woody parts of plants, most of which are simply thrown laminated lumber, are ubiquitous. away, into biofuels will not have a negative imTRANSFORMING CELLULOSE INTO AN AFFORDABLE pact on the food supply.

Transforming cellulose AND SUSTAINABLE METHOD FOR FUEL PRODUCTION into an affordable and WOULD BE A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH, NOT JUST sustainable method for fuel production would FOR THE UNITED STATES, BUT ON A GLOBAL SCALE. be a major breakthrough, not just for the The work at the center is based on three in- United States, but on a global scale.

The DOE has identified three EFRCs to deterrelated themes: understanding cellulose synthesis, understanding lignocellulose assembly, velop cellulosic biomass into a transportation and understanding the relationship between fuel. The goal of these centers compliment the nano-scale structure and macro-scale proper- research being done at the CLSF, which focuses ties. The group uses experimental and theoreti- on the physical structure of lignocellulose at the cal techniques to understand the fundamental nanoscale level. “We anticipate that researchprocess by which lignocellulose is formed by ers and engineers who focus on biomass deconplants to develop a detailed understanding of struction will immediately apply the knowledge the complete process from cellulose synthesis generated by the CLSF to their approaches. The and fibril formation to a mature plant cell wall. lignocellulosic biofuel industry is still in its in-

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Feature Story fancy, so we think that now is a great time to maximize our understanding of how lignocellulose is put together,” said Charles Anderson, assistant professor of biology and member of the CLSF team. Lignocellulose is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels not only because it comes from plants, the combustion of lignocellulosic ethanol produces no carbon dioxide, and under certain circumstances, can “result in net negative greenhouse gas emissions,” Anderson noted.

The production of ethanol from biomass requires access to the sugars that reside inside the plant’s cells; these sugars, which are necessary for fermentation, are contained inside the lignocellulose. The research at the center is essential for developing new ways to manipulate plant cell walls and ultimately untangle the lignocellulosic matrix, which will provide access to these sugars. This will not only provide a way to create the next generation of biofuels but also an avenue for the creations of new cellulosic biomaterials that will have a significant economic impact.

Since the center’s formation in 2009 the research team has developed novel tools and techniques to investigate the organization and structure of plant cell walls. “We have…better defined at the biophysical level how different cell wall components interact with one another, which allows us to build more accurate models of cell wall structure,” Anderson said.

“Understanding these complex materials – specifically how proteins work to assemble the biopolymers – is key to efficient utilization and technological breakthroughs,” said Nicole Brown, associate professor of wood chemistry.

“Furthering our understanding of renewable material synthesis and coupling this to nanotechnology is paramount to engineering composites and other value-added materials for the

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21st century.” Once it is understood how the materials fit together, scientists can then learn how to take them apart. This understanding will allow scientists to design materials based on end-use within the framework of cost and environmental considerations that will in turn benefit the global economy.

THE ISSUE FACING SOLAR ENERGY IS HOW TO HARNESS THE ABUNDANCE OF ENERGY THAT THE SUN PROVIDES. CURRENTLY, SOLAR ENERGY IS BEING UNDERUTILIZED TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSATION AS COMPARED TO THE ELECTRICITY GENERATED THROUGH FOSSIL FUELS. The research being done at the CLSF will help to enhance the country’s energy security, as well as provide knowledge to help further the cause of environmental protection across the globe. An additional area of research being performed at Penn State is focusing on solar energy as another solution to the global energy challenge.

Solar energy is one of the most promising options for renewable energy in terms of scale; one hour of sunlight striking the earth is currently equal to the whole world’s annual energy usage.

The issue presently facing solar energy is how to harness the abundance of energy that the sun provides. Right now, solar energy is being underutilized to produce electricity due to the

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Person-to-Person students to design a lens that

student in chemistry

focuses light in certain spectral range and scatters

working in the Mallouk

light in another spectral range. “We are essentially

lab. “I decided to join the

fabricating a tandem photovoltaic cell, but they

Mallouk group because

are electronically decoupled; this means they

I was intrigued by the

do not have to be current matched. This test

wide breadth of research

design is important because we can fabricate

Dr. Mallouk takes part

tandem solar cells that are not limited by a

in. Another important factor in my decision was that Dr. Mallouk not only synthesizes solid state materials, but also focuses on the assembly of functional materials for solar energy conversion,” Hall said.

weakly performing cell,” he said.

Working in the lab has benefitted Hall in many ways. “I don’t think I would be who I am today if I wasn’t in the Mallouk Lab. I have learned a wide range of knowledge that spans from

Hall is currently working on a variety of projects

chemistry to physics. I have also learned to be

in the Mallouk lab, including working with

a team player, since most of my projects are

an interdisciplinary team to design broad-

collaborative in nature.”

band plasmonic absorbers. “We couple one-dimensional photonic crystals with onedimensional or two-dimensional metallic gratings. These structures are designed to trap light across a broad wavelength and angular range by exciting multiple surface plasmon polariton waves. The goal of these structures is

For Hall, the most rewarding part about doing research is that he is able to study something he loves and participate in projects that have potential to benefit society.

Hall has won several awards during his tenure at Penn State, including the Roberts Fellowship and

to implement them into thin film photovolatic

the Bunton-Waller Scholarship.

devices to enhance absorption,” Hall said. On

In the future, Hall plans to become a tenured

another project he is working with undergraduate

professor at a top-ranked university.

expense of solar energy conversion as compared to the electricity generated through fossil fuels.

The Center for Solar Nanomaterials at Penn State brings together chemists, physicists, and engineers working to develop methods to synthesize solar energy in a cheaper and more efficient way.

Some of the research at the center is focused on using a dye-based system. These dye-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2) cells have been around since the 1990s and are inexpensive devices for converting sunlight to electricity; however, their efficiency is low because they do not efficiently utilize the red part of the solar spectrum. “Greg Barber has recently fabricated tandem cells from dye-sensitized TiO2, which absorbs well in the visible, and single crystal Si,

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Person-to-Person

Shoji Hall is a Ph.D.

which is most efficient in the near-IR. This combines the best features of both kinds of cells to make an efficient system, but the concentrator optics used in Greg’s original study require the panels TOM MALLOUK to track the sun. We are currently working on refractive optics in order to combine dye cells and silicon into efficient, stationary solar panels,” said Thomas Mallouk, Evan Pugh Professor, DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Director of the Center for Solar Nanomaterials.

Mallouk and Barber are also working with Theresa Mayer, Distinguished Professor of

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Feature Story Electrical Engineering, and Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Godfrey Binder Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, on solar cell designs that combine plasmonic nanostructures and photonic crystals to control the flow of light.

“Thin film and organic solar cells do not absorb light very efficiently. To make them work better we are working on inexpensive coatings that can trap light, basically making it bounce around longer in the cell until it is absorbed,” said Mallouk.

By coupling molecular photosensitizers to nanoparticulate oxygen evolution catalysts, Mallouk said that it is now possible to make dye-sensitized solar cells that split water with visible light, albeit with low efficiency. This is similar to what plants do in nature, using sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide to fuel, a process known as photosynthesis. “We use biomimetic principles to control electron and proton transfer reactions in these liquid-junction solar cells and transient spectroscopic techniques to measure their kinetics,” said Mallouk. Once these measurements are taken, adjustments can be made at the nanoscale to potentially increase the efficiency.

Photosynthesis is the original source of all fuel in the world today – including fossil fuel – however, it is inherently inefficient. The 1-3% efficiency of photosynthesis means that very large land areas would be needed to make enough fuel to power cars and airplanes, and to provide the heat needed for homes and industrial uses.

In principle, artificial photosynthesis could be more efficient and provide a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuel with the only by-product from the process being oxygen. Unfortunately, very little is known about how to make these systems work efficiently and how to make them stable enough to last for decades.

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In the Eberly College of Science, several research groups are working hard on this problem. John Golbeck, professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and chemistry, and Donald Bryant, Ernest C. Pollard Professor in Biotechnology and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, are wiring parts of the natural photosynthetic apparatus to electrodes and catalysts to make water-splitting photosystems. Mary Beth Williams, associate professor of chemistry, is studying how electrons jump between molecules in polymers in order to design inorganic systems that can mimic natural photosynthesis. “These efforts are all still at the stage of basic research. In trying to make materials

Penn State Eberly College of Science

and systems that actually work, we are learning more and more about the design principles that will hopefully one day lead to robust, low-cost devices for generating fuel from sunlight,” Mallouk said.

The revolutionary ideas, thoughts, and techniques that are being conceived through the work being done at in the science disciplines at Penn State will also serve to inspire the next generation of scientists. One of the reasons that this work is able to happen at Penn State is the environment of collaboration, bridging the gap between the disciplines and working together towards common goals. “Penn State has an edge over many other research-intensive universities because our institute model promotes collaboration between departments. I think it is also bet-

ter training for our graduate and undergraduate students who will be entering an interdisciplinary workforce. The institutes actively support shared facilities, seed projects, and interdepartmental faculty appointments, said Mallouk.

By discovering novel ways to utilize these potential alternative fuel sources, the work being done at Penn State will change the face of the nation’s energy consumption and secure the country’s energy future. This research will also provide knowledge to help further the cause of environmental protection across the globe. The continued research at the Center for Lignocellulose and Formation and the Center for Solar Nanomaterials has the potential to change the way the entire world acquires and uses energy.

ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THIS WORK IS ABLE TO HAPPEN AT PENN STATE IS THE ENVIRONMENT OF COLLABORATION, BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE DISCIPLINES AND WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS COMMON GOALS.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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College News Penn State’s Premedical-Medical Program Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence in June of 1963 and since its inception, the program has evolved to allow students more flexibility. Students can now chose between a six or seven year program that provide students with an undergraduate degree from Penn State and M.D. from Thomas Jefferson University. Penn State is only one of four universities in the United States that offers a

“At the time I did the program it was five years. I didn’t really feel like I was missing any background that I

Alumni Focus

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 and set the cold war-space race into motion. Talented students, who before then would have most likely gone to medical school, decided to pursue astronomy-related fields instead.

This new interest in space was bad news for medicine; medical school admissions were down and there was an urgent need to attract young talented students to the field.

The Penn State Jefferson Premedical-Medical Program (PMM) began in 1963 as an answer to this dilemma; the two schools collaborated to provide an accelerated program that would allow students to earn their bachelor of science and doctor of medicine degrees in only five years, considerably shorter than the traditional route to a career in medicine. The first cohort of 29 students started their studies at University Park

six-year BS/MD program.

This accelerated program not only saves time but also eases the burden of debt for students post-graduation.

The program continues to draw interest from students across the country and from around the world. Although only a small number of students are selected to enter the program, each year over six hundred high school students still apply for admission.

Admission to the program is not as simple as filling out a form and sending it in; the applicant must be a high school student who is ranked in the top tenth of their class and achieve a total score of at least 2100 on the SAT. In addition, the applicants are also required to submit a one-page resume listing their

needed for medical school, and saving those three years made it easier for me to commit to seven years of surgical training after medical school because I didn’t have a pressing need to get finished and start to work. My only regret is that I had such a wonderful time in college and at Penn State that I wouldn’t have minded staying longer.”

Monica Morrow is a professor of surgery at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College, Anne Burnett Windfohr Chair of Clinical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, as well as chief of breast service in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan, New York. Morrow is the surgical editor of the textbook Diseases of the Breast and a co-author of Breast Cancer for Dummies. She previously served as President of the Society of Surgical Oncology. Morrow completed the PMM program in 1976.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Anthony and Julianna Ricco

Markle, director of the PPM program and professor of biology at Penn State.

The Penn State Undergraduate Admission Office and the Penn State – Jefferson Joint Admissions Committee, in a three-part review process, make admission decisions. After an initial review, a number of candidates move on to an interview at Jefferson Medical College. Of the six hundred highly accomplished high SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

school students that initially apply; only about twenty-five are selected to enter the PPM program each year.

Occasionally multiple family members will complete the program, however, it’s rare that siblings are in the program concurrently. Anthony and Julianna Ricco are siblings in the PPM program; Anthony is at his first year of medical school at Jefferson Medical College and Julianna is at University Park in the first year of her program.

Since both of their parents are doctors, they were exposed to the medical field growing up and decided at a young ages that they would pursue medicine.

Applying to the program made sense to them both logistically and financially.

“We could get in-state tuition at Penn State and Jefferson is right in our backyard. I always thought it would nice to live somewhat close to home. The program has a good reputation, and I loved both the undergrad program and the med school,” said Anthony Ricco. Julianna echoed her brother and added, “When you are definitive about becoming a physician, I feel an accelerated and early assurance program is the way to go. There is a comfort in knowing that

Alumni Focus

most meaningful accomplishments during their high school years.

“As part of their application they need to show their relative experience in healthcare settings, and show that they have an informed idea of what they are getting into at such a young age,” said Ronald

“The program gave me a remarkable opportunity to begin my life’s work with immediacy.

The undergraduate experience at Penn State was broadening and my basic and clinical education at Jefferson equipped me to excel during my residency. It was extremely exciting to have the chance to focus on human biology and pathology with youthful enthusiasm.”

Bruce Gewertz is the surgeon-inchief, chair of the Department of Surgery, vice-president for interventional services and vice-dean of academic affairs at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles. He holds the Harriet and Steven Nichols Endowed Chair in Surgery. He has received numerous awards for his basic research in vascular biology and is nationally recognized for his work as a vascular surgeon and educator. Gewertz completed the PPM program in 1972.

your future is planned and that you will succeed in your goals, provided that you follow the guidelines.”

All students begin their college careers at Penn State’s University Park Campus.

Student in the six-year program start in the summer right after their senior year of high school and students opting for the seven-year program start in the fall following their high school graduation. Students in 29

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Alumni Focus

College News the accelerated program take the same courses that the traditional premedical majors take. The PPM students are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA, which all students need to maintain if they hope to get into medical school, and they are also required to get a satisfactory score on the MCAT to secure their provisional admission to Thomas Jefferson Medical College.

The major difference is that the PPM students know what medical school they are going to before they even begin their undergraduate course work, this assured admission takes some of the pressure off and instead of being competitive against each other, most of the PPM students work together forming a sense of community within this small group. “I think the camaraderie among students in the program is the best thing about it. The ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality is definitely there,” Julianna Ricco said.

Due to the high academic and personal standards to get accepted into the program “almost all do matriculate to Jefferson, the attrition rate is very low,” said Markle. If a PPM student does fail to meet the academic standards, they are in most cases permitted

“Enrolling in the combined (five year) undergraduate and medical school program jumpstarted my career.

As a result of this accelerated educational process, I completed my residency in pediatrics, served as chief resident, and finished my fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases by age 28. Subsequently, I was able to rapidly accomplish many of my goals, both as a clinician and as a researcher, obtaining funding from the National Institutes of Health for my laboratory and achieving certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties in pediatrics, pediatric infectious diseases, emergency medicine, and pediatric emergency medicine.”

Gary Fleisher is the physician-in-chief, pediatrician-in-chief, and chairman of the Department of Medicine at Children’s Hospital in Boston and Egan Family Foundation Professor at Harvard Medical School. Fleisher is one of the first doctors in the world to specialize in pediatric medicine and helped to develop the field. Fleisher has played in active role in the education of students, residents, fellows, and practicing physicians. He published the first textbook of pediatric emergency medicine and over 150 original articles focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of acute infections.

Fleisher completed the PMM program in 1973.

to remain at Penn State in another program of study.

The program will be undergoing some changes in the next few years. In 2015, the MCAT is changing to reflect the increasing importance of liberal studies in the training of future medical doctors. “These changes include psychological, social, and biological behavior sciences.

The new studies will examine how we as individuals fit into a bigger picture and the abilities to understand a range of factors of human behavior,” said Markle. The program at Penn State will evolve to include the coursework that the students need to score highly on the MCAT and succeed in medical school. This will be

done through changing the requirements for electives for the PMM students; it will not extend the amount of time to complete the program.

To date, more than 1000 students have earned their degrees through the PPM program and many of the program’s alumni have gone on to have very successful careers in medicine. There will always be a global need for doctors; the PMM program at Penn State, in cooperation with Jefferson Medical College, is providing an avenue for talented youth to start their career in medicine in a shorter period of time.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Ethical Research Standards: Training the Next Generations of Scientists Ethics training in research is an important part of educating new scientists. This fundamental preparation not only encourages researchers to responsibly conduct their research, but also promotes awareness of ethical responsibility and integrity in learning, teaching, and service.

University-wide, the Graduate School has required training for all graduate students in ethical responsibilities for research. The objectives for training in research ethics are to ensure compliance with federal legislation across the University among faculty, graduate students, and staff.

Apart from the government regulations, the University is also striving to increase understanding and judgment, promote best practices, and establish an overall university culture that is focused on what it means to be an ethical researcher.

In the Eberly College of Science, all graduate students must pass the Scholastic and Research Integrity (SARI) training program during their first semester of study.

SARI is an ethics course that consists of two components: SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

an instructional part that is integrated into each students first year coursework and training and an online course, “The Responsible Conduct of Research,” which takes 20-30 hours to complete.

“This training program covers a variety of issues from research and publication ethics, plagiarism and copyright laws, to ethical treatment of laboratory animals, to the use of human subjects in research, and many more topics,” said Andrew Stephenson, Distinguished Professor of Biology and associate dean for graduate studies. “All of our graduate students also get at least another three hours of discussion-based research integrity training through a

first year professional development course that is offered in each department.”

All postdoctoral scholars in the college are also required to complete the online SARI training. “In addition, postdocs that are funded by National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) are also required to complete three hours of discussion-based training in research integrity,” Stephenson said. The Penn State Office of Research Protection, the College of Science and other colleges, and various departments across the university, and other units offer seminars, discussion groups and workshops through out the year that fulfill this requirement.

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College News “Many focus on specific issues; each postdoc is allowed to choose those that are relevant to their areas of interest.”

The faculty in the college has also taken an interest in new and developing ethical standards. “For the last several years, all new faculty are also required to pass the SARI online course and receive discussion-based training in ethics. Many of our faculty members, including some longtime faculty, attend the vari-

ous seminars and workshops on ethics,” Stephenson said.

As the world changes and relies on more technology, a new ethical standard must be adopted in an attempt to protect information that can be so easily obtained through digital methods. The college is in the process of planning new curriculum to include topics such as intellectual property rights and technology transfer into the first year professional development courses and in

the professional training for the postdocs.

The need for integrity crosses all disciplines and all areas of life. Expanding the reach of ethical training for research across the entire University makes Penn State graduates and postdocs stand out among their peers; the training that they receive at Penn State at these crucial times in their careers will not only make them better researchers but better citizens of the world.

Evolving Pedagogies: Influencing Instructional Design The evolution of pedagogies from a teacher-centered model to a learner-centered model of active learning is influencing the design of classroom spaces in the Eberly College of Science.

Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) is a pedagogical approach that puts students and their learning needs at the forefront to ensure that the students engage with the subject being taught.

Active learning involves the participation of the student and is accomplished by encouraging group work and discussion, which is in stark contrast with the traditional idea of a university lecture. Active learning makes the student the focus of the class and the teacher more a facilitator, guiding the students through thought-pro-

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

voking questions and difficult problems rather than lecturing. In 1999, research collaboration between Microsoft Research and MIT, which came to be known as iCampus, came together to prove how technology could enhance university curricula. The project focused in part on changing the traditional classroom experience of passive lecturing into active learning experiences that are supported by technology.

Throughout the college there are several faculty members focusing on this student-centered style of learning including David Boehr, assistant professor of chemistry. In his Chemistry 112 classes, he is utilizing a classroom response system, also known as clickers. This technology allows a faculty member to present a question or problem and have the students respond in real time using a handheld transmitter. The software collects the answers and enables the faculty member to produce visual representations of the data received. “With clickers, my students and I get immediate feedback about their understanding of the concepts. In the past, only the exams would give me the same information, but by this time, it was too late to implement any changes to my teaching and intervene in the learning process,” Boehr said.

“Students need to be able to work with concepts by communicating their thoughts to one another. This process helps them to think about what is being taught and to put these ideas into their own words and conceptual frameworks,” Boehr remarked. In the past Boehr had attempted to use group problem solving without clicker technologies and identified some issues with the process: “Students may have understood the mechanics of the calculations but they did not understand the underlying concepts.

Students also did not have to be personally ac-

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

countable for the work; they just needed to put their name onto a piece of paper with other students. The clickers allow me to incorporate more concept-type questions, sprinkle these activities throughout the class to keep students engaged, and make the students personally accountable for their own clicker score.” The technology available is helping Boehr provide his students with the confidence and knowledge they need to succeed in higher-level science courses at the university.

Another faculty member, Eric Hudson, associate professor of physics, is using active learning to “flip the classroom” in his Physics 211/212 classes. The materials that were conventionally presented in a lecture format are now provided in readings that students are responsible for completing outside of class. The students are also required to complete online pre-class homework based on the reading assignments. In addition, quizzes on the reading are then given during the first few minutes of class using clickers.

The remainder of the time spent in Hudson’s classroom is focused on the students interacting, “We spend a lot of time in class arguing over answers to multiple choice questions, where one person will explain why A is right and then another will say ‘Though that makes a lot of sense, I think they are forgetting about X, which would actually make B right’ and so forth,” Hudson said.

Students are retaining more information and their exam scores reflect this. “For example, the average score for exam two has typically been lower than exam one in Chem 112 by 5-8%. During the semester I used clickers, I did not see the drop-off in my Chem 112 section, although a drop-off occurred in the other sections that do not use clickers and active learning approach-

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College News es. I actually saw a 1% increase in the average Despite the increasing interest in active score with the class using clickers,” Boehr said. learning and the desire for collaborative enThe TEAL approach is working, but this vironments, availability of properly designed change in teaching style necessitates an evolu- spaces remains an issue. Historically, the college tion of learning spaces. The classrooms where has had control over instructional laboratory the students are being taught, the traditional space, but not over any classroom areas. Several college lecture halls, are not conducive to this units across the university are making facility type of active learning. This change in pedago- requests to gain access to build these sorts of gy is challenging the Eberly College of Science classrooms. “We know the direction we need to to evolve teaching spaces into learning spaces. go, and we are working to get there,” said Wil“There is a great deal of interest across the college to HAVING TEAL CLASSROOMS AVAILABLE FOR have these sorts of interacTHE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSITY tive learning spaces,” said Mary Beth Williams, WOULD ENABLE THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY TO associate dean for undergraduate education.

RECEIVE THE FULL BENEFITS OF ACTIVE LEARNING. The college has already done major renovations to several of its build- liams. Having TEAL classrooms available for ings to make more engaged learning possible. the instructional needs of the University would The third floor of Whitmore Laboratory has enable the entire student body to receive the full been renovated for forensic science and analyti- benefits of active learning. A few of these types cal and physical chemistry while Spruce and of spaces have been constructed through out the Pine Cottages have been renovated for use as University, and there is major interest in more mock crime scenes for the forensic science pro- access to these types of classrooms. gram. Renovations are slated to begin on the 1st The improvements currently underway floor of the Frear South building in the spring and those being planned for the existing colof 2014 to include a collaborative learning class- lege spaces will give students a more interacroom; for biochemistry and molecular biology tive learning experience. The learner-centered and other lab classes. Major planning for the pedagogical model provides an opportunity for renovations of several instructional laboratory students to learn how to interact in a collabspaces in Mueller Laboratory for introduction orative environment, a valuable skill set in toto biology classes, and in Whitmore Laboratory day’s workplace. Learning areas designed to be for general and organic chemistry classes, are supportive of learner-centered instruction will currently underway. These new learning envi- further reinforce the value of these skills and ronments will provide a setting supportive of enhance the success of college graduates in the group interactions. world’s highly competitive science and technology careers.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Department News Astronomy The Exoplanet Orbit Database In 1992, Alexander Wolszczan, Evan Pugh Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, discovered the first planets outside the solar system, orbiting a pulsar. Today, over 600 planets orbiting other stars (or “exoplanets”) are known, including several discovered

by Penn State astronomers at the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW) using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Ft. Davis, Texas. These include discoveries by Wolszczan and graduate student Sara Gettel (Ph.D., ‘12), Professor Jason Wright, and graduate student Sharon Wang.

The Exoplanet Orbit Database at exoplanets.org, maintained by Wright’s team at Penn State, keeps track of these discoveries, listing the best orbital parameters and host star properties of exoplanets published in the peerreviewed literature. Users can explore the properties of the SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Left: Ying (Katherina) Feng (‘13) Right: Eunkyu Han (‘12) Photo credit: Sharon X. Wang

known exoplanets with the Exoplanet Data Explorer, an elegant data visualization tool.

Keeping up with all of these discoveries takes a lot of work. Wright’s team includes CEHW postdoctoral associate Ming Zhao, graduate student Sharon Wang, researcher and recent graduate Eunkyu Han (‘12), and astronomy and astrophysics major Ying (Katherina) Feng (‘13).

Every day Han and Feng search the astronomical peerreviewed literature, preprint servers, and mailing lists for new exoplanetary discoveries. If the measured orbit of a new planet meets the strict

standards of the Exoplanet Orbit Database, they carefully enter the properties of the planet into the uniform format of the database and push the data to the server. Zhao and Wang spearhead new features of the database, and work to maintain overall accuracy and usability.

Han and Feng will apply for graduate school in the fall, armed with the experience of having examined nearly every exoplanet discovery paper published since 2008 and curated a database used by researchers and educators around the world.

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Department News

Chemistry Its that time of year...

The chemistry department’s efforts to recruit new graduate students are reaching their peak. Graduate students are central to the vitality and productivity of a department.

This spring, the chemistry department held its annual open house for prospective students; a significant fraction of the students at this open house will make up the bulk of the department’s entering class for 2013. Students are impressed by the department’s excellent showing in the recent National Research Council Rankings (see chem.psu.edu for details), the wide range of excellent research happening in the various faculty groups, and the impressive range of facilities available for their research, both in the chemistry department and in other parts of the University, such as the Materials Science Institute and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. The importance of graduate student recruiting is underscored by the willingness, sometime volunteering, of faculty members to serve on the graduate student admissions committees, the large

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faculty participation at the open house and the dedication of the staff members.

An increasing focus in recent years has been recruiting a more diverse class of graduate students. I have been appointed associate department head for equity and diversity to help in reaching this goal.

Some of the department’s efforts include partnering with other science and engineering departments and our National Science Foundation-funded Materials Research Science

and Engineering Center to have a fall 2013 expo that will bring a large group of underrepresented minority students to Penn State early in the admissions process in an effort to recruit them. Additionally, we are continually grateful and appreciate the efforts of alumni in helping to bring excellent graduate students to the chemistry department.

John Badding Director of Graduate Admissions

BMB Growth Continues Dust, noise, and workers donning hard hats accentuate ongoing renovations of South Frear building. Fourth floor remodels are underway and expect to be completed by the end of 2013. New occupants to the space, Drs. Bai, Frisque, Mahony, Mastro, Miyashiro, and Pugh eagerly look forward to moving into the refurbished space.

Design and planning for additional work in South Frear’s 1st and 2nd floors are finished. Work is slated to begin in 2014.

BMB welcomes new faculty in 2013: Assistant Professor Moriah Szpara arrived March 11; Assistant Professor Amie Boal, Associate Professor Manuel Llinas and Assistant Professor Scott Lindner will arrive July 1. Also joining BMB in fall, 2013, is Benjamin Allen, who will work as a research associate and Huck Fellow.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Department of Physics Chosen... to host the 2014 conference for undergraduate women in physics.

The Department of Physics at Penn State has been chosen to host a 2014 Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).

Penn State is one of several institutions across the country that will simultaneously host this three-day regional conference for undergraduate physics majors in midJanuary.

Started by the University of Southern California in 2006 and now organized by the American Physical Society, CUWiP was founded to give undergraduate women a chance to explore physics in a professional setting without attending a large national meeting. The CUWiP goals are to give women the resources, motivation, and confidence to apply to graduate school and successfully complete a Ph.D. program in physics; to dispel misconceptions about the application process for graduate school and employment in physics; and, to strengthen the network of women in physics nationally connecting female physics students with suc-

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

cessful female physicists who can serve as mentors.

A typical program for the three-day event includes research talks by faculty, panel discussions about graduate school and careers, presentations and discussions about women in physics, laboratory tours, student research talks, and a student poster session.

Participants will leave with an increased awareness of current research and career options in physics; greater familiarity with the graduate school experience; resources for applying to and being successful in graduate school; and, access to

a network of women in physics. Since most physics departments are male dominated, female students don’t often have the chance to engage with other female physics majors; this event provides students a rare opportunity to interact with a large group of female physicists Penn State graduate and undergraduate physics and astronomy students are responsible for organizing the conference. The agenda for the event at Penn State, as well as registration and other information will be available later this year.

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Department News

Statistics Honorary Society Inducts New Student Members The Penn State chapter of Mu Sigma Rho, the national honorary society for statistics whose purpose is the promotion and encouragement of scholarly activity and the recognition of achievement, recently named 26 new student members to its 2013 class of inductees. Emeritus Professor of Statistics Bill Harkness initiated the Penn State chapter, one of more than 30 chapters nationwide, with 21 members in the spring of 2012.

In order to qualify for membership in Mu Sigma Rho, undergraduate students must have completed at least two years of college including at least eight semester hours of statistics courses, five of which are at the junior level.

In addition, their grade point

2012 Mu Sigma Rho student leadership and statistics faculty members. (l-r) David Hunter, Tim Book (president), Bill Harkness (advisor), Meghan Buckley (vice president and secretary), and Don Richards.

average must rank in the top third of their class. Graduate students must have completed at least twelve semester hours of graduate level courses in statistics and must have at least at 3.50 grade point average in all courses. Members may come from any major as

long as they meet the minimum requirements.

The 24 new undergraduate inductees are Francesca Bonaccorsi, TJ Clarke, Boya Du, Sean Duncan, Yiran Gu, Zehua He, Gabrielle Herbert, Laura Hoesly, Victoria Husband, Amber Keck, Boya Li, Yingxin Liang, Liu Lin, Boyi Lu, Tyler Martin, Brandon Middlebrook, Ketan Sharma, Tao Wu, Yue Wu, Jing Yang, Jingwen Zhang, Longdai Zhang, Tianyang Zhang, and Xikai Zhao. The two new masters of applied statistics student inductees are Yue Lu and Jun Zhao.

2013 class of inductees.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Faculty Spotlight Faculty Awards and Honors American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed by peers upon members of the AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Peter J. Hudson, the Willaman Chair in Biology, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Hudson is the founding director of the Penn State Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His research combines fieldwork, laboratory studies, and mathematical modeling to explore disease dynamics.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Andrew F. Read, the Alumni Professor in the Biological Sciences and a professor of entomology, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Read is the director of Penn State’s Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. He perhaps is best known for his research on how natural selection shapes the virulence of malaria and how the “unnatural” selection imposed by medicine shapes the evolution of disease-causing organisms.

Nitin Samarth, a professor of physics and the George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Head of the Department of Physics, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Samarth is an international leader in semiconductor spintronics – an emerging area of condensed-matter physics that explores new paradigms for information technology.

Additional External Awards The Selected Works of George E. Andrews, Evan Pugh Professor of Mathematics, was published by the World Scientific Publishing Company. The book compiles Andrews’ most important papers and also provides his background commentary and comprehensive assessment of years of research and achievements.

Sarah M. Assmann, Waller Professor of Plant Biology and past President of the American Society of Plant Biologists, is the invited author of the inaugural Coulter Review article that was published in the January 2013 issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences.

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Faculty Spotlight 40

Paul Frank Baum, the Evan Pugh Professor of Mathematics, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Australian National University. Baum received the degree during a December 2012 ceremony. The university also sponsored a concurrent threeday “Baum Fest” featuring lectures by mathematicians who are currently developing Baum’s ideas.

Benjamin Lear, an assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded a 3M Nontenured Faculty Grant. This award, which is administered by 3M Research and Development in partnership with the Corporate Giving Program, recognizes outstanding new faculty.

It is intended to help young faculty members to achieve tenure, to teach, and to conduct research.

Scott Phillips, an assistant professor of chemistry and holder of the Martarano Career Development Professorship, has been selected to receive the Eli Lilly and Company Young Investigator Award in Analytical Chemistry. The award, which includes a monetary prize, is based upon Phillips’s outstanding research, publication record, and the impact he is making in the field of analytical chemistry.

James Greg Ferry, the Stanley Person Professor of Molecular Biology, has been selected as co-chair of the National Academy of Science Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS). CAPS assists the federal government in integrating and planning programs in astrobiology and planetary science.

Yingwei Mao, an assistant professor of biology, has been honored with a National Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association. The grant supports highly promising beginning scientists in their progress toward independence by encouraging and adequately funding research projects that can bridge the gap between completion of research training and readiness for successful competition as an independent investigator.

Mercedes Richards, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has been elected to a three-year term as president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission 42 on Close Binary Stars, one of the largest commissions. The IAU is the internationally recognized authority responsible for the naming of celestial bodies and their surface features, discussions on international largescale facilities, promotion of educational activities in astronomy, the definition of fundamental astronomical and physical constants, and unambiguous astronomical nomenclature.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Scott Showalter, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been selected

by Agilent Technologies as the recipient of the inaugural Eastern Analytical Society New Faculty Award in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions by new faculty to the development of the field of NMR spectroscopy.

Aleksandra Slavkovic, an associate professor of statistics and public health sciences, has been honored with membership in the International Statistical Institute. Members are elected by virtue of their distinguished contributions to the development or application of statistical methods, or to the administration of statistical services, or the development and improvement of statistical education.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

University/College Awards Distinguished Professor Faculty are honored with the Distinguished Professor title in recognition of their exceptional

title of Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Kao investigates the molecular basis for cellular recognition and signal transduction during reproduction in flowering plants.

record of teaching, research,

Runze Li, a professor of community. The honor is desigstatistics at nated by the Office of the PresiPenn State dent of Penn State based on the University, has recommendations of colleagues been selected to and the Dean. receive the title of Distinguished Professor of Dmitri Statistics. Li’s research involves Burago, a several fields of statistics, professor of including high-dimensional data mathematics, analysis, variable selection, and has been intensive longitudinal data selected to receive the title analysis. Li also studies various statistical applications such as of Distinguished Professor of Mathematics. Burago describes design and modeling for computer experiments, behavioral his research as “mathematics science, genetic-data analysis, with physics thinking.� His specialties also include branch- and brain-image analysis. es of mathematics and physics Mark called dynamical systems, Strikman, a algorithmic complexity, Finsler professor of geometry, combinatorial group physics, has theory, and partial differential been selected to equations. receive the title of Distinguished Teh-hui Kao, Professor of Physics.

Strikman a professor of is a theoretical physicist whose biochemistry and molecular research focuses on high-energy collisions of electrons and biology, has protons with protons and atomic been selected nuclei. He developed new techto receive the and service to the University

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Faculty Spotlight niques for probing the microscopic structure of nucleons and nuclei using high-energy beams, and he predicted a variety of important new phenomena that emerge at the interface between particle physics and nuclear physics.

Many of these predictions now have been confirmed experimentally at high-energy accelerators around the world.

Additional University Awards Craig E. Cameron, a professor of biochemistry and molecular, has been appointed Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Cameron’s research focuses on the development of strategies to treat or to prevent infections

by RNA viruses.

or staff member whose performance, methods, and achievements exemplify the highest standards of administrative excellence.

Since Larson became dean in 1998, the Eberly College of Science has made stunning advancements in national rankings of faculty quality and research productivity – important factors for excellence in both graduate and undergraduate science programs.

New Faculty

Timothy Iwao Miyashiro, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, studies the symbiotic relationship between the light-producing bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. Bacteria of this species live inside of the squid Daniel within a special organ called Larson, the light organ, where they are the Verne fed by the squid. In return, the Willaman Dean, has been bacteria help the squid avoid detection at night through a honored by the University method called counter-illumination. The relationship with the 2012 Award for between the two organisms Administrative Excellence.

The award is given to a faculty provides a simple paradigm for 42

studying how pathogenic Vibrio species, such as those that can be found in undercooked seafood, cause disease in humans.

Before joining the Penn State faculty in January of 2013, Miyashiro was a postdoctoral fellow and assistant scientist at the University of WisconsinMadison in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. Miyashiro earned doctoral and master’s degrees in physics at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007 and 2003, respectively. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Delaware, cum laude, in 2001.

Toan Nguyen, an assistant professor of mathematics, studies diverse areas of mathematics and physics such as partial differential equations, fluid dynamics, the conservation laws known as Compressible Navier-Stokes equations, and kinetic theory.

He currently is focused on research involving fluid dynamics, specifically a classical and challenging problem, which is a thorough understanding of the dynamics Penn State Eberly College of Science

of fluid flowing past solid bodies, for example, aircrafts and ships.

Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Nguyen was Brown University’s Prager Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and a postdoctoral researcher at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France. He earned a doctoral degree in mathematics at Indiana University in 2009. He earned a master’s degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2006, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Vietnam National University in 2002.

Marcos Rigol, an associate professor of physics, is a theoretical physicist whose research interest is quantum physics, which he describes as the framework for describing “the very small”; that is, atomic constituents, atoms themselves, and molecules. His research combines both computational and analytical tools to explore the emergence of fascinating properties in quantum systems

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

that contain many interacting particles.

Before joining the Penn State faculty in 2013, Rigol was an associate professor in the Department of Physics at Georgetown University. Rigol earned a doctoral degree in physics, summa cum laude, at the University of Stuttgart in Germany in 2004. He earned a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies in Cuba in 2000 and 1999, respectively.

Moriah Szpara, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, studies the human herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), which affects more than 70 percent of adults in the United States. Using new genomics techniques such as high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic comparisons, Szpara is investigating how circulating strains of HSV-1 differ from one another and how the differences affect the severity of disease observed in patients. In addition, Szpara uses nerve-cell cultures and

animal models to understand the susceptibility of hosts to this widespread virus, as well as how the presence of this lifelong pathogen affects the progression of other infections.

Before joining Penn State in the spring of 2013, Szpara was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Lynn W. Enquist at Princeton University. As a graduate student, Szpara studied developmental neurobiology at the University of California Berkeley where she earned a doctoral degree in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology in 2004. Szpara attended Penn State on a Braddock Scholarship in Science, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Schreyer Honors College in 1998. She completed honors theses in biology and anthropology.

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Student Spotlight

Student Awards and Honors Graduate and undergraduate students who have received awards and honors from the University.

Graduate Student Awards Alumni Association Dissertation Award Laura M. K. Dassama, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology Nicole L. Morozowich, Chemistry Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award Sankha S. Basu, Mathematics Rustum and Della Roy Award Kaitlin Haas, Chemistry Other Awards Kimy Yeung, Chemistry, has been selected to receive a travel grant from the American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry in order to attend the ACS meeting in New York.

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Undergraduate Student Awards Evan Pugh Scholar Award Juniors Nicholas A. Anzalone Jacob A. Boyer Rene D. Clark Christian C. Conlon Jessica R. Cunning Charles A. Defrancesco Jr Audra K. Kelly Kristin M. Romutis Andrew J. Soldner Amy M. Weidert Seniors Rachel W. Chang William R. Doerfler Jason S. Ferderber Andrew D. Hanlon Laura K. Krecko Susan M. Lang Yancy Y. Liao Diane M. Libert Christopher A. McNulty Brian A. Miller Neha Nagpal Nicholas D. Nguyen Drew E. Rattigan Viktor C. Tollemar

President Sparks Award Adeline R. Answine Victor Cotton Matthew Lee Sanchi Malhotra Kelly J. McGill Zachary Steven Snyder Brendan R. Wood President’s Freshman Award Thomas M. Baylis Jr Scott W. Berman Zachary J. Berquist Evan J. Bittner Joseph V. Bonazelli Joshua T. Bram Steve Chung Katherine M. Cristofano Jaanki R. Dave Michael R. Fareri Nickolas P. Forsberg Ryan H. Guzek Cameron A. Kellock Leigh Anne Krompasky Grace Lee

Christopher J. Lesher Sara L. Miraglia Karthik Nataraj Mary E. Newman Colleen M. O’Rourke Neal S. Patel Jacqueline R. Patterson Haley E. Randolph Laura E. Reese Corinne Y. Renner Nicholas W. Rizer Spencer O. Schrock Haley M. Sinatro Olubukola O. Toyobo Lauren M. Ulsh Emily M. Very Harvey Weyandt IV Anna K. Wing Jacob J. Wisser Deye Yang Deyu Yang Lingjuan Zeng

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Spring 2013 Student Marshal Rachel Chang Represents Penn State’s Eberly College of Science as Student Marshal at Spring Commencement 2013

Rachel W. Chang, of Haverford, Pennsylvania, was honored as the student marshal for the Eberly College of Science during Penn State University’s spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 4, 2013, on the University Park campus. Chang’s faculty escort for the commencement exercises was Aimin Liu, an associate professor of biology.

Chang, who was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, graduated from Penn State with a 4.0 grade-point average and a bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus in genetics. She was also enrolled in the Penn State Schreyer Honors College and received honors in biology.

She was the recipient of several scholarships, including an Academic Excellence Scholarship from the Schreyer Honors College, a Hammond Memorial Science Scholarship from the Eberly College of Science, an Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the Eberly College of Science, and two Student Leader Scholarships from Penn State’s Division of Student Affairs.

In addition, she received several awards and honors throughout her time at Penn State, including a John W. Oswald Award from the Division of Student Affairs in 2013, an Evan Pugh Scholar Award in 2013, a Scholar InSCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

volvement Award from the Schreyer Honors College in 2012, a President Sparks Award in 2011, an Evan Pugh Scholar Award in 2012, a Scholar Advancement Team Outstanding Member Award from the Schreyer Honors College in 2010, and a President’s Freshman Award in 2010. Chang also has been on the Dean’s List every semester and she represented the Eberly College of Science at the halftime ceremony recognizing outstanding academics at the 2012 Penn State versus Ohio State football game.

While at Penn State, Chang had the opportunity to perform research for her honors thesis in the laboratory of Aimin Liu, where she investigated Hedgehog signaling and other factors related to embryonic development. In addition, she was a research intern at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals in Radnor, Pennsylvania, where she studied animal models of emphysema and investigated the potential applications of medical imaging in lung-function evaluation.

As a freshman, she was a Nemours Undergraduate Summer Research Scholar at the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, where she studied the progression, genetic basis, and reversion of PelizaeusMerzbacher disease – a disorder characterized by muscle spasms, reduced motor control, and 45

Student Spotlight reduced cognitive function. She was the first freshman recipient of this internship. In addition, she published an essay, “A Medical Revolution: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia” for the Literary and Cultural Heritage Map of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, a project associated with the Library of Congress.

Throughout her academic career, Chang has organized academic, cultural, and social events and opportunities for students as a scholar assistant at the Schreyer Honors College and she has participated as a mentor at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Day for Girls. She also was an English as a Second Language tutor, co-founded and organized the Sound Garden Music Festival at the Penn State Arboretum, and co-chaired the Schreyer Honors Day of Service. In addition to being a scientist, Chang is an accomplished violinist who also enjoys cycling, yoga, aerobics, and scrapbooking.

Chang, who has an interest in pediatric cardiology and plans to attend medical school in the fall, said that the best advice she can give other students is to avoid procrastination. “My seventh-grade science teacher told us to study a little every day. Since then, review46

ing my notes or working on assignments a bit everyday has become second nature,” Chang said. “I never feel stressed around exam time, knowing that I learned as much as I could as well as I could.” She added that she also believes it is important to express gratitude during one’s academic career. “The support system at Penn State is phenomenal; we certainly do not get to where

we are alone. There are teachers, mentors, administrators, staff members, friends, and family who all support, encourage, and guide us.”

Chang, a graduate of Haverford High School, was accompanied at commencement by her parents Cindy S. Ng and Gordon Y. Chang; her brothers Corey Chang and Brandon Chang; and her grandparents Ping Ng and Yuk Ng.

Spring 2013 Commencement – Department Student Marshals Forensic Science

Astronomy and Astrophysics Brandon Botzer

Brittney Imblum

escorted by Dr. Suvrath

escorted by Dr. Reena Roy Mathematics

Mahadevan

Brian Miller

BMB Emily Dong

escorted by Mrs. Pat Schulte Physics

escorted by Dr. Howard Salis

Clay Long

Biotechnology Adam Clemens

escorted by Dr. Kenneth

escorted by Dr. Mark Guiltinan Microbiology

O’Hara Premedicine

Timothy Wang

Christopher McNulty

escorted by Dr. Carl Sillman

escorted by Dr. Sheryl

Biology Reed (William) Doerfler

Rummel Science

escorted by Dr. James

Mark Bundschuh

Marden

escorted by Dr. David Proctor

Chemistry

Statistics

Marley Pillion

Brynne McGary

escorted by Dr. Dan Sykes

escorted by Dr. John Fricks

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Fall 2012 Student Marshal Richard Villanti Represents Penn State’s Eberly College of Science as Student Marshal at Fall Commencement 2012

Richard Villanti of Sayre, Pennsylvania was honored as the student marshal for the Eberly College of Science during Penn State University’s fall commencement ceremonies on December 22, 2012, at the University Park campus.

Villanti’s faculty escort for the commencement exercises was Diane Henderson, a professor of mathematics.

Villanti graduated from Penn State with a 3.96 grade-point average and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in economics with additional coursework in chemistry. Villanti was the recipient of the President’s Freshman Award in 2010 and the President Sparks Award in 2011.

During his years at Penn State, Villanti was a member of the Italian Student Society. In addition, he served as an on-site coordinator for the Student Red Cross. He is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. While a full-time Penn State student, he also has worked at a local State College business. He also enjoyed playing pick-up games of any sport.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Villanti plans to work for a business-intelligence or a software company and later to enter a graduate program to earn a business degree.

Villanti said that being asked to be the student marshal humbled him. “I have learned that dedication pays off in the end,” he said.

“The amount of time and effort that you invest in school or any aspect of your life is directly related to the payoff that you receive. I also have found that Penn State is unique in promoting diversity among the students. With hard work, anyone can excel in the field of his choice.”

Villanti, a graduate of Sayre Area High School, was accompanied at commencement by his parents Richard and Maureen Villanti, his grandmother Agnes Bedner, his brother Anthony Villanti who graduated from Penn State with a degree in electrical engineering, his brother Dominic Villanti who is currently a student at Penn State studying kinesiology, and his sister Kelly Villanti, a high-school student.

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Student Spotlight

Undergraduate Scientists Beyond Keeping Score: Derek Gerberich Utilizes Statistics to Improve the Men’s Basketball Team Photo credit: Julia Kern

Science and basketball are not two things that usually go hand-in-hand.

However, for Derek Gerberich, science is the key to making all of those shots, assists, and rebounds make sense.

A Schreyer Scholar and junior statistics major, Gerberich is also the Penn State men’s basketball team information analyst. Using his statistics background, the Myerstown, Pennsylvania, native tracks players’ contributions to the team with a cutting-edge statistics system. Introduced to numbers and analysis at an early age by his father, a high school statistics teacher, Gerberich began on the path toward a degree in actuarial science, but switched to statistics because of its range of career options.

“Statistics have always been around, but they haven’t always explained the full picture or taken into account the things that you can’t quantify,” Gerberich says. “The goal of this new kind of statistics work in basketball is to pick up on the intangibles and explain things that basic statistical numbers can’t.”

Gerberich initially started as a manager for the men’s team with the former head coach, Ed

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DeChellis. “When Coach Chambers came in as the new head coach, he was open to new ideas and figuring out what he could do to improve the team. Now during the games I run a stat system for the team and review those numbers in between games. I can’t tell you the specific things I look at for the team, but I can say that NBA teams use what I’m looking at to evaluate their players.”

This new type of statistical analysis is called APBRmetrics, a cousin to baseball’s more com-

Penn State Eberly College of Science

monly known sabermetrics. In the world of basketball, this new analysis is in its infancy, and Gerberich is one of only a few hundred analysts across the country using it. Some of the quantitative statistics he uses to analyze the men’s basketball players include offensive rebounding percentage, effective field-goal percentage, turnover percentage, and free throw rate.

“These statistics are helpful because you can see if a guy is getting lucky or if he’s actually doing well technically, and by doing so, expose inefficiencies in the market that you’re playing in,” Gerberich says.

Gerberich attributes some of his statistical success inside and outside the classroom to Andrew Wiesner, a lecturer in statistics. “Dr. Wiesner has been a mentor/father figure to me, always able to offer insightful feedback, bounce ideas back and forth, and be there whenever you would need him. I’m excited to really dive into my Honors Thesis with him over the next 15 months.”

Outside of academics and his work with the basketball team, Gerberich is a member of the Penn State Club Cross Country team and sports ministry elder for the Alliance Christian Fellowship. He also enjoys golfing with family and friends, and reading when he has the opportunity.

After completing his degree at Penn State in 2014, Gerberich hopes to use his statistical and basketball knowledge to work as an analyst for the NBA or a statistician for ESPN.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Catie Szuba: In the Lab at Janssen Pharmaceuticals In mid-February 2012, I was notified that I was accepted for a co-op position with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and by June 4, I began my work term. Since Janssen Pharmaceuticals is located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and I was in State College, I used the months in between the acceptance and start date to search for housing and to become acquainted with my new town.

The co-op assignment that I had initially received was in its very beginning stages when I started. Because of this, my supervisor, John Bodek, decided to place me on a different project to work on until my assigned project was ready.

This project continued through almost half of my co-op period so I was able to learn and participate in research for two different projects; many co-op students do not have an opportunity to have more than one work experience with a company. Both assignments were completely different; the first project dealt with regulation testing on a product that had been on the market for years, while the second project focused 49

Student Spotlight on experimental testing and included writing My co-op not only taught me skills useful for up procedures for future reference. a job, but also allowed me to transfer those new I received training and guidance, as well as abilities to my studies at Penn State. My work independence, throughout my time dedicated to as a co-op solidified my confidence in a lab envithese projects. My experience was very hands- ronment and also enabled me to be more confion; I was shown a technique, told the purpose dent in my classes. Keeping and recording data behind it, and then left in the lab to perform the at work helped me to maintain better more ordesired tasks. The employees were more than ganized lab notebooks for my classes as well. My willing to help if I had any questions at all dur- work term further established my time manageing the procedure. I liked that they trusted that ment skills to meet deadlines. Giving a large I could complete the experiment with accuracy. presentation of my findings to the employees at I never felt overwhelmed or bombarded with lab Janssen gave me the ability to practice my prework or research deadlines; the requirements sentation skills. were reasonable, and the time frames given to Participating in a co-op is something I would complete the work were adequate. definitely encourage other students to pursue One of Janssen’s goals is to see students suc- and seek out early in their college careers. Alceed at what they are passionate about. The though it pushes graduation back a semester, company did a fantastic job at making me feel it is well worth the knowledge and experience like an employee rather than a co-op student. My supervisor and co-work- MANY OF MY LAB CLASSES AT PENN STATE ers gave me many useful insights into the pharmaceutical industry PREPARED ME TO PERFORM GROWTH OF and how to grow as a research scien- CULTURES WITH PROPER STERILE TECHNIQUE. tist. There were many chances inside and outside of the lab to meet managers, super- you receive in the industry. Establishing a good visors, and senior scientists. Janssen had ex- rapport with a company also opens doors for tremely welcoming employees that made me feel future possibilities. very comfortable during my entire time there.

Many of my lab classes at Penn State prepared Catie Szuba is majoring in microbiology and me to perform growth of cultures with proper plans to graduate from Penn State in Desterile technique. My biochemistry and microbi- cember 2013. After graduation, she plans on ology classes helped me understand the metabo- attending graduate school for biotechnology lism and infectious methods of the organisms we or immunological studies and working for a used in the lab at Janssen. Time management pharmaceutical company in the research and from balancing labs and schoolwork helped me development division. plan my work hours based on how long it would take to grow cultures or finish an experiment in order to get the data in on time.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Joslyn Lewis: Gaining Real World Experience Through GlaxoSmithKline My interest in the pharmaceutical industry brought me to participate in the Penn State Eberly College of Science cooperative education program. In 2012 I was hired in a safety pharmacology co-op position at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

I worked in the research and development (R&D) department, which was comprised of scientists working hard to discover new ways of treating and preventing diseases. In my position, I helped conduct in vivo research on the interactions of new drugs with the cardiovascular system in animal models. I assisted in surgical implantations of catheters, telemetry transmitters, and other devices for monitoring major organ functions in laboratory animals; I even performed implantation surgeries of my own. I was respected and given a lot of responsibility even though I was only a co-op student.

My coursework in microbiology, specifically the upper level immunology and biochemistry, helped me to better understand the fundamentals of drug development on a molecular level. Two academic lab courses in organic chemistry and microbiology prepared me for the lab safety and data recording procedures expected of all R&D employees at GSK. After working as a co-op student for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, I have

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

much more confidence in the work I do for my science classes. I now understand how the science I read about in textbooks is implemented in the “real� world.

Prior to my co-op at GSK, my science professors who, for the most part, all had a Ph.D. and are nationally known for their scientific contributions, easily intimidated me. However, while at GSK I worked directly with highly accomplished adults of all academic backgrounds. I am now significantly more comfortable asking my professors questions in class and attending their office hours.

This co-op has assisted me in identifying my longterm career goals by giving me the opportunity to experience what types of jobs are available in the industry. Regardless of if a student is looking to get a job right out of college or attend a graduate school, I highly recommend doing a co-op because it provides you with real world experience a classroom cannot.

Joslyn Lewis is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. After her graduation from Penn State in the spring of 2013, she plans on working for a pharmaceutical company in the research and development field.

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Student Spotlight

Samhita Banavar: Studying Science Across the Globe Growing up next to a major research university definitely has its perks, especially when you’re interested in science. Samhita Banavar, a State College native, grew up participating in many activities sponsored by the Eberly College of Science, such as Astrofest and Science-U Summer Camps. These experiences engaged her in science at a young age and encouraged her to start her education at Penn State even before she had graduated high school.

During her senior year of high school, Banavar had the opportunity to take a few physics and math courses at Penn State; it was after these experiences that she entertained the thought of majoring in both courses of study. “I have always loved math since I was a little kid. It is very logical and elegant! Physics is a cool way of applying math to real-world problems,” she says.

In the fall semester of 2009, the Schreyer Scholar started at Penn State as an undergraduate and decided to double major in both mathematics and physics.

Despite the challenge of being a double major, Banavar has found time throughout her college career to enhance her academic experience by studying and interning abroad, as well as traveling the world with her family, including yearly visits to Bangalore, India, to visit relatives.

In the summer of 2010, she was chosen for the Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE) program and had the opportunity to travel to Munich, Germany, to work as an intern at Technische Universitat Munchen.

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RISE interns are matched with doctoral students whom they assist and who serve as their mentors. While there, she worked in a lab and studied the magnetic properties of materials.

“It was interesting to see how science is done in other settings,” she says. During her time in Germany she lived in the center of Munich and enjoyed exploring the city, hiking in the Alps, and sightseeing in Berlin.

In fall 2011, Banavar was awarded an Institute of Education Sciences Abroad Engineering, Math or Science Merit Scholarship to study at Oxford University in London, England. At Oxford she spent her time studying math, economics, and international relations. “I enjoyed my classes very much and found the tutorial system of learning quite intriguing. It helped to improve my communication skills; I had to be ready to discuss the subject with no place to hide,” she says. The tutorial system of learning relies on self-study and subsequent meetings with a tutor to go over the materials that were assigned.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

In addition to her travels abroad, which provided her with academic and cultural experiences, Banavar has also spent two summers participating in the physics research experience for undergraduates (REU) program at Penn State. REU, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is a highly selective program where students are matched with mentors to conduct physics research from May through August. In addition, students are provided opportunities to also improve their skills beyond the lab with professional development training and outreach activities.

Banavar attributes her success to a strong support network within the physics and math department. “Several Penn State faculty have shaped my life. They’ve all encouraged me to go beyond the basic material and explore the rich world of physics and math while encouraging to do my best.”

Outside of academics and research, Banavar is involved with student groups, including

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

the Society of Physics Students and the Eberly College of Science Student Council, where she serves as president.

“Being involved in these clubs allows me to participate in outreach activities that I enjoy, including Exploration Day and the physics magic show. I enjoy learning about all fields of science and am working on bringing together students from across disciplines through the auspices of the Student Council,” she says.

When she’s not traveling, studying all around the world or participating in events with student groups, Banavar plays the violin, which she learned as an elementary school student, and participates in orchestra at Penn State. In the future, Banavar plans to become a physics professor and continue doing research to make some useful contributions to the world. Additionally, she hopes to mentor young women and inspire them to become scientists.

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Student Spotlight

Blair Porterfield: Helping the World To See “Invisible” Light from Star Clusters When Blair Porterfield outgrew her local summer-camp options at age 14, her father suggested an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona. In a case of “father knows best,” astronomy camp couldn’t have been a more perfect choice.

“After the first camp, I was absolutely hooked,” said Porterfield.

“As soon as I got back home, I knew I wanted to be an astronomer. I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”

Photo credit: Kristen Devlin

By the time she turned 16, Porterfield knew that only an astronomy-related job would suit her. She contacted family friend and Penn State Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Mercedes Richards. Richards told her about an opportunity with NASA’s Swift satellite, whose science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pennsylvania.

Porterfield jumped at the opportunity. “I started out doing data mining,” Porterfield recalled. “It was pretty simple stuff. I hadn’t taken physics or calculus yet, and without that knowledge there wasn’t much I could do scientifically.”

She’s come a long way in her six years on the job. During her career at Penn State as an Astronomy and Astrophysics major, Porterfield has collaborated on major research projects,and has co-authored nine published research papers.

Most recently, she worked with Penn State Research Associate Michael Siegel, who leads the Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) team. They used the data captured by the UVOT to study the light emitted by star clusters. Some 54

of the results of their work recently were released in the form of a huge online image gallery.

“My job was to make visual representations of what these star clusters might look like if we could actually see them,” Porterfield explained.

“We can’t actually see anything in the ultraviolet, but using the data from these star-cluster studies, we can assign a visible-light color to each of the three UV filters aboard Swift.” This process of matching visible-light colors with UV wavelengths emitted by the star cluster produces a “false color” image.

“Blair proved to have a flair for making color images from the UV data, so I just handed it over and let her run with it,” explained Siegel. “One of the most satisfying things about working with students is watching their progress. When Blair first worked for us, we mainly assigned her repetitive but straightforward data analysis. Now she’s doing more complex work and coming up with ideas and insights of her own.”

Porterfield is contemplating what comes next in her astronomy career. “I’m interested in getting a job as a telescope operator, although I don’t necessarily have a particular observatory in mind,” she said. “Any observatory would be pretty cool.”

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Pride&Leadership Focus on Student Groups

The Penn State Astronomy Club has been “watching the sky” since 1973. The club is composed of people who enjoy astronomy and stargazing and was formed to teach others with a general interest in astronomy as well as to nurture the continued interest of new astronomy and astrophysics majors.

Every Friday night during the Penn State fall and spring semesters at 8:30 p.m., weather permitting, the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Astronomy Club takes turns hosting an open house and stargazing event for the public on the roof of Davey Laboratory. The roof is home to the club’s two ten-inch Dobsonian Reflector telescopes and other stargazing instruments.

If stargazing is postponed, the club holds planetarium shows instead, which showcase major constellations and the mythology behind them. These shows are also given year round to visiting schools and other community groups.

Each year, Astronomy Club members visit Cherry Springs State Park, located in Galeton, Pennsylvania. Cherry Springs is a “dark site” where the galaxy is visible to the naked eye and SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

is one of the best places on the east coast for star gazing. James Schottelkotte, vice president of the astronomy club said, “Many of our members had not been there or anywhere like it before. Consequently, they had not seen the Milky Way Galaxy with their own eyes, or the thousands of stars that go unseen in urban areas, due to light pollution. We could even spot the Andromeda Galaxy, the farthest object the unaided eye can see. I was lucky enough to be one of the first persons there, so I was able to watch and listen to everyone’s reaction as they got out of the car and looked up. Seeing their amazement of the Universe was almost as special to me as seeing the sight myself, and I’m proud that the Astronomy Club could provide such an experience.”

The club is also involved in various outreach events including AstroNight and Exploration-U, as well as Astrofest over the summer. Astrofest is a four-night festival of Astronomy, which is held during the Central PA Festival of the Arts.

For more information visit the Astronomy Club’s website: http://clubs.psu.edu/up/astro/ 55

Outreach

A New Generation of Women in Science: OSE Facilitates Young Female Participation in STEM Activities

The Office of Outreach and Science Engagement (OSE) in the Eberly College of Science is on a mission to make science accessible to youth by offering educational opportunities that engage them in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The STEM fields are collectively considered core technological foundations of an advanced society, according to both the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation.

While the activities and camps offered by OSE have traditionally been open to both male and female students, this year the office hosted an event exclusively for female students – Expand Your Horizons STEM Career Day. OSE recognizes the need for females in the traditionally male-dominated STEM fields and is holding events to foster young women’s interest in STEM fields through immersive, hands-on experiences. According to the White House Council on Women and Girls, women currently make up only 25 percent of the STEM workforce.

At the 2013 EYH STEM Career Day on February 2, young women in grades 6-8 enjoyed

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a day of science at University Park. The event featured a STEM career expo, three hands-on science and math workshops, speakers, and a panel discussion for girls and their parents.

The daylong workshop not only encouraged female students’ interest in hands-on science activities, but also presented the young women with female role models who are active in science careers. In order to counteract the perception that being interested in science isn’t “cool”, young girls need positive influences.

Strong female role models are critical to help-

Penn State Eberly College of Science

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Photo courtesy of Penn State News

ing young women discover their passion for science and boosting their confidence in their academic abilities.

Melissa Rolls, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, kicked off the day’s activities by speaking about her own experiences and encouraging the students to approach science with enthusiasm. Rolls offered tips for the young women to succeed in science: sit in the front during class and pay close attention; discuss their interest in STEM with their teachers; and work hard at their studies.

Throughout the day, students rotated through three sessions, including: Forensic Science 101, with Dr. Jeni Smith; Faster, Higher, Stronger: Anatomy and Physiology, with Dr. Jennelle Malcos; and, Order Out Of Chaos: Math Careers, with Dr. Diane Henderson. Both undergraduate and graduates students mentored the campers in each session, which were written and run by the three female science faculty members.

A question and answer panel discussion, comprised of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and local engineers and scientists, wrapped up the day’s activities. The panelists provided insight regarding challenges faced by young women in science and math. The overall message from the panel was well received by the students and their parents: math and the sciences have challenges to overcome, but by utilizing the resources available, they can make mistakes along the way without failing completely.

By encouraging young females to get involved in science, OSE hopes that participation at an early age will inspire more women into a fulfilling career in the STEM disciplines. For more information on all of the events and camps held

by OSE, visit science.psu.edu/outreach.

Save the Date!

What can be more American than football and a tailgate?

The First Annual All-Science Alumni Tailgate Penn State Nittany Lions vs.

Eastern Michigan Eagles September 7, 2013, 9:00 -11:00 a.m. (or two hours prior to kick off) Porter Gardens, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Free of charge - Bring your family and friends. All science alumni will receive a postcard in the mail during the summer.

Gather up your science friends and join us for this informal event. Representatives from science departments as well as science students will be present.

Tickets - A limited number of game tickets are available. Details to reserve tickets will be provided on the event postcard.

Tickets must be reserved in advance and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, contact the Science Alumni Relations Office, 814-863-3705.

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Alumni News

Penn State Mourns Alumni Leader and Philanthropist J. Lloyd Huck

Penn State has lost an alumnus whose leadership and philanthropy have helped the University to become a pioneer in the life sciences. J. Lloyd Huck, the retired chairman of the board of pharmaceutical firm Merck & Company and a former chairman of Penn State’s Board of Trustees, died in State College on December 4, 2012, at the age of 90. With his wife and fellow Class of 1943 member Dorothy Foehr Huck, he established endowments in fields ranging from molecular biology to nutrition, leading to the creation of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

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“Few institutions are fortunate enough to have such visionary advocates as Lloyd and Dottie Huck,” said President Rodney A. Erickson.

“Through Lloyd’s decades of service to the University, he guided Penn State on an ambitious path, and through the Hucks’ philanthropy, they have enabled our students and faculty to fulfill that ambition. Lloyd’s belief in the potential of the life sciences to transform our world and in the potential of Penn State to be a leader in the field will continue to inspire our students and faculty for many years to come.”

Lloyd Huck, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, interrupted his studies at Penn State to serve in World War II, and he completed his degree in 1946 as the only chemistry major in his class. After an early career as a research chemist with Hoffmann-La Roche, he rose through the ranks at Merck from a marketing manager post in Omaha, Nebraska, to become the company’s president and chairman of the board.

The Hucks remained closely connected to their alma mater, taking on a wide range of volunteer roles. Lloyd chaired the Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1990, and he also served as president of the Penn State Alumni Association from 1975 to 1977.

Lloyd Huck was among the first to recognize the increasingly important role that philanthropy would play in public higher education, and he led one of the University’s earliest private fundraising efforts in the 1980s to secure support for the Wartik Building, a facility dedicated to the life sciences. He was a member of the steer-

Penn State Eberly College of Science

ing committee for the Grand Destiny campaign (1996-2003) and a fundraising chair for Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

The Hucks have also led by example with their own philanthropy to Penn State. Their gifts and estate plans have benefited programs and projects across the University, including the Eberly College of Science, the College of Health and Human Development, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the Smeal College of

Kirsch, senior vice president for development and alumni relations. “When the Hucks retired to State College, his tremendous curiosity led him to take several science courses at the University to learn more about the interdisciplinary nature of research, particularly in biomedicine.

He was a man of great intellect and was universally respected by all who came to know him.

Yet he was modest about the enormous impact he had on Penn State’s advancement.”

Lloyd is survived by his wife, Dottie; son THE HUCKS HAVE BEEN LEADING SUPPORTERS OF Lloyd E. Huck; daughter Jeanne LeslieTHE LIFE SCIENCES BUILDING, THE BUSINESS BUILDING Hughes; daughter Virginia Stalcup and her AND THE HENDERSON BUILDING PROJECTS AT husband, Steven StalUNIVERSITY PARK AND THE BIOTECH INSTITUTE AND cup; four grandchildren; and one greatCANCER INSTITUTE AT PENN STATE HERSHEY. granddaughter.

Memorial contribuBusiness, and University Libraries. The Hucks tions can be made to the Department of Chemhave been leading supporters of the Life Sci- istry, The Pennsylvania State University, 116 ences Building, the Business Building and the Old Main, University Park, PA , 16802. Online Henderson Building projects at University Park contributions can be made by visiting giveto. and the Biotech Institute and Cancer Institute psu.edu. at Penn State Hershey.

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, an Originally published by give.psu.edu interdisciplinary consortium of faculty, students, and programs in seven Penn State colleges and schools, were named in their honor in 2002, the same year that they were recognized as the University’s Philanthropists of the Year.

The Huck Life Sciences Building, named in 2012, celebrates their continuing commitment to the University. Lloyd received the Distinguished Alumnus award, the highest honor offered by Penn State to its graduates, in 1993.

“Lloyd never lost his passion for learning or his passion for Penn State,” said Rodney P.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Alumni News

Alumni Association Awards H. Jacob Hanchar with a 2013 Alumni Achievement Award H. Jacob Hanchar, work in otolaryngologic disorders, particularly (‘02 B.S. Biol) a direc- tinnitus, at Rosalind Franklin University in tor of the family- Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh Cenowned River Hill Coal ter for Neuroscience.

In 2009, Hanchar returned to the coal indusCompany (RHCC) in Central Pennsylvania, was recently awarded the try, working with Pittsburgh start-up companies Alumni Achievement Award from the Penn State to incorporate soil remediation, renewable fuel Alumni Association. The Alumni Achievement systems, and solar thermal technology into coal Award recognizes alumni 35 years of age and mining. He initiated remediation projects in younger for their extraordinary professional ac- Central Pennsylvania on old strip mine sites to complishments. Eleven prominent alumni re- actively remove toxins from the soil. RHCC has turned to campus to share their expertise with solved environmental problems left from legacy students, faculty and administrators. Their experiences demHANCHAR IS BELIEVED TO BE THE YOUNGEST onstrate to students that Penn State alumni succeed in excepBENEFACTOR TO FUND AN ENDOWMENT IN tional fashion at an early age.

The award is a cast bronze meTHE EBERLY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE WITH HIS dallion and framed certificate.

HANCHAR NEUROSCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP. Hanchar is a recognized international consultant on coal markets in the United States, Europe, South operations and has helped reintroduce wildlife, America, Asia, and the Middle East. He is revo- such as elk and trout, into these reclaimed sites, lutionizing an aging mining industry by incor- winning national and state recognition.

Hanchar is believed to be the youngest beneporating green technology and has generated proof that coal related pollution can be solved factor to fund an endowment in the Eberly College of Science with his Hanchar Neuroscience through natural biological methods.

Hanchar received his doctorate in 2007 from Scholarship, pledged in 2002, soon after his the University of California, Los Angeles, where graduation. He has volunteered for Governor Ed he focused on research in biological sciences. He Rendell and State Representative Scott Conklin, studied the effects of alcohol on the brain and and has been a spokesman for DraftObama.org.

Hanchar and his wife, Desiree, live in Pittsdiscovered alcohol’s potential neuro-receptor.

This finding could lead to treatments for alcohol burgh with their three children, Gaius, Valenabuse and overdose. He performed post-doctoral tina, and Lucius.

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Penn State Eberly College of Science

Alumni Impacting the Future Today Thousands of gifts at all monetary levels are made to the Eberly College of Science each year. The gifts are as varied as the individuals, and each gift strengthens Penn State Science. In this issue of Science Journal, the college is featuring Trustee Matching Scholarships that allow donors to positively impact students today and in the future! and the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program has helped us raise millions in endowed support for students with the greatest financial need.

Through the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, the University has matched 5% of the total pledge or gift at the time the scholarship is created, making the matching funds available for student awards as soon as possible, even before a donor’s pledge is filled.

As Penn State enters the final phase of the campaign, the Uniwill now THE UNIVERSITY WILL NOW MATCH 10% OF ANY GIFT versity match 10% of any gift or pledge for a OR PLEDGE FOR A TRUSTEE MATCHING SCHOLARSHIP Trustee Matching CREATED ON OR AFTER MARCH 1, 2013.

Scholarship created before the end of the campaign on June 30, 2014, or until the pool of burden on students and families. Scholarships are so critical to Penn State’s mission that in matching support has been awarded.

Many of our alumni have already chosen to 2002, the University launched an initiative to engage alumni and friends as our partners in make a Trustee Matching Scholarship gift.

Learn why our alumni are choosing to make supporting our students in need.

Scholarships are the top priority of For the this type of contribution to the University and Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, its students.

Trustee Matching Scholarships: For more than 150 years, Penn State has been committed to creating opportunity. Penn State’s land-grant mission demands that the University keep degrees affordable for undergraduates from every economic background. Scholarships are one way to keep education affordable and make a difference. Need-based scholarships help fight against the rising costs and declining state support that have placed an increasing

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Alumni News Keith and Chris Olivia

The Joseph V. and Joan L. Olivia Family Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Created by: Christopher T. Olivia, ’84 Science, and Keith M. Olivia, ’90 Finance Dr. Joseph Olivia and Joan Olivia

Chris and Keith created this $50,000 scholarship to honor their parents. The Olivia brothers chose the Trustee Matching Scholarship for several reasons: it benefits students immediately by leveraging their contribution through matching funds; it provides a way to express their gratitude and appreciation to their parents, Dr. and Mrs. Olivia; and it extends their family’s commitment to education to future generations of Penn State students. The brothers also see it as convenient way to establish their personal commitment to Penn State to grow their parents’ legacy by serving the needs of students.

Dr. Joseph Olivia (Science ’51) was a first generation college graduate in his family. Penn State helped to provide a way out of Pennsylvania’s coal mines for several members of the Olivia family. Six members of their extended family have attended Penn State, with some starting

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at the Hazelton campus as Joseph did. In addition, other Olivia family members served on the faculty, most notably Lawrence Olivia, Hotel Administration ’59, FSHA ‘70. Both Joseph and Joan, a graduate of the Reading School of Nursing, instilled the importance of education as a pathway to success for their children. The Olivia family believes that the study of scientific disciplines is important to the future success of our country and the Commonwealth, and they wish to make the opportunity to pursue higher education in these fields available to all with an interest and ability to pursue during these times of ever-rising tuition.

The family that “bleeds blue and white” is excited to pay forward the Penn State experience and education so others have the same opportunity!

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Since this program was created... more than 800 endowments have been created and more than 4,000 students university wide have

The Heather Rayle and Hill Silman Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Created by: Heather Rayle,‘89 Chemistry and Hillard Silman, ‘96 Engineering Heather and Hill created this $50,000 scholarship to benefit current and future students in the Eberly College of Science. The fact that the Trustee Matching Scholarship provides benefits immediately and will continue to do so for future generations appealed to them.

Heather was able to attend Penn State with a Braddock Scholarship due to the generosity of a donor who established an endowed fund for science students. Both Heather and Hill felt that it was important to do the same to support students majoring in science. “I have always appreciated the helping hand I received to be able to attend such a great university. My Penn State experience prepared me for a wonder-

received Trustee Matching Scholarships. To receive a Trustee Matching Scholarship all of these students share the following: • They are academic achievers, with an average GPA of 3.39 • They have demonstrated financial need (a typical recipient comes from a household with a median income of less than $31,000 a year).

• More than half are the first generation of their family to pursue a college degree.

ful, challenging career in the sciences. We are pleased to give back to the College with this gift to help science students now and in the future,” said Heather.

Through the years Heather and Hill have remained very connected and involved with Penn State. Heather is past president of the Eberly College Alumni Board and currently serves on the Penn State Alumni Council and is active with the Schreyer Honors College.

Heather and Hill see this gift as a natural way to take their commitment to the next level!

Hill Silman and Heather Rayle SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Alumni News

Snapshot of Philanthropy Funding the Future of Penn State Science Thank you to the alumni and friends that have committed funds for scholarships to benefit students in the Eberly College of Science.

Below are gifts received between July 2012 - February 2013 Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science

William B. Forest Honors Scholarship in Mathematics

Established by: Anonymous Amount: $100,000 Purpose: Financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Established by: William B. Forest* – balance of charitable gift annuities Amount: $200,000 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students in Mathematics in the Eberly College of Science who are also enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College.

William B. Forest Endowment for Mathematics Established by: William B. Forest* Estate (’51 B.S. Mathematics) Amount: $336,356 Purpose: Provide monies to support various programs and initiatives in the Department of Mathematics.

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Grant and Gay Grissom Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Established by: Grant R. Grissom (’66 B.S. Mathematics) Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Dr. Philip Ovadia Family Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science (non-endowed) Established by: Philip Ovadia (’96 B.S. Science) Amount: $12,500 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students majoring in or planning to major in the Premedicine or Premedical-medical major.

Kolin Good Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Established by: Kolin Good (’89 B.S. Biology) Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

5th Annual CME/ Physician’s Reunion Weekend: Infectious Disease: Clinical Aspects of Nasty Microbes 6 CME Credits September 6 -7, 2013 University Park, PA Watch your mail for an invitation this summer and RSVP to attend.

Mark your calendars to attend this eye-opening CME event! For more information, please email bhc10@ psu.edu or phone 814-863-3705

Dr. Heather Rayle and Mr. Hill Silman Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Established by: Heather Rayle (’89 B.S. Chemistry) and Hill Silman (‘96 Engineering) Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science Established by: Anonymous Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

Joseph V. and Joan L. Olivia Family Trustee Scholarship Established by: Christopher Olivia (’84 B.S. Science) and Keith Olivia (’90 B.S. Business) Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have a demonstrated need for funds to meet their necessary college expenses.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Dr. Keith V. Rohrbach and Dr. Sharon Rohrbach Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science (non-endowed) Established by: Keith Rohrbach and Sharon Rohrbach’ (69 B.S. Science) Amount: $12,500 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students.

Dr. John Shuman Troxell Memorial Scholarship in Biology Established by: Initial principal contributed from the Estate of John R. Shuman* (‘34 B.S. Science) Amount: $100,000 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding graduate students pursuing a degree in Biology.

Drs. Krishna I. and Savitri K. Kamath Endowed Scholarship Established by: Initial principal created by combination of a balance of a charitable gift annuity established by Dr. Krishna Kamath* (’57 M.S., ’60 Ph.D. EMS) and other personal contributions.

Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding Ph.D. students who are pursuing studies in chemistry.

Lewis and Opal D. Gugliemelli Honors Scholarship in Science Established by: By funds from the Opal D. Gugliemelli* Trust (Lewis Gugliemelli* ’51 B.S. Chemistry) Amount: $125,000 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students majoring in a degree offered by the Eberly College of Science who are also enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College.

David G. Jones, M.D. and Susan M. Jones Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science (non-endowed) Established by: David Jones (’61 B.S. Premedicine) and Susan Jones Amount: $12,500 Purpose: Provide recognition and financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate students in Premedicine.

Howard and Barbara Sharf Research Fund in the Eberly College of Science Established by: Howard (’77 B.S. Biology) and Barbara Sharf Amount: $50,000 Purpose: Provide monies for the support of graduate, undergraduate, and/or faculty research with an emphasis on emerging technology. *Deceased

Peter and Ann Tombros Faculty Fellows in Science Education Fund (non-endowed) Established by: Peter (’64 B.S., ’68 M.S. Agriculture) and Ann Tombros Amount: $75,000 Purpose: Provide funding for the time and opportunity for faculty in the Eberly College of Science to develop creative and innovative teaching methodologies in science courses and to enhance science curricula.

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Alumni News

Eberly College of Science Science Student Academic Achievement Center: Be a Part of Making It a Reality The Student Academic Achievement Center, located in the East Wing of the Ritenour Building, will be a new student-focused space that will facilitate a sense of a science student community. According to Dean Dan Larson, “The center will allow for our science students to grow and succeed academically, intellectually, and socially. It will be the backbone of support for science students throughout their educational experience at Penn State.”

A special thank you to the following supporters who have committed to a naming opportunity in this project: Donor

Space

Jack and Pauline Dickstein

TBD

$500,000

Richard and Barbara Silverman

Reception Area/Lobby Includes Resource Library

$500,000

Anonymous

Director Office 3 – Science/MBA

$50,000

Barrett & Luanne Breuer Fisher

Conference Room

$50,000

Ken Herko

Science Lion Pride Room

$50,000

Eric & Tara Keiter

Career Advising

$50,000

Louis Martarano

Director, International Programs & Study Abroad

$50,000

Pat Mahalic Nelson

Director Office 1 – Science

$50,000

Daniel & Linda Pelak

Back Lobby

$50,000

Mary Stiles

Director Office 2 – PreMed

$50,000

Norman and Trygve Freed

Entry Vestibule

$25,000

Spaces from advising offices, to suites, and common spaces are available ranging from $25,000 and up.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this exciting project for Penn State Science. To learn more about the available areas and naming

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Gift Amount

opportunities contact Rob Mothersbaugh today at rym4@psu.edu or call 814-863-8454.

Visit science.psu.edu/alumni/giving-to-science/online-gift/alumni/student-academic-support-center for a virtual tour of the design for the Student Academic Achievement Center.

Penn State Eberly College of Science

Chicago City Lights Event at Adler Planetarium Penn State Science went on the road with the Alumni Association to share an “out of this world” presentation by Alexander Wolszczan, Evan Pugh ProAlex Wolszczan fessor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State. On March 13, Penn Staters and friends gathered at The Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois to participate in Wolszczan’s talk “Penn State Discoveries in Space: Life, Exoplanets, and Planet-Eating Stars.” In addition to cocktails and dinner, this City Lights event included private exhibit access at The Adler, an international destination as the western hemisphere’s first planetarium.

Open to the public in May 1930, the Adler has an extensive collection of historic astronomic devices, which guests had the opportunity to explore, and is dedicated to the field of space science. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Wolszczan is well known for his accomplishments in the field of space science, particularly his discovery of the first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets. Because of his contributions to science, Poland (his home country) placed his

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

Govindan Chettur (‘77 Ph.D. Chem), Don Schneider (Department Head for Astronomy and Astrophysics), Bhaskar DasGupta (‘92 M.S. Comp Sci) and Paramita Bandyopadhyay enjoy the reception in the Clark Family Welcome Gallery.

image on a postage stamp in 2002. Wolszczan discussed the astronomical future of humankind in the framework of our current knowledge of the Universe, and examined the close connections of life to the cosmos, indicating that its evolution and survival are ultimately determined by astronomical phenomena.

As a guest presenter, Michael Paul, space systems engineer at Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory and leader of the Lunar Lion Team, spoke briefly about this team. Paul is leading the Penn State team in the Google Lunar X PRIZE Competition, an effort started by Google and the X PRIZE foundation to inspire scientists and engineers to be the first team to successfully land a privately-funded robot on the surface of the moon and send video, images and data back to Earth by the end of 2015. The Penn State team is the only university team participating in the competition.

It was an event attended by not only science alumni but also Penn Staters curious about the galaxy and to learn from an expert.

For more information on future Alumni Associations City Lights events, please visit http:// alumni.psu.edu/events/citylights.

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Alumni News

4th Annual Alumni Mentoring Program Workshop Benefits Both Mentors and Protégés If snowstorms are predictors of successful programs, then February is a great month to hold the Alumni Mentoring Dinner for the Eberly College of Science. In its fourth year, and held the weekend of the massive Nemo storm at the Nittany Lion Inn, the annual dinner and workshop attracted over 70 participants. Despite the severity of the storm, one mentor drove from Maine for the weekend, while another arrived on a flight from San Francisco – dedication is one of the distinguishing traits among the alumni involved in the mentoring program.

Of the twelve original pairs of mentors and protégés that started within the biology department in 2009, seven attended the dinner, and all twelve pairs are still active in the program, some even taking on additional protégés to mentor concurrently. The program, which now has 93 pairs of mentors and protégés, has spread through the college to incorporate participants from biology, life science, pre-medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, forensic science, chemistry, physics, and math. The increase from the initial twelve pairs from one lone department, biology, is a testament to how valuable this program has become to both students and alumni alike. The program continues to develop each year as more alumni mentors accept the challenge of helping a student to negotiate their paths to graduation and their chosen career.

Ron Markle, director of the premedicine and science programs and professor of biology, welcomed participants and commenced the evening. Doug Cavener, professor and head of bi68

Mentor Joe Zitarelli with

Mentor Vincent Perrotta

protégé Christiana Carns.

with protégé Tucker Brown.

ology who has been with the program from its infancy, also took a few minutes early in the evening to share a personal story illustrating the importance of a mentor in finding his own career focus. After dinner, Tucker Brown, a sophomore in the pre-medicine program, gave a short presentation of his experience in the program. “Like many of the other protégés here tonight, I don’t have family or friends in my field of interest, medicine. Even though I knew my pursuit of the medical field was something good, something powerful, it was also something that was very vague. Like every premed student, I was doing things to clarify my path: meeting with my advisor, talking to med students and volunteering at hospitals and on mission trips, but there was something missing. I then joined the mentoring program and was paired with Dr. Perrotta. He has given me a better idea of what it will be like to enter the field of medicine.

Before getting to know him, my greatest fear was that I wouldn’t be able to be a successful doctor and a good family man. Through talking to someone who has done both, I’ve grown even Penn State Eberly College of Science

Penn State Science Events From award dinners to career days to receptions –

Be on the lookout for upcoming events. Check the cal-

alumni, students, faculty and staff come together

endar on the back cover, visit our website at science.

to celebrate their love of science! on campus and

psu.edu, or email Brenda Lucas at bnl1@psu.edu for

around the country!

the latest information. Reconnect today!

more confident about the path I’ve chosen. I feel truly blessed to have been paired with my mentor. He has shown me what the life of a doctor is like and that it’s something I can attain for myself. I hope that all of the new protégés and mentors alike find this program as beneficial as I have.”

The positive aspects of the mentoring program are not only student-based; the mentors also have positive experiences with their new protégés. Douglas Womelsdorf, a high school biology teacher and mentor said, “This mentoring experience has been an awesome way to stay connected with the University, college, and a current student. Soon after graduating from the Eberly College of Science, I entered a graduate program in the College of Education. This transition afforded me the opportunity to blend my love of science in a teaching environment. This program has allowed me to connect with a curSCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

rent student who is trying to determine which path he would like to take for his undergraduate studies and beyond. He is working in the sciences and looking into a variety of career options that will allow him to use the content and skills he is gathering. I feel I can offer some real world experience to my protégé having gone through a very similar process myself. The University has set up a great network that allows for and encourages communication between my student and myself. It is a wonderful experience and a great way to stay connected to the University and to the college.”

You can make an impact on a student’s life by becoming a mentor. Mentors serve as guides to students, answering questions, giving advice, and helping them to learn more about their field of interest and about themselves. Visit science. psu.edu/alumni/get-involved/becoming-a-mentor or email Mary Hudson at meh25@psu.edu.

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Alumni News

The Future Depends on Scholarships.

The Future Depends on You.

Nothing else we do to improve the quality of a Penn State education will

matter if students and families can’t afford the opportunities we offer.

Scholarships are the University’s top priority in this campaign. Every year, we lose talented, dedicated students because of the cost of a Penn State degree. Many undergraduates work multiple jobs while carrying a full course load, yet students are graduating with average educational debt of more than $35,000. These financial realities restrict the dreams of far too many students and families. With the help of our alumni and friends, we can ensure that our opportunities remain accessible for students whose means may be limited but whose ability and ambition are limitless.

Financial need at Penn State n

n

n

n

n

Almost 30 percent of all Penn State students are the first generation in their families to attend college, and more than 15 percent come from lowincome households.

Almost 80 percent of all Penn State students qualify for and receive some form of financial aid, but only 15 percent of our students currently receive privately funded scholarships from Penn State.

Among those who do receive scholarship support, the average award in 2011–2012 was just over $3,000, while tuition was nearly $16,000 at University Park and more than $13,000 at the Commonwealth campuses.

The average unmet need per student was nearly $8,800, a gap that is typically covered by additional loans, and the average debt of graduating seniors with loans was more than $35,000.

The total unmet need among all Penn State students in 2011–2012 was more than $396 million.

“

Being a Schreyer Scholar has opened so many doors. I’ve enjoyed smaller classes, a challenging curriculum, and the chance to study abroad. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a part of a research team studying the production of hydrogen fuel from solar energy. The experience of working independently in the lab alongside a faculty mentor taught me more than I could ever have learned from courses alone.

Thanks to the support I’ve received, I’ve been able to make the most of my education.

”

Deanna Lentz receives the John and Elizabeth Holmes Teas Scholarship from the Department of Chemistry as well as the Homer F.

You can make a gift to support students like Deanna at givenow.psu.edu.

For more information about how to create your own scholarship fund at Penn State, please contact Robert Mothersbaugh, Director of Alumni Relations & Development for the Eberly College of Science, at 814-863-8454 or rym4@psu.edu.

Braddock Scholarship for talented students in the Eberly College of Science. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry and continue working to develop renewable energy technologies.

We’d like to hear your comments and feedback.

Go to science.psu.edu/sciencejournal and use our feedback form.

CONNECT WITH US!

Want more Science Journal?

Check out science.psu.edu/sciencejournal for exclusive online content!

And while you’re there, tell us what YOU think about the new Science Journal! science.psu.edu

Share Your News!

Penn State Science will feature the accomplishments of our alumni on the science alumni website. Sharing your success stories is a great way to network with fellow alums and show how science grads have made an impact on the community and world! We want to hear about your promotion, new job, recent discovery or patent, new publication, marriage or birth announcement? It’s ok to brag!

Facebook.com/PennStateScience Twitter.com/PSUScience Linkedin.com (search Penn State Science)

Share with us at science.psu.edu/alumni/forms/alumni-news or by email Barbie Collins, assistant director of alumni relations, at bhc10@psu.edu.

SCIENCE JOURNAL June 2013

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Marketing Office 507 Thomas Building The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802-2112 814-867-3388 Email: sciencejournal@psu.edu

Upcoming Events July 12-13 • Forensic Science Alumni Mini-Camp

October 12 • Penn State Homecoming (vs. Michigan)

September 6-7 • Physician’s Reunion/CME Seminars • All-Science Tailgate, Penn State vs.

Eastern Michigan

October 16-17 • Alumni Fellow Dinner and Induction Ceremony

October 4 - 6 • Parents & Families Weekend • Alumni Board Meeting • Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner • Careers in Science

November 15-16 • Dean’s Advisory Board Meeting • Millennium Society Reception • Campaign Committee Meeting For more information on any of the events listed above, visit science.psu. edu/alumni/events.

This publication is available in alternative media on request. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY. U.Ed. SCI 13-136