science journal june 2012

June 2012

Disease DynamicsPG 10

Evolutionary Science

PG 18

Outside Our Solar SystemAlex Wolszczan – first astronomer

ever to discover planets outside our solar system.

PG 4

Table of C

ontents

Feature StOrieS:

4 Disease Dynamics Discover how nighttime lights and Twitter help

scientists keep tabs on diseases and analyze what people think of vaccinations.

10 Outside Our Solar System Learn how Penn State scientists are discovering

new planets and understand how they use various instrumentation and tools to make those discoveries.

18 Evolutionary Science Understand the importance of Penn State scientists

studying animal genomes and learn how biologists are helping animal conservation efforts.

COllege NewS:A Fresh Perspective in the Dean’s Office

FaCulty SpOtlight:Faculty Awards and Honors

New Faculty

StudeNt SpOtlight:Student Awards and Honors

Spring 2012 Student Marshals

Undergraduate Scientists

Student Group Focus

OutreaCh:Science Engagement for All

alumNi NewS: Alumnus’ $200K gift supports IT for science, liberal arts faculty

Myriant Corporation Established Scholarship for Excellence in Bio-Energy and Energy Sustainability

Forensic Science Program Establishes Partnership with Life Technologies

Mary Ann Raymond Receives Distinguished Service Award

Heather Agnew Receives the Alumni Achievement Award

3rd Annual Alumni Mentoring Program Workshop Success for Students and Alumni

Baldwin and Wilson Honored in 2011 with Penn State Alumni Fellow Awards

Five Honored with 2011 Outstanding Science Alumni Award

Mark your Calendar: Penn State Physician Reunion Weekend is September 14-15

Staff Changes in the Development and Alumni Relations Offices

Science Benefactors Dinner

Upcoming Events

editor: Tara Immel

writers: Barbara Collins, Barbara Kennedy, Christina Ombalski, Katrina

Voss, Michael Zeman, Special thanks to all of our student contributors

design: Graphics&Design

Penn State Eberly College of Science22

Dear Friends of the College,

This issue of Science Journal reflects a substantial change in design. You may have picked it up and wondered if you received it by mistake because it looks so different. After many

years of a familiar format, we decided to redesign the magazine from ground up: a new look, a fresh layout, and revamped content. While the frontiers of science explored in our college will remain a primary focus of Science Journal, we have chosen to also incorporate more human elements into the redesigned magazine. We want you to get to know the people behind the research…and we’re not just talking about faculty. In every feature, you

will read about graduate and undergraduate students participating in research alongside our faculty. You will also read about students who are involved in study abroad, internships, co-ops, student groups, and more. And you

will read more about your fellow alumni and their contributions to Penn State and the world. In addition to the stories that our college is sharing, you are welcome to contribute your news and accomplishments to the Journal.

Rather than individual stories about each research advance, we have instituted research feature sections that connect the efforts of several groups across the college. With collaboration being an important aspect of many areas of modern science and a focus for our college, it’s fitting to present research in the same manner. I’m sure that you will enjoy reading about the wonderful accomplishments of our faculty and students.

I hope that you will take the time to review the new Science Journal and provide any feedback you have; please tell us what you

like and what you don’t like. The Journal will continue to evolve as we receive input. Be sure to watch your mailbox again in early December; Science Journal will be published in June and December each year. You can also read the Journal online

anytime at science.psu.edu/ScienceJournal. In the meantime, to stay up-to-date on Penn State Science news, please visit our website: science.psu.edu or Facebook: facebook.com/PennStateScience.

Thank you for your commitment and continued support of our college!

Sincerely,

...iN every Feature, yOu will read abOut graduate

aNd uNdergraduate StudeNtS partiCipatiNg

iN reSearCh alONgSide Our FaCulty aNd ObServe

the reSearCh FrOm their perSpeCtive.

SCieNCe JOurNal June 2012 3

DiseaseDynamicsIdentifying Outbreaks and Vaccination Trends

Featu

re Story


Just about every time you turn on the news or get online, you hear about a new disease outbreak, from the flu, to the recent norovirus epidemic…and this is just in the United States this year.

Across the world in the last decade, there have been outbreaks of diseases that affect large numbers of people in developing nations, includ-ing the Avian (bird) flu, swine flu, West Nile Vi-rus, cholera, and malaria. While some of these examples have vaccinations available, people are not always able or willing to get the vacci-nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists around the world are researching

DiseaseDynamics

a SiNgle Satellite image of Niger’s

nighttime lights at the beginning of the

dry season. Niger’s national borders

are outlined in blue (see inset), and the

districts are outlined in gray. The bright

pixels (shown in white), indicate relatively

high population density. The brightest

point in Niger is Niamey, the largest city

and the capital, shown in the center of

this image. During the dry season in Niger,

population density increases in the cities.

Credit: Nita Bharti, Princeton University

marCel Salathé

at Penn State University used

Twitter data to track vaccination

rates and sentiments. Credit: U.S.

National Institutes of Health

ways to detect the outbreaks when they occur, trying to contain the potential spreading of the diseases, and working to develop and track vac-cinations once they have been used.

Researchers at Penn State have also been in-volved in critical disease research, from work-ing on tracking disease outbreaks to collecting vaccination rates and attitudes using innovative methods that can accurately gather and exam-ine data.

Matthew Ferrari, an as-sistant professor of biology, is using satellite images of night-time lights to detect disease out-breaks. Normally these types of images are used to detect where

clusters of people live. However, for Ferrari, they can also help keep tabs on diseases in developing nations. Ferrari’s research is expected to help medical professionals synchronize vaccination strategies with increases in population density.

Ferrari and his team chose a specific area of the world to study rather than look at the world as a whole. They used nighttime images of the three largest cities in the West African nation


of Niger – Maradi, Zinder, and Niamey – to cor-relate seasonal population fluctuations with the onset of measles epidemics during the country’s dry season, which is from September to May. Because many pathogens that cause epidemics flourish in areas where the population density is the greatest, satellite imagery showing brighter areas – indicating greater numbers of people – then can be used to pinpoint disease hot spots. The image the team used, taken between 2000 and 2004 by a U.S. Department of Defense sat-ellite, was compared to records from Niger’s Ministry of Health of weekly measles outbreaks during the same years in the three cities.

The team had a specific reason for choosing the dry season to conduct the study. One of the team’s collaborators, Nita Bharti, a postdoctor-al researcher at Princeton University, explained that in many agriculturally dependent nations people migrate from rural to urban areas after the growing season. As people gather in cities during the dry-season months when agricul-tural work is unavailable, these urban centers frequently become hosts to outbreaks of crowd-dependent diseases such as measles.

The team found that measles cases were most prevalent when a city’s lighted area was largest and brightest. “We found that seasonal bright-

ness for all three cities changed similarly,” Fer-rari said. “Brightness was below average for Maradi, Zinder, and Niamey during the agri-culturally busy rainy season, then rose to above average as people moved to urban areas during the dry season. Measles transmission rates fol-lowed the same pattern – low in the rainy sea-son, high in the dry season.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to use this research to design better preventative-vaccination pro-grams and more-efficient responsive vaccina-tion strategies when outbreaks do occur,” Fer-rari said. While the team primarily studied measles outbreaks, they are not limited to ana-lyzing just one particular disease.

The researchers also are exploring the use of nighttime lights with other large-scale pop-ulation-tracking methods such as the monitor-ing of mobile-phone usage. “When used alone, both population-tracking methods have their shortcomings,” Bharti said. “Nighttime-lights imagery is susceptible to weather conditions, while mobile-phone usage data are biased in the portion of the population it can represent.” Bharti and the team hope that when nighttime imagery is combined with other techniques, the measures will be complementary.

reSearCherS aNalyzed the

SeaSONal ChaNgeS

in nighttime-light brightness in

Niger’s largest cities. The height

of the peaks represents the

brightness of nighttime lights

over the course of one year.

Credit: Nita Bharti, Princeton University.

Featu

re Story


The researchers are hopeful that this type of data can also contribute to other global issues outside of disease tracking, such as mass human migrations after wars and natural disasters. Ferrari and his team aren’t the only research-ers at Penn State focused on disease prevention and finding new ways to study disease.

Marcel Salathé, an assistant professor of biology, studied how users of Twitter – a popular mi-croblogging and social-network-ing service – expressed their sentiments about the new H1N1

vaccine. Vaccines have been successful in pre-venting the spread of infectious diseases and reducing the mortality rates associated with them. Although the successes of vaccines are significant, maintaining high vaccination cover-age across the United States, and the world, has become challenging.

Sentiments about vaccination can strongly af-fect an individual’s decision to get a vaccination. Salathé tracked how Twitter users’ attitudes correlated with vaccination rates and how mi-crobloggers with the same negative or positive feelings seemed to influence others in their so-cial circles. The research is the first case study in how social-media sites affect and reflect dis-ease networks.

Salathé chose Twitter for two reasons. First, Twitter messages, known as “tweets,” are con-sidered public data and anyone can “follow” the tweets of anyone else, unless a person has a pri-vate profile. “People tweet because they want other members of the public to hear what they have to say,” Salathé said.

Second, Twitter is the perfect database for learning about people’s sentiments. “Tweets are very short – a maximum of 140 characters,” Sal-athé explained. “So users have to express their opinions and beliefs about a particular subject very concisely.”

Salathé began by amassing 477,768 tweets with vaccination-related keywords and phrases. He then tracked users’ sentiments about a par-ticular new vaccine for combating H1N1 – a vi-rus strain responsible for swine flu. The collec-tion process began in August 2009, when news of the new vaccine first was made public, and continued through January 2010.

Salathé explained that sorting through the enormous number of vaccination-related tweets was not simple. First, he partitioned a random subset of about 10 percent and asked Penn State students to rate them as positive, negative, neu-tral, or irrelevant. For example, a tweet express-ing a desire to get the H1N1 vaccine would be considered positive, while a tweet expressing the belief that the vaccine causes harm would

SALATHé TRACKED HOW TWITTER USERS’

ATTITUDES CORRELATED WITH VACCINATION

RATES AND HOW MICROBLOGGERS WITH THE

SAME NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE FEELINGS SEEMED

TO INFLUENCE OTHERS IN THEIR SOCIAL CIRCLES.


be considered negative. A tweet concerning a different vaccine, for example, the Hepatitis B vaccine, would be considered irrelevant. Then, Shashank Khandelwal, a computer program-mer and analyst in Penn State’s Department of Biology and co-author of the paper, used the stu-dents’ ratings to design a computer algorithm responsible for cataloging the remaining 90 per-cent of the tweets according to the sentiments they expressed. After the computer algorithm analyzed the tweets, the final tally, after the irrelevant ones were eliminated, was 318,379 tweets expressing positive, negative, or neutral sentiments about the H1N1 vaccine.

Because Twitter users often include a location in their profiles, Salathé was able to categorize the expressed sentiments by U.S. region. Also, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he was able to determine how vaccination attitudes correlated with CDC-estimated vaccination rates. Using these data, Salathé found definite patterns. “These results could be used strategically to develop public-health initiatives,” Salathé explained. “Such data also could be used to predict how many doses of a vaccine will be required in a particu-lar area.”

In addition, Salathé was able to construct an intricate social network by determining who fol-lowed the tweets of whom; that is, he was able to determine clusters of like-minded Twitter us-ers. “The assumption is that people tend to com-municate online almost exclusively with people who think the same way. This phenomenon cre-ates ‘echo chambers’ in which dissenting opin-ions are not heard,” Salathé said.

As it turned out, that assumption was correct. Salathé found that users with either negative or positive sentiments about the H1N1 vaccine fol-lowed like-minded people. “The data from Twit-

ells Campbell, a ph.d. student working

in the Salathé lab group, specializes

in the study of disease dynamics and

works closely with Salathé by modeling

the spread and evolution of the social

contagions. Campbell explains “our ideas

and our behaviors spread from person-

to-person when we interact. Some social contagions put

people at increased risk to certain diseases, like negative

vaccine sentiment and the flu or smoking and lung cancer.

these “social contagions” follow the rules of evolution in

that only those that propagate effectively will survive.”

by researching and studying disease dynamics,

Campbell gains a better understanding on how and why

diseases spread.

Campbell discovered Salathé and his research as he

finished his master’s degree at the University of California

at San diego. “after contacting marcel and receiving a

heartfelt reply, and reading the mission statement on the

Salathé group’s site, I knew that there was nowhere I’d rather

be. most students choose a graduate program based on a

laundry list of criteria but i took a more idealistic approach

and went with my gut.”

Working in the Salathé lab not only satisfied Campbell’s

desire to study disease dynamics, but also helped him settle

into life 3,000 miles away from his former home. “We’ve got

a relatively tight-knit research group. because we spend

most of our day programming, there’s a lot of time for

social interaction. we get together regularly for lunch and

sometimes dinner as well.”

as for the future, Campbell will continue to work on his

ph.d. while studying the spread and evolution of ideas and

behavior in the Salathé lab and in the Center for infectious

disease dynamics (Cidd).

Person-to-P

erson

ellS Campbell

Featu

re Story


ter seem to indicate that the buffer of protection cannot be counted on if these clusters exist in real, geographical space,” Salathé said.

Salathé plans to use his unique social-media analysis to study other diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. Salathé added that, in the industrialized world, future genera-tions will worry less about infectious diseases and more about diseases linked to lifestyle and behavior. “Behavior-influenced diseases always have existed, but, until recently, they were masked: People died of infectious diseases relatively early in their life cycles. So behavior-influenced diseases weren’t really on anyone’s radar,” Salathé explained. “Now that heart dis-ease – a malady caused, at least in part, by life-style – is moving to the top of the list of killers, it might be wise to focus on how social media influences behaviors such as poor diet and infre-quent exercise,” Salathé said.

Although the Ferrari and Salathé groups have different research interests, their common thread, infectious diseases, have lead both to work in the Center for Infectious Disease Dy-namics (CIDD). The CIDD is a “virtual” center bringing together theoreticians and empirical scientists in a wide variety of disciplines to col-

laborate and innovate in the area of infectious disease research. CIDD combines genetic, im-munological, ecological, and other studies to understand how disease processes work. CIDD research integrates a wide range of scientific disciplines – from immunology, virology, bioin-formatics, genomics and evolutionary biology, to epidemiology, disease ecology, and architecture. They also span the whole range of biological complexity – from genes and proteins to popula-tions and pandemics.

In the center, scientists from around Penn State, including faculty, research associates, postdocs, and graduate students from the Eber-ly College of Science, the College of Agriculture, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Envi-ronment, collaborate on projects that will help track, prevent, and solve infectious disease out-breaks. Learning about where infectious dis-eases start, how they spread, discovering new vaccines, and tracking the spread of disease are just a few concentrations of the center. By col-laborating across different disciplines, CIDD researchers, such as Ferrari and Salathé, cast important biological problems and processes in practical new lights that allow them to make discoveries that can potentially reduce infec-tious disease outbreaks.

From tracking infectious disease data, to un-derstanding attitudes toward vaccinations, re-searchers at Penn State are hoping that their research can be applied to the bigger picture and help understand and solve other world health issues.


Cover Story

alex wOlSzCzaN, an Evan Pugh Professor

of Astronomy and Astrophysics, became

the first astronomer ever to discover planets

outside our solar system.

Eric Stashak Photography

OutsideOur SolarSystem


the age OF explOratiON aNd diSCOvery iS

geNerally thOught tO have beguN iN the

early 15th CeNtury aNd tO have ONly

laSted iNtO the 17th CeNtury. yet we

kNOw that – really – there iS NO

true eNd tO thiS era. the bOOm aNd

raCe tO diSCOver New laNdS may

have gONe ON aN exteNded hiatuS,

aS aCCeptaNCe aNd uNderStaNdiNg

OF hOw the Field had ChaNged

SuNk iN, but the deSire tO explOre aNd

diSCOver Never truly dimiNiShed.

An ArtISt’S ImpreSSIon of the coldest

imaged companion, named

WD 0806-661 B, (right foreground)

orbiting at a large distance from

a white dwarf – the collapsed-

core remnant of a dying star.

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center/Francis Reddy

OutsideOur SolarSystem


Cover Story

While in the early days, man depended on the naked eye and rudimentary equipment to make discoveries, scientists now use highly special-ized instruments with high-tech optics to scan the celestial horizons. Today, the focus isn’t new terrestrial lands, the treasures they hold, or new pathways to them; our sights instead have been turned upward and to finding those stel-lar objects outside of our own solar system that show the specific characteristic wobbles, pulses, or noise that just might signify new lands across the vast sea of space. The target has narrowed for some to search for only Earth-like planets, or those whose temperatures might be right for liquid water – and perhaps life?

Penn State has been keeping good pace and at times has led the pack in the footrace of ex-tra-solar planet discovery since the competition really heated up in 1992 – when Alex Wolszc-zan, an Evan Pugh Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, became the first astronomer ever to discover planets outside our solar system. Since then, new discoveries are being made fre-quently in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics leading to funding and support to have Penn State’s hand in the development of a state-of-the-art instrument.

During the fall of 2011, three planets – each orbiting its own giant, dying star – were dis-covered by an international research team led

three plaNetS – each orbiting its own giant, dying star

– have been discovered by an international research

team led by Alex Wolszczan, an Evan Pugh Professor of

Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State, using the

Hobby-Eberly Telescope, shown above. Penn State is a

major partner in the design, construction, and operation

of this telescope, which is one of the largest in the world.

In 1992, Wolszczan became the first astronomer ever to

discover planets outside our solar system.

Credit: Marty Harris/McDonald Obs./UT-Austin


by Wolszczan. Along with Polish astronomers from Nicolaus Copernicus University, the team used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, to observe the planets’ parent stars – HD 240237, BD +48 738, and HD 96127 – tens of light years away from our solar system. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is a 9-meter telescope built by an inter-national collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and Stanford Uni-versity in the United States and Ludwig-Maxi-

milians-Universitaet Muenchen, and Goerg-Au-gust-Universitaet Goettingen in Germany.

This new research is expected to shed light on the evolution of planetary systems around dy-ing stars. It also will help astronomers to under-stand how metal content influences the behavior of dying stars.

Interestingly enough, the three newly dis-covered planetary systems are actually more evolved than our own solar system. “Each of

A SeCond ArtISt’S ImpreSSIon of the coldest imaged companion, named WD 0806-661 B, (left

foreground) orbiting at a large distance from a white dwarf – the collapsed-core remnant of a dying star.

Credit: Janella Williams


the three stars is swelling and has already be-come a red giant – a dying star that soon will gobble up any planet that happens to be orbit-ing too close to it,” Wolszczan said. “While we certainly can expect a similar fate for our own Sun, which eventually will become a red giant and possibly will consume our Earth, we won’t have to worry about it happening for another five-billion years.”

Wolszczan also said that one of the massive dying stars – BD +48 738 – is accompanied not only by an enormous, Jupiter-like planet, but also by a second, mystery object. According to the team, this object could be another planet, a low-mass star, or a brown dwarf, which is a star-like body that is intermediate in mass be-tween the coolest stars and giant planets. “We will continue to watch this strange object, and, in a few more years, we hope to be able to reveal its identity,” Wolszczan said.

The three dying stars and their accompany-ing planets have been particularly useful to the research team because they have helped to illuminate such ongoing mysteries as how dy-ing stars behave depending on their metallic-ity. “First, we know that giant stars like HD 240237, BD +48 738, and HD 96127 are espe-cially noisy. That is, they appear jittery, because they oscillate much more than our own, much-younger Sun. This noisiness disturbs the obser-vation process, making it a challenge to discover any companion planets,” Wolszczan said. “Still, we persevered and we eventually were able to spot the planets orbiting each massive star.”

Once Wolszczan and his team had confirmed that HD 240237, BD +48 738, and HD 96127 did indeed have planets orbiting around them, they measured the metal content of the stars and found some interesting correlations. “We

helping to ensure that the

exploration continues and that

discoveries keep pouring in through

penn State is undergraduate scientist,

ying Feng. ying is a sophomore

at penn State working in the lab

of Jason Wright. Wright’s research

focuses on finding planets using the

radial-velocity method, which detects the wobbling

stars due to the orbital motions of their planets.

upon arriving on campus her freshman year, ying

wasted no time in pursuing a way to get involved in

astronomy. Because of influence from her high school

teachers and family, ying discovered her passion and

fascination for exoplanets, and she knew that Jason

Wright’s lab would be a good fit. By the end of her

very first semester on campus, Ying was put to work in

Wright’s lab, where her main responsibility within the

lab was aiding in the maintenance of the exoplanet

Orbit database (eOd) at exoplanets.org.

during her 5-10 hours in the lab per week, ying

looks for newly discovered planets published in

peer-reviewed journals; she adds planets to, makes

corrections to, and occasionally adds fields to the

database. She views her experience in Wright’s lab as

a valuable learning experience; her classes help her

understand what is going on in the lab, and the lab,

in turn, keeps her ahead of the curve in her classes.

Ying’s efforts in Wright’s lab have procured her the due

honor of being listed as one of the authors of a paper

published in Publications of the Astronomical Society

of the Pacific.

in addition to her course work and lab work, ying also

writes a weekly blog describing experiences that she

has as an undergraduate scientist. while currently

aiming for a future in research and academia, ying

admits that this blogging experience has opened her

eyes to the surprising enjoyment she gets from writing,

which has her entertaining the thought of becoming a

science writer herself in the future.

Exploration

and Discovery

yiNg FeNg

Cover Story


found a negative correlation between a star’s metallicity and its jitteriness. It turned out that the less metal content each star had, the more noisy and jittery it was,” Wolszczan explained. “Our own Sun vibrates slightly too, but because it is much younger, its atmosphere is much less turbulent.”

Wolszczan also pointed out that, as stars swell to the red-giant stage, planetary orbits change and even intersect, and close-in planets and moons eventually get swallowed and sucked up by the dying star. For this reason, it is possi-

ble that HD 240237, BD +48 738, and HD 96127 once might have had more planets in orbit, but that these planets were consumed over time.

Observations of dying stars, their metal con-tent, and how they affect the planets around them could provide clues about the fate of our own solar system.

“Of course, in about five-billion years, our Sun will become a red giant and likely will swallow up the inner planets and the planets’ accompa-nying moons. However, if we’re still around in, say, one-billion to three-billion years, we might consider taking up residence on Jupiter’s moon, Europa, for the remaining couple billion years before that happens,” Wolszczan said. “Europa is an icy wasteland and it is certainly not habit-able now, but as the Sun continues to heat up and expand, our Earth will become too hot,

while at the same time, Europa will melt and may spend a couple billion years in the Goldi-locks zone – not too hot, not too cold, covered by vast, beautiful oceans.”

The fervor with which the pursuit of new planets is taking place and Penn State’s excep-tional contributions to the event has precipi-tated a $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation in support of Penn State’s participation in developing a state-of-the-art instrument, which will allow scientists to de-tect the existence of planets that are similar

in mass to Earth and also are in orbits that allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces.

The Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) is a large infrared spectrograph – approximately the size of an SUV and weighing over two tons. It will be used to ana-lyze the components of starlight

and to detect the slight motions of nearby stars caused by the gravity of orbiting planets. The team chose to observe these stars because they offer the best opportunity for finding planets with solid surfaces in the so-called “Habitable Zone” around nearby stars, the range of dis-tances from a star within which temperatures might be right for liquid water. However, as these stars have temperatures far below that of the Sun, they radiate very little of their energy in the visible part of the spectrum, giving rise to the need to create an instrument that can cap-ture the infrared part of the spectrum – where the unaided human eye cannot see but where these stars are brightest.

Co-principal investigator Lawrence Ramsey, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, ex-plains, “to find an Earth-like planet around one

The habiTable Zone PlaneT Finder

will Precisely measure The moTion oF

each sTar, hunTing For The TellTale

‘wobble’ caused by an orbiTing PlaneT.

Science Journal June 2012 15

of our target stars requires that we be able to measure the velocity of a star, located at a dis-tance of tens of light years from the Earth, to a precision of about three feet per second – the typical speed a person walks – over a period of several years. To attain this goal, HPF not only must have high-efficiency optics and detectors, but it must be maintained in an extremely sta-ble environment.”

The instrument is scheduled to take three years to build. Upon completion, it will be shipped to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Ob-servatory in west Texas to begin its multi-year quest for new worlds, during which it will survey more than a hundred nearby stars. “This instrument will precisely measure the motion of each star, hunting for the telltale ‘wobble’ caused by an orbiting planet,” said Penn State Assistant Professor Jason Wright, a co-prin-cipal investigator on the HPF team. “Once we detect these wobbles, we will be able to infer the surface temperature and mass of the planet or planets orbiting it. These cool stars we are tar-geting are some of the very closest to Earth. In astronomical terms, they are in our backyard.”

Associate Professor Steinn Sigurdsson, who is also a lead investigator of the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center, said “The HPF is a significant step toward discovering terres-trial planets in orbits where liquid water may be present on their surface around our closest stellar neighbors. This goal is important for the NASA astrobiology program since life, as we know it, needs liquid water. Nearby planets with liquid water on their surface are the first places to start looking for signatures of life on other planets.”

Suvrath Mahadevan, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and a co-principal investigator of the project, said the HPF team is keen to embark on this challenge. “I do believe we now have the technological ca-pability to make these extremely precise mea-surements in the infrared,” he said. “Finding Earth analogs around our nearest neighbors will be an exciting adventure. We are grateful to have had prior support since 2005 from the Na-tional Science Foundation, the NASA Origins

program, and the NASA Astrobiology Institute for the technology development that lead to our now being able to develop this instrument.”

The HPF development-and-science team also includes Penn State Evan Pugh Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Alex Wolszczan; Distinguished Professor of Geosciences James Kasting; researchers at the University of Texas and University of Virginia; Penn State Postdoc-toral Fellows Chad Bender and Rohit Desh-pande; as well as former Penn State graduate student Stephen Redman and current gradu-ate student Ryan Terrien.

In the meantime, and as construction be-gins on the Habitable Zone Planet Finder, Penn State continues to be a strong competitor in the race for planet discovery. Penn State Associ-ate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Kevin Luhman and his colleagues fought the same obstacles that the HPF hopes to reduce in the future. Incredibly, they succeeded in captur-

Cover Story

ONCE WE DETECT THESE WOBBLES, WE WILL BE

ABLE TO INFER THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND

MASS OF THE PLANET OR PLANETS ORBITING IT.


ing photo of a nearby star and its cool orbiting companion. Once again, with temperatures that range between an astonishingly cool 80 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit – like a hot summer day in Arizona – this object radiates very little of its energy in the visible part of the spectrum. Dis-covery-team leader Luhman says, “This planet-

like companion is the coldest object ever directly photographed outside our solar system. Its mass is about the same as many of the known extra-solar planets – about six to nine times the mass of Jupiter – but in other ways it is more like a star. Essentially, what we have found is a very small star with an atmospheric temperature about as cool as the Earth’s.”

Luhman classifies this companion-object as a “brown dwarf,” an object that formed just like a star out of a massive cloud of dust and gas. But

the mass that a brown dwarf accumulates is not enough to ignite thermonuclear reactions in its core, resulting in a failed star that is very cool.

Luhman and his colleagues presented this new candidate for the coldest known brown dwarf in a paper published in spring 2011, and they now have confirmed its record-setting cool temperature in a new paper published in the As-trophysical Journal.

To make their discovery, Luhman and his colleagues searched through infrared images of over six hundred stars near our solar system. They compared images of nearby stars taken a few years apart, searching for any faint points of light that showed the same motion across the sky as the targeted star. “Objects with cool tem-peratures like the Earth are brightest at infra-red wavelengths,” Luhman said. “We used NA-

SA’s Spitzer Space Telescope because it is the most sensitive infrared telescope available.”

Ever since brown dwarfs first were discovered in 1995, astronomers have been trying to find new record holders for the coldest brown dwarfs, because these objects are valuable laboratories for studying the atmospheres of plan-ets with Earth-like temperatures out-

side our solar system. While astronomers at Penn State may be ex-

amining different planets, stars, and signs of life throughout our universe and beyond, each shares the same desire to discover the un-known. Penn State scientists continue to lead a variety of observational, experimental, and the-oretical projects that cover most active areas of astrophysical research, making the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics one of the most productive research programs in the country.

ArtISt’S rendItIon of a brown dwarf and its moon

orbiting a triple star system. Credit: NASA

Other peNN State FaCulty memberS iNvOlved iN thiS prOJeCt.

lawreNCe ramSey

JaSON wright

SteiNN SigurdSSON

Suvrath mahadevaN

keviN luhmaN



Featu

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ivOry-billed wOOdpeCker



dOdO bird

The common thread between the two – aside from their indisputable “birdiness” – is their cause of extinction. Humans have been the direct trajectories of demise for both species. Heavy hunting, introduced species, and habitat destruction paved the road for the dodo’s de-cline; while heavy logging activity, exacerbated by hunting by collectors, sealed the fate of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

While extinction of species over time is a very natural occurrence, the rate at which species are vanishing today is generally thought substan-tially sped up as compared to any other time in fossil record – occurring at somewhere between

The docile and flightless dodo that was endemic to and abundant on the Indian-Ocean island of Mauritius until the early eighteenth century has become the quintessential poster child for extinction. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker – one of the largest woodpeckers in the world – ranged from east Texas to North Carolina, and from southern Illinois to Florida and Cuba until as recently as 1944, but is now listed as definitely or probably extinct by The American Birding Association.


100 and 10,000 times faster. Whether by way of overharvesting, pollution, habitat destruc-tion and fragmentation, introduction of new predators and food competitors, or over-hunt-ing, humans have exerted their influence over extinction in a very large and very real manner. While loss of a species is a natural process, the apparent accelerated speed at which it is taking place today could prove to have disastrous ef-fects on our future food supplies, our search for new medicines, and our water and air supplies. Penn State has been meeting this possible cri-sis head-on in its research strides that seek to better understand things at species’ fundamen-tal genomic level so that clearer methods to aid those species on the brink may be unveiled, and definite measures toward better environmental stewardship might be established.

The Tasmanian devil – a marsupial found in the wild exclusively in the Australian island-state of Tasmania – is currently battling — and left to its own devices, losing the struggle — against an unusual sort of cancer known as Dev-il Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). In response, a revolutionary species-preservation approach based on whole-genome analyses of two Tasma-nian devils — one that had died of DFTD and one healthy animal — has been used to develop a theoretical model to predict which individuals would need to be kept in captivity to maximize chances of preserving enough genetic diversity for the species to survive. The research helps to formulate one possible plan of action to prevent the extinction of the Tasmanian devil, and the hope is that the model also may be extended to other endangered species. The team is led by

Stephan Schuster, professor of biochem-istry and molecular biology at Penn State; Webb Miller, professor of biology and computer science and engineer-ing at Penn State; and Vanessa Hayes of the Venter Institute in San Diego, and includes other scientists at insti-tutions and universities in Australia, Denmark, and the United States.

DFTD, which dis-figures the victim and causes death from star-vation or suffocation

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zOOkeeper aNd breeder tim FaulkNer holds a Tasmanian devil – an endangered

marsupial found in the wild in the Australian island-state of Tasmania.

Credit: Stephan C. Schuster, Penn State


within months, was first observed on the east coast of Tasmania just 15 years ago, and since has spread rapidly westward, threatening the species with extinction. “The disease is like nothing we know in humans or in virtually any other animal. It acts like a virus but it actually is spread by a whole cancerous cell that arose in one individual several decades ago,” Schus-ter explained. “This malignant cell is trans-ferred directly from one individual to another through biting, mating, or even touching. Just imagine a human cancer that spread through a handshake. It would eradicate our species very quickly.”

The scientists explained that if a number of healthy Tasmanian devils were kept in zoos and other facilities in “protective custody” until the tumor ran its course and disappeared in the wild, then the captive animals could be released back into their former habitat and the popula-tion could begin to grow anew. “However, it’s not just a matter of scooping up a few individuals at random and locking them away,” Miller ex-

plained. “Our team developed a smarter, more calculated approach: We asked ourselves, which individuals would be the best candidates for ‘protective custody,’ and what criteria would we use to make those determinations? We soon re-alized that the answer was to compile genetic data and to analyze it in novel ways.”

The team approached the extinction problem on two fronts. The first was to sequence the complete genomes — 3.2 billion base pairs each — of two individual Tasmanian devils. One was a male called “Cedric,” who had a natural resis-tance to two strains of DFTD, but succumbed after being infected with a different strain of the disease last year. The other was a female called “Spirit,” who had contracted the vicious cancer in the wild. In addition, the scientists sequenced the genome of one of Spirit’s tumors. Because the two animals had originated in the extreme northwest and southeast regions of Tasmania, respectively, they represented the maximal geo-graphic spread of the species — a measure that is used as an approximation of genetic diversity. The researchers then began an analysis of the genomic data from the two animals, and of the genetic characteristics of the tumor. Using these data, they created a model that could determine which individual animals should be selected for captive breeding programs, such as the ones currently underway in Tasmania and on main-land Australia.

Schuster explained that the genetic diversi-ty of the Tasmanian devil population is low to begin with. For this reason, choosing the right individuals to represent the broadest genetic diversity possible is critical for successful spe-cies preservation. “It might seem you’d want to choose only those individuals that are geneti-cally resistant to the DFTD cancer. However, that would defeat the purpose of maintaining

a team OF peNN State uNiverSity reSearCherS

have used genetic data to formulate a plan of action

to prevent the extinction of the Tasmanian devil.

Credit: Stephan C. Schuster, Penn State


genetic diversity because, by definition, you’d be selecting a tiny subset of the gene pool,” Schus-ter said. “Instead, our model suggests a more balanced approach. You don’t want to put out just the one fire — the cancer. Instead, you want to develop a pool of diverse, healthy individuals that can fight future maladies or even patho-gens that have not yet evolved.”

The second aspect of the project was to learn how much genetic diversity had been lost since Europeans settled Tasmania in 1803. To do this, the scientists analyzed a large number of genet-ic markers from an additional 175 Tasmanian devils, some of which were museum specimens from the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Natural History Museum in London. Schus-ter explained that this approach to genomic research, which he has named “museomics,” is truly unique and brimming with potential. “Museums are treasure troves of specimens col-lected in the last 250 years,” Schuster said, and he explained that DNA collection from hair is virtually non-destructive.

Interestingly, after analyzing the 175 individuals, the scientists learned that the genomic diver-sity of the Tasmanian devil, while low, has not decreased much over the last century. “This is an im-portant finding because it means that DFTD is not to blame for any lack of genetic diversity since the disease appeared only 15 years ago,” Miller explained. “It’s crucial that we act as responsible stewards for the species, helping maintain what little genetic diversity it had be-fore the DFTD epidemic struck.”

Schuster and Miller hope that their novel strategies for tackling impending extinction will be applied to other endangered species. “We

Featu

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peNN State FaCulty memberS iNvOlved iN theSe prOJeCtS.

StephaN SChuSter

webb miller

kateryNa makOva

aNtON NekruteNkO

SuCCeSSFul breediNg eFFOrtS are underway in

mainland Australia and Tasmania to preserve a captive

population of Tasmanian devils that are free from Devil

Facial Tumor Disease. Credit: Stephan C. Schuster, Penn State

humans have contributed to the endangerment of many native species, so it’s our responsibility to find a way to help fix things by giving na-ture a hand,” Miller said. “Here’s a way to think about it: If a driver causes a car accident, he is morally responsible for restoring any injured

person to the state of health that the person enjoyed before the accident. Likewise, our goal is to use museomics to inform efforts to restore the genetic health of endangered species to that which existed before humans came on the scene.” Schuster added, “To plan for the future, you have to be willing to understand the past.


It’s important to examine museum specimens, as well as the population history of species over the last 10,000 to 50,000 years, and to use that genetic data to formulate a plan. The idea is to save a species, not to do a ‘post-mortem’ on it.”

While Schuster and Miller lend their exper-tise and ingenuity towards the focused effort of coming to the aid of the Tasmanian devil, Kat-eryna Makova, associate professor of biology at Penn State, is leading a team of investiga-tors that is putting forth efforts to help guide future conservation efforts for endangered horse species with support from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

Makova and her team – which includes An-ton Nekrutenko, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State and Oliver Ryder from the San Diego Zoological Society — report that an endan-gered species of horse – known as Przewalski’s horse – is much more distantly related to the domestic horse than researchers had previously hypothesized. The scientists tested the portion of the genome passed exclusively from mother to offspring – the mitochondrial DNA – of four Przewalski’s horse lineages and compared the data to DNA from the domestic horse (Equus ca-ballus). They concluded that, although previous scientists had assumed that Przewalski’s horse and the domestic horse had diverged around the time that horses were domesticated – about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago – the real time of the two species’ divergence from one another is much more ancient. The data gleaned from the study also suggest that present-day Przewals-ki’s horses have a much more diverse gene pool than previously hypothesized. The new study’s findings could be used to inform conservation efforts to save the endangered horse species, of

among the many working behind the

scenes in Kateryna makova’s lab is

allison Fisher, a may 2012 graduate

of penn State. allison, who majored in

biology and minored in psychology,

began investigating research labs

and opportunities that were available

on campus during her freshman

year. through this process, allison discovered kateryna

makova’s lab and was intrigued by makova’s research.

Soon thereafter, allison successfully interviewed for and

entered the program under makova’s guidance.

Allison really enjoyed the genetic side of makova’s

research, and she was able to find a home in the lab for

her entire undergraduate career. initially, she performed

basic tasks like washing equipment or performing gel

electrophoresis. She soon graduated to mentoring

and training other students in the lab and performing

polymerase chain reactions.

allison successfully met what she termed as one of

the greatest challenges of working in a lab as an

undergraduate — balancing her time between her

studies, part-time job, and lab work. during a typical

week, Allison spent 15-20 hours working in makova’s

lab. personally, she knows that she has benefitted from

her experience in the lab, as she was able to earn class

credit through her work and had the opportunity to co-

author a scientific paper in the journal Genome Biology

and Evolution.

allison viewed her time in the lab as useful to the

principle investigators and the advancement of science

in general as well, realizing that without the work of

the undergraduates and graduates, there wouldn’t

be enough time and man-power to get the research

done. One important lesson she took away from her lab

experience is that she knows that she does not want to

perform research in her career. instead, she plans to

expand upon her knowledge in graduate school with the

long-term goal of practically applying her acquired skills

in a hospital setting performing genetic counseling.

Exploration

and Discovery

alliSON FiSher


which only 2,000 individuals remain in wildlife reserves in Europe and Asia and in zoos.

Przewalski’s horse – a stocky, short-maned species named after a Russian explorer who first encountered the animal in the wild – be-came endangered during the middle of the last century when the species experienced a popula-tion bottleneck – an evolutionary event in which many or most members of a population or a spe-cies die. “Sadly, this bottleneck was the result of human activity,” Makova explained. “Przewals-ki’s horses were hunted down for food, and their natural habitat, the steppes, were converted into farm land so the horses basically had no-where to live and breed. By the late 1950s, only 12 individual horses remained.” Makova said that because conservationists have made noble efforts to rescue this dwindling population, the present-day population has grown to 2,000.

In a study that had never been attempted by previous scientists, Makova and her team ana-lyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes from four female lineages that currently survive with-in the Przewalski’s horse population. They first determined that the mitochondrial genomes of two of the maternal lineages actually were iden-tical, thus narrowing the genetic pool to three maternal lineages. Then, they tested their data against the prevailing hypotheses about the ge-netic history of Przewalski’s horse. According to one hypothesis, Przewalski’s horse evolved first, with the domestic horse later evolving as a de-rivative species. According to another hypoth-esis, the genetic story is the opposite: the direct ancestors of the domestic horse were first on the evolutionary scene, with Przewalski’s horse evolving and forming a new species later. Ac-cording to the former hypothesis, the divergence of the two species had to have occurred around the time of horse domestication – about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.

“My team discovered that neither scenario is likely,” Makova said. “Instead, our data sug-gest that Przewalski’s horse and the domestic horse are much more distantly related. In fact, they probably shared a common ancestor as far back as 160,000 years ago, long before horse do-mestication. This is a major shift in our under-standing of the history of Przewalski’s horse.” To bolster their conclusions, the team also se-quenced a portion of the Przewalski’s horse’s nuclear DNA – the part of the genome passed to offspring from parents of both sexes. In addi-tion, they sequenced a portion of the genome of a third species known as the Somali wild ass, the wild progenitor of donkeys. Makova explained that adding this information allowed her team to “calibrate the molecular clock of horse evo-lution,” thus narrowing the window of time for sub-species divergence and confirming her team’s suspicions that horse domestication and the emergence of Przewalski’s horse were two very distant and independent events.

Makova added that, although the two spe-cies diverged well over 100,000 years ago, they have interbred periodically since then. “Also fortunate is the fact that conservationists in

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kateryNa makOva aNd her team studied DNA from

the endangered Przewalski’s horse, which has ancient

origins. Credit: Makova lab, Penn State University


the second half of the 20th century realized how grave the situation was for the Przewal-ski’s horse. They not only began new breeding efforts and built wildlife reserves in California and Ukraine, but they also made sure to avoid inbreeding among close relatives,” Makova said. “For this reason, the present-day population has managed to remain healthy by retaining sub-stantial genetic diversity.”

Makova and her team hope that their find-ings will help guide future conservation efforts for the endangered horse species. “The idea is to gradually reintroduce Przewalski’s horse into

the wild,” Makova said. “For example, now that we have a more thorough understanding of the different maternal lineages, we can diversify the animal’s gene pool even more. This will be a way to ensure that members of wild species suffer as few recessive diseases as possible and have the best opportunity to flourish once they are introduced into the appropriate habitat.”

In addition, the researchers hope to further horse-evolution studies by sequencing the ge-nomes of additional breeds of domestic horses, and, eventually, by sequencing the complete ge-nome of Przewalski’s horse. “More genetic data means a more precise evolutionary clock,” Ma-kova explained. “The more we know, the more we can adjust the time frame for when Przewal-ski’s horse and other horses diverged from their

common ancestor.” Makova added that she and her team also would like to identify the genes that code for the physical differences between Przewalski’s horse and the domestic horse. “It’s always been a curious question why Przewal-ski’s horse is so much shorter and stockier in stature than the domestic horse, and also why Przewalski’s horse has a shorter, thicker mane,” Makova said. “A deeper genetic analysis and subsequent experiments could reveal the very genes that determine differences in appearance between the two species.”

Endangered and species on the brink of ex-tinction are a concern for sci-entists across the world. The threat of classes of plants, in-sects, and animals vanishing can have staggering repercus-sions; extinction not only af-fects the species that is disap-pearing, it can also change the structure of the area where it came from and adversely af-fect the species that remain,

conceivably causing the loss of those species in time. While it’s difficult to predict which spe-cies will be next on the extinction list, scientists across Penn State are working diligently to gen-erate methods to gain a better understanding of extinction while using their research to foster more support for future conservation efforts.

THE THREAT OF CLASSES OF PLANTS, INSECTS,

AND ANIMALS VANISHING CAN HAVE

STAGGERING REPERCUSSIONS; ExTINCTION

NOT ONLy AFFECTS THE SPECIES THAT IS

DISAPPEARING, IT CAN ALSO CHANGE THE

STRUCTURE OF THE AREA WHERE IT CAME FROM.


a Fresh perspective in the dean’s office

The sum-mer of 2011 brought big changes in the lead-ership in the Dean’s Office. Nor-man Freed,

professor of physics and associ-ate dean of the Eberly College of Science at Penn State, re-tired after 46 years of service to the University. In addition to initiating many of the col-lege’s most innovative academ-ic programs, Freed is known for his extensive research in theoretical nuclear physics, high-energy electromagnetic interactions in pion physics, and nuclear systems.

Throughout his time in the Eberly College of Science, Freed has played a major role in establishing many of the college’s flagship programs, including the Forensic Science program in 2005. Another of Freed’s innovations was a

study-abroad program that he began over 20 years ago. In addition, Freed has been instrumental in developing many other initiatives in the college, including the Aca-demic Advising Center, which has grown over the years to include nine staff members, and the Cooperative Educa-tion Program, which began as a computer-science-focused program and grew to become a career-development and international office serving the college as a whole.

Upon announcement of Freed’s retirement, Dean Dan-iel Larson restructured the leadership in the Dean’s Office and created three new associ-ate dean positions to aid him in the continual growth in the Eberly College of Science.

Dean Larson realized that a key element of position-ing the college for continued excellence is to enable himself to focus on the fundamen-tally critical and highest-level activities that only he can do: advocating for the college within the University and beyond, development activi-ties, promotion and tenure and post-tenure review processes, faculty recruiting and faculty relations, University planning, financial stewardship, over-sight of the departments, and

overall leadership. The time and travel demands of these duties have increased substantially in recent years, therefore, Dean Larson determined it was time to make leadership changes, creating three new positions: a half-time associate dean for research and graduate educa-tion, a full-time associate dean for undergraduate education and a full-time associate dean for administration, all reporting to him.

Andrew Stephenson, Distinguished Professor of Biology, accepted the half-time position as associate dean for research and graduate edu-cation. In this position, Stephenson is responsible for oversight of the graduate programs in the college, super-vision of the college research

College N

ews

Norman Freed

Andrew Stephenson


administration office, service on several University councils and committees, graduate student retention, and post-doctoral affairs.

Some of Stephenson’s goals for the position include fur-ther improving the quality of the applicants to the college’s graduate programs, establish-ing strong college programs for graduate student and postdoc professional development, expanding and strengthening the mentoring of our new fac-ulty, enhancing the diversity of our faculty and graduate students, and further enhanc-ing the instrumentation and infrastructure of the college so that we can continue to perform world-class research that makes a real and positive difference in the world.

Stephenson has been a faculty member in biology at Penn State since 1978. Ste-phenson earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees at the University of Michigan in 1978 and 1976, respectively. He earned a B.A. degree at the Miami Univer-sity in Ohio in 1973.

Mary Beth Williams, as-sociate professor of chemistry, assumed the full-time role of associate dean for undergradu-ate education. This position is responsible for a number of critical programs and process-

es in the college, including: supervision of the undergradu-ate programs, oversight of the non-departmental degree programs, undergraduate retention, support the Cen-ter for Excellence in Science Education, oversight of FT-CAP – evaluation of testing effectiveness and program planning and administration, and fostering and supporting undergraduate research.

Williams’ primary goals are to ensure and enable the aca-demic success of undergradu-ate students, and to maintain the standard of excellence that the college has in its academic programs. She is working to use assessment data to drive continuous improvement of teaching and learning in the college and to enhance advis-

ing and the student experi-ence. She strives to recognize and reward faculty for excel-lence in the classroom, and provide them with assistance and support to improve exist-ing or try new and innovative teaching methodologies via the Center for Excellence in Science Education. A few of Williams’ current initiatives include creating methods for improving student retention within science disciplines, developing a career infor-mation web-based tool for prospective undergraduate students, and generating and implementing strategies to ensure that all science stu-dents gain experience in co-op, internship, and externship programs or study abroad.

Williams earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina, where her thesis work, under the direction of Royce Murray, focused on the electron and mass transport dynamics in hybrid redox polyether melts. Following a post-doctoral research as-sistantship at Northwestern University, Williams joined the Penn State faculty in the Department of Chemistry in 2001. In addition to her re-search program, Williams has taught ~ 2500 students in the introductory chemistry course

Mary Beth Williams


sequence, and served as the chemistry department gradu-ate admissions and recruiting chair. She continues to direct the Chemistry Undergradu-ate Summer Research Pro-gram, with support from the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate site and from the 3M Foundation, to bring 20 undergraduates to the de-partment each summer for full time research. In 2009 – 2010, she was the acting associate dean for administration and planning in the college.

Finally, concurrent with the creation of Stephenson’s and Williams’ positions, Karin Foley’s position was restruc-tured to enable her to focus on the administrative demands of the college in the associate

dean for administration role. In this role she oversees in-formation technology, human resources, facilities, market-ing, outreach, on-line educa-tion, and a number of budget and leadership related pro-cesses for the college. Areas of focus for the coming year include furthering our college’s portfolio of on-line courses, planning for renovations on our instructional laboratories for biology in Mueller Labora-tory and general chemistry in Whitmore Laboratory, restruc-turing and re-visioning the outreach efforts of the college, and a number of budget-reduc-tion and process-improvement related initiatives.

For the 09-10 academic year, Foley was an Adminis-trative Fellow serving with Vice President Damon Sims in Student Affairs. During the

College N

ews

Karin Foley

10-11 academic year, she served as chair of Penn State’s Commission for Women (CFW), and with the CFW she continues to be involved in efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assaults on campus as well as special mentoring programs for female faculty.

Prior to coming to Penn State in 2000, Foley was with the DuPont Company for 15 years. At DuPont she held a number of management posi-tions ranging from research manager in the analytical sciences and engineering research divisions within Central Research and Devel-opment to global technology manager for one of DuPont’s engineering polymers busi-nesses. Foley has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Purdue Uni-versity and a B.S. in chemis-try from Lafayette College.

THE COLLEGE COMMUNITy IS

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ExCITING

CHANGES THE NEW LEADERSHIP

WILL BRING TO THE COLLEGE THIS

yEAR AND BEyOND!


Faculty

Spotlight

Faculty awards and honors

alfred p. Sloan research Fellow awardSloan Research Fellowships are intended to enhance the careers of the very best young faculty members in seven fields of science: chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics.

Nathan Gemelke, an assistant professor of physics, has been honored with an Alfred

P. Sloan Research Fellow award. Gemelke is a physicist whose research focuses on the behavior of atomic gases as they transition from one quantum phase to another at temperatures near absolute zero – the point at which all random motion ceases.

Scott Phillips, an assistant professor of chemistry and holder of the Martarano

Career Development Profes-sorship, has been honored with an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow award. Phillips focuses his research on organic and environmental chemistry, the design and synthesis of molecules with unique functions, analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, and materials chemistry.

Karl Schwede, an assistant professor of mathematics, has been honored with

an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow award. Schwede’s research focuses on a branch of mathematics called alge-braic geometry. This field of study has important applica-tions in cryptography, string theory, and coding theory.

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.

Jainendra K. Jain, Erwin W. Mueller Profes-sor of Physics, has been named a Fellow of the Ameri-

can Association for the Ad-vancement of Science. He is a condensed-matter theorist who studies the physics of states of matter in which electrons behave in cooperative and unexpected ways.

Mauricio Terrones, professor of physics and professor of materials science and

engineering, has been named a Fellow of the American Asso-ciation for the Advancement of Science. In his research, he produces novel carbon-based nanomaterials, whose potential applications are industrial, biomedical, and electronic.


Karl Mueller, professor of chemistry, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for

the Advancement of Science. His research uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy to address chemical questions at the interfaces of complex materials, such as multi-com-ponent oxide glasses and environmentally important solids, including minerals, glasses, and clays.

american Chemical Society (aCS) FellowsThe ACS recognizes scientists with “outstanding achieve-ments in and contributions to science, the profession, and the society.”

Steven M. Weinreb, the Russell and Mildred Marker Professor of Natural

Products Chemistry, has been named a 2011 Fellow of the American Chemical Society. Weinreb’s main research inter-est is heterocyclic chemistry. He is known for his extensive

research in the synthesis of natural products and the development of new synthetic methods.

Sharon Hammes-Schiffer, a professor of chemistry and the Eberly Professor of

Biotechnology, has been named a 2011 Fellow of the American Chemical Society. Hammes-Schiffer is an acknowledged world leader in biophysics whose research spans the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science.

Career awards

Melissa Rolls, assis-tant professor of biochemis-try and molecular biology, has

been selected to receive the 2011 Junior Career Recogni-tion Award given by the Women in Cell Biology com-mittee of the American Society for Cell Biology. Rolls studies the cell biology behind signal-ing in neurons.

Lasse Jensen, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been selected by President

Obama and the National Science Foundation to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers “for addressing fundamental questions rel-evant to optical spectroscopy of bio- and nano-systems and for exemplary teaching efforts and the dissemination of computational tools to the chemistry community.”

Gong Chen, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been honored with a 2011 Faculty Early

Career Development (CA-REER) award from the Na-tional Science Foundation. The CAREER award is the most prestigious award given by the NSF in support of junior faculty members who exem-plify the role of teacher-schol-ars through outstanding research, excellent teaching, and the integration of educa-tion and research. Chen

Facu

lty Spotlight


conducts synthetic and biologi-cal studies of carbohydrates and peptides, two of the essential building blocks of living organisms.

Scott Phillips, an assistant professor of chemistry and holder of the Martarano

Career Development Profes-sorship, has been honored with a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CAREER award is the most prestigious award given by the NSF in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent teaching, and the integration of educa-tion and research.

Phillips focuses his research on organic and environmen-tal chemistry, the design and synthesis of molecules with unique functions, analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, and materials chemistry.

university/College awards

David L. Allara, a professor of chemistry and materials science, has been named

Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. The honor, which recognizes exceptional teach-ing, research creativity, and service to the University community, is designated by the Office of the President of Penn State based on the recommendations of colleagues and the Dean.

Wen Ching (Winnie) Li, a professor of mathematics, has been named Distin-guished

Professor of Mathematics. The honor, which recognizes exceptional teaching, research, creativity, and service to the University community, is awarded by the Office of the President of Penn State based on the recommendations of colleagues and the Dean.

Lawrence W. Ramsey, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics and a former head of the

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, has been honored at the University with the title of Eberly College of Science Distinguished Senior Scholar. The honor is given in recogni-tion of a sustained record of extraordinary achievement in research and education.

Andrew F. Read, a professor of biology and entomology, has been named the

Alumni Professor in the Bio-logical Sciences. Read 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.


miscellaneous awards and honors

George Andrews, Evan Pugh Professor of Mathematics, has been has been awarded

an honorary professorship at Nankai University in China. Andrews receives this honor in recognition of his many impor-tant contributions to research fields including number theory and combinatorics.

Paul Frank Baum, Evan Pugh Professor of Mathemat-ics, has re-ceived the honorary

degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the Board of Regents at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Baum has been given this award “in recognition of his powerful, elegant, and lasting contributions to the field of mathematics.”

Squire J. Booker, an associate professor of chemistry and an associate professor of

biochemistry and molecular biology, has been honored with an Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award. The award is given by the American Chemical Society “to recognize and encourage excellence in organic chemistry.”

Ronald L. Gilliland, an adjunct professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has been

honored with the Beatrice M. Tinsley Award from the American Astronomical Society. The Tinsley Prize recognizes outstanding, exceptionally creative, and innovative research contribu-tions to the fields of astronomy and astrophysics.

Lasse Jensen, an assistant professor of chemistry, has been selected to receive an

American Chemical Society (ACS) Hewlett-Packard Out-standing Junior Faculty Award for 2012. Jensen’s research focuses on developing new theoretical and computational tools for addressing important questions relevant to the optical spectroscopy of biological and nanoscale systems.

Dennis Lin, Distinguished Professor of Statistics, has been awarded the 2011 Don Owen Award

from the American Statistical Association’s San Antonio chapter. Lin is recognized for his groundbreaking work in designing statistical experi-ments called supersaturated designs.

Tracy Langkilde, an assistant professor of biology, has been awarded a 2011 Mercer

Award from the Ecological Society of America for her outstanding accomplishments in ecological research. Langkilde’s work incorporates aspects of population, community, behav-ioral, and evolutionary ecology.

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Jia Li, an associate professor of statistics, and James Z. Wang, a professor of

information sciences and technology, have been awarded the United States patent titled “Real-Time Computerized Annotation of Pictures.” Li and Wang developed a unique computer system called Auto-matic Linguistic Indexing of Pictures in Real-Time that can suggest, in real time, several words describing the content of any general-purpose photo-graph using the pixel informa-tion alone.

James Rosenberger, a professor of statistics, has been honored with a Distin-guished

Service Award from the National Institute of Statisti-cal Sciences (NISS). The NISS Distinguished Service Awards were established by in 2005 to recognize individuals who have given extraordinary service that significantly advances NISS and its mission.

Sharon Hammes-Schiffer, a professor of chemistry and the Eberly Professor of

Biotechnology, has been award-ed a prestigious National Institutes of Health “Method to Extend Research in Time” (MERIT) award, a 10-year research grant to support her work. Hammes-Schiffer is an acknowledged world leader in biophysics whose research spans the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science.

Lawrence W. Ramsey, a pro-fessor of astronomy and astrophysics who has served as head of the

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, has been appoint-ed as chairman of the board of directors of the Gemini Obser-vatory. The Gemini Observa-tory, which is operated by a partnership of seven countries, consists of twin 8.1-meter diameter optical/infrared telescopes located on two of the best observing sites on the planet – the mountains in Hawaii and Chile.

Raymond Schaak, a professor of chemistry, has been selected by the Ameri-can Chemical

Society to receive the National Fresenius Award. The award, which was established in 1965, is presented annually to an outstanding young scientist who has attained national recognition in the areas of research, teaching, and/or administration.

Nicholas Winograd, an Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry, has been honored with an Ameri-

can Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry spon-sored by the Batelle Memorial Institute. The award recognizes Winograd for his four decades of creative research in surface analysis and mass spectrom-etry, for his mentoring of nearly 80 Ph.D. students and 35 postdoctoral associates, and for his extensive service to the chemistry community.


New Faculty

Charles Anderson is a biologist whose research focuses on plant-cell walls – complex

structures that play a central role in plant development by providing a strong yet dynamic matrix that supports the plant. Through his investigation into plant-cell wall dynamics in species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Anderson aims to identify and characterize the genes that are involved in cell-wall expansion and to observe and measure dynamic changes in cell-wall structure and composition. He plans to apply his findings toward enhancing the economic and environmental advantages of plants as sustainable sources of food, materials, and bioenergy.

Before joining the Depart-ment of Biology at Penn State, Anderson was a postdoc-toral researcher in the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California at Berkeley. Anderson received a doctoral degree from Stanford University in 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002.

Lu Bai combines biophysical, biochemical, and genetic tools to study gene expres-

sion – the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of proteins and other gene products – at single-cell level. In particular, she is interested in how gene expression is affected by the position of nucleosomes.

Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Bai was a post-doctoral researcher at Rock-efeller University. She earned doctoral and master’s degrees at Cornell University in 2007 and 2004, respectively, and a bachelor’s degree at Nanjing University in China in 1999.

Le Bao’s research interests include Bayesian probability methods,

mixture models, stochastic modeling, networks, and computational methods – ar-eas of statistics that have applications in health, envi-ronmental, and social sciences. Bao has worked with other researchers to develop a

statistical framework for assessing models of the spread of diseases.

Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Bao was a re-searcher in the Department of Statistics at the University of Washington in Seattle. He earned a doctoral degree at the University of Washington in 2011 and a master’s degree at Dalhousie University in Canada in 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Peking University in China in 2004.

Eric Hudson is a physicist whose re-search in-volves investi-gating complex materials at

the atomic scale using a scanning tunneling micro-scope. Hudson seeks to under-stand how novel material properties develop at the atomic scale and, in particu-lar, how small amounts of disorder, such as the disorder caused by misplaced atoms, can modify or even improve those properties. Hudson was a professor at MIT from 2002 to 2010 and spent a year as a visiting scholar at Harvard University before joining the Penn State faculty in 2011. He received a doctoral degree in 1999 from the University of

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California at Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in physics and linguistics in 1992 from the University of Chicago.

David Hughes investigates how parasites have evolved to manipulate hosts by

affecting the hosts’ behavior, motor coordination, and other physiological functions – a phenomenon known as the “zombie” effect. Hughes’ other research interests include social-insect evolution, viru-lence evolution, human behav-ior related to disease dynam-ics, and integrated pest management.

Hughes received a doctoral degree in entomology from the University of Oxford in 2003, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Glasgow in 1999.

Qunhua Li develops statistical methods for uncovering complicated patterns in

large and complex datasets. Specifically, she has developed latent-variable models and

machine learning techniques to identify and infer scientifi-cally meaningful structures from high-throughput genomic and proteomic data.

Before joining Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, Li held a position as a postdoc-toral researcher at the Univer-sity of California at Berkeley’s Department of Statistics.

Li received a doctoral degree in statistics from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2008.

Chao-Xing Liu’s research focuses on spintronics in condensed-matter physics – the study of

how to generate, manipulate, transport, and detect electron spin in solid-state devices. Liu is particularly interested in the novel phenomena induced by strong spin-orbit coupling –the interaction of a particle’s spin with its motion. Before joining Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, Liu was a postdoctoral researcher with the Humboldt fellowship at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany. He also has served as a visiting researcher at both Stanford University and Hong Kong University in China.

Liu received a doctoral degree in physics and a bach-elor’s degree in fundamental science from Tsinghua Uni-versity in China in 2009 and 2003, respectively.

Joel Miller is an applied mathemati-cian with experience both in asymp-totic theory

and network problems. His research focuses on problems related to infectious disease dynamics; specifically, the impact of social structure on the growth, probability, and final size of epidemics.

Before joining Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, Miller held postdoctoral re-search positions at the Har-vard School of Public Health, the University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Miller received a Ph.D. degree in applied mathematics from the University of Cam-bridge in 2006, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Math-ematics from the University of Cambridge in 2001, and a B.S. in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College in 2000.


Sonja Petrovic focuses her research on algebraic statistics, a field that uses

algebraic geometry to gain new insights into key statisti-cal models. One of the prob-lems Petrovic studies is the algebraic approach to the “goodness-of-fit problem,” which asks whether a particu-lar statistical model should be considered appropriate in a given situation. Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Petrovic was a faculty member in the Department of Math-ematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was also a visiting scholar at the Mittag-Leffler Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and a research fellow at the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Insti-tute in North Carolina. She earned doctoral and master’s degrees in mathematics at the University of Kentucky in 2008 and 2005, respectively, and a bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2003.

Marylyn Ritchie’s research focuses on identifying and analyzing genes that

may increase susceptibility to common diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. To determine how such genes might influence disease susceptibility, Ritchie uses a variety of approaches that span the fields of biology, genetics, and statistics.

Before joining Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, Ritchie was an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and the Department of Biophysics and Biomedical Informat-ics at Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, she also served as an investigator in the Center for Human Genet-ics Research. In addition, she has served as a consultant for Boehringer-Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharma-ceutical companies.

Ritchie received a doctoral degree in statistical genetics and a master’s degree in ap-plied statistics from Vanderbilt

University in 2004 and 2002, respectively. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Uni-versity of Pittsburgh in 1999.

Sarah Shandera develops theories of the early universe. Her research currently

focuses on predictions for the distribution of matter in the universe billions of years ago. She develops ways to test this theoretical picture using present-day observations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation – and observa-tions of large structures such as galaxies and galaxy clusters.

Before joining the faculty at Penn State, Shandera was a postdoctoral researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada. She earned a doctoral degree at Cornell University in 2006 and a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, at the University of Arizona in 2001.

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Student Spotlight

graduate Student awards

alumni association dissertation award

Tyler L. Grove, Chemistry

Zhenfeng Liu, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology

Ashley M. DaSilva, Physics

harold F. martin graduate assistant Outstanding teaching award

Serge C. Ballif, Mathematics

rustum and della roy award

Jacob S. Beveridge, Chemistry

Qingzhen Hao, Physics

undergraduate awards

2012 evan pugh Scholar awards

JuniorsRachel Chang, BiologyWilliam Doerfler, BiologyMegan Fisher, MicrobiologyJanessa Gerhart, ScienceAndrew Hanlon, ChemistyChristopher McNulty,

PremedicineBrian Miller, MathematicsSijia Shen, MathematicsViktor Tollemar,

Premedicine

SeniorsRyan Bober, BiologyBenjamin Chambers,

MicrobiologyChyue Chew, BiotechnologyKyle Delaney, MathematicsSafa Fassihi, BiologyNicholas Hess, BiologyZachary Hostetler, BMBWei Khaw, BiotechnologySu Khoo, BiotechnologyKenneth Kufta, ChemistryKelly Lipp, Biology

Muammar Mansor, Biotechnology

Basant Nassar, BiologyMorgan Peny, Premedical

MedicalMiguel Pindea, BiologyChetan Safi, BMBElizabeth Seibel, ChemistryJohn Urschel, MathematicsBeng Yeoh, BiotechnologyKian Yeoh, Biotechnology

2012 president Sparks award

Nicholas Anzalone, ScienceRyan Chesakis, ScienceJessica Cunning, Science

BS/MBACharles Defrancesco,

BiologyYing Feng, ScienceSara Hann, ScienceAudra Kelly, ScienceLaura Krecko, BiologyDiane Libert, BMBJeffrey Oliver, Premedical

MedicalMartin Rauch, ScienceKristen Romutis, ScienceAndrew Soldner, ScienceAmy Weidert, MathematicsAndrew Wolff, Science


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Meredith Monsour, ScienceLaila Muallem, Premedical-

MedicalNeha Pancholy, Premedical-

MedicalElisabeth Paulson,

MathematicsJessica Placke, ScienceJoshua Reynolds, ScienceMarisa Rugino, ScienceDylan Seebold, Science Carolyn Sheep, Science

BS/MBACaleb Shervinskie, ScienceZachary Snyder, ScienceMarissa Stavropoulos,

Science BS/MBAAlexandar Thames, ScienceLauren Topash, ScienceAlibek Utyubayev, ScienceDanelle Weakland, ScienceHan Wen, ScienceBrendan Wood, ScienceHanqiu Xia, ScienceZhenxi Yin, ScienceNikolette Zamarra, ScienceSamantha Zebley, ScienceJingwen Zhang, ScienceXingyu Zhang, Science

2012 president’s Freshman award

William Aiken, ScienceOlabisi Akinmorin, ScienceAdeline Answine,

Premedical-MedicalBridget Backer, ScienceAnjali Badami, Premedical-

MedicalDylan Bartell, ScienceMadalyn Bond, ScienceMikayla Borusiewicz,

ScienceLindsay Braska, ScienceEric Bull, ScienceSara Cobern, ScienceVictor Cotton, Science BS/

MBAChang Cui, ScienceMatthew Dawson, Science Nikita Desai, Premedical-

MedicalBoya Du, ScienceLana Foor, Science Jena Forsythe, ScienceBo Fu, ScienceGeoffrey Gao, Science

Sonia Gaur, Premedical-Medical

Ryan Henrici, ScienceKate Hentschel, Premedical-

MedicalDerek Ho, Premedical-

MedicalPeter Hohman, ScienceShiheng Jiang, ScienceAkshay Kamath,

Premedical-MedicalSreeramya Kanumilli,

Premedical-MedicalShannon Kelly, ScienceJulie Kim, ScienceDaiyon Kpou, ScienceBin Lan, ScienceSarah Landis, ScienceMatthew Lee, Science BS/

MBANadia Lehtihet, ScienceBenjamin Lengerich,

ScienceSanchi Malhotra,

Premedical-MedicalChristopher Marra, ScienceJ Sean McCrea, ScienceKelly McGill, ScienceAdam Mobley, Science


zachary hostetlerZachary Hostetler, who graduated from Penn State with a 4.0 grade-point aver-age and a bachelor’s degree in biochem-istry and molecular biology, also was en-rolled in the Schrey-er Honors College

and was on the Dean’s List every semester while at Penn State. Hostetler’s awards and scholar-ships include a Schreyer Academic Excellence Scholarship, two Eberly College of Science academic scholarships – the Tershak Scholar-ship and the Vinezie Scholarship, a President’s Freshman Award, a President Sparks Award, two Evan Pugh Scholar Awards, a University Undergraduate Research Funds award, and a Summer Discovery Grant.

During his years at Penn State, Hostetler focused on laboratory research involving X-ray crystallography – a method used to model the atomic structure of proteins. In particular, he and his faculty escort Song Tan, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, have been working on a research project dealing with im-proving protein crystallization, which is often one of the most difficult steps in X-ray crystal-lography. While certain proteins naturally form

Hostetler and Stella Represent Penn State’s Eberly College of Science as Student Marshals at Spring Commencement 2012

zachary hostetler of Garnet Valley,

Pennsylvania, and Jennifer Stella

of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, were

honored as the student marshals for

the Eberly College of Science during

Penn State’s spring commencement

ceremonies on May 5, 2012 at the

University Park campus. Hostetler’s

faculty escort was Song Tan, a

professor in the Department of

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Stella’s faculty escort was Loida

Escote Carlson, an assistant professor

in the Department of Biochemistry

and Molecular Biology.


large, ordered crystals, some proteins resist crystallization attempts. Hostetler’s approach involves fusing a “protein of interest” with a protein that is known to crystallize well so that this fusion protein will form crystals.

In addition to his scientific pursuits, Hostetler served on the executive board of the Schreyer Honors College Student Council for several years. He also represented the Schreyer Honors College Student Council and a Four Diamonds Family by dancing in Penn State’s IFC/Panhel-lenic Dance Marathon (THON) – an indepen-dent student-organized event that raises money to fight pediatric cancer.

In addition, Hostetler was a volunteer as a Donor and Alumni Relations (DAR) captain for THON. As a DAR captain, his responsibilities included approaching companies for monetary donations, acting as a liaison to Penn State clubs and organizations to help them with fund-raising efforts, and establishing a system to track and analyze donation patterns. Hostetler also volunteered for ATLAS, which is an organi-zation devoted to raising money for THON and the Four Diamonds Fund.

Hostetler plans to attend a combined M.D./Ph.D. program at either the University of Penn-sylvania or Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City. “I hope that attending a com-bined medical and graduate-degree program will allow me to combine my interests in human medicine and scientific research,” Hostetler said. “Ultimately, I envision myself in aca-demic medicine: conducting research, treating patients, and eventually teaching and training new physicians.”

Hostetler also said he is truly honored to rep-resent his Eberly College of Science colleagues at graduation. “This past year truly challenged

the Penn State community.” Hostetler said. “However, I believe it also was an opportunity for a troubled community to come together. Candlelight vigils and a record-breaking THON weekend marked the best of what Penn State has to offer. These memories, the ones that chal-lenged us as a school and a community, will for-ever be a part of my Penn State experience.”

Hostetler, who attended Garnet Valley High School, was accompanied at graduation by his parents Robert and Lisa Hostetler, his sisters Lauren and Jenna Hostetler, and his grandfa-ther John Hostetler.

Jennifer StellaJennifer Stella grad-uated from Penn State with a 4.0 grade-point average and a bachelor’s de-gree in biology with a genetics and de-velopmental biology option, and a master of biotechnology de-

gree. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society and she was on the Dean’s List every semester while at Penn State. Stella’s awards and scholarships include a Mary A. Stiles Scholarship in Biological Sciences, a Pa-til-Taillie Scholarship for work in environmen-tal statistics, an Evan Pugh Scholar Award for being in the top 0.5 percent of her graduating class, a President Sparks Award, a President’s Freshman Award, and a C. Melville, Jr. and Kenneth Barr Scholarship.

During the summer after her freshman year, Stella worked with Katriona Shea in the Depart-ment of Biology where she conducted research

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on the ecology and the control of invasive spe-cies. She analyzed the dispersal methods and pollination of two species of thistles and inves-tigated the impact of biological control agents. After her sophomore year and continuing until the end of her senior year, Stella worked with Joan Richtsmeier in the Department of Anthro-pology, where she focused on diseases of the hu-man skull, mainly craniosynostosis. She used computed tomography (CT) scans to locate cer-tain landmarks on the skulls in order to ana-lyze skull shape and to compare the effects of different diseases. This research led to Stella’s Schreyer College honors thesis, which explored asymmetric skull diseases and how symmetry and asymmetry develop in the body.

During her senior year, Stella completed a cooperative-research program in GlaxoSmith-Kline’s Antibacterial Research Unit. At Glaxo-SmithKline, Stella worked to identify potential antibacterial drugs using molecular-biology techniques. During this time, she also complet-ed a research project on a naturally occurring compound that could be used to develop a new antibiotic. Stella worked as a graduate student with Blair Hedges in the Department of Biology, where she researched the biodiversity of differ-ent species in order to promote conservation ef-forts. In Hedges’s lab, Stella used microbiology techniques to determine the gene sequences of various lizard species to analyze their biodiver-sity in different areas of the world.

Stella served as the secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Lambda student organization, and as a volunteer at Biotech 2010’s Innovation Corri-dor – a symposium in which scientists outlined innovative research taking place at universi-ties and at early-stage companies. She was a teaching assistant for Penn State’s Organic

Chemistry Instrument Room and a volunteer at Mount Nittany Medical Center. In addition, she travelled to Ecuador with the Hershey Medical Center Cardiac Group to assist doctors in heart surgery on children.

After completing her master’s degree, Stella hopes to work as a researcher at a biotechnology company or a pharmaceutical company for a few years, after which time she will pursue another advanced degree.

Stella said that the Penn State faculty has shown her how important it is to be passion-ate about one’s career and to share that passion with other people. “The head of my master’s de-gree program and my faculty escort, Assistant Professor Loida Escote-Carlson, also showed me how important it is to think critically and to communicate well. I also have learned never to take anything for granted, and to make the most of my education and my future.”

Stella, who attended State College Area High School, was accompanied at graduation by her parents, Rocco and Elaine Stella; her brother Michael Stella, who currently is pursuing a de-gree at Penn State; and her fiancé Michael Di-Raimo Jr., who graduated as a student marshal from Penn State in 2011.


John Urschel, a 20-year-old mathematics ma-jor, statistics minor, and guard on the offensive line, graduated from Penn State in May 2012, excelling both on and off the field. Academically, he earned a 4.00 cumulative grade point aver-age and received the Evan Johnson Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics; athletically, he was named an Academic All-Big Ten in both 2010 and 2011, and named to the Capital One Academic All-District Football Team in 2011. That’s fairly impressive, considering the chal-lenge of being a mathematics major and the time commitment required to participate in the rigorous Penn State football program.

John, the son of John Urschel and Venita Parker, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Can-ada. He attended high school in Buffalo, New York, and attended Canisius High School, a Je-suit college preparatory school before coming to Penn State.

John recalls being interested in math for as long as he can remember. “I was always natu-

rally good at math, even from a young age. How-ever, I never thought that I could make a career out of it. All through high school, my teachers and mother pushed me towards engineering, be-lieving it to be the best career for someone tal-ented in mathematics and physics.”

However, after starting out in the College of Engineering as a freshman at Penn State, John finished all of his required math classes in one semester but realized they were not enough to satisfy his desire to further his math education. “Once I began taking engineering coursework, I found myself asking why a lot. I wanted to un-derstand why things are a certain way, not just use what other people have created. It was then that I decided to switch into mathematics. My favorite thing about math is seeing why things are a certain way. It is this rigorous structure that made me choose mathematics as my major.”

Although John knew math was his calling early on, he didn’t start playing football until high school. His talents on the field, as well as in

John Urschel: Standout Player, Academic Achiever

When you think of a mathematician, the stereotype usually suggests a nerdy

bookworm who spends more time doing mathematical equations and

succeeding academically than participating in extracurricular activities.

A mathematics major, especially a 4.0 GPA student, doesn’t usually bring to

mind a 6’3”, 292-pound Penn State football player.

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the classroom, lead him to be recruited by Penn State during his senior year in high school; he committed to the University after just one visit to campus.

John recalls that Joe Paterno had a tremen-dous influence on both his academic and extra-curricular successes. “Joe Paterno was truly a great man and a molder of young men. When I was being recruited my senior year, many schools passed me up because of my lack of size. Joe believed in me and thought I was the type of kid Penn State wanted: a young man who suc-ceeds both academically and athletically. The whole time I was here Coach Paterno constantly encouraged me to excel academically.”

But Paterno was not the only positive influ-ence on John during his three years at Penn State. “My position coach, Dick Anderson, was a great influence on me in general. He taught me a lot of things about life. On the academic side of things, Professor Vadim Kaloshin gave me a great deal of support and direction math-ematically. He certainly helped me get where I am today.”

Kaloshin encouraged John to participate in research during his sophomore year. “Kaloshin took me under his wing and got me started do-ing research in celestial mechanics. I was struck by the steep learning curve. It is an experience that I would recommend to any undergradu-ate that has hopes of doing graduate work. The research took about a year, and then we did a paper on the topic, which we completed in De-cember 2011.” John also participated in another research project during his last semester at Penn State on graph partitioning and multigrid under the guidance of Jinchao Xu, the Francis R. and Helen M. Pentz Professor of Science and Postdoc Xiaozhe Hu.

Despite his already considerable time com-mitment to academics and research, John added his football-training schedule on top of that. A typical day for John during football season in-cluded waking up at 6:00 a.m., going to lift, and then having breakfast. Afterwards, he went to classes all day. Then, after classes, he went back to the football building for meetings, watch-ing film, and practice. After practice, he iced, stretched, and showered, then had dinner at the football-training table. After that full day, he finally had time to do homework and study for the rest of the night. During the off-season, the football-training program was slightly less demanding, permitting more time for academics and research.


John credits his academic and extracurricu-lar accomplishments to time management skills and being in the correct major for his abilities. “I found out early on that the key to success is good time management. I’ve been blessed with strong quantitative skills, and chose a major that I was well suited for. When you love the major you’re in, and are good at it, succeeding academically comes easy.”

For students who may be considering extra-curricular activities but worried about risking their academic success, Urschel encourages them to take the risk. “I would tell them to do it if given the chance. Extracurricular activi-

I began my

undergraduate

studies at Penn

State in the fall of

2009 studying

biochemistry and

molecular

biology. I applied

myself to the class work, making an

effort to gain as much knowledge as

I could. As I am pursuing a career in

medicine, it is important to gain

some practical experience in the

ties certainly take up a lot of time, but you just have to allot your time accordingly. You have to cut back on your relaxing time, social time, and things of the sort, but in the end it’s extremely worthwhile.”

Despite having a jam-packed schedule, John still enjoys a few hobbies in his downtime, in-cluding chess and playing jazz and blues on the guitar. He plans to continue his studies in mathematics by enrolling and beginning gradu-ate school in the future. Best of luck in graduate school and for a future filled with continued suc-cesses, John!

Jason Ferderber: Gaining Real World Experience – Working at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

field, so I applied for and received a

co-op placement at the Walter Reed

Army Medical Center, in Silver Spring,

Maryland, where I would be exposed

to real-life medical research.

Student S

potlightOver my seven months there, I encountered a few topics that I remembered from my classes, but the majority of what I learned was new. The information I learned from this experience was evident when I returned to the classroom this spring. My experience has helped me contextu-alize much of what I am learning in my current courses.


One of the most valuable lessons I learned while working at Walter Reed was problem-solving skills. I now apply these skills to situ-ations everyday. I look at problems and solu-tions from different points of view to see other possibilities and to determine the best solution rather than thinking a problem has just one way of being solved.

Medicine is a complex discipline and much of what has been learned is a result of research. Participating in a co-op gave me a greater ap-preciation for the knowledge that I acquired in the classroom because I have seen its prac-tical application of this learning in the real world. Many students do not see the importance of what is being taught to them until they have the opportunity to apply it.

My time at Walter Reed convinced me of the importance of the learning through experience, and as such, I am participating in another co-op this summer at a regenerative medical in-stitute. My time at Walter Reed also helped to confirm my passion for pursuing a medical career. I saw people in real life suffering from diseases and the potential causes of their sick-nesses. This is something I had not experienced growing up in a small town, and I am grateful for the real-world experience that I received during my internship at Walter Reed.

Jason Ferderber is a junior majoring in bio-chemistry and molecular biology. He plans to graduate from Penn State in May 2013.

David Ross: Classes in Capetown – Study Abroad in South Africa

Going abroad was something I

decided that I wanted to do as soon

as I started my sophomore year.

I knew that as a biology major, it

would be difficult to find somewhere

that could fulfill some of my science

credit requirements. After speaking

to several advisors, I realized that

I would have to go to a primarily

English-speaking country where I

could take at least one science class

in order to graduate on time.

Reading down the list of program op-tions, the South Africa: Arts and Sciences program at the University of Cape Town im-mediately jumped off the page. My

decision to study abroad there turned out to be one of the most amazing, eye-opening experi-ences of my life.

As soon as the plane touched down in Cape Town, I knew that five months would not be long enough for me; going to Africa had been a dream of mine ever since I was young. Becom-ing a doctor was and still is, my ultimate goal.


Joining Doctors without Borders is also a dream of mine, so I wanted to do something that could give me some experience with different people and bring me out of my comfort zone in an en-tirely new setting.

Studying at the University of Cape Town was a great experience and opportunity. The univer-sity is one of the best in all of southern Africa, and happens to be the location of the first heart transplant ever performed. I was able to take an advanced genetics course that transferred to biology credits; a local language course, Af-rikaans; and an anthropology class on South African cultural history. The genetics course was difficult, with essay-based exams, five-day-a-week classes and a lab, and a rigorous grad-ing scale, but it gave me a unique perspective on courses in other countries.

My program also set us up with several vol-unteer opportunities. I decided to tutor high-school kids in math and science at a school set up specifically for children living in townships. Townships are extremely poor and sprawling communities, some without running water or electricity. We were told explicitly that ventur-ing into them without a guide could be very dangerous. These kids, however, loved having us there, loved learning, and were some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. The chance to graduate high school and go to college was a gift to them – an opportunity that had rarely presented itself in township life before. Never again would I feel sorry for myself for having to sit through an early-morning lecture or study for a tough exam; everything I took for granted before, I now perceive in an entirely new light.

Studying in South Africa gave me a new and interesting perspective on life and my studies at Penn State and only increased my passion for becoming a doctor. Going to the beautiful

beaches, petting cheetahs, walking with li-ons, being chased by elephants on safari, and bungee-jumping made the trip a fun, exciting adventure. Tutoring impoverished teenagers, visiting orphaned babies at a children’s tuber-culosis hospital, and having countless interac-tions with new people from different cultures is what made the experience real, and one that I will never forget.

David Ross graduated from Penn State in May 2012 with a degree in Biology. He plans to continue his education.

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Science LionPride is an organization for

undergraduate students to represent the Eberly College

of Science. Its members are an enthusiastic group

who are in many of the science majors and who are

passionate about the mission of Science LionPride.

Pride&Leadership

Only five years ago, the Eberly College of Science Alumni Board set into motion the idea of a club that would help recruit prospective students to the college. Now, Science LionPride is well-established and is frequently called on for University and community events that fulfill its mission, a mission which has grown to encompass three main pillars: recruitment, alumni relations, and service.

Science LionPride provides insight to prospective students about what it means to be a Penn State undergraduate and sci-ence major, connects and involves the cur-rent Penn State community with its vast alumni association, and promotes phil-anthropic activities. Members give per-

Focus on Student groups


sonalized tours around the science buildings to prospective students all year. The spring is espe-cially busy with Accepted Student Days, where members contribute to the college presentation, answer questions on parent and student panels, and host students for an afternoon in order to share their experiences as invaluable resources in small, informal groups. Members also inter-act with science alumni at dinners hosted at Penn State and when the college’s alumni board visits campus for their meetings. Members are able to network and receive tips from alumni on how to achieve success in various careers. Finally, through service events, club members grow closer while bringing science and support to the community. The group plans experiments for community children and teens at events like Bellefonte Family Science Night and Explora-tion Day. Members also participate in THON and Relay for Life throughout the year and sup-port their Four Diamonds Family.

The Eberly College of Science Student Council is the leadership organization of the College of Science. The student council strives to unite the seemingly unrelated sciences under one banner to promote scientific activities and literacy, and to improve the quality of student life in Eberly.

Over the past year, the student council was in-volved in fundraising, outreach events, and in-ternal affairs. Chiefly among their accomplish-ments, they have raised over $2,000 for THON, hosted a science involvement fair, and became

Student S

potlight

Its members frequently describe Science LionPride as more than an organization – the students are a science family. In order to de-velop a feeling of family, the public relations chair works to have everyone get to know each other; he or she plans a day of leadership build-ing at Shaver’s Creek, where members further their own leadership and learn how to work as a group to achieve goals both that day and in the future. Science LionPride has an amazing sup-port system through its advisers in the advising office and the alumni office of the college, and the organization utilizes its contacts throughout the college to fulfill its mission and provide the best opportunities to its members. The organi-zation may have started out small, but it has a bright future within the college and within the university as it welcomes new Penn Staters, fosters the development of current students, and provides connections to alumni.

involved with the quality of education and stu-dent retention within the college.

In order to raise money for THON, the coun-cil’s fundraising included not just THONvelopes but also a late-night bake sale featuring science-


themed cookies. The efforts of the THON chair, Ramya Vishnubhotla, worked wonders as the council more than doubled the previous year’s THON total. In January, the council initiated and hosted the Spring Science Involvement Fair in the HUB Alumni Hall the day following the usual Involvement Fair. This event marked an-other milestone for the council – it hosted over 25 science organizations in the Eberly College of Science, Agricultural Sciences, and Health and Human Development.

The group intends to become deeply involved in making policy changes in the college to better suit their peers’ needs. In the spring semester, the student council formed a committee led by Ben Heidorn to investigate what students would like to see from their teachers and their college. Working with the College retention committee, the student council discussed improvements and successes with faculty and students alike. Now they are working to find ways to implement solutions that best suit the college and the stu-dent body.

Other events that the student coun-cil hosted includes a Science Major Panel. This panel featured a group of students from every department in science to discuss their experiences in the College, give advice and answer questions from first-year and second-year students. The council also hosted a talk from Ann Marie Daniel focus-ing on the Graduate School admis-sions process, another talk from a for-mer Penn State Biotechnology major about working at GlaxoSmithKline, and a lecture from James Kasting, a Penn State geoscientist who coined the

term “habitable zone” for Earth-like planets.The student council also maintained active

participation with the University Park Under-grad Association through their representative, Chris Ferri, which allowed the council to reach out to the rest of the college and best discuss ideas with other students. The council works hard to improve student life, student-faculty communication, and interdepartmental com-munication among students. They are an or-ganization that works for the students, is run by the students, and speaks out when the stu-dents want to be heard. The 2012-2013 council is following in the footsteps of this year’s council with bigger ideas and stronger connections. Ex-citing times are ahead for the Eberly College of Science, and the student council is proud to lead the way.


Outreach

The Eberly College of Science plays

host to thousands of K-12 students

year-round at over 50 not-for-profit

hands-on science events such as

summer camps, school visits to

University Park, special programs,

and many one-day events, including

Exploration Day, DNA Day, Arts

Fest Children’s Day, STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math)

Career Day, Halloween Science

BOOt Camp, and more.

The mission of the science outreach office is to build and establish meaningful relationships between Penn State faculty/students and K-12 students/educators, including interactions with other community groups, far and wide. The pro-grams and events are typically faculty-support-ed extensions of current academic curricula or ongoing research investigations at the Universi-ty. The faculty and students at Penn State work together to write and deliver STEM content in meaningful ways to younger, non-academic au-diences.

“Faculty members enjoy creating success-ful learning environments centered on what they know,” says Michael Zeman, director of

science outreach and director of the Science-U Camp program. “Faculty invested in produc-ing such experiences have the option to use the resources available to them in the outreach of-fice to help write and run their program ideas. Among those resources are the relationships forged with K-12 schools.”

The outreach office occasionally teams up with experts in the College of Education, as well as professional educators, to design and deliver these programs. Penn State students in science, science education, and elementary education (of-ten pre-service teachers) take advantage of the attractive service-learning and public scholar-ship opportunities that train them to teach in a collaborative setting. Engagement in science outreach then becomes professional develop-ment for Penn State students, increasing their skills in leadership, teaching, lab work, and

Science Engagement for All – Penn State Faculty and Students Have Positive Impact on Kids


even self-awareness issues, like study habits. The student staff/volunteers at these programs, typically referred to as curriculum mentors, un-derstand the reason the college supports the dy-namic presentation of harder concepts in math and science to secondary kids.

“I felt that I was able to generate a sense of curiosity and excitement about science in the kids,” says Melissa Pastore, a senior major-ing in Biology. “They were able to have fun and learn science at the same time. Truly in-ternalizing science concepts often requires both hands-on and minds-on experiences, which Sci-ence-U provides. Looking beyond the academic scope, I felt I was able to show the kids the value in trying something new and challenging.”

When asked about why it is important to have the opportunity to work alongside faculty in outreach, Pastore replied, “Science outreach is incredibly valuable for students and faculty. Scientists publish research and many other sci-

entists read this research, along with some stu-dents and other members of society. However, a lot of society’s “scientific” information is sold to people through TV, newspapers, and magazines rather than peer-reviewed journals, leading to confusion over many topics and an overall delay in communication between scientists and the world. Communicating to the public in an ef-fective manner should become a bigger part of education for budding scientists.”

Sam Smeal, a senior in Elementary Edu-cation, and a 4-year veteran curriculum men-tor with Science-U adds, “Science should be presented in a meaningful and relevant way to kids. I was able to show children that I was interested in them as people while also getting them excited to learn. I was able to give emo-tional support when things did not end up as they would have liked [scientifically] and give academic support with learning-specific science concepts and figuring out how to approach a problem. The children did not even realize that they were learning because they were having so much fun.”

According to Zemen, “It’s not about how we teach students, it’s about how students learn. ”

“Once the curriculum mentors involved in the college outreach events realize that learning occurs from the perspective of the student, the paradigm shift in their approach to teaching is evident,” says Zeman. The science programs of-fered by the college are written, in part, to make science fun and engaging for everyone, includ-ing children and adults. How do you do that? For starters, make sure that you are investigating things kids are motivated to learn about. Even the title of a program can help, like “Dr. Winkel’s Wonder Workshop: The Science of Toys.”

Steve Van Hook, professor of physics and writer/director of “Dr. Winkel’s Wonder Work-


shop: The Science of Toys,” added his support to the strength of informal science programs that value undergraduate development and mean-ingful delivery. “I think the biggest impact of my camps has been motivational – conveying the attitude that science can be fun and excit-ing, and that they can see science everywhere in the world around them.”

“For college students, outreach gives them an opportunity to share their passion about sci-ence with a child, and that experience may be as motivating for continuing in science as any laboratory experience. In addition, the college students probably learn more about the topics in the camp or outreach experience because they have to dig deep in themselves to explain a topic that they think they understand, but for which they have to create an explanation in their own words at the level of the children since they can-not give the college textbook explanation.”

Carl Sillman, professor of biochemistry and microbiology, and writer/director of the Science-U Crime Science Investigation camps, adds, “I personally find it fun and refreshing to work with students to deliver the camp curricula to the campers. It is really an extension of what I do when teaching undergraduate laboratory cours-es to Penn State students. In addition, I think it

is important for the undergraduate students to use their science by communicating their love of it and teaching it to the campers. This will help them be better communicators of their science as professionals in their future careers.”

The faculty/student collaborations create a se-ries of important by-products, too. There is often increased participation by Penn State students at future STEM events after attending or work-ing a science outreach program. Likewise, there are multiple chances to informally recruit and retain future science students. Many of these events promote careers in the STEM disciplines and offer clarification for students regard-ing employment and educational goals. At the K-12 level, students report increased confidence in harder math and science concepts after at-tending STEM programs. Many programs have funding dedicated to recruiting diverse and underrepresented groups to participate in out-reach events.

As the college continues to develop and pro-mote meaningful STEM education programs with faculty, students, and cross-college part-nerships, the quest to engage and excite more young people, including women and ethnically diverse groups, continues. Penn State students are encouraged to work alongside faculty to de-liver high quality science education and engage with the community. The goal is to continue creating the long-standing tradition of enthused and skilled scientists emerging from Penn State who will make a positive impact in the world.

More information about the college outreach office can be found at science.psu.edu/outreach.

Outreach


$200,000 gift to Support Information Technology for Science, Liberal Arts Faculty

said Daniel J. Larson, the Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College. “The endowment will assist faculty in the research and discovering of technological applications and breakthroughs that impact and benefit areas such as medicine, health care, physical sciences and the environ-ment, in addition to interdisciplinary fields.”

Susan Welch, dean in the College of the Liberal Arts, noted, “Information technology plays a key role in both social sciences and the humanities. This wonderful gift provides criti-cal resources to enhance computational tools to improve learning and to support research that allows faculty to forge new ideas about the hu-man condition.”

The gift will help the Eberly College of Sci-ence, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the University to reach the goals of For the Fu-ture: The Campaign for Penn State Students. This University-wide effort is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most compre-hensive, student-centered research university in America. The campaign is engaging alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key ob-jectives: ensuring student access and opportu-nity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativ-ity, and sustaining the University’s tradition of quality. The campaign’s top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. For the Future is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State’s history, with the goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.

Penn State’s Eberly College of Science and the College of the Liberal Arts have announced an anonymous commitment from an alumnus. Val-ued at a total of $200,000, it will provide funds to support the information technology require-ments of faculty in each college. The endow-ment, which will come from the donor’s estate, is intended to enhance greater teaching and research by dedicated faculty in fields ranging from physics and biology to humanities and so-cial sciences.

“This generous gift will enable the Eberly Col-lege to continue to foster research and discov-ery through enhanced information technology,”

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Myriant Corporation of Quincy,

Massachusetts has recently

pledged $250,000 to the Eberly

College of Science. Known as

the “Myriant Corporation Schol-

arship for Excellence in Bio-En-

ergy and Energy Sustainability,”

the scholarship will be contrib-

uted to the Eberly College over

a period of five years at $50,000

annually to provide recogni-

tion and financial assistance

to outstanding undergraduate

students. Myriant has estab-

lished this scholarship with the

intent to encourage students to

pursue a career in bio-energy

and/or energy sustainability.

Myriant is a science and

technology-driven company

creating a new paradigm in

specialty chemicals manufac-

turing. Focused on the devel-

opment and commercialization

of proprietary biocatalyst tech-

nology for conversion of renew-

able feedstock into high value

bio based chemicals, Myriant is

a leader in the implementation

of an integrated bio-refinery

approach for production of

chemicals. Led by a world-

renowned team of molecular

biologists, engineers, and

chemists, Myriant has created

unique, patented microorgan-

isms and proprietary process

technologies for the manufac-

ture of a broad array of high-

value specialty chemicals that

Scholarship for Excellence in Bio-Energy and Energy Sustainability

can compete directly against

petroleum-based chemicals.

Myriant’s Chairman and CEO

Stephen Gatto joined the Dean’s

Advisory Board in the Eberly Col-

lege of Science and feels that

Penn State and its science cur-

riculum is uniquely positioned to

train future scientists and leaders

in the field of bio-sustainability.

According to Dan Larson, an-

nual scholarships, ranging from

$5,000 to $10,000, will be award-

ed to students pursuing degrees

in Bioengineering, Biochemistry

and Molecular Biology, Biotech-

nology, Chemical Engineering,

Chemistry, and Microbiology.

The Penn State Forensic Science program recently signed a corporate spon-sorship agreement with Life Technologies to work on forensic DNA research projects for the company. Life Technologies Corpo-ration is a global biotech-nology company dedicated to improving the human condition. In exchange for the research, Life Technologies provided the program with instru-mentation, software, and reagents valued at $350,000 that will be used in the research and as educational tools for students.

Mitchell Holland, director of the foren-sic science program and associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, said that the agreement has been in the works for a few years. “We met with Greg Lucier ’86, a Penn

Forensic Science Program Establishes Partnership with Life Technologies


State alum and Life Technologies CEO, about three years ago when he was on campus to give a commencement address. Since then, we have been in discussions on the best way to form our partnership to make the Penn State Forensic Science program the best in the country while utilizing Life Technologies’ state-of-the-art in-struments and software.”

The corporate agreement was finalized in late 2011, and so far, two research endeavors that fo-cus on forensic DNA evidence have commenced at Penn State. The first project involves evalu-ating the Life Technologies PrepFiler BTA Kit, which is used for the extraction of DNA from samples containing a mixture of female cells, male sperm, and male non-sperm cells. The PrepFiler Kit uses uniquely structured mag-netic particles with a multi-component surface chemistry to improve the quantity and quality of DNA isolated from forensic samples. This re-search could help the advancement of extraction of DNA from sexual assault samples, making it a more effective and efficient method compare to the methods currently used in forensic inves-tigation.

The second project also involves evaluating the PrepFiler BTA kit, but this time instead of using modern DNA specimens, researchers will be testing skeletal samples from Croatia that are hundreds, possibly thousands, of years old. In 2011, the Forensic Science program estab-lished a partnership program with the Univer-sity of Split in Croatia and appointed an adjunct professor, Dragan Primorac, who provided Penn State with the skeletal samples and will assist with the research.

Forensic science faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students are currently us-ing the tools and supplies given by Life Technol-ogies to complete both projects; the equipment

and materials will also be used to demonstrate forensic investigation techniques in undergrad-uate and graduate coursework.

The instruments provided by Life Technolo-gies include the 3130xl Genetic Analyzer, which is used for DNA fragment separation, and the AutoMate Express DNA Extraction System, which is a robotic DNA extraction system. The software includes GeneMapper ID-X, which is an expert system that allows for the analysis of DNA mixtures. The Forensic Science program also received various reagents, including Quan-tifiler Duo DNA Quantification Kits, which quantify total human DNA and total male DNA in an extract; Minifiler STR Kits, which are small STR multiplex kits for highly degraded DNA samples; PrepFiler BTA DNA Extraction Kits, which are used in extraction of DNA from sexual assault and skeletal samples; and POP4 Polymer for the 3130xl Genetic Analyzer, which is a liquid sieving matrix for separation of DNA fragments.


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Holland says that the goal of the ongoing part-nership between Life Technologies and Penn State is to “complete the research, publish the results, present the findings, and hopefully pro-vide some valuable resources and information to the forensic science community.” He hopes that both the projects and the partnership will not only showcase the impressive work done by Penn State faculty and students, but also high-light the effectiveness of the innovative tools provided by Life Technologies.

Life Technologies is one of the largest provid-ers of systems, biological reagents, and services,

supplying scientists around the world in every way that life science technologies are applied. The company aims to improve the human con-dition by enabling basic research, accelerating drug discovery and development, and advancing scientific exploration in areas such as regenera-tive science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. Gregory Lucier serves as Chief Execu-tive Officer of Life Technologies and as Chair-man of the Company’s Board of Directors. He received his B.S. in Engineering from Pennsyl-vania State University.

Mary Ann Raymond Receives Distinguished Service Award

Mary Ann

Raymond, the

administrative

support

coordinator in

the Depart-

ment of

Mathematics for the Eberly

College of Science, received

the 2011 Eberly College of

Science Alumni Society Distin-

guished Service Award.

Raymond has provided sup-

port for six department heads,

including current department

head, John Roe. They have all

relied on her excellent organi-

zation, her calm efficiency, her

mastery of detail, and her lead-

ership skills among a diverse

and energetic staff team. Roe

described best why Raymond

meets the objectives of the

award when he stated, “she

remains aware of the human

dimension.”

In 1999, she was chosen as the

first winner of the Eberly College

of Science Staff Achievement

Award and was further honored

by the college with the Leader-

ship Award in 2007.

The Distinguished Service

Award was established nearly

40 years ago, in 1973, by the Eb-

erly College of Science Alumni

Society. The award recognizes

individuals within the college

community who have made

significant and outstanding

leadership and service contribu-

tions over a sustained period of

time. All members of the Eberly

College of Science community

are eligible for the award.


Heather D. Agnew, a princi-pal research investigator at Integrated Diagnostics, a biotechnology start-up com-pany founded in 2009, was recently awarded the Alumni Achievement Award from the Penn State Alumni Associa-tion. The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary profes-sional accomplishments. These prominent young alumni are nominated by an academic college and invited by the President of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. They demonstrate to students that Penn State alumni succeed in exceptional fashion

Heather Agnew Receives 2012 Alumni Achievement Award

at an early age. The award is a cast bronze medallion and framed certificate.

In her work, Agnew leads an aggressive program to develop protein-catalyzed capture agents (PCCs) that show promise for broad use in diagnostics and therapeutics. PCCs are selected for specific binding to biomarkers for detection of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

In the fall of 2005, Agnew, in the very early stages of her doctoral work at the Califor-nia Institute of Technology (Caltech), naturally had not yet settled on a defined re-search project. Dr. James

Heath, her advisor, tasked her to develop a technique to create inexpensive, yet highly reliable and stable, biochemical compounds with the potential to replace antibodies used in many standard medical diagnostic tests. Agnew deliv-ered. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry in 2010 from Caltech and was recognized with the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Caltech Student Prize in 2010 for her primary role in the development of this new and innovative method.

Agnew graduated at the same time that Heath’s dream company, Integrated Diagnos-tics, was being founded. Heath


There was a loud buzz of

conversation as the third an-

nual Eberly College of Science

Alumni Mentoring dinner got

underway as the new student

protégés met their alumni men-

tors for the first time, while a few

pairs reunited from previous

years. The event, which was

held at the Nittany Lion Inn on

February 11, boasted 70 par-

ticipants, making this the best-

attended year to date. The

3rd Annual Alumni Mentoring Program Workshop Success for Students and Alumni

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suggested that Agnew come aboard, and a sort of natural evolution allowed Agnew to easily maneuver into a high-level position with the compa-ny. As such, she is integral in developing the science within the company while learning all about the business of science.

During her time at Penn State University, she was a Schreyer Honors Student dual majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, and chem-istry. As an undergraduate, Agnew chose to spend her free time conducting research. She began her lab work in the lab of Song Tan, professor of biochemistry and molecu-lar biology, and eventually switched into the lab of Mary Beth Williams, associate dean for undergraduate education in the Eberly College of Sci-ence and associate professor of chemistry. She believes that performing research in the lab is the best way to really learn how science is done. Agnew also gave three of her four years on campus to the Nit-tany Chemical Society (NCS), a student affiliate organiza-tion of the American Chemical Society, where she served as president during her senior year.

After graduating from Penn State in 2003, Agnew was awarded a Gates Scholar-ship, allowing her to study in the United Kingdom at the University of Cambridge. She received a master of philoso-phy degree in chemistry in 2005. After leaving Cam-bridge, Agnew continued on to Caltech to continue her gradu-ate studies.

Agnew comes from Berks County, Pennsylvania, and from a full-blooded Penn State tradition. Her father is an alumnus who graduated from Penn State in ’73 with a bachelor’s degree in me-chanical engineering and who went back to school at Penn State’s Great Valley campus as an adult learner to earn a master’s degree. Her younger sister continues the tradition and graduated in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in forensic science. Agnew is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and lives in Los Angeles, California, along with her husband, Bert Lai.

program, which now has over

70 pairs of mentors and proté-

gés, has spread through the

college to incorporate partici-

pants from biology, life science,

pre-medicine, biochemistry

and molecular biology, foren-

sic 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.

doug Cavener, professor and

head of biology who has been

with the program from its infan-

cy, commenced the evening

with a heart-warming talk of

why he chose to come to Penn

State and the importance of

mentoring in his career. Christy

Carns, a pre-med senior and

one of last year’s student proté-

gés, also gave a short presen-

tation of her experience in the

program. “The most important

thing I took away from this pro-

gram was that although your

mentor will help you decide

what you want to do career-

wise, they’re also there to be

a friend. Communication with

your mentor doesn’t have to

be like a job interview; if that’s

all you want from this program

then your mentor will happily

assist you, but they’re here for

so much more than that. These

mentors are here tonight be-

cause they have a passion for

their careers and want to instill

that same passion in you, and

perhaps give you some guid-

ance as to how to get to where

you want to be once your time

at Penn State is complete.”

The alumni also had positive

experiences from their new

connections with students.

bob heil, a Penn State Science

alum, said, “The events of the

past few months have elicited

deep emotions on behalf of all

of us loyal Penn Staters. Disap-

pointment and sorrow are just

some of the many emotions

that have been in all of our

minds. On Saturday evening,

however, not just my experienc-

es, but observing many other

dedicated alumni positively

interacting with a group of very

intelligent, eager students who

are also professional in their

conduct, reaffirms what I know

to be the true spirit of Penn

State and the people in that

room are why I am still proud to

say “We are Penn State.”

you can make an impact

on a student’s life by becom-

ing 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 contact Mary Hudson at

[email protected].


Baldwin and Wilson Honored in 2011 with Penn State Alumni Fellow Awards

Arthur L. Baldwin, ’69 B.S. Micro, and Rob-ert E. Wilson, ’73 B.S. PM, were honored for their outstanding professional accomplishments at a din-ner held on October 5, 2011. The Alumni Fellow award recognizes out-standing professional

achievement, and it is the most prestigious hon-or given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Since the establishment of the Alumni Fellow pro-gram in 1973, this honor has been granted to only 689 alumni, just one-eighth of one percent of all living alumni.

The title of “Alumni Fellow” has been desig-nated by the University as permanent and life-long, and Baldwin and Wilson were of the 24 alumni awarded in 2011. Each year, the pro-gram invites its recipients to visit the campus and speak to the University community in order to share their knowledge and expertise.

Arthur L. Baldwin has over 35 years of scientific, engineering, and management expe-rience within government, industry, and aca-demia. He is a senior-level official for the Na-tional Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), where he is responsible for projects in-volving coal and gas, renewable energy, carbon capture, and carbon storage. He also is involved with developing, planning, and implementing strategic initiatives that strengthen NETL re-gional capabilities with corporate partners,

business partners, and educational institutions. Prior to his current position, Baldwin held other senior-level positions within NETL, providing direction, oversight, and project management for petroleum refining, oil shale, oil sands, syn-thetic gas, gas-to-liquid conversion, solid fuels, and feedstocks. Baldwin also is the president of Baldwin Investment Management Group, LLC.

Baldwin, a past member of Penn State’s Eb-erly College of Science Alumni Society Board of Directors, also is involved in his community. His many community-service positions include membership on the Pennsylvania Commission on Aging and service on the Board of Directors of the Heinz History Center. He also has served as a co-founder, past co-executive director, and science-and-math tutor for the McKeesport Counseling and Tutoring Service. In addition, Baldwin has served on the Penn State Universi-ty Undergraduate Admissions Advisory Board, the Committee to Increase Penn State Black En-rollment, the Board of Directors of the Opportu-nity Industrialization Center of Pittsburgh, the Board of Directors of the McKeesport Branch of the Pittsburgh Urban League, and the Advi-sory Board of the Salvation Army. He has been a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, the Air and Waste Management Association, and the National Technical Association. He also is a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.

Baldwin is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh as well as master of business ad-ministration degree at Duquesne University. He

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earned a master’s degree in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh in 1976 and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology with a minor in chemistry at Penn State in 1969. Baldwin is married to the Honorable Cynthia A. Baldwin, who is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and currently Penn State’s chief legal officer. He and his wife are the parents of two adult children.

Robert E. Wilson serves as director of both the University of Minnesota’s Interventional-Cardiolo-gy Fellowship program and the University of Minnesota Physicians Clinical-Cardiovascular Services. He has dedicat-ed his professional life to

developing new methods for diagnosing and treating heart disease and to training new phy-sicians. His research career initially focused on coronary physiology in humans. He developed the first catheter to measure coronary blood flow in humans, and described the effects of athero-sclerosis and transplantation on coronary blood flow. He also first identified the effects of re-in-nervation of the transplanted human heart dur-ing surgery. Later, he developed semi-computer-ized injection systems for coronary angiography that now are used for millions of patients world-wide. More recently, Wilson has focused his re-search on the development of a prosthetic heart valve that can be inserted through a small cath-eter, eliminating the need for open-heart valve surgery. This device is now being tested in clini-cal trials.

Wilson holds numerous patents for cardiovas-cular treatment devices. The National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, and private individuals have supported his research. He has written numerous scientific papers and review articles, and he has contributed chapters to many medical textbooks. He is a fellow of the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interven-tions, the American Heart Association, and the Council on Circulation. He is a member of the Central Society for Clinical Investigation, the Hennepin County Medical Society, the Ameri-can Federation for Clinical Research, and the American College of Physicians.

Wilson’s previous honors include an Out-standing Science Alumnus Award from Penn State in 2001, a Teacher of the Year Award from the Cardiovascular Division of the University of Minnesota in 1996, a Clinician Scientist Award from the American Heart Association in 1985, a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health in 1984, and an Outstanding Clinical Teacher Award from the Department of Medicine of the University of Texas Health Science Center in 1981.

Wilson completed his medical residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1980 and his cardiology fel-lowship at the University of Iowa in 1984. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1986, where he helped to establish a training program for interventional cardiologists. From 1988 to 2004, Wilson served as the director of the University of Minnesota Medical Center at Fairview’s cardiac-catheterization laboratory.

Wilson earned a medical degree at the Uni-versity of Iowa in 1977. He received a bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 1973.


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Five Honored with 2011 Outstanding Science Alumni Award

Five alumni of the Eberly College of Science were honored with the 2011 Outstanding Science Alumni Award on October 21, 2011. Recognized with the award were: David Dunson, Susan Gardlik, Albert “Fred” Hartman, Allan Silberman, and Bruce Wellman.

David Dunson is a professor in the Depart-ment of Statistical Science at Duke University. Dunson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Penn State in 1994 and was Academic All-Big 10 in cross country.

Dunson earned a doctoral degree in biostatis-tics at Emory University in 1997. In 2008, after 11 years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dunson accepted a position as a profes-sor at Duke University. His research focuses on the development of novel Bayesian statisti-cal methods motivated by high-dimensional and complex data sets. His methods have been applied widely to studies of public health and medicine, machine learning, and human fer-tility. He is principal investigator of two NIH grants on new statistical methods relevant to public health and medical research. Dunson is

a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. He is the winner of the 2007 Mortimer Spiegelman Award, given to an outstanding public health statistician under age 40, the 2010 Lefkopou-lou Distinguished Lectureship at Harvard, and the 2010 Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) Presidents’ Award, given to a person under the age of 41 in recognition of outstanding contributions to the profession of statistics. In his spare time he enjoys oil paint-ing, open-water swimming, and distance run-ning. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife Amy, a professor at the University of North Carolina, and their three sons, Sam, Simon, and Peter.

Sue Gardlik has held the position of vice presi-dent of drug discovery portfolio management at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) during the last five years, heading a global community of portfolio management directors and analysts. She also has served on GSK leadership teams for drug discovery, global project/portfolio management, and global project strategy. Gardlik currently is


on a 14-month assignment, serving as an advi-sor at Stiefel, a GSK Company, focusing on the development of dermatological medicines.

Gardlik has expertise in biochemistry, drug discovery and development, portfolio and proj-ect management, technical writing, process de-sign and implementation, and training design and facilitation. She has led the application of performance analysis, decision analysis, and portfolio modeling toward objective setting; risk management; and budget management in drug discovery to inform strategy and to identify and solve problems.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochem-istry at Penn State in 1983, and in 1988 she earned a doctoral degree in biochemistry at Duke University. Gardlik has spent her entire 24-year career in the pharmaceutical indus-try at GSK, joining as a post-doctoral fellow in the department of drug metabolism, where her post-doctoral work centered on the enzyme family glutathione S-transferases. Since then, she has held a variety of roles in biological docu-mentation, research planning, project manage-ment, and portfolio management. Additionally, Gardlik has served as a liaison in university recruitment and student career development.

Fred Hartman is a physician who specializes in infectious diseases and epidemiology. He has over 30 years experience as a technical advisor, senior project manager, epidemiologist, and professor. Currently, he is the global technical lead for communicable diseases and epidemic preparedness for all activities of the organiza-tion Management Sciences for Health (MSH). In this capacity, he led the human health ac-tivities in the Stamping out Pandemic and Avi-an Influenza. He also is the country lead for the MSH Ethiopia HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program and the Sudan Health Transforma-tion Project II. He previously has served as a principal program associate in the MSH Office of Business and Resource Development and as technical director and deputy chief of party of MSH’s Rural Expansion of Afghanistan’s Com-munity-based Healthcare project, based in Ka-bul. Hartman has consulted for USAID, UNI-CEF, WHO, and PLAN International. Hartman has devoted many years to teaching about in-fectious diseases, including tuberculosis; HIV; SARS; and seasonal, pandemic, and avian in-fluenza. He is the author of the book, “Window on Afghanistan: Rebuilding Health, Hope and the Human Spirit,” and numerous articles in the field of infectious diseases. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.


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Hartman received a bachelor of science de-gree from Penn State in 1965. He graduated from Temple University in 1969, where he ob-tained a doctoral degree in medicine. In 1975, Hartman earned his master’s degree in public health at the University of California.

Allan W. Silberman is the clinical chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Cedars- Si-nai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where he holds the Robert J. and Suzanne Got-tlieb Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology. His current research interest involves the genetic analysis of patients with multiple primary ma-lignancies. Silberman has clinical expertise in surgery of the esophagus and pancreas. He also is a specialist in gastrointestinal, breast cancer, melanoma, and sarcoma surgery. Silberman has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors in both research and teaching and has published extensively in peer-reviewed publica-tions. He also co-edited, with his brother How-ard Silberman, professor of surgery at the Uni-versity of Southern California, the 2010 textbook, Principles and Practice of Surgical Oncology: Multidisciplinary Approach to Diffi-cult Problems.

Silberman received a bachelor of science de-gree from Penn State in 1968. He received a doctoral degree in biochemistry from Boston University in 1973 and a doctoral degree in

medicine from Boston University in 1975. Sil-berman completed his residency in general sur-gery at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, and he completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at the University of California School of Medicine. Silberman and his wife Kathleen, have one daughter, Samantha, and live in Pa-cific Palisades, California.

Bruce Wellman teaches aerospace and engi-neering chemistry at Olathe Northwest High School in Kansas. This class covers traditional high-school chemistry with an additional em-phasis on materials science, specifically, metals and polymers. Wellman’s career in education spans 17 years. He began teaching in 1993 at Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, Delaware. He later taught at Baldwin Park High School in Baldwin, California, from 1994 to 1996. From 1999 to 2004, Wellman was a de-velopment worker in the Comoro Islands in East Africa. While there, he taught English at the French-speaking public school, and he also pro-vided technical computer support and data analysis for the regional education office.

In 2009, Wellman was selected by President Obama to receive the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Sci-ence Teaching. The annual award, one of the nation’s highest honors for teachers, is given to


the best pre-college-level science and mathemat-ics teachers from across the country. Most re-cently, in August of 2011, Wellman was selected by the U.S. Department of Education to be a Teaching Ambassador Fellow for the 2011-2012 school year. This fellowship was created to give outstanding teachers an opportunity to learn about national policy issues in education and to contribute their expertise to those discussions. Fellows share what they’ve learned with other teachers, contributing to a larger understand-ing of federal initiatives and encouraging broad-er input into policy and programs designed to improve education.

Wellman received a Bachelor of Science de-gree with an emphasis in chemistry from Penn State in 1991. In 1993 he received his joint education specialist master’s degree from the University of Rochester in conjunction with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and he earned certification from the state of New York for general and deaf education in chemistry, physics, and general science.

Promoted to assistant director of alumni relations in December 2011, Barbara (Barbie) Collins is no stranger to the Eberly College of Sci-ence or its alumni. Throughout her role as the development assistant for the college, Collins connected to alumni in various capacities such as

football planning, Millennium Society activi-ties, annual giving, and college events.

Collins, who has a bachelor’s degree in jour-nalism and public relations from Lock Haven University, hopes to be instrumental in facilitat-ing new programs for alumni and re-engaging them with Penn State Science. She welcomes the opportunity to connect with Science alumni.

Josetta Lichty has joined the Eberly College of Science as the new associate director of alum-ni relations and stewardship. Josetta holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Kindergar-ten Education and a master’s degree in Higher Education, both from Penn State.

Prior to this position, Josetta worked in Uni-versity Development as the newly formed stew-ardship coordinator for the Commonwealth Campuses. In this role, she was responsible for coordinating the stewardship efforts of the 19 Commonwealth Campuses.

Staff Changes in the Development and Alumni Relations Offices

The Eberly College of Science conducted its first Physician Reunion

Weekend in 2009, complete with instruction towards CME credits

and special activities. Proudly, we continue to offer this event as its

popularity among physician alumni has grown. The date for the 2012

Physicians Weekend is September 14 and 15. Although our alumni

have vast options for obtaining CME credits, attendees have raved

about the opportunity to return to campus, learn from Penn State

faculty, and have personal interaction with Dean Larson, science

students and faculty.

Healthcare Emergency Readiness, Healthcare Infectious Disease

Statistics, and Sonodynamic Cancer Therapy will be the focus of the

2012 CME program followed with a dinner hosted by Dean Dan Larson.

The Alumni Relations and Development Office will also assist physician

reunion registrants with obtaining Penn State-Navy football tickets.

More details regarding this event will be posted to our website at

www.science.psu.edu.

2012 Penn State Physician Reunion Weekend


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The annual Eberly College of Science Bene-factor and Recognition Dinner was held on April 20, 2012, during a festive Blue White Weekend. The event, which was held at the Nittany Lion Inn, recognizes the college’s generous benefactors and the students who benefit from their support, as well as those faculty members in the Eberly College of Sci-ence who hold faculty chairs or named profes-sorships. The Eberly College of Science now has 278 individual endowments with a total market value of more than $81 million.

Benefactor and Recognition Dinner

Blue and White forever…You’ve worked a lifetime to create financial security for yourself and your family. Now you can share that legacy with Penn State as well through your will or living trust. Whether you choose to direct your support to scholarships or research, faculty or program support,your bequest will be an enduring expression of your passions and values. Our Gift Planning team can work with you and your attor-ney to ensure that your intentions are fulfilled and that your estate receives the full tax benefits of your gift.

To learn more about these opportunities, please contact:

Brian McCullough, Esq.Gift Planning OfficerOffice of Gift [email protected]@psu.eduwww.giftplanning.psu.edu

Robert Mothersbaugh, CFREDirector of Development and Alumni Relations Eberly College of Science800-297-1429 [email protected]

B&W Forever_Science_0412.indd 1 4/19/12 2:38 PM


We’d like to hear your comments and feedback.

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Share Your News!Penn State Science will feature the

accomplishments of our alumni in the Science

Journal magazine, published bi-annually

in June and December. This publication is

distributed to all college alumni, donors,

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heads, and deans of other Penn State

colleges. Sharing your success stories is a

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Upcoming EventsScience Commencement May 5, 2012

traditional reunion Science luncheon June 1, 2012

Charlottesville, va area Science alumni event September 8, 2012

physician’s reunion/Cme Weekend September 14, 2012

parent’s Weekend September 28 & 29, 2012

Outstanding Science alumni awards dinner September 28, 2012

Careers in Science September 29, 2012

penn State homecoming (opponent Northwestern) October 6, 2012

tucson, az area Science alumni event October 13, 2012

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