Seven 91短视频 students heading to careers in science and medicine have earned funding for summer research, provided by the Kauffman-Miller Research Awards and the CT Assist Summer Experiential Learning Program.

鈥淲e are pleased that we can work with such a large group of students this summer, since these opportunities were so limited last summer.鈥� said, a biochemistry professor who holds the Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair. 

* Erin Clayton and Graciella Odelia  will work with Professor Jeff Copeland to measure gene activity in a Parkinson鈥檚 disease model in the fruitfly. 

* Hannah Giagnocavo and Cheyenne Suamatae’a-Te’o will work with Professor Kristopher Schmidt, solving the many puzzles of roundworm development.

* Theo Yoder and Nicole Miller will travel to Hawaii with Professor Matt Siderhurst to develop and assess new methods of tropical agricultural pest control.

* Rebekah Amstutz will work with Professor Jim Yoder on an investigation of the possibility of institutional nitrogen tracking.

The Kauffman-Miller Research Awards are named for emeritus professors Glenn Kauffman (chemistry) and Roman Miller (biology), each of whom were 鈥渃hampions of undergraduate involvement in authentic scientific research at 91短视频,鈥� said Cessna. 鈥淭hese awards from the Daniel B. Suter Endowment Fund provide opportunities for biology, chemistry and environmental science students to build the key skills of scientific inquiry from writing the proposal to presenting and potentially publishing their findings.鈥�

Over their 30-plus year tenures, Kauffman and Miller each worked with more than 40 undergraduates on research projects ranging in topics from organic blueberry production to the synthesis of new cyclic organic compounds.

The CT Assist Health Experiential Learning Program awards funds to pre-professional health science students at 91短视频 to support clinical experiences that help prepare students for professional health programs. is a Harrisonburg-based healthcare staffing business owned by two alumni. 

Traditionally, funds from CT Assist鈥檚 program have supported overseas clinical experiences [read about 2018 and 2019]. As that priority is limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year鈥檚 award supplements the research project and clinical shadowing experiences of awardee Erin Clayton.

The program received notification of its full seven-year term of accreditation in January.

Nationally, fewer than 75 colleges and universities have , including only five others in Virginia.

The program was praised for its 鈥渆xtensive active learning and inquiry-based鈥� and 鈥渟trong quantitative鈥� components, plus its opportunities for students to develop written and oral communication skills, according to Adele J. Wolfson, a member of the accreditation subcommittee and a chemistry professor at Wellesley College.

鈥淎ccreditation is a testament to and external validation of the excellence of this program, from the design of major at the broad curriculum level to the concern for what goes into each and every class,鈥� said Professor Stephen Cessna. 鈥淧otential employers and graduate and medical school admissions committees will take note of the nationally recognized rigor of our program.鈥�

Biochemistry majors can now take the ASBMB standardized exam. A successful passing score results in the awarding of an ASBMB-certified degree, which is recognized upon graduation with a certificate and special cord and documents students鈥� skills and knowledge base.

Accreditation also affirms the closeness with which professors work with students outside of the classroom to help them find and apply for research and internship possibilities as well as post-graduate and professional training, he said.

Exit interviews: What graduating majors have said

Students with a biochemistry major take a combination of chemistry and biology courses culminating in a two-semester advanced biochemistry series that includes a research laboratory experience.

In exit interviews, graduating majors have repeatedly indicated to Cessna appreciation for authentic research opportunities early in the normal laboratory curriculum, for which they take 鈥渕easurement of real substances in real environments, in experiments of their own design.鈥�

They have also pointed to reading requirements about recent biochemistry research as well as original articles by DNA researchers Watson and Crick 鈥� and to the ability to form small-college relationships with professors.

鈥淭hey can get to know a PhD chemist or biochemist and work with them on cutting-edge science during the day and play board games with them in the evening,鈥� Cessna said.

Graduates in the field

• Diego Barahona 鈥�17 is now a graduate student at the University of Virginia. In 2016, he worked with then-junior Kat Lehman and聽 and Professor Matthew Siderhurst on research related to the Coconut rhinoceros beetle in Guam, which was published in聽聽and covered on the news site of the Entomological Society of America. Read more聽here.
• Jonathan Nofziger 鈥�11聽manages a lab that is researching the effects of Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia.
• Niclette Kibibi 鈥�10 recently finished a master鈥檚 degree in public health and works in refugee health management in the Chicago area, where she is a member of the planning committee.
• Christopher Longenecker, MD 鈥�01 is an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Read about his HIV/AIDS research in the US and Africa.

“One goal of the is to encourage student research,鈥� said , a biochemistry professor who holds the Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair at 91短视频. 鈥淭his annual competitive summer research fellowship helps our biology and chemistry students build the key skills of scientific inquiry from writing the proposal to presenting and potentially publishing their findings.鈥�

The research project meant long days in hip waders, carrying measuring tapes and other instruments through the rock-strewn bottoms of Crab Run and the German River. They were joined on some days by Bergton native Bekah Mongold, a junior biology major.

The field work was 鈥渆xciting and exhausting,鈥� says Williams. 鈥淚 love being in nature, so it is kind of like a dream come true for me to be out in the field doing research that is both helping our understanding of how percent canopy coverage affects water temperature while also adding to the larger ongoing project that has been collecting stream restoration data for many years.鈥�

Besides the research, Daley said she enjoyed getting to know the local residents. 鈥淢y favorite part of traveling to Bergton was having lunch with Marge Peevy on her porch.鈥�

Gathering internships and fieldwork experience

Both scientists are veteran researchers, with experience in the prestigious . Additionally, Daley and Williams spent one-semester internships while at Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center with a NOAA-NASA contractor and at the , respectively. And both had worked extensively during their time at 91短视频 on water quality projects with professors Doug Graber-Neufeld, Tara Kishbaugh and Jim Yoder.

The summer research grant offered the unique opportunity to create their own research proposal, Daley says. 鈥淎fter conducting the research, I can now recognized aspects of the project I should have considered in advance. One oversight was neglecting to note the peak bloom period for sycamore trees, the dominant tree species along the stream. They needed to be in full bloom to collect accurate canopy coverage data.鈥�

The oversight pushed their anticipated May completion date into mid-September.

Long-term research in the Bergton watershed

Their results will contribute to several other 91短视频-sponsored stream restoration and research projects in the area that began in 2011. The previous year, local concern about area water resources increased, sparked by commercial interest in the potential development of a fracking site. Though the application was later denied by Rockingham County, area residents became active supporters of water quality research. The watershed, which had received notable damage through flooding in the past, is an important resource for homes and local agricultural, as well as area recreation.

A two-year started in 2014, with initial funding provided by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with 91短视频’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Ecosystem Services LLC, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District. [Read more .]

With the help of more than 15 students over the course of several years, various baseline data has been collected including temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, barium and strontium metal concentrations, macroinvertebrate and indicator species sampling.

Stream health important to diversity

Daley and Williams were most interested in how upstream canopy cover on Crab Run and the German River may influence temperature fluctuations downstream. While data analysis has not concluded, they suspect that farmed areas, which are cleared of creek- and river-side foliage, would have higher temperatures because of the high level of sunlight exposure. The water under and downstream of wooded areas, conversely, would have cooler temperatures.

鈥淲ater temperature has great implications for the biota that live within the stream,鈥� said Williams, who did a similar study in Bethany Beach canals for her 2016 summer REU project. She says that certain species of macroinvertebrates and fish can only survive in certain temperatures and if the water gets too warm, some fish cannot even live in it, because there will be little to no dissolved oxygen to breathe.

Data analysis for the project concludes this month. The partners plan to share their conclusions at an upcoming conference and with the 91短视频 community.

After graduating in spring 2018, Williams will go to graduate school 鈥攔ecently the field of astrobiology has caught her attention 鈥� and then continue to pursue research.

Daley plans to earn a doctorate in chemistry with a focus on atmospheric chemistry. While working as an admissions counselor at 91短视频 this year, she鈥檚 also co-authoring a paper based on research from her 2015 REU on .

Read about more 91短视频 experiences in the sciences:

• at James Madison University;
• the summer 2016 of Hannah, Amanda and two other 91短视频 students;
• Washington Community Scholars’ Center science-related in general;
• and Amanda’s internship at the .
• Also check out this feature on Cerrie Mendoza’s summer 2017 field biology work with聽funded by the Smithsonian鈥檚 Global Genome Initiative.

For those who share that view, it should come as good news that students enrolling in university science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs across the country are increasingly diverse. At the same time, a poor retention rate among this group is prompting STEM educators to explore different ways to better meet the needs of a changing student body.

91短视频 is no exception. More than 30 percent of incoming freshman STEM majors are minority students. But after two years, around 7 in 10 of these incoming students are no longer pursuing a STEM major. These statistics are similar to those reported by universities across the country.

Over the next three years, the university will work to improve its retention rate of minority students in STEM programs, using a recently awarded $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve instructional techniques in the classroom and laboratory.

New academic language and culture can be a barrier

Ayu Yifru, a sophomore major originally from Ethiopia, understands well the challenges that face a growing number of her STEM peers. One of the primary ones is a simple language barrier.

鈥淲hen my friends and I are taking an exam, we鈥檒l get stuck on a particular word that we can鈥檛 figure out,鈥� says Yifru, who spoke very little English when she arrived in the United States at 16. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to master any kind of language 鈥� [And] when we are in class, some of the teachers go pretty fast. Sometimes I get lost, and I have no clue what they鈥檙e talking about.鈥�

Cultural norms can also discourage minority students from asking questions in class or approaching professors for help afterwards. Additionally, many of them are first-generation college students, meaning that their parents may be less familiar with how to navigate the academic and social rigors of college.

鈥淸These students] have to adapt to an academic culture and a university culture that their parents couldn鈥檛 introduce them to, and on top of that, the STEM culture. It鈥檚 like going to a foreign country three times over,鈥� said Steve Cessna, professor of biochemistry.

Cessna is the principal investigator on the NSF grant, 鈥淔aculty-Led Institutional Transformation for Teaching Diverse Learners in STEM.鈥� In addition to STEM faculty, 91短视频鈥檚 education department and the multicultural services office will also participate.

Multi-faceted grant asks for teaching as research

The grant includes faculty trainings on bias and ways that teaching methods can better respond to changing student needs, a mentoring program for STEM faculty and improvement of a peer tutoring program for minority and first-generation college students in STEM majors.

Cessna said that a challenging aspect of the grant鈥檚 implementation for STEM faculty will be 鈥渢reating our own work as small research projects.鈥� That means consulting the literature and experimenting with teaching methods that have been shown to be more effective than the traditional university lecture. While this process is extremely familiar to program faculty in their work as scientists, it鈥檚 not an approach that鈥檚 often applied to their roles as teachers.

In his first-year “Chemistry for the Life Sciences” class, Cessna has begun making changes by decreasing lecture time and scheduling more interactive group work.

鈥淸The students] are doing more problems together in a more social way. My class is pretty noisy. It鈥檚 something that I鈥檓 testing out 鈥� it鈥檚 based on a good amount of research that I鈥檝e already read that teaching in this way can be effective,鈥� he said.

Each Friday, Yifru 鈥� who has signed on as a peer mentor 鈥� is there in the class to tutor and help. She also leads extra study sessions before quizzes and exams.

鈥淚 really like helping people who are stuck, because I was once in their shoes. I know how to help them,鈥� she said.

As a final component of the grant, 91短视频 will share its findings and conclusions with STEM departments with other universities experiencing similar enrollment trends and challenges.

Harnish, who performed research under the supervision of Professor , studied the “Neuronal Basis for Aging in Drosophila melanogaster.”

Herman won for his presentation of research on the effect of a high salt and high fructose diet on rats (his research was titled 鈥淭he Effect of a High Salt and High Fructose Diet on the Expression of the NFAT5 Gene in Kidney and Intestine Samples of Sprague-Dawley Rats鈥�). Herman works with Professor in support of her .

Forty projects were presented. Some individuals worked specifically under . Others participated as part of required coursework. Professor 鈥檚 alternative energy class, for example, presented a range of research on the topic.

The poster show, which is held in both spring and , provides undergraduates and graduate students with the opportunity to practice presentation skills in an informal setting. Several students have presented research in the campus setting before moving on to .

Professors (biology, biomedicine) and (physics, engineering) headed the judging panel, which also included Professor (biology), Professor (mathematics) and Professor , a biology professor at James Madison University.

In the upperclass division, Kaylee Ferguson and Jared Fernandez, who also studied changes in gene expression related to dietary changes in rats with Halterman, finished in second place. Ferguson is a junior biology major and Fernandez a second-year MA in Biomedicine graduate student.

Third 鈥媝lace went to Katherine Lehman for her research on Judas beetles. She is a research student with Siderhurst.

In the underclass division, Mason Stoltzfus and Maria Yoder won second place for their general chemistry project on the abilities of English ivy and forsythia to phytoremediate copper.

Phoebe Coffie and Maisie Kirkley won third place for their project on the variation of copper concentrations in contaminated soils between sunflowers and beans.

Both of these projects were for a general chemistry II class taught by Professor .

Quiz show elite win 鈥楾he Romie鈥�

The quiz show team of 鈥淢ind AJAR鈥� were the first recipients of 鈥淭he Romie,鈥� a bobblehead trophy celebrating Professor , for which the annual games are named. Miller retires this spring after 31 years at 91短视频 (read about his long and dedicated career .)

Mind AJAR consisted of Robert Propst, Aubrey Shelly, Ayu Yifru and Jonathan Patterson. All teams must include a senior, junior, sophomore and first-year student.

Second place was Stephan Goertzen, Noah Haglund, Hannah Weaver and Hannah Daley.

Third place went to Hannah Chappel-Dick, Tyler Denlinger, Maria Yoder and Kat Lehman.

Honorable mention went to the team of David Nester, Grayson Mast, Derek Harnish and RJ Ocampo.

Researchers, including 91短视频 junior Charles Good, are beginning to address this problem in a new field called 鈥済reen chemistry,鈥� which, in part, aims to find renewable structural alternatives to petroleum that could be used in common petroleum-based commodities.

Toward this goal, Good spent the summer of 2014 in Fargo, North Dakota, as a student researcher at North Dakota Sate University. His objective was to develop a green synthesis of monomers from biomass. Good presented his work in the Fall Student Research Symposium at 91短视频 on Dec. 5, 2014.

Good was part of a 10-week program funded by the called 鈥渞esearch experience for undergraduates鈥� or REU. 鈥淚 wanted to do research outside of 91短视频,鈥� Good said, because 鈥淚 wanted to know what it would be like to be part of a bigger facility.鈥�

Although Good came up against challenges that made it difficult to get a conclusive outcome (with rueful cheer, he says research is 鈥渉itting your head against the wall for 95 percent of the time in order to get a minor result鈥�), the overall experience was extremely valuable for him. He recommends all students pursue such an experience between their sophomore and junior years, because it can have a positive impact on their later studies and opportunities.

鈥淩EU was an amazing door opener,鈥� he says, but one he could not have gotten without the support, encouragement and education he received from his 91短视频 professors 鈥� especially chemistry professors and . 鈥淚 think the professors are where 91短视频 is strongest,鈥� Good says. 鈥淭hey pay attention to students who are interested in research opportunities and work hard to make those opportunities possible.鈥�

Research opportunities for 91短视频 students do not necessarily have to be through other institutions, but can be in partnership with an 91短视频 professor, like the project that senior Zach Gish worked on over the summer and fall of 2014.

Gish and two biomedicine graduate students worked under biology professor studying ethanol teratology in mice, which translates to how alcohol affects prenatal development. The students were most interested in whether substances called anthocyanins could protect against ethanol-induced prenatal developmental deficiencies.

Over the summer, the three students worked with 36 pregnant female mice who were administered ethanol or saline through intraperitoneal injections injections five to seven days following impregnation. They then daily weighed the mice to document the fetuses鈥� developmental progression and met with Miller weekly to report their progress. At the end of the summer the students harvested the fetuses, which they spent the fall studying.

Gish shared his results at the fall symposium: Statistical analysis showed that the binge alcohol supplemented with anthocyanins group was protected from gross developmental deficiencies over the binge alcohol (alone) group, when compared to the control group (without alcohol). Gish delivered his report to a packed audience in one of the new Suter Science Center聽classrooms.

While the summer was about caring for the pregnant mice and tracking their process, the fall semester was all about results and collecting data, Gish told an 91短视频 reporter. He explained that over the fall they tried to collect whatever data they could before spring at which time they plan to embed the fetuses with paraffin wax and look at them on a cellular level.

Gish cited this opportunity for one-on-one research as one of the most valuable aspects of his 91短视频 education. 鈥淭he 91短视频 program has provided me with numerous opportunities I would not have found elsewhere,鈥� he said. Like Good, these opportunities arose from the relationships he has developed with his professors whose 鈥渄irection and guidance have been invaluable.鈥�

Gish plans on taking the MCAT in April 2015 and hopes to start medical school in the fall of 2016.

Good intends to go to graduate school for a yet undecided field of chemistry and hopes to eventually finish a PhD in the subject. The Fall Student Research Symposium is part of the year-long Suter Science Seminars series, which resumes after Christmas break on January 12, 2015.

“Sustaining Organic Blueberry Production: Analysis of Practices and Assessing Outcomes,” a research projected directed by , PhD, professor of at 91短视频 (91短视频), will look at the merits of organic horticulture as it relates to blueberries.

“[The $26,300 grant] will fund a model system of quantifying sustainable blueberry production as a specialty crop,” said Miller. “In addition, it will provide support for students doing horticulture research, create a model system for area farmers interesting in diversifying their operations and encourage the local community on organic agriculture.”

The 91短视频 team of Miller, professors and , will be overseeing the project. Participating in the project are 91短视频 student assistants Jonathan Fretz and Travis Riesen, representatives, and and , president of .

A system of sustainability

A recent study found a rising demand for organic products, with over 80 percent of grocery stores featuring an organic section as of 2008.

“There continues to be a huge demand for small fruits and vegetables, particularly for blueberries, strawberries and brambles,” said Bendfeldt.

A principal goal of the project is to develop a model system of quantifying sustainable organic blueberry production in the Shenandoah Valley. Research will integrate plant foliar nutrient, growth, and vigor analysis; measurement of photosynthesis; and berry quality and composition to determine quantity and quality of the berries.

“Since there are limited sources of local blueberries in the Valley, the project will fill some of the gap between supply and demand of local and organic produce,” said Kishbaugh. “Additionally, the information at the project website will be an invaluable resource for gardeners and others interested in raising blueberries themselves or about the process of organic farming.”

The information from the project could also motivate farmers to diversify their current agricultural systems, according to Cessna. “Through this project we are hoping to become better informed about best practice for highbush blueberry growers and which soil and plants work best in the Valley,” said Cessna.

Coming to fruition

While the grant officially began on Nov. 1, and will run until Oct. 31, 2013, preparation for the project began several years ago. Miller started in 2008 by setting up an experimental design for growing blueberries at , an organic farm four miles outside Harrisonburg.

“My initial experimental design was to select a hillside site which is rocky and not tillable for the organic plot,” said Miller. “Four subplots were formed based on the soil amendment treatments: horse manure compost; sheep manure compost; pine needle compost; and a commercial compost, Planters Choice.”

91短视频 180 bushes were planted in December 2009, 160 of which were in organic plots representing five cultivars: Duke, Jersey, Bluegold, Chandler and BlueCrop. Soil conditions and plant growth were monitored and an irrigation system was installed during the 15 months after planting.

“This is a long-term project to demonstrate that a farmer can initiate a small commercial organic blueberry operation that is sustainable and cost effective,” said Miller. “These blueberry bushes will聽likely be productive for 20 years or more and the grant will support the extended analysis that most horticulturalists do not bother doing because of time, labor and direct expenses involved.”

Impact on the community

The project will be beneficial to local farmers and consumers in Virginia, according to Bendfeldt. “Farmers and consumers are keenly interested in and aware of best agricultural practices, economic and environmental sustainability and the potential health benefits of organic blueberry production,” said Bendfelt.

Bendfelt feels the project will allow students to work in a “living laboratory” and assess the research they gather and the impact it has on development and production differentiation for farmers.

“The proposal builds on the values and ethos of 91短视频’s efforts to engage their students and the community in sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship and creation care,” said Bendfelt.

Read more…

91短视频 chemistry professor Dr. Stephen Cessna will share his research in this field at the next Suter Science Seminar, when he’ll speak on the topic, “On the Suffering of Vegetables (And Why It Matters),” 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, in room 104 of the Suter Science Center.

Dr. Stephen Cessna

“Plants are continuously subject to numerous stresses, such as heat, drought, and the attacks of insects,” Cessna said. Plants sense these stresses, integrate incoming sensory data and respond with highly-regulated strategies that allow them to adapt. The plasticity of their response repertoire and the rate and degree to which they respond dictates their survival and persistence in the environment,” he noted.

Often, however, strategies to overcome one form of stress make plants more susceptible to other stresses.

Cessna will discuss his research on stress-activated biochemical signals in plants within the larger context of human nutrition, Blue Ridge and Rocky Mountain forest ecology and the biological and biblical functions of stress and suffering in nature.

Cessna received a BA in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder, then taught middle school math and science in Lesotho in southern Africa with the Mennonite Central Committee. He later completed a PhD degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Purdue University.

He worked on a USDA-funded sabbatical research project during the 2007-08 academic year, studying plant responses to stress at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“Too often we take plants for granted – consume them, destroy them, tread on them – without due regard. Yet, we should be thankful that plants are part of God’s good gifts to humanity and are essential to all global life,” said Roman J. Miller, Suter Endowed Professor of Biology at 91短视频. “This seminar will increase our awareness of the important function that plants have in our lives,” Dr. Miller added.

Admission to the seminar is free. Refreshments will be served 15 minutes prior to the presentation.

For questions, contact Roman Miller at 540-432-4412 or millerrj@emu.edu.

In addition, many majors include opportunities for internships, where students apply classroom learning to “real world” settings.

Beyond this, a number of students majoring in the sciences, particularly biology or chemistry, are supplementing their laboratory experience with original research projects on and off campus with 91短视频 professors.

91短视频 students Elisa Troyer and David Showalter (l.) look at a sample trace on the computer screen as part of an electrophysiology setup in an instrumentation lab with 91短视频 chemistry professor Matthew Siderhurst. Photo by Jim Bishop

This year, the departments of biology and chemistry are benefiting from seven grants from federal and state agencies or from private foundations, according to Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology and chair of the biology and chemistry departments.

“These grants are critical to help to support the many students involved in independent research projects, with the subjects of studies ranging from molecular neurobiology, to the chemistry and ecology of insects to water-related issues in developing countries,” Dr. Graber Neufeld said.

“The past year saw 17 students involved in research projects during the year, with an additional 10 students involved in summer internships with 91短视频 biology or chemistry faculty.”

Work in Cambodia and Thailand

Graber Neufeld and colleagues from Buffalo (NY) State College used funding from an ongoing National Science Foundation grant to take six students, including two from 91短视频, to work in Cambodia and Thailand this summer. The program gives opportunities for students to work alongside local scientists on issues of drinking water quality and sewage treatment.

Another group of six students will be selected to return with him to Cambodia and Thailand the summer of 2009 to continue the work on water issues. The work is a an outgrowth of two years that Graber Neufeld spent working through Mennonite Central Committee on environmental issues in Cambodia.

Allison E. Glick, a junior chemistry major from Pekin, Ill., was among the students who spent last summer doing research in Cambodia.

“I looked at the concentration of pesticides on water spinach still in the field,” Glick noted. “It was a greatly enriching experience where I learned as much about the research process in a location like Cambodia as I did about pesticide longevity,” she added.

‘Connecting theory with practice’

With the help of a $25,000 Jeffress Grant, a Virginia foundation, along with USDA funds and Hawaii Department of Agriculture funds, Matthew Siderhurst, assistant professor of chemistry, is continuing earlier research on pest control in Hawaii, isolating hormones to use in creating more effective insect traps for ants and beetles. 91短视频 students David N. Showalter and Elisa Troyer worked with Dr. Siderhurst last summer in the Suter Science Center laboratory.

Showalter, a senior biochemistry major from Harrisonburg, is writing a paper on the project the fall semester that he “hopes to have published in a scientific journal.”

“I anticipate doing graduate work in biochemistry, and this experience is helpful preparation that I wouldn’t otherwise get,” Showalter said. “It’s proving a valuable way of understanding analytical methods and connecting theory with practice.”

Greta Ann Herin, assistant professor of biology, has participated for two summers in the Shenandoah Valley Molecular Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Students participating in the program investigate the modulation of glutamate receptors that are important in brain function. 91短视频’s portion of the REU amounts to approximately $21,000, including supplies and stipends for the student participants.

Students ‘develop independence’ as researchers

“The goal is for the student to develop independence as a researcher by conducting his/her own research project, gaining skills in the laboratory, being exposed to the primary literature, participating in scientific presentations and discussions,” Herin said.

An 91短视频 faculty group from a cross-section of departments have formed the Shenandoah Anabaptist Science Society (SASS) for constructive engagement of science and religion.

The group has received a three-year, $15,000 matching grant administered by the the Metanexus Institute Local Societies Initiative, a Philadelphia, Pa.-based organization, with funding from the John Templeton Foundation.

SASS steering commmittee member Roman J. Miller, professor of biology at 91短视频, said the Society “provides resources and a formal context to encourage the integration of Christian faith – particularly in its Anabaptist expression and convictions concerning peacemaking and service – while helping students learn more about major real-world issues at the intersection of science and Christian faith.”

Students Doing ‘Cutting-edge Research’

Stephen Cessna, associate professor of chemistry, in collaboration with James M. (Jim) Yoder, professor of biology, secured some $100,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation for laboratory equipment for plant psychology and ecology laboratory courses.

“This is not trivial stuff. These students are doing cutting-edge research,” Graber Neufeld said. “As a bonus, a number of students wind up having their research published in scholarly journals or being invited to give presentations at professional conferences.”

He noted that two 91短视频 students, Laura Cattell and Allison Glick, will present findings from their research in water treatment and pesticide use in Cambodia at a conference in Pennsylvania in November 2008. One of Dr. Siderhurst’s students presented at a meeting this summer.

“All the grants we’ve received are involving students in these research projects,” the 91短视频 professor said. “For a school our size, that’s rather impressive.”

The REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) grant will provide funding for 12 students to do intensive research in molecular biology to address questions in genetics, cells, tissues, organisms and ecosystems. They will work under faculty supervision in laboratories at JMU, 91短视频 and BC from May 21 through July 27, 2007.

Students should apply to the program director, Dr. Terrie Rife, assistant professor of biology at JMU. Applicants must have at least one year of college-level chemistry, one year of college-level biology and a grade point average of at least 2.75.

“The goal is for each student to develop independence as a researcher by conducting his/her own research project, gaining skills in the laboratory, being exposed to the primary literature, participating in scientific presentations and discussions,” Dr. Rife said.

Stephen Cessna, associate professor of chemistry at 91短视频, said the project is unique in that the students’ focus will be molecular biology – what can be done with DNA – and will “provide research opportunities for students who aren’t enrolled at major research universities.

Greta Herin

“It will be mentored research with close faculty-student interaction,” Dr. Cessna said. In addition to research, there will be frequent opportunities for seminars and guest speakers in cohort settings and social programs – including a canoe trip – to help students develop camaraderie with peers and mentors and more deeply appreciate the broad use of molecular biology tools.

The program will conclude with a poster session in which the students present their research findings. Ultimately, the students may be invited to present their research at a regional or national scientific meeting.

Dr. Greta Ann Herrin, assistant professor of biology, will be 91短视频’s faculty participant.

Half of the students will be selected from JMU, 91短视频 and BC, with the others coming from other colleges and universities across Virginia and beyond.