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Monday, July 14, 2008
"Research in a Flat World: How the hyper-connected, hyper-fast world has changed science"
Presented by: Dr. Melissa Harrington
ABSTRACT
In the last century science has been a major force driving change in our society, from computers and the internet to prozac and adderall, science has changed the way we live. As society has changed, science has changed
even faster. In this talk I will explain what it is like to be a scientist and how the practice of science - which has always been different from the popular perception- is now even less like people think. It has been changed by the knowledge revolution and the globalization of society.
Dr. Melissa Harrington was born in Dover, New Hampshire but grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana eventually attending Purdue University to get a B.S. in molecular biology. She then went to the Stanford University School of Medicine where she earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She did post-doctoral work as a research scientist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and in the Biology Department at Stanford. Her first faculty position was in the Biology Department at Morehouse College in Atlanta where she was an assistant professor for four years. Dr. Harrington joined the faculty at Delaware State University as an assistant professor in 2001, and was promoted to associate professor in 2005. She also serves as DSU’s Director of Biomedical Research. Dr. Harrington has over 20 scientific publications and many more presentations related to molecular biology and neuroscience. Currently, her lab is focused on investigating the dynamics of neural network activity in invertebrate and mammalian systems using multi-electrode recordings. Her research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Panel
Panel Speakers: Antonette Todd and Michline Brice, Stephanie Nieves
Antonette Todd is a graduate of Cheney University where she received her bachelor’s degree in biology. She is currently a graduate student attending Delaware State University in the Bridge to Doctorate Program.
Michline Brice is currently attending Delaware State University, Bridge to Doctorate Program. Ms. Brice received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology, Magnum Cum Laude honors at the first historically black college, Cheney University. She is Haitian American and was born originally in Brooklyn, NY. At Cheney University, she was very active in numerous organizations and activities such as Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Beta Kappa Chi, Ambassadors for Christ Ministries, Resident Advisor, and tutoring. In the near future, Ms. Brice plans to obtained her M.D./Ph.D. She has attended a conference at Pennsylvania State University for Nanotechnology and the Annual Cancer Research Symposium in Washington D.C.
Stephanie Nieves is a New York native and a current junior at Delaware State University. She is a mathematics and computer science major. She first visited DSU when she participated as a student of GEMS in 2005. The following summer she participated in the HBCU-UP program. In the Spring 2008, she traveled to 10 different countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe with a program called The Scholar Ship. She plans on continuing her education by pursuing a Ph.D in mathematics.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Emotional Amygdala: Clues from Conditioned and Unconditioned Fear
Presented by: Jeffrey Rosen
ABSTRACT
The amygdala is known to be important for emotion. The talk will review the neurobiology of the amygdala elucidated by research with conditioned and unconditioned fear. The biobehavioral systems approach in this research analyzes four interrelated levels of analysis: behavior, neuroanatomy, cellular biology, and pathology. Examples of findings from these four levels will be presented.
Monday, July 21, 2008
“Wetland Ecology: Using halophytes to solve society’s dilemmas”
Presented by: Jennifer Halchak
ABSTRACT
Wetlands are not only highly specialized ecosystems, but also provide filtration and natural protection from storms along the coasts. These ecosystems are the focus of our research at the Halophyte Physiology Center, some of which includes; creating biodiesel from salt tolerant plants, creating marshes to combat sea level rise, and using tissue culture techniques to produce multiple plants from a single donor.
Jennifer Halchak – Is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and obtained a B.S. in Biology from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in 2004. After obtaining her undergraduate degree she taught coastal ecology and freshwater biology to students grades 6-12 in both Virginia and Pittsburgh. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree from the University of Delaware in the college of Marine and Earth Studies. Her degree will be a M.S. in Marine Bioscience with a concentration in wetland ecology.
Monday, July 28, 2008
“Putting Ukraine on the Map”
Presented by: Valentine Pikalova
ABSTRACT
The talk introduces different facets of Ukraine’s fascinating image as a distinctly European country with vibrant modern life and rich cultural and historical heritage.
Valentyna Pikalova is ABD in Theory and Methods of Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science from Kharkiv National Pedagogical University and she has MS in Mathematics and Computer Science Education from Kharkiv State University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Ms. Pikalova is working as a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science of the College of Physics and Mathematics of Kharkiv National Pedagogical University.
Among several academic and research interests of Ms. Pikalova one is inquiry-based teaching and learning mathematics through the use of a Dynamic Geometry software and a Computer Algebra System (CAS). She designed and published Dynamic Explorative Learning Environments (DELE). She also conducted comparative studies on Bavarian (Germany) and Ukrainian mathematical curricula. Ms. Pikalova presented several papers and workshops at international conferences. Her spare time interests include salsa dancing, skiing, tennis and traveling.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
“IMPROVING ONE’S HEALTH WITH MATHEMATICS”
Presented by Dawn A. Lott, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Do you watch CSI? CSI Miami? CSI New York? NUMB3RS? Crossing Jordan? The old re-runs of QUINCY? Do you find yourself intrigued by Mathematics? Well, combine the two. In this presentation, you will learn how researchers use advanced mathematics and biomechanics to improve the health of others through the art of solving partial differential equations. Techniques for creating healthier healed wounds and treating aneurysms will be explored.
Dr. Dawn A. Lott is an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at Delaware State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University in June of 1994. She is the author of several articles in the field of solid mechanics and biomedical engineering. Professor Lott's field of research is the numerical approximation of partial differential equations that model physical phenomena in solid and fluid mechanics. Her work emphasizes the development and implementation of numerical schemes for solving problems in nonlinear elasticity with applications to the medical field. Professor Lott's current projects include I) the determination of optimal patterns of wound closure through non-invasive, numerical techniques, and II) the theoretical prediction of optimal methods for treating cerebral saccular aneurysms. Currently, Lott is a member of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Biomedical Engineering Society, and she is Vice President of the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM).
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