August 21 wasn’t just the first day of fall semester at Auburn. It also happened to be the day of the historic, out-of-this-world event — the 2017 solar eclipse. To celebrate the occasion, COSAM and the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art partnered on the “2017 Eclipse Across America” national event as part of Auburn's Welcome Week activities, and we put together a video to showcase all the activities.

The event took place on the Student Center Green Space and served to promote eclipse safety and build community through the sciences and arts. COSAM volunteers distributed approved safety glasses, and physics faculty were on hand to answer eclipse-related questions. There were games, giveaways, a photo booth, and make-and-take keepsakes to commemorate the occasion. It was a blast! In case you missed it, be sure to take a look at the photo gallery on the COSAM Facebook page.

The Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Biological Sciences, along with the Office of the Assistant Provost for Special Projects and Initiatives and the COSAM Office of the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, hosted the 2017 Auburn Workshop on Mathematical Biology last week. The workshop featured lectures by leading scientists in the field of mathematical biology including John Glasser of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, whose lecture was titled, “Meta-Population Modeling to Evaluate Vaccination Policy Alternatives vis--vis Measles Elimination in China.” Also from the CDC was Michael Washington, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, whose lecture was titled, “What does the Public Health Community Expect from Modelers during an Emergency Response? CDC Perspective.” The final lecture was given by Abdul-Aziz Yakubu of the Department of Mathematics at Howard University whose lecture was titled, “Disease Extinction Versus Persistence in Discrete-time Epidemic Models.” A photo gallery of the event is on the COSAM Facebook page.

The Auburn University Museum of Natural History will host the annual Open House on Homecoming Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Open House is an opportunity for the public to meet museum curators and staff, and explore the more than 2 million specimens found in the museum’s 10 collections. Visitors will also enjoy giveaways and live animal demonstrations. The Museum of Natural History is located in the Biodiversity Learning Center on the Auburn University campus between Rouse Life Sciences Building and M. White Smith Hall. For more information on the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, visit the website.

Meet Dr. Rita Patton, a psychiatrist at UAB Medicine and longtime Dean’s Leadership Council member. Dr. Patton was recently promoted to associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, or UAB, School of Medicine. She has more than 20 years of private practice experience in medicine and 10 years in academic medicine, and she has served on the COSAM Dean’s Leadership Council since 1995. Dr. Patton said she supports the college with both her time and treasure because she finds it stimulating to see the great group of students and faculty we have in COSAM. We think she’s pretty great too!

This week, COSAM’s Office of Student Services welcomed students at the annual COSAM Open House. The Open House featured giveaways, food and fun, and representatives were present from Pine Mountain, Georgia's, Wild Animal Safari. Students had an opportunity to interact with live animals on display, as well as visit booths hosted by COSAM and university organizations, including The Society for Conservation Biology, which sponsored Wild Animal Safari. Visit the COSAM Facebook page to see photos from the 2017 Open House.

The new dean of the Graduate School at the University of Central Arkansas is Auburn alumna Angela Barlow, who has a master’s in applied mathematics from COSAM. She also has a bachelor of science in mathematics education, a master of education in mathematics education, and a doctor of philosophy in mathematics education, all from Auburn. With one undergraduate and three graduate degrees from Auburn, Barlow is clearly poised for successful leadership at UCA. “As graduate dean, I see my role as being a supporter of faculty who are providing transformative experiences for their students and an advocate for graduate students who want to influence the world in a positive way,” said Barlow. COSAM wishes her all the best on this new venture.

Meet Dru, Jill, Chester, Kramer and Maggie, a group of animal friends featured in a children’s book titled, “Climate Change: What Can I do?” written by Kelley Suchman, a graduate student in General Science Education at Auburn.

With the help of Chester, who is a wise, old cat, the furry friends are introduced to the effects of climate change and steps they can take to become better stewards of the environment.

The book was written as a project for COSAM Associate Professor Karen McNeal’s “Climate Change Literacy and Communication” course. The assignment entailed creating a project that educates the public on key climate science topics in a way that is both accessible and effective.

COSAM alumnus Man Peng, Ph.D., mathematics ’08, won the American International Group’s, or AIG’s, first Kaggle/Data Science competition. Peng, a data scientist in personal insurance for AIG’s headquarters in New York, beat more than 800 employees from 24 countries to win the competition. Peng said the keys to his victory were data and experience.

COSAM recently hosted a reception for Auburn's Society of Health Professionals. Members of the Society of Health Professionals are devoted to enriching the quality of pre-health education in COSAM through scholarships, faculty enrichment and program enhancement. In addition to the annual reception, members have an opportunity to mentor tomorrow’s health professionals. For more information on joining the Society of Health Professionals, contact COSAM Development Officer Sherri Rowton. To view the Society of Health Professionals photo gallery, visit the COSAM Facebook page.

The COSAM Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs hosted the STEM Summer Bridge Program during the month of July. The STEM Summer Bridge Program assists incoming COSAM students that are underrepresented in STEM fields with academic and social support to excel in the rigorous COSAM curriculum. Rounding out the month-long experience is a luncheon featuring a keynote speaker. The 2017 keynote address was given by COSAM’s Overtoun Jenda, assistant provost for Special Projects and Initiatives and professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Jenda is an expert in the area of increasing diversity in the STEM workforce and has secured upwards of $10 million in grant funding in the last year to support such efforts. Jenda’s keynote lecture is available to watch online.