Society of Self Fellows 2023 Summer Newsletter

Society of Self Fellows 2023 Summer

SSF Board of Governors

Current Board of Governors for the Society of Self Fellows: (Elections for the Board of Governors takes place every spring.)

Angela Pierce, Ph.D. Board: 2020-2024 President

Nikki Johnson, Ph.D. Board: 2021-2025

Ted Harris, Ph.D. Board: 2022-2026

Molly McVey, Ph,D., P.Eng Board: 2023-2027

Self Graduate Programs Staff

Society Personal ........... Page 2 Updates

Society Programs ...... Page 3

2023 Symposium ......... Page 4 Review

Support SGF ........ Page 5 Recruitment

Newest Members ...... Page 6

Jennifer Roberts, Ph.D. Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, SGF Managing Trustee

Stefani Buchwitz, Ed.D. Director

Daniel Rivera, MSE Recruitment Coordinator Compton-Munoz, MSE Program Coordinator

SOCIETY PERSONAL UPDATES

If at any time you have personal or professional news you would like included in the newsletter, please submit your updates to SGF@ku.edu. News does not have to be about significant changes. The Society would enjoy hearing regular updates even if it’s hitting a five year milestone of employment, continuing research on an on going project, etc. Please also share email and mailing address updates to ensure our communications reach you.

Isaac Allred, Ph.D. (2016-2020) accepted the position of Professor of Geology at BYU-Idaho and will begin teaching in fall 2023.

Camille Delavaux, Ph.D. (2017-2021) Aeolean islands in Italy for a conference and met her German collaborators she began collaborating with during her Ph.D. for the first time. She then was able to visit KU to harvest a greenhouse experiment she spent three years of her Ph.D. setting up. The project has now been adopted by a Ph.D. student in her old lab.

Ted Harris, Ph.D. (2013-2017) was published with a former undergraduate student in Nature for their work on a global microplastics study. KU Today showcased this research in a recent article, which can be found here.

Andrea Freemyer, Ph.D. (2013-2018) is currently an entrepreneur and owns her own business, Elemental Wellness. She is a breathwork facilitator, nervous system educator and somatic coach, helping people enhance their physical and emotional health and well-being.

Rachel Robson, Ph.D. (2000-2004) presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) in Atlanta Georgia in March 2023 on a COVID vaccination campaign that she helped to implement in 2021. The island of Saba, where Rachel has worked for the past 10 years at Saba University School of Medicine, achieved one of the world’s highest levels of COVID vaccination starting in February 2021. Over 90% of Saba residents over the age of 5 years old are fully-vaccinated, and 70% of those who are vaccinated have received booster shots.

Bailey Spickler, Ph.D. (2016-2020) finished her Ph.D. in the summer of 2023. In September 2023 she will start a full time position with Honeywell FM&T in Kansas City, Missouri.

Emily Stamey, Ph.D. (2002-2006) is still loving her work at UNC Greensboro's Weatherspoon Art Museum. She is excited to have a newly created and endowed position in which she will be overseeing both the exhibitions and academic programs. Her most recent show, Gilded: Contemporary Artists Explore Value and Worth, is currently traveling—on view at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga this fall, then on to the Hood Museum at Dartmouth this winter. If anyone is looking for a little art break, the catalogue is available online here.

Joe Siegel, Ph.D. (2013-2017) lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his recently expanded family of four since the birth of his second son in January. He was recently promoted to Principal Scientist at Praxis Precision Medicines where he continues to develop drugs to help patients with pediatric epilepsy and essential tremor.

Contact Information Update

Even if you are unable to serve as a mentor this year, please use the form linked below to update your personal contact information.

Please complete the form linked below if you would like to be a part of the Self Graduate Fellowship Society Mentor Program for the 2023-2024 academic year.

If you have previously been paired with a Fellow, that pairing effectively expires at the end

of each academic year. The communication to Fellows is that new pairings are assigned each academic year; however, the former pairing now holds as a known connection and lasting network.

Serving as a Society Mentor is a great way to support the current Fellows as they explore career opportunities. This past year, with help from SSF Board of Governor’s President Mary Krause, the Fellows were also provided with a Mentee Guidelines handout to help them lead the partnership and maximize the opportunity. This handout outlined mentee expectations including setting and managing meetings, potential topics to discuss, and instructions for bringing goals to the conversation.

Participate in the SGF Society Mentor Program Stay Tuned

Click here to Update Contact Information or Serve as a Mentor

The next Society of Self Fellows newsletter (released mid-fall semester) will include details about the 2023-2024 Book Club, a research showcase, and more opportunities to engage with the Society of Self Fellows and current Self Graduate Fellows.

Join us on LinkedIn Groups

The SSF Board of Governors has launched a LinkedIn Group to facilitate networking for the Society. Through this group you can stay up-to-date with the Self Graduate Fellowship, share your research and personal updates, explore the public policy topic, and network with other Society members.

2023 SYMPOSIUM

On Thursday, April 20, the 2023 Symposium kicked off private dinner between the two groups. Some attendees

Trends and Innovations Shaping our Future” and joined us for dinner that evening. During dinner the previous year and the accomplishments of the 2019-2023 Fellows were celebrated.

The Society of Self Fellows Board of Governors held their annual meeting on the morning of Friday, April 21. The Governors meet regularly throughout the year, but this is the only in-person meeting. The agenda included reviewing the previous year and setting goals for the upcoming year.

Friday also included a luncheon program with KU Professor John Symons presenting “Understanding Cyber-Social Dynamics.”

Thursday, April 18 & Friday, April 19, 2024

SUPPORT CURRENT FELLOWS

2024-2028 SGF Cohort Recruitment and Selection

RECRUITMENT NOMINATIONS INTERVIEWS SELECTION ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE

FACULTY/STAFF

Recruiting for prospective Ph.D. students and SGF-eligible applicants

STUDENT

Application and acceptance into Ph.D. program

Continued application and acceptance to Ph.D. programs.

JANUARY 24

Nominations are due at noon to SGF

MID-FEBRUARY Board of Trustees make interview decisions

FEBRUARY 16-23

Interviews (Strong Hall)

MID-MARCH Board of Trustees make offer decisions

APRIL 15

National deadline for graduate school acceptance

Recruitment for the next cohort of Self Graduate Fellows has begun. We recognize that Society of Self Fellows work in a variety of sectors (academia, industry, government, and more) throughout the country; as such, you may interact with prospective graduate students who are still searching for where to pursue their Ph.D. We invite you to actively share your knowledge of the Self Graduate Fellowship and the University of Kansas. In support of this invitation, we can send you Self Graduate Fellowship brochures and giveaway items (pens, magnets, t-shirts) to help distribute in these interactions. Let us know of your interest in distributing SGF materials by emailing SGF@ku.edu.

Email

Society of Self Fellow Social Media Highlights

The Self Graduate Fellowship regularly posts spotlights about members of the Society of Self Fellows on social media as a way to showcase the great work of alumni. The ever growing network of Self Graduate Fellows across the globe is an important recruitment tool for the Fellowship.

If you are willing to be highlighted, please email SGF@ku.edu.

Opportunities for Current Fellows

As SGF looks for new opportunities to support the current Fellows, we look to the Society for input on opportunities to provide. If you have input on the following questions, please email SGF@ku.edu.

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What certifications and credentials are you looking for in new hires? What curriculum would make the Fellows even more marketable as they enter their careers?

What conferences are you planning to attend next year which might also benefit the Fellows?

Introducing Avery Poindexter

Avery Poindexter is the Self Graduate Programs Graduate Assistant for the upcoming academic year. She received her bachelor's degree in applied behavioral science from the University of Kansas in 2022 and is currently a student in the counseling psychology M.S. program. Prior to joining Self Graduate Programs, Avery worked as an academic advisor in Undergraduate Biology at KU. While an undergraduate student, Avery was involved in her sorority, CARE sisters, and undergraduate research. As the Self Graduate Programs Graduate Assistant, Avery is assisting with the Self Graduate Fellow Development Program, Self Memorial Scholar Development Program, and recruitment opportunities.

Newest Members of the Society of Self Fellows

Kalin Baca, Ph.D. (2020-2024 Fellow) holds an M.S. in chemical engineering (2019), MBA with a concentration in organizational behavior (2019), and B.S. in chemical engineering with a concentration in bioengineering and a minor in business management (2018) from the University of New Mexico. Her doctoral research is focused on the separation of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant mixtures using ionic liquids. This research is part of Project EARTH (Environmentally Applied Research Toward Hydrofluorocarbons) that is focused on identifying sustainable processes for the selective separation of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant mixtures. Kalin is now serving as the Chief Operating Officer for Icorium.

Dalton A. Brucker-Hahn, Ph.D. (2019-2023 Fellow) received a B.S. (2018) in computer science from Kansas State University and an M.S. (2020) in computer science from the University of Kansas. His doctoral research focused on applying Moving Target Defense techniques to computer networks in order to make them more dynamic and to better predict, resist, and recover from cyber-attacks. His current interest is to better model and incorporate cybersecurity concerns in cloud orchestration tools as an enabling technology for future Moving Target Defense applications. He is now a Senior Member of Technical Staff, Cybersecurity Research and Development for Sandia National Laboratories.

Katie Childers (2019-2023 Fellow) is pursuing a Ph.D. in bioengineering. Childers, originally from Northville, MI, graduated magna cum laude and received her B.S. (2019) in biomedical engineering with a minor in physics from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA. At Bucknell University, she was a two-time member of the Academic All-Patriot League Women’s Golf Team and founded a community service house on campus that provided engineering students the opportunity to complete outreach in the local community. Her current research is focused on developing diagnostic microfluidic systems for point-of-care testing. She plans to continue this work in precision medicine after graduation with the ultimate goal of transforming the one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare into a more individualized approach for improved patient care. Mentor: Dr. Steven Soper, KU Foundation Distinguished Professor, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering

Jenna Frick, Ph.D. (2019-2023 Fellow) received her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Frick received a B.A. (2015) in

chemistry and a license in secondary education from Washburn University, Topeka, KS. Realizing her interest in science and education, Frick taught chemistry and biology at Blue Valley North high school from 2015-2018 before pursuing graduate school. Frick’s Ph.D. research focuses on early life stress-induced co-morbid disorders. Exposure to stress early in life has been associated with adult-onset comorbidities including chronic pain, obesity-related metabolic disorder, and physical inactivity. Altered regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been linked to these syndromes; however, the underlying mechanism that links these disorders together remains unknown. Previous data has shown that a high-fat/high-sucrose diet exacerbates outcomes induced by early life stress such as increased body weight, fat mass, and food consumption. Frick hopes to identify the underlying mechanisms contributing to early life stress-induced weight gain and changes in appetite. Due to her experience as both a student and a teacher, Frick is passionate about improving quality of science education. Frick is now a postdoc in Julie Christianson’s lab at the KU Medical Center.

Jordan Gamble (2019-2023 Fellow) is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas. She received a B.S. (2019) in mechanical engineering with a concentration in control, instrumentation and robotics and a minor in applied international studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her undergraduate work focused mainly on the design and implementation of robotics systems. For her Ph.D., she aims to apply this work towards product design within the biomedical technology sector. Gamble is currently doing preliminary work on bone regeneration techniques using external mechanical and electrical stimuli. More specifically, she is working on designing a bioreactor system to house 3D cell scaffolds and supply mechanically synced electrical stimulation for improved tissue growth. Gamble is passionate about creating products that improve patient care and translating these technologies across national borders. Mentor: Elizabeth A. Friis, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Taylor George , Ph.D., (2020-2024 Fellow) received a B.S. (2018) and M.S. (2020) in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas. Her research is on artificial neural networks for low-thrust trajectory design and optimization with a focus on using long short-term memory artificial neural networks for the low-thrust, orbit-raising problem. In addition to her research, she is a member of KUbeSat. She i snow an Areospace Engineer with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Eryn Gerber, Ph.D., (2019-2023 Fellow) received her Ph.D. in bioengineering with a focus in biomechanics and neural engineering from the University of Kansas in 2022. She completed her B.S. in biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware in 2018 and M.S in bioengineering at the University of Kansas in 2020. Her current research in the KU Biodynamics Research Lab revolves around the measurement and treatment of balance deficits in the aging population, with the primary goal of preventing life-threatening falls. She takes an interdisciplinary approach, working with both engineers and clinicians to develop patient-relevant metrics and intervention strategies. She is now working for Exponent in Irvine, California.

Jacob Immel, Ph.D., (2019-2023 Fellow) received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Kansas in December 2022. In 2018, he received his B.S. in chemistry from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. After completing two summers of research at the University of Missouri as a Steven’s Summer Research Fellow, Immel discovered his passion for research. Now he seeks to combine his love for chemistry with his passion to improve the quality of human life through the study of medicinal chemistry. His research investigates the development of new methods for synthesizing peptide therapeutics with the goal of treating HIV and small cell lung cancer. Immel is now an Assistant Professor at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.

Shaun Kelsey (2019-2023 Fellow) is pursuing a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Kansas. He received a B.S. (2012) in chemical engineering, with a focus on material science from the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. Following his graduation, Kelsey spent the next five years serving as an officer in the U.S. Army before deciding to return to academia and receiving a B.S. (2019) in chemistry from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Originally, his research was in the development of a series of complexes that could be used to study how different ligand interactions affect the Lewis acidity of uranyl, the common from that uranium takes in the environment. However, his interests have now shifted to the area of functional materials. Specifically, his current research focuses on the synthesis, complexation and characterization of Azulene-containing molecular building blocks that could be used in molecular conductors and rectifiers. Mentor: Mikhail Barybin, Professor, Department of Chemistry

Margaret R. Lazarovits (2019-2023 Fellow) is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Kansas. Originally from Santa Barbara, CA, she received her B.A. with general honors in physics and a minor in theater and performance studies from the University of Chicago in 2018. Lazarovits’ PhD dissertation work is on using precision timing and unsupervised machine learning to classify jets at the Large Hadron Collider with the CMS Experiment. Her Masters of Science in Computational Physics thesis was developing a novel method for estimating the fake leptonic background for her group’s search for dark matter. Previously, she

tested the mechanical robustness of bump bonds for timing detector sensor prototypes in a collaboration with KU Mechanical Engineering. Outside of the lab, Lazarovits founded Learning Machine Learning, an i interdisciplinary organization that meets weekly to discuss machine learning and its applications in scientific research, in Spring 2019. She also founded the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Organization in Spring 2021 and is a former executive officer. Lazarovits is also a Fall 2022 intern for UVF Crossroads, a venture capital program for and by students. Mentor: Christopher Rogan, J.D. Stranathan Assistant Professor of Experimental Physics, Physics and Astronomy

Kathleen Rust (2019-2023 Fellow) is pursuing a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology. She received a B.A. (2012) with high honors in anthropology and German from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned an M.A. in anthropology (2018) from Hunter College City University of New York. Her master’s thesis work involved collecting data from fossils to investigate the phylogenetic affinities and origins of sivaladapids – an extinct group of adapiform primates. Her thesis research suggests new possible evolutionary scenario for the origins and evolution of Sivaladapidae. During her graduate studies in New York City, Rust was recruited as a biological anthropology educator at the American Museum of Natural history (AMNH). Her role at the AMNH enabled her to share the science of the latest research in paleontology and communicate the importance of evolution and genomics with museum visitors of all ages. As a doctoral student, Rust continues to study adapiform systematics, and her dissertation research investigates the purported evolutionary trade-off between vision and olfaction in early primate evolution. By studying the fossils of primates and genomes of living mammals, her research explores modularity and morphological integration of the maxillofacial skeleton to test if changes in the facial anatomy reflect this trade-off between the visual and olfactory sensory systems in the fossil record of primates. In addition to research, Rust remains active in outreach and education for local audiences through the KU Museum of Natural History and Biodiversity Institute. Mentor: K. Christopher Beard, Senior Curator- Biodiversity Institute, Distinguished Foundation Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Tristan Yount, Ph.D., (2019-2023 Fellow) received his Ph.D. in civil engineering with an emphasis on steel fatigue and fracture from the University of Kansas. He received a B.S. in architectural engineering with the highest distinction (2017) and an M.S. in civil engineering (2020) from KU. As an undergraduate student, Yount began researching the embrittlement of the heat-affected zone surrounding steel welds and how this impacts serviceability and safety. Continuing into graduate school at KU, his research has included welded wire reinforcement properties, jumbo section cold-cracking, and categorizing bolted fatigue details, as well as a forensic investigation into fatigue cracking of high-mast illumination poles for the Kansas Department of Transportation.