COSAM News:

Physics professor receives $2.1 million NSF award
Physics Professor and Director of the Plasma Sciences Laboratory, Edward Thomas, received a National Science Foundation award through the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. This competitive program serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our nation's institutions of higher education, museums, science centers and not-for-profit organizations. The total amount awarded to Thomas is $2.1 million, which includes a 30 percent cost-sharing by Auburn University. This project represents one of the largest MRI projects ever awarded to Auburn University.
With the funds, Thomas proposes to build a Magnetized Dusty Plasma device that will allow for the study of coupling between neutral atoms, ions, electrons and charged microparticles in a fully magnetized plasma environment in which the magnetic force is comparable to electric, gravitational or other inter-particle interaction forces. This new experiment enables laboratory investigations of phenomena relevant to plasma physics, astrophysics, fusion and fluid systems. The device will also allow investigations into scientific topics that were previously inaccessible in earlier experiments such as grain charging (e.g., ion/electron gyro-orbits less than inter-grain distances), wave phenomena (e.g., electrostatic dust cyclotron wave), magnetic field effects on dust transport (e.g., drift), and the behavior of plasma with embedded paramagnetic particles.
A result of more than two years of international development activity, the project has leveraged the expertise of the entire dusty plasma research community as well as many researchers with interests in fusion, astrophysics and fluid mechanics. As a multi-user instrument, the device will be a valuable tool for the dusty plasma research community, and it will enable a wide variety of collaborative research projects, ranging from the physics of planet formation to the control of contamination during microelectronics manufacturing. The project also creates new training and research opportunities for the next generation of plasma scientists, and because dusty plasmas are a highly visual phenomenon, the project provides a highly effective platform for engaging students and the public in plasma science.
Additionally, Thomas will expand the long-running collaboration with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Science Education program to make use of dusty plasmas as a platform for introducing research skills at the K-12 and undergraduate student level.
For more information on Thomas and his research, click HERE.

Basketball player recognized for on and off the court success
Blanche Alverson, a junior in biomedical sciences, fourth-generation Auburn student, and member of the Auburn University women's basketball team, was featured in the Auburn Plainsman for her accomplishments both on and off the court. To read the full story, click HERE. (Photo by Todd Van Emst) 

Biological Sciences News:

Professors to research Antarctic invertebrates
Alumni Professor Kenneth M. Halanych and Associate Professor Scott R. Santos, both from the Department of Biological Sciences, were awarded a four-year National Science Foundation grant in the amount of $489,305 for a project titled, “Collaborative Research: Genetic connectivity and biogeographic patterns of Antarctic benthic invertebrates." They will join efforts with Assistant Professor Andrew R. Mahon from Central Michigan University’s Department of Biology to conduct two organismal collection cruises: one to the Amundsen and Ross Seas, and one along the lower Antarctic Peninsula and Bellingshausen Sea. Previous research efforts by Halanych have indicated that organisms from different regions of the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic Islands often have very different evolutionary histories and much more biodiversity than traditionally realized. In an effort to better understand and accurately assess the genetics underlying biogeographic patterns, Halanych and Santos will assess if Antarctic benthic invertebrates form broadly distributed populations with considerable genetic exchange or, alternatively, structured populations, indicating periods of isolation and divergence suggestive of refugia during periods of major glaciation. The research will provide initial organismal and genetic data that will be important for revealing how, and to what degree, organisms respond to global climate change in the Antarctic.
The work will continue to promote education and training of future scientists through traditional routes such as postdoctoral students, graduate studentships and undergraduate research experiences, as well as reach K-12 audiences through collaborative efforts with the COSAM Department of Outreach. For more information on Halanych and Santos, visit the Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies by clicking HERE. 

Biological Sciences welcomes Museum of Natural History Director
The Department of Biological Sciences welcomes its newest faculty member, Professor and Director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Jason Bond. Bond specializes in the evolution, systematics and taxonomy of arachnids and myriapods, and his work has been featured in a myriad of press agencies including MSNBC, BBC, NPR and the New York Times. He was even featured on the Comedy Channel’s Colbert Report for his discovery of two spiders, a trapdoor spider Bond named after Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, and another spider he named after television show host, Stephen Colbert, Aptostichus stephencolberti.
Previously a professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Bond said he decided to come to Auburn for a number of reasons.
“The Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn has an excellent and dynamic cadre of graduate students, with a large population of Ph.D. students, who will be able to contribute in a meaningful way over a number of years to the research mission of the university,” Bond said.
He was also attracted to the idea of directing the Auburn Museum of Natural History, as it will contribute to both biodiversity education and the outreach mission of the university.
“There is an on-going loss of biodiversity and the museum will serve as a record of what we have, what we are losing and how ranges are changing for various species,” Bond said. “I look forward to growing the collections and developing the public interface of the museum. Research, education and outreach will all be major components.”
Bond received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Western Carolina University, and both his Master of Science in Biology and his Doctor of Philosophy in Evolutionary Systematics and Genetics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He serves as the associate editor for non-insect arthropods, Organisms, Diversity, and Evolution and as associate editor for morphology and physiology, Journal of Arachnology. Bond was also a panel member for the National Science Foundation in spring 2004, fall 2009 and spring 2010.

Ph.D. candidate explores Guiana Shield
Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidate Lesley de Souza has focused her research efforts in a place so remote, it's nearly impossible to access. For her, the dangers are worth the rewards of researching the area's rich biodiversity. Click HERE to read the full story, including photos and video.

Professor receives grant to research tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the largest vegetable crops that are produced in the United States with fresh and processed sales totaling over $2.5 billion in 2009. The development of vegetative organs, such as leaves, is essential for healthy tomato plant growth and the production of robust tomato fruits. A better understanding of basic leaf function is required to broadly enhance agricultural production of food and fibers. Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Aaron Rashotte, was awarded a two-year, $50,000 competitive USDA-Hatch grant to research the genetic make-up and function of tomato plants during leaf development. Specifically, Rashotte will build on his previous research that indicated a set of cytokinin regulated transcription factors (CRFs) were implicated in the leaf developmental processes of tomato plants. Rashotte intends to expand this finding by conducting a detailed examination of SlCRF transcripts during leaf development. Implications of this research include an increased knowledge and potential ability to regulate and improve the vegetative growth of tomatoes, such as larger more photosynthetically efficient leaves. If successful, this research could lead to overall increases in healthy plants, and in turn, improved fruit yield. The project is titled "An examination of SlCRFs in vasculature and leaf development in tomato." For more information on Rashotte, click HERE. 

Chemistry News:

Professor recognized and published in Analyst
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Christopher Easley was a contributor to the Emerging Investigators Issue of the journal Analyst. Analyst features high-impact research in analytical, bioanalytical and detection science. To see the complete list of contributors, click HERE. To read Easley’s article, “A simple and rapid approach for measurement of dissociation constants of DNA aptamers against proteins and small molecules via automated microchip electrophoresis,” which was co-written by Auburn student Jiaming Hu, click HERE.

Geology & Geography News: 

Auburn team awarded wetland grant
A multidisciplinary team of scientists from across the Auburn campus will work on Alabama wetland studies through a $363,800 grant from National Institutes for Water Resources/U.S. Geological Survey National Competitive Grant Program. The three-year project, titled "Inventory, Classification, and Assessment of Alabama's Geographically Isolated Wetlands," includes: Sam Fowler, director of Auburn’s Water Resources Center; Luke Marzen, associate professor of Geography (pictured); and Alabama Heritage Program GIS database manager, Michael Barbour, and ecologist/biologist Al Schotz. The statewide project is based on a partnership agreement between Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, or ADEM, and Auburn University. The agreement designates Auburn, including the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, as a Watershed Center of Excellence. Information collected by the team will support ADEM’s Wetland Management Program, which is working to strengthen the state’s ability to implement a comprehensive wetlands program by providing baseline data to fill information gaps. The project will inventory, classify and assess isolated wetlands in Alabama to enhance protection of these biologically diverse ecosystems.

Impact crater center to be built in Wetumpka, Ala.
About 85 million years ago, a small asteroid or comet struck the shallow waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Wetumpka, Ala. The energy from this impact was about 175,000 times that of the Hiroshima bomb, and it excavated a depression and raised a rim of hills that largely still stands today. Auburn University Geology Professor David King led a team that identified the unusual geological features in Wetumpka indicating the impact crater, and preliminary scientific research results were first published in 2002. King and Auburn University continue to conduct research at the crater.
In an effort to attract visitors from across the state and region, and educate the public about the extraordinary geologic event which formed the crater, approximately 25 acres have been donated to the city of Wetumpka by the Alabama Department of Transportation for the construction of the Alabama Impact Crater and Science Center. The center will be part of Alabama’s “trail” of science- and space-related attractions, which also includes Birmingham’s McWane Science Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.
The design of center was determined by an Auburn University architecture student competition. On August 23, a press conference was held at Wetumpka City Hall where the winning designs were announced. The press conference was called by Wetumpka Mayor, Jerry Willis, and Rep. Barry Mask, who is the legislator representing the Wetumpka area in the state legislature and who was also Auburn's first Aubie. Speakers at the press conference included Auburn University Architecture Professor Justin Miller, whose students competed for the design of the new center, and King, who reviewed the history of the crater site. Auburn architecture students were also present to explain their designs. The designs were on display at Wetumpka City Hall for the press conference and will remain so until mid-September. It is expected that when built, the Alabama Impact Crater and Science Center will be a major attraction in Wetumpka, including exhibits, meeting places, and a research facility.
Pictured: Barry Mask addressing the group at the start of the press conference at Wetumpka City Hall.

Interim department chair weighs in on the Virginia earthquake
Geology and Geography Department Interim Chair Mark Steltenpohl discussed the Virginia earthquake with the Opelika-Auburn News. “The problem on the East Coast is that we don’t have a whole lot of faults and other features that would inhibit those earthquake waves from propagating very great distances,” Steltenpohl said. To read the full story, click HERE.

Geology student receives award
On August 19, Geology master’s student Mitchell Moore received an award for "Outstanding Student Poster" for a presentation he made at a spring 2011 meeting of the Geological Society of America. His poster “40Ar/39Ar Dating of Detrital Muscovite from the Pottsville Formation in the Greater Black Warrior Basin and Implications for Appalachian Tectonics” is part of a current $290,000 research project funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Geology faculty members Professor Bill Hames and Associate Professor Ashraf Uddin. Moore’s award will include support for travel to an upcoming meeting of the society in Minneapolis, Minn., and a special presentation of his poster at that meeting.

Physics News:

Student satellite scheduled to go up in space
The Auburn University Student Space Program, which is directed by Physics Professor J-M Wersigner, was featured on WLTZ News 38, a station in the Phenix City, Ala., and Columbus, Ga., region. The Space Program features a student-built satellite initiative called “Aubie-Sat.” The satellite has been built, tested and is scheduled to launch into space on Oct. 25, 2011. When the satellite is launched, Aubie-Sat will be the first student-built satellite in the state to go into space. More on Aubie-Sat will be in a future edition of e-Journey. Click HERE to watch the WLTZ News 38 video.

Alumni Highlights:

Alumnus featured for humanitarian works
COSAM alumnus Dr. Wendell “Chip” Taylor, ’79 Pre-Dentistry Biology, was featured in The Birmingham News for his long-standing relationship with Big Oak Ranch, a home for abused, abandoned and neglected children, located in Gadsden, Ala. Taylor, who is an orthodontist, has provided free orthodontics to the children of Big Oak Ranch for 26 years. To read the full story of how this Auburn graduate has helped hundreds of children smile, click HERE.
Pictured: Dr. Chip Taylor takes braces off 15-year-old Blaze (Photo courtesy of The Birmingham News).
 

COSAM alumnus excels in medical school
Matthew Tufts, ’09 Biomedical Sciences, is in his third year of medical school at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Following his first year of medical school, he participated in the college’s Business of Medicine Boot Camp. This intensive eight-week program is offered to medical students in the summer between their first and second years. Taught by faculty from the College of Business and USF Health, students get a comprehensive look at the business skills needed to be successful physician leaders and innovators who can invent new ways of diagnosing and treating diseases, ensure healthier communities, and shape the system in which they are central players. They are introduced to organizational management, health care economics, finance, marketing, health care information technology and systems engineering, negotiation, and innovation and entrepreneurship – topics not typically covered in medical school. This summer marked the second year of the Boot Camp, and students and faculty members from USF were invited to give a presentation on the concepts learned in the program in Stockholm, Sweden, at the annual meeting of the International Council on Small Businesses. Among those selected to participate was Tufts, who along with fellow student Corey Reeves and Dr. William G. Marshall, Jr., presented a USF paper on healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship for medical students.
In July, Tufts was also elected president of the Florida Medical Association, Medical Students Division. COSAM congratulates this young alumnus on his accomplishments.
Pictured from left to right are Reeves, Dr. Marshall, and Tufts (Photo courtesy of UCF College of Medicine).

Contact us!
We want to hear from you! Please email news on promotions, research, graduations, honors and awards, new jobs, marriage, children, and anything else that's new in your life to ceh0012@auburn.edu. Please include a photo.

Arboretum News:

Bluebird Arboretum Days in September
On Sept. 17, the Donald E. Davis Arboretum will host the first “Arboretum Days” of the semester. Arboretum Days is an approximately one-hour educational program designed for children ages pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The program begins at 9 a.m. at the Arboretum and features a nature-themed learning activity. The September event will host Andy Gibson, an Eagle Scout from Auburn, who will help participants assemble bluebird house kits that will be placed in the Arboretum and used in bluebird research conducted by the Department of Biological Sciences. Participants will also assemble kits to take home as they learn more about bluebirds and bluebird research, specifics on where to locate a bluebird house, and the optimal time to hang a bluebird house. There is no fee for Arboretum Days but pre-registration is required to insure a kit for each family. For more information on Arboretum Days or to register, call 334.844.5770 or visit the website at this link: www.auburn.edu/arboretum

 Development News:

Scholarships bring the best and brightest to Auburn's campus
The Auburn Scholarship Campaign is an initiative started by President Jay Gogue that is dedicated to building funds to support current students and compete for future scholars who will enhance the intellectual capability on our campus. This unique opportunity offers an increased return on donor investments while providing considerably larger scholarships to named recipients. The campaign is dedicated to providing Auburn’s brightest students — the Spirit of Auburn and Academic Scholars — additional scholarship funds. Spirit of Auburn Scholarships are designated for Alabama residents and Academic Scholarships for non-residents. Earnings from the endowed scholarships are paired with current Spirit of Auburn or Academic Scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to more than full tuition annually. As a result, the student receives a more attractive and competitive scholarship award. In addition, the entire amount is awarded in the donor’s name.
The endowed scholarship minimum is currently $12,500, half of the usual $25,000 minimum, for first-time endowment donors. Donors can designate their scholarship for College of Sciences and Mathematics general scholarship fund or for a specific department. The payout is approximately four percent or $1,000 for every $25,000 given. The scholarship is available to the recipient for four years if the continuation requirements are met (a minimum cumulative, unadjusted 3.0 GPA and a minimum of 24 credit hours each year).
This special scholarship campaign concludes in December 2011.
For more information, contact Tammy Beck Hartwell, Director of Development, at becktam@auburn.edu or 334.844.1449.

Diversity News:

COSAM says goodbye to Associate Dean of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs
On August 10, in a special appreciation reception, COSAM celebrated the life and work of Associate Dean of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Velma B. Richardson. Richardson accomplished many goals in her four years at Auburn University in COSAM. One of the main reasons these goals were reached is her devotion to encouraging COSAM students of varied backgrounds to become all they can and to believe in themselves.
Richardson joined the COSAM faculty as Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs in June 2007. Immediately upon arrival, she was asked to assume leadership of the impending Summer Bridge Program. The nurturing and optimistic spirit she exhibited during this four-week period showcased her devotion to students and the depth of her commitment to provide leadership to advance COSAM’s diversity goals. She devoted considerable effort to fulfill COSAM’s diversity plan of increasing undergraduate and graduate student enrollment, professorial faculty and staff, and fostering an inclusive and diverse learning environment. She was untiring in her efforts to recruit and retain a more diverse student body and to provide the academic and social support required for students to thrive as they advance in the rigorous mathematics, sciences and pre-health curricula.
COSAM has recruited and maintained the highest percentage of African American undergraduates and found a way to consistently exceed other colleges within the University. Student achievement is high, and the number of degrees earned rose considerably under Richardson’s tenure. Once enrolled, students benefited from the presence of a highly committed and dedicated staff, a revitalized Promoting Academic Success for Students (PASS) peer mentoring program, learning opportunities in the Workshops of Excellence tutorial program, and enhanced access to quality counseling, advising and other support services.
The college saw an increase in the number of students engaged in research, attaining early entrance into professional programs and a large increase in campus involvement. The COSAM Diversity Advisory Committee was established by Richardson to assist with recruitment, retention and fundraising efforts of the Office of Diversity.
While Richardson focused on promoting student access, retention and achievement, COSAM benefitted from her presence in other innumerable ways. She served the college as a representative at state and local meetings and as an invited speaker at the national best practices for the recruitment and retention of minority students meeting. In addition, she successfully integrated the teaching of introductory biology into her schedule.
Richardson earned her bachelor of science and master’s degrees in biology from Tuskegee University. In 1978, she began her studies at Auburn University as one of the first National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Minority Access it Research Careers (MARC) Pre-doctoral Fellows. Four years later, she became the first African-American female to receive a doctoral degree in zoology (genetics) from Auburn University.
Prior to coming to Auburn, Richardson was a tenured professor of biology at Tuskegee University from 1982-2007. During this time, she also served as program director for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program.
Richardson is a native of LaGrange, N.C. She resides in Auburn with her husband, Booker. They have two adult daughters and one grandson. Her last day at COSAM was August 15, 2011.

Outreach News:

Outreach September dates to remember
This September, the COSAM Department of Outreach will host events that are open to the public. On September 9 and 30, take advantage of Parent’s Night Out. Parent’s Night Out is an opportunity for parents to have an evening to themselves and peace of mind knowing their children are in a safe, secure and fun environment. Children ages 6 to 12 are eligible to participate in the program and will engage in a variety of science-based activities.
On September 20, first- through sixth-grade students and their parents or grandparents can take advantage of the Getting Under the Surface, or GUTS, program. GUTS is an evening event that begins with dessert and is followed by a one-and-a-half-hour science activity. The activities feature a “Getting Under The Surface” theme utilizing common objects (such as radios or batteries) or techniques (such as DNA fingerprinting) that will interest all ages and can be demystified using simple scientific concepts.
Both Parent’s Night Out and GUTS require pre-registration and a small fee to participate. For details, including time and location, stay tuned to the Outreach website at www.auburn.edu/cosam/outreach.

Research News: 

CMB program holds Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Colloquium
The Auburn University Cellular and Molecular Biosciences program held the Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Colloquium on July 26. Presenting at the colloquium were five students, each of whom spent the summer working with a mentor performing research. The presenters were: Ian Justement, mentored by Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Science Suresh Mathews, who gave a talk titled, “Serine Phosphorylation of Fetuin-A: A Requirement for Inhibition of Insulin Receptor Function?”; Jordan Suh, mentored by Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Douglas Goodwin, who gave a talk titled, “Using Cysteine Substitutions to Investigate the Unique Structural Features of KatG”; Paul Bergen, mentored by Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Mark Liles, who gave a talk titled, “Investigating the Genetic Determinants and Biochemical Structure of a Novel Antibiotic Produced by a metagenomic Clone”; Charles Fryberger, mentored by Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Michael Squillacote, who gave a talk titled, “The Synthesis of Asymmetrical Dienes as Models of the Chromophore of the Visual System, Retinal”; and Miriam Ojima, mentored by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Anthony Moss, who gave a talk titled, “Analysis of geotactic responses to variation in dissolved oxygen by the comb jelly, Mnemiopsis leidyi.”

Student Services News:

COSAM Open House
On Wednesday, August 24, COSAM welcomed our new students at the annual COSAM Open House. The Open House featured a visit by Auburn’s beloved mascot, Aubie, and giveaways, food and fun as representatives were present from Pine Mountain, Georgia’s Wild Animal Safari. On display was a baby alligator, an albino python, a caracal, a serval and hissing cockroaches. Students had an opportunity to touch each animal on display. Also at the open house were booths representing various organizations that would interest COSAM students, including The Society for Conservation Biology, which sponsored the Wild Animal Safari demonstration.