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December
Shi's work with CAVE featured in Temple Update
December 21, 2008
CIS chair Justin Shi was featured in a Temple Update report on the CAVE system filmed during the College's 10th Anniversary Celebration week.
CST in the News: Chemistry of Wine
December 16, 2008
The Department of Chemistry’s innovative "Chemistry of Wine" course and developers Robert Levis and David Dalton are profiled on the front page of the Health and Science section of the December 15 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Martoff of Physics collaborating on NASA projects
December 16, 2008
A group of researchers that includes Physics' C.J. Martoff is developing an instrument to probe deep space phenomena such as gamma rays and black holes. The Gamma Ray Burst Polarimeter project will use technology developed by Martoff to better understand the biggest explosions in the universe through the first-ever polarization measurements of X-rays. Dr. Martoff is also a named collaborator on the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX project, which uses an X-ray polarimeter to track the flow of highly magnetized matter into supermassive black holes.
Nicholson tours German universities
December 16, 2008
Allen Nicholson was one of a group of scientists and research administrators from U.S. universities that went on the 2008 German Academic Exchange Organization (DAAD) Science Tour from December 8 – 12. The tour gave participants opportunities for collaboration and first-hand experience of scientific programs at German universities in Hanover, Braunschweig, Leipzig and Berlin.
Surmacz contributes to exclusive symposium
December 1, 2008
Eva Surmacz, Director of the College's Obesity and Cancer Program, Associate Professor in Biology (Research) and researcher at the Sbarro Institute of Health, was one of only 20 invited international experts to participate in the exclusive Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Symposium "Metabolic Syndrome: Carcinogenesis and Prevention." The symposium, held in Tokyo beginning November 9, focused on epidemiological data linking obesity to cancer, molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon and strategies for prevention. The impact of diet on cancer prevalence in Asia was also discussed. Surmacz presented her work on the molecular links between breast and colorectal cancer and the obesity hormone leptin.
November
College's 10th Anniversary Celebration a complete success!
November 24, 2008
The College of Science and Technology celebrated the 10th Anniversary of its formation from the science disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts in 1998 with an exciting week of festivities. Hundreds of alumni, friends, faculty, students and staff attended over a dozen lectures, demonstrations and events. The week started with the shocking Homemade Earthquake, continued through the Chemistry/Physics symposium and the Wine Tasting, and culminated with the 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert Honoring Distinguished Faculty and Students. The College thanks everyone who contributed to the celebration and wishes all faculty, students and staff another 10 years of success!
2008 Distinguished Faculty Award Winners
November 24, 2008
Temple President Ann Weaver Hart and Dean Dai then took the presented the Distinguished Faculty Awards to Italia-Eire Distinguished Teacher of the Year Theodore Burkhardt, Dean's Excellence in Mentoring Award winner Grant Krow, William Caldwell Memorial Distinguished Teaching Award winner Boris Datskovsky, Steven Petchon Distinguished Teaching Award winner Wendy Urban, Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award Winner Abbe Forman, and Dean's Distinguished Award for Excellence in Research Award Winner Zoran Obradovic. More information
New machinist boosts RISF capabilities
November 21, 2008
Machinist Matt McCormick joined the College’s Research and Instructional Support Facility (RISF) on November 17, doubling the shop's production capacity. Matt is a tool and die machinist with extensive experience in the design and fabrication of precision-machined components using CAD/CAM systems and computer numerical control (CNC) as well as conventional machine shop equipment. He has over 25 years of machining experience at companies like Laneko Precision and H&K Tool and joins the College after six years at Penn Reel Co., where he designed and manufactured precision, close tolerance progressive dies, rapid prototype components, injection molds and production tooling. Matt's arrival enhances the ability of the RISF to support the instructional and research efforts of the College.
Obradovic delivers keynote lecture
November 6, 2008
Zoran Obradovic, Director of CST’s Center for Information Science and Technology, gave a keynote lecture at the IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine in Philadelphia on November 4. Entitled "Functions of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Relationship with Human Disease Network," the talk described his group's intrinsically disordered protein predictive program, which has won three consecutive awards at Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction meetings.
Italian senator visits Sbarro Institute
Nobemver 6, 2008
Senator Sergio De Gregorio, chairman of the Italian Parliamentary delegation to NATO, was honored by Dean Hai-Lung Dai and Vice Dean George Palladino during a visit to the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine. More Information
CST in the News: Antonio Giordano in Nature Biotechnology
November 3, 2008
Antonio Giordano, Director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, was quoted in the October 2008 issue of Nature Biotechnology on approval of adenoviral gene therapy drugs by the FDA.
October
CST in the News: Taste test strips on CNN
October 30, 2008
Biology professor Greg Smutzer’s taste test strips were featured in a nationally broadcast segment on CNN on October 23.
CIS' Koffman wins ACM award
October 30, 2008
Computer and Information Sciences professor Elliot Koffman received the 2009 Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education from the Association for Computer Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE). The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a long lasting impact in the field. Koffman, a former SIGCSE chairman, will give the keynote address at the 40th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education March 4, 2009 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He joins fellow CIS professor Robert Aiken as a recipient of the award.
Biology roundtable explores careers options
October 30, 2008
The Biology department, in cooperation with CST Career Services and Temple’s Career Center, presented the 2nd annual "What can I do with my degree?" roundtable discussion on October 22. Biology professors Seema Freer and Daniel Spaeth arranged for nine alumni, industry representatives and faculty to speak about their career experiences and the various options open to biology majors. The speakers were Dr. Deb Stull and Dr. Greg Smutzer of the Biology Department, Dr. George Baran of the Biomedical Engineering Program, Mr. Nathan Jones, recruiter for life-sciences staffing firm Aerotek, Dr. Bennett Ma, Temple alum and Senior Research Chemist at Merck Research Laboratories, Ms. Liz Massas, Child Life Education and Creative Arts Therapy specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Ms. Florence Peterson and Dr. Farbod Nekouei of laboratory testing firm EMSL Analytical, Inc., Mr. Andrew Wheeler of the executive staffing firm Diversified Search, and Dr. MaryEllen Carlile Klusacek, Medical Writer at academic publisher WoltersKluwer. More than 100 students participated in the one-on-one career coaching and mentoring conversations that followed the talks.
Grabovsky of Mathematics Solves Celebrated Open Problem
October 23, 2008
Mathematics Associate Professor Yury Grabovsky, with graduate student Tadele Mengesha, recently solved an important open problem in the calculus of variations, the one-dimensional version of which was stated by Karl Weierstrass in the 1800s and subsequently established by David Hilbert. The proof of quasiconvexity based sufficient conditions for strong local minima in vectorial variational problems consists of three major parts: the Decomposition Theorem, the Orthogonality principle and the Localization principle. Sir John Ball, Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Oxford, called this an "absolutely fundamental result and a really fantastic paper, one of the best of recent years in the calculus of variations." This problem is relevant to a wide variety of phenomena ranging from fluid flow to magnetostatics. Grabovsky delivered a lecture series at Oxford on his results in early October.
CIS students attend Grace Hopper conference
October 6, 2008
CIS graduate students Jingting Zeng and Shusha Li attended the 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference Denver, Colorado beginning on October 1st. Their research projects were accepted last spring for submission and will also be entered in the ACM Technical Research Poster competition. Jingting's submission is entitled "Shape Decomposition Based on Combined Boundary-Skeleton Features" and Shusha's project is entitled "Shape Correspondence Using Particle Filter.” Dr. Rolf Lakaemper is the advisor for both projects. Claudia Pine-Simon is the students mentor and accompanied them to the conference.
CST in the News: Rongjia Tao’s fuel device
October 6, 2008
Dr. Tao’s device has garnered significant interest, including pieces in the New Scientist, CNet, Science News and Energy Efficiency News.
September
Biology undergrads participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day
September 30, 2008
Biology students in Dr. Jackie Tanaka’s "Biological Impacts of Global Climate Change" course participated in International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 20. They removed and documented for the Ocean Conservancy over 1000 pounds of trash from Cobbs Creek in West Philadelphia, including almost 900 plastic bags, almost 700 food wrappers and nearly 400 plastic bottles. The Cleanup Day was instituted in response to growing amounts of non-biodegradable trash in oceans and waterways, including a patch in the northern Pacific that covers an area roughly the size of Africa.
Chemistry’s Sieburth to be honored by POCC
September 30, 2008
Dr. Scott Sieburth will receive the Philadelphia Organic Chemists’ Club Award on October 22 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to organic chemistry and service to the scientific community. Sieburth will give the final talk of the day, "Studies in Silicon and Cycloaddition."
Physics chair Rongjia Tao develops simple device that boosts gas efficiency
September 25, 2008
The small device consists of an electrically charged tube that can be attached to the fuel line of a car’s engine near the fuel injector. With the use of a power supply from the vehicle’s battery, the device creates an electric field that thins fuel, or reduces its viscosity, so that smaller droplets are injected into the engine.
"We expect the device will have wide applications on all types of internal combustion engines, present ones and future ones," Dr. Tao wrote in the published study, "Electrorheology Leads to Efficient Combustion." More Information
News of Dr. Tao’s story has been picked up by techradar.com, Green Car Congress and Science Daily.
Nicholson co-organizes international conference
September 23, 2008
Dr. Allen Nicholson, CST Associate Dean and professor in the departments of Biology and Chemistry, co-organized the six-day international conference “Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression: Mechanisms of mRNA Decay,” held September 14-19 in Lucca, Italy. More Information
Dr. Nicholson was also an invited speaker at the International Conference on Ribonuclease H in Tsuruoga, Japan.
Chemistry Department a major presence at ACS meeting
September 11, 2008
The American Chemical Society (ACS) returned to Philadelphia for its 236th National Meeting August 17-21, providing an opportunity to highlight Temple chemistry faculty and students, as well as showcase the extensive chemical research being conducted at the university. More Information
SHRO co-sponsors viral oncology conference in Philadelphia
September 5, 2008
The Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), in association with the College of Science and Technology, and the Human Health Foundation are sponsoring a conference organized by the International Committee on Viral Oncology Research on September 26-27, 2008. More Information
New students and new faculty arrive!
September 3, 2008
Six new faculty and more than 1000 new students began the Fall 2008-2009 semester on September 2.
New undergraduates gathered in Beury Hall for two separate "Meet the Dean" sessions on August 28 in preparation for the school year. Dean Dai gave introductory remarks, recent alumni spoke about their experiences, and Director of Student Services Matt Campbell and Director of Career Services Olga Vilceanu introduced students to their services.
The College's new faculty are Erik Cordes in Biology, Bradford Wayland and Giacinto Scoles in Chemistry, Yuhan Guo and Haibin Ling in Computer and Information Sciences, and David Futer in Mathematics. More Information
Meziani group installs experiment equipment at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
September 3, 2008
Zein-Eddine Meziani’s research group, with the help of Ed Kaczanowicz, Research and Instructional Support Supervisor, designed, built and, on August 26, installed a gas Cherenkov detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLAB) in Newport News, Virginia. The detector will be used for an experiment entitled Spin Asymmetries of the Nucleon, which investigates how quarks' spins are oriented inside nucleons. This unique experiment will precisely measure nucleon spin structure using a polarized electron beam with an energy of 6 GeV and a polarized ammonia target inside the detector. Photos
Students help out with summer research at Sbarro Institute
September 3, 2008
Twelve American and Italian college and high school students spent part of the summer alongside researchers in the Sbarro Institute’s molecular biology laboratory. More Information
August
Math’s David Hill honored for contributions to online math instruction
August 28, 2008
Professor Hill received the 2008 Mathematics Classic Award from Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching for his contributions to online learning and instruction through a web site. More Information
CST in the News: Antonio Giordano on the cover of International Journal of Oncology
August 28, 2008
Dr. Giordano, Director of the Sbarro Health Research Institute, was featured on the August 2008 cover of International Journal of Oncology and profiled inside.
Biology’s Joel Sheffield presents at microscopy and microanalysis meeting
August 28, 2008
Dr. Sheffield presented a tutorial entitled "An Introduction to ImageJ: A Useful Tool for Biological Image Processing and Analysis" at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 Meeting on August 6. A copy of the presentation is available on the ImageJ website.
EES chair David Grandstaff discusses department name change with Temple Times
August 20, 2008
"The department is growing and the specialties of the faculty are also changing," says Dr. Grandstaff in the article. More Information
CST students help out at Gillespie Beacon Center summer camp
August 18, 2008
Philadelphia middle school students from the Gillespie Beacon Free Summer Camp visited campus on August 13 for a closing celebration that included pizza, ice cream, card tricks and a chess championship. Members of the Temple Bridge to Doctorate and Department of Biology Undergraduate Summer Research programs had been volunteer coaching Gillespie students in chess and soccer for most of the summer.
Funded by a supplement to the National Science Foundation grant that supports the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, the Temple Bridge to Doctorate program is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority graduate students, and ultimately faculty, in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The Gillespie Beacon Center is one of 44 Beacon community centers located in schools.
Sbarro Institute researcher publishes book chapter
August 11, 2008
Mario Federico, MD, a Post-Doctorate Fellow at the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, has published a chapter in "Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology," the most widely used textbook on radiation oncology. Dr. Federico's chapter covers brachytherapy, one of the most effective techniques of radiation oncology. Brachytherapy which is used in many different tumors and clinical settings - allows the delivery of high radiation doses to the tumor bed, while sparing the surrounding normal tissue.
Biology undergraduates present summer research results
August 7, 2008
On August 1, a closing ceremony was held for the Department of Biology Undergraduate Summer Research Program. Following remarks by recent alumnus Josh Meyer, Department Chair Dr. Shohreh Amini and Dean Hai-Lung Dai, the 11 students presented posters summarizing their research to faculty, friends and family. The research was performed with Biology faculty members and included topics like “Using Zebrafish as a Model to Study Nicotine Addiction” and “Do Embryological Retinal Cells show an Affinity for Retinal Tissue in the Developing Chick?”
CST in the News: Biology professor Greg Smutzer
August 6 , 2008
Biology professor Greg Smutzer and his newly developed taste test strips are featured in a 6 ABC News Special Report.
July
Math grad student attends summer algebra session in Spain
July 31, 2008
Kirk Soodhalter was one of five U.S. graduate students, and about 50 worldwide, to attend the first Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Activity Group (SIAG)/Linear Algebra - Group of Investigation in Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation in Science and Technology (LA-SIMUMAT) International Summer School on Numerical Linear Algebra (ISSNLA). Lectures at the summer school, held at the International Center for Mathematical meetings in Castro Urdiales, Spain from July 21-25, 2008, focused on maturing current research and applications in numerical linear algebra. Kirk’s trip was funded by an NSF grant obtained by Mathematics professor Dr. Daniel Szyld.
Biology study shows promise for treating leukemia
July 15, 2008
In a Cancer Research article published today, Biology doctoral student Anita Gaurnier-Hausser and professor George Tuszynski present research that shows the protein Angiocidin could help in the treatment of leukemia. More Information.
Professor Emeritus Thomas Punnet passes away
July 15, 2008
Colleagues mourn the passing this month of Dr. Thomas Punnett Jr., who taught and conducted research for 35 years in the Biology Department. The Philadelphia Inquirer has published an obituary: "Thomas Roosevelt Punnett Jr., 82, a biochemist and professor emeritus at Temple University who had a sharp intellect, superb teaching skills, and a great sense of humor, died July 4 of cutaneous lymphoma at Hahnemann University Hospital."
EES graduate student Michael Wyant selected for NASA internship
July 10, 2008
Michael, a first-year graduate student studying planetary geology, is one of only 24 students from around the country to spend 10 weeks this summer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center assisting a NASA scientist with his or her ongoing research. He will present the results of his research to peers and NASA personnel at the end of the summer. More Information
New Chemistry Professor: Dr. Bradford Wayland
July 2, 2008
Dr. Wayland, a tenured Professor of Chemistry effective July 1, joins the College after decades as a faculty member and leading researcher in inorganic and polymer chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include controlled radical polymerizations of olefins by chain transfer catalysis and living radical polymerization; design and synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers for self assembly into micelles and nano-structured arrays; design and synthesis of new classes of porphyrin and metallo-porphyrin chromophore materials; synthesis, structure and reactivity of organometallic complexes of metallo-macrocycles; and spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies of organometallic compounds and intermediates in catalytic reactions of small molecules. The National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy are among Dr. Wayland's current funders.
New Chemistry Distinguished Adjunct Professor: Dr. Giacinto Scoles
July 2, 2008
Dr. Scoles, formerly Donner Professor of Science in the Chemistry Department of Princeton University, will be Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Science here at CST. He will establish a laboratory developing microscopic techniques for investigating biological problems at the molecular level. He also holds an appointment in biophysics at the Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati in Trieste, Italy. A fellow of the Royal Society, he is a recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Medal from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and the Peter Debye Award of the American Chemical Society.
Mark Feitelson of Biology receives NIH grant to study antiviral combination therapies
July 1 , 2008
Dr. Mark Feitelson is applying the HIV model of combination therapy development to drug treatments for hepatitis B, cirrhosis and and cancer of the liver. The estimated $1,783,000 grant, entitled "Combination Therapies for Chronic HBV, Liver Disease and Cancer," supports his efforts to isolate the most effective combinations of the many new antiviral drugs being approved by the FDA.
June
Sbarro Institute researchers isolate role of gene variation in muscle regeneration
June 30, 2008
Researchers at the Sbarro Institue have uncovered the role of the gene variation cdk9-55 in muscle regeneration. Their article published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology shows that the gene is necessary for the reprogramming of muscle stem cells required to complete the tissue regeneration process. More Information
CST in the News: Educating math and science teachers
June 30, 2008
In a Philadelphia Inquirer article about local university involvement in public issues, Temple president Ann Weaver Hart notes the College's role in educating more math and science teachers.
CST in the News: Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp
June 24, 2008
Assistant Dean Doug Baird is quoted in Lansdale Reporter and Ambler Gazette articles about Dr. Bernard Harris' visit to the science camp sponsored by his foundation and hosted by the College of Science and Technology. The article is currently featured on the paper's homepage.
Astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris visits Summer Science Camp
June 23, 2008
Dr. Bernard Harris visited Temple’s Ambler campus on June 23 for the first ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp hosted by the College of Science and Technology.
A NASA astronaut, physician and businessman, Dr. Harris became the first African American to walk in space in 1993 and logged more than 438 hours in space and over 7.2 million miles. He has an M.D. from Texas Tech University School of Medicine and is a trained aerospace flight surgeon. His Harris Foundation supports math and science education and crime prevention programs for American youth.
Dr. Harris spoke to the campers, some of the brightest middle school students from around the region, about his own youth and the importance of dedication to one’s dreams. He then posed for pictures with the children and helped officiate a camp “raft rally.” Teams of four campers designed and built small rafts out of aluminum foil and plastic straws and tested them to see which one held the most pennies while floating in water. The two winning teams’ rafts held 181 pennies apiece.
This is the first year the College has hosted the Summer Science Camp, which is sponsored by ExxonMobil. It is a free, residential, two-week academic camp that emphasizes increasing students’ mathematics/science skills, introducing them to college life, and stimulating their interest in science as a potential career path.
Chemistry’s Matsika and Shackman receive grants
June 23, 2008
Drs. Spiridoula Matsika and Jonathan Shackman recently received separate government grants funding their research.
Dr. Matsika received $200,000 from the Department of Energy for her project "Combining High Level Ab Initio Calculations with Laser Control of Molecular Dynamics." The research aims to advance understanding of laser selective chemistry by combining high level ab initio electronic structure calculations with molecular fragmentation and isomerization experiments using shaped ultrafast laser pulses. The work will be carried out in collaboration with the experimental group of Thomas Weinacht at the Department of Physics, Stony Brook University.
Dr. Shackman received $99,975 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory for his project “Microfluidic Counter Flow Electrophoretic Enrichment Separations Coupled to Chiral Capillary Electrophoresis for Trace Biomarker Analysis.” The objective is the development and application of a sensitive, two-dimensional microfluidic technique combining a counter flow electrophoretic separation and a pre-concentration dimension with a chiral capillary electrophoresis dimension.
Peter Riseborough of the Physics Department selected for Lars Onsager Professorship
June 23, 2008
Dr. Peter S. Riseborough, of the Department of Physics, has been selected for the Lars Onsager Professorship by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The Professorship is an international award in memory of Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Lars Onsager that is awarded for excellence in science in chemistry, physics or mathematics.
Dr. Riseborough was chosen based on his contributions to quantum statistical field theory in the context of condensed-matter phenomena. "We are thrilled to have Dr. Riseborough here,” says his host for the stay at NTNU, Professor Steinar Raaen, “and we really look forward to cooperating with him as this year’s Onsager Professor. Having Dr. Riseborough in the team also means that we will be able to discuss our experimental findings thoroughly against his theoretical work."
Dr. Riseborough will serve the professorship at the Department of Physics at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, from June 15 through November 30, 2008.
Research and Instructional Support Facility training dates announced
June 19, 2008
The College’s new Research and Instructional Support Facility (RISF), which provides machining, electronics and glass blowing services, is holding safety and basic machine shop practice training on July 7, 9 and 11. This training is mandatory for anyone in CST who wishes to use the Student Shop for machining. The sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a break for lunch. Standard RISF labor charges apply. Contact Ed Kaczanowicz at edward.kaczanowicz@temple.edu to sign up for a session.
CST in the News: Mathematics professor John Allen Paulos
June 17, 2008
Mathematics professor John Allen Paulos talks about probability, sports and Tiger Woods in an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Biology's Greg Smutzer develops new clinical taste testing strips
June 10, 2008
Using the same concept behind commercial breath-freshening strips, Dr. Greg Smutzer, director of the Laboratory of Gustatory Psychophysics in the Biology Department, has developed a new, easier method for clinical taste testing. More Information
Articles about Dr. Smutzer's research have appeared in Medical News Today, UPI.com (United Press International) and Medindia.com.
May
Marjatta Lyyra, Physics professor, receives prestigious professorship
May 23, 2008
Physics professor Dr. Marjatta Lyyra has been awarded the prestigious Lise Meitner Professorship at Lund University in Sweden. Awarded every three years to eminent female scientists who are role models to young women, the professorships were established in honor of Lise Meitner, an Austrian-Swedish physicist who was part of the team that discovered nuclear fission.
Dr. Lyyra's research focuses on quantum interference effects and their applications to analysis of molecular dynamics. She will spend six months giving lectures at Lund University and participating in attosecond laser science research with host Professor Anne L'Huillier's group beginning January 1, 2009.
Physics 1061 student wins IEEE competition
May 23, 2008
Sudarshan Kandi won the 2008 IEEE Region 2 Student Activities Conference Physics Competition in Williamsport, Pennsylvania over the weekend of April 4, 2008. Sudarshan, an Engineering student, credits Dr. Charles Martoff’s Physics 1061: Elementary Classical Physics class with preparing him for the competition. 1061 classmate Joseph Gro came in third.
Congratulations to the Class of 2008!
May 22, 2008
Congratulations to all College of Science and Technology students who graduated on May 22, 2008! Over 300 students received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the Graduation Ceremony. Friends, families and graduating students attended the Awards Ceremony and enjoyed a free lunch at the Graduation Picnic. Chemistry/Film and Media Arts double major Sean Keuleyan was among Temple's graduating students featured in Temple News. Dr. Joseph Allegra, CST '70, delivered the Commencement Speech. More Information
Recent graduates should check out the College's Alumni & Friends page for alumni news and events, class notes, reunion information and the myowlspace portal.
Good luck graduates!
TUteach degrees approved
May 16, 2008
In November 2007, Temple University was one of twelve institutions to receive a National Math and Science Initiative grant to replicate the existing UTeach program at The University of Texas at Austin. On May 13, 2008, the six majors in which TUteach students will earn degrees were approved by the Temple University Board of Trustees.
Students will begin earning Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology with Teaching, Mathematics with Teaching, Chemistry with Teaching, Earth and Space Science with Teaching, Physics with Teaching and General Science with Teaching in Fall 2008. All six majors will require 50-65 science credits and 20-27 credits in UTeach pedagogy, liberal arts or research. Based on UTeach degree models, the new majors are designed to provide graduates with two separate knowledge sets; scientific content knowledge and pedagogical understanding of how to convey that information.
CST is working closely with the College of Education, the UTeach program and the National Math and Science Initiative to help Temple students planning to become middle and high school teachers to most effectively educate young people in science and technology.
Board approves new name for Geology and new Neuroscience major
May 16, 2008
The Temple University Board of Trustees approved a new name for the Geology Department and a new CST major on May 13, 2008.
Effective July 1, 2008, the Geology Department will be called the Department of Earth and Environmental Science. The name change reflects the increasing diversity of the science performed in the Department and does not require changes to the administrative or academic structure. The BS, BA and MS Geology degrees remain unchanged.
The new Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience: Cellular and Molecular will explore the relationship between cellular and molecular activity and behavior, including motor control, object recognition and feedback. The major will prepare students for graduate or professional studies in cell or molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, biomedical sciences and medicine through calculus, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and biology courses. The BS mirrors a new College of Liberal Arts BA focusing on neuroscience systems, behavior and plasticity.
The Board also voted to terminate the College's Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, which was superseded by a BS in Biochemistry in 1987.
Biology Department Chair Dr. Shohreh Amini selected for NIH service
May 13, 2008
Dr. Shohreh Amini, Chair of the Biology Department, has been selected to be a member of the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Glia Study Section in the National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review. Members are selected based on demonstrated expertise in their field, dedication to the peer review process and the ability to provide clear and objective reviews of grant applications. Dr. Amini will serve a four-year term beginning July 1, 2008.
Geology's Dr. John Friel receives ASTM International Award of Merit
May 9, 2008
On May 5, 2008, Geology’s Dr. John Friel received the ASTM International Award of Merit at the May 2008 Committee Week in Denver, Colorado. The Award is given to an ASTM member for distinguished service and outstanding participation and includes the honorary title of Fellow.
Dr. Friel is Chairman of the ASTM International Subcommittee on X-ray and Electron Metallography, which has jurisdiction over nine standards. Since becoming Chair, Dr. Friel has led the development of new standards and the review of many existing guides that are in use worldwide. One of his efforts was the development of a new Standard Guide for Quantitative Analysis by Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy, which provides good practice guidelines for using an electron microscope for metallographic purposes. In developing the Guide, Dr. Friel spearheaded a round-robin test program at nine different laboratories that produced sufficient data for a precision and bias statement.
A lecturer in CST’s Geology Department, Dr. Friel teaches Introduction to Geology and Electron Optical Techniques. He has previously been Technical Director at Princeton Gamma-Tech and a Supervisor at Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Research Laboratories.
Biology Professors Hassan and Tanaka to attend National Academies Summer Institute
May 2, 2008
Biology Professors Mohamed Hassan and Jacqueline Tanaka have been selected to be among the 2008 participants at the National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology, June 22-27, 2008, at the Fluno Center for Executive Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. Over twenty colleges and universities have been chosen to attend the Institute in order to improve biology education at research universities across the country.
The National Academies Summer Institute will introduce the faculty to a new scientific approach to teaching that models the teaching principles of active learning, assessment, and diversity. The week long program will seek to create a forum for participants to share ideas and develop innovative instructional materials which they implement when they return to their own campuses. Activities include reflective writing, planning, researching, discussing teaching methods and philosophy, interactive presentations, and developing effective teaching materials.
The National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education Biology is organized by the National Research Council of The National Academies in partnership with the Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
April
Physics graduate student selected to attend Nobel meeting this summer
April 28, 2008
Sonja Ingram, a third year physics graduate student, has been selected to attend the prestigious 58th Meeting of Nobel Laureates this summer in Lindau, Germany. The conference will be held June 29-July 4. More information
Physics Professor Zein-Eddine Meziani named recipient of 2008 Temple University Faculty Research Award
April 23, 2008
Physics Professor Zein-Eddine Meziani, an internationally recognized researcher in nucleon and nuclear physics, has been named the recipient of the 2008 Temple University Faculty Research Award. More Information
Chemistry Graduate Student Kerisha Bowen awarded UNSECO Young Women in Science Fellowship
Trinidad and Tobago's National Commission has selected Kerisha Bowen for a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNSECO) Young Women in Science Fellowship for 2008. Ms. Bowen is doing synthetic organic chemistry research toward a Ph.D. in Professor Franklin Davis's group. Her dissertation will focus on "The Utilization of Sulfinimines (N-Sulfinyl Imines) in the Synthesis of Nitrogen Containing Compounds."
The UNSECO fellowship will partially fund the part of her dissertation that deals with the synthesis and utilization of pyrrolidine building blocks that are used to make drugs that are useful in the treatment of HIV, diabetes, cancer, and tuberculosis. This building block is expected to be an economic means to a variety of medicines as the current price of some of them are $30 for 5 mg.
The UNSECO Young Women in Science Fellowship is designed to help promote women who are in their final stages of their Ph.D. or have recently received their Ph.D. The fellowship also promotes camaraderie in the scientific community as fellows are required to do research outside of their sponsoring country.
Chemistry Professor Dr. Frank Spano voted Honors Professor of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Frank Spano, voted 2008 Temple University Honors Professor of the Year! More Information
March
Department of Mathematics Professor Daniel Szyld and Graduate Student David Fritzsche address International Symposium
The ninth IMACS International Symposium on Iterative Methods in Scientific Computing was held in Lille, France, March 17 – 20th, 2008.
College of Science and Technology Ph.D. candidate, David Fritzsche, gave a contributed talk titled "On algorithms to find an overlapping partitioning of a graph and applications to preconditioning" which presented several strategies to control the amount of overlap added to each subgraph. Dr. Szyld also addressed the Symposium as a plenary speaker with his lecture "Inexact Krylov Subspace Methods for PDEs and
Control Problems" that discussed computable inner stopping criteria and illustrated its application to several problems. The symposium, with participants from three dozen countries, featured lectures, several minisymposia, and selected contributed papers focused on an array of mathematical and computational topics such as large linear systems and preconditioning, linear algebra and control, and large scale eigenvalue computations.
Dr. Szyld also gave a lecture earlier in March at the Mathematics Colloquium at the Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, in Calais, France, titled "Optimal Left and Right Additive Schwarz Preconditioning for Minimal Residual Methods with Euclidean and Energy Norms."
Chemistry Students win awards - ACS Poster Session Jan 24, 2008
March 28, 2008
The Department of Chemistry hosted the American Chemical Society’s 8th Annual Poster Session on January 24, 2008. With more than 90 posters presented by undergraduate and graduate students and attended by 200 students and faculty from area colleges and universities. It was one of the most successful Philadelphia ACS poster sessions. More Information
New DBMD Program
March 20, 2008
November 1, 2007. Temple University President Ann Weaver Hart joined the presidents of six leading Taiwanese universities to sign a groundbreaking agreement creating a Dual Bachelor's Master's Degree [DBMD] Program.
The five-year program will offer highly qualified students from partner institutions early admission into Master's programs Temple University. Bachelor's degree offered by home institution in a 3+2 format. Program Home Page
February
Dr. Madeleine M. Joullie address 2008 Winter diploma ceremony
February 25, 2008
The winter diploma ceremony for the college was held on February 8th, 2008 at the Great Court in Mitten Hall, Temple Main Campus. Dr. Madeleine M. Joullie, The Class of 1970 Professor of Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania delivered the graduation speech to 130 CST graduates. More Information
CST Enrollment Increased Since Spring 2007
February 11, 2008
According to the University's official census for the Spring 2008 semester, more Temple students are pursuing degrees in science and technology than ever before. The number of CST undergraduate majors increased by 8.6 percent, from 2660 in Spring 2007 to 2888 in Spring 2008. For comparison, the university-wide increase was 3.3 percent. CST graduate students increased by 10.8 percent, from 204 in Spring 2007 to 226 in Spring 2008.The university-wide increase was 1 percent.
Physics Postdoc Receives Fellowship from Jefferson National Accelerator Lab
February 8 , 2008
Research that will cast a new spin on particles inside the atomic nucleus has Brad Sawatsky, a postdoc in the Physics Department, the first-ever JSA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Sawatzky will spend the fellowship's $10,000 research grant to purchase and assemble components of a flash-ADC-based data acquisition system. This cutting-edge electronics system, which is still in development, may allow researchers to record five times more data than they can currently capture. Full Story
January
Business Technology Consulting Opportunities at Thorogood Associates
January 31, 2008
Campus Interview on Thursday, February 21, 2008. More Information
Szyld Appointed to Advisory Committee for Mathematics Awareness Month
January 29, 2008
Daniel Szyld, professor in the Department of Mathematics, was appointed to the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics' advisory committee for this year's Mathematics Awareness Month, held each April. The event was recently mentioned in Newsweek.
Mathematics Awareness Month Web Site
Geology's Nyquist Chairs EEGS Annual Meeting in Philadelphia
January 25, 2008
Jonathan Nyquist, associate professor in the Department of Geology, is chair of this year's Environmental and Engineering Geophysicist Society's annual meeting, to be held April 6-10 at the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown. The symposium will include oral and poster presentations, courses, keynote speaker Dr. Robin Bell, senior research scientist at Lamont-Doherty, and full and half-day field trips.
Brochure and Program (PDF)
CST Welcomes New Director of International Programs
January 22, 2008
The College of Science and Technology is pleased to welcome Dr. Olga Vilceanu as the new director of international programs. Dr. Vilceanu previously served Temple at the Teaching and Learning Center since 2002, most recently as Acting Associate Director and briefly functioning as Interim Director. Dr. Vilceanu received her Ph.D. from Temple University in Mass Media and Communication, an M.B.A in Operations Management from Politechnica University in Bucharest, Romania, and M.A. and B.A degrees from Bucharest University. Dr. Vilceanu will manage International Programs and Career Services for CST. Her initial focus will be establishing and directing the Dual Bachelor's-Master's Degree (DBMD) Program for international students. Later on, she will help augment and manage new discipline-specific career services for CST students.
Geology's Toran Discusses Climate Change on KYW News Radio
January 21, 2008
Laura Toran, professor in the Department of Geology, discussed climate change on KYW News Radio in January. "2007 was another record-breaking year for the Earth's climate. This week's report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that 2007 was the warmest ever for all the land areas on Earth and the tenth warmest on record for the U.S. Dr. Toran says she's not surprised: "We've been seeing this trend over the last ten years really.”
Full Story
Meziani Invited To Serve on American Physics Society Division of Nuclear Physics Program Committee
January 18, 2008
Zein-Eddine Meziani, professor in the Department of Physics,
has been invited to serve on the Division of Nuclear Physics Program Committee of the American Physics Society for the next two years. The committee serves the key function of deciding on the invited talks and mini-symposia at the annual DNP Fall meeting and at the larger APS Spring meeting that is held in concert with other APS Divisions.
Chemistry Graduate Student Dementev Wins First Prize for Poster
January 18, 2008
Nikolay Dementev, a Chemistry graduate student in the Borguet group, won first prize for his poster at the Thermal Analysis Forum of Delaware Valley poster session, on December 6, 2007 in Claymont, Del. Nikolay Dementev and Dmitry Kazachkin presented the following posters: "Thermoanalysis as a tool for the evaluation of chemical composition, purity and purification protocols of carbon nanotubes" (Nikolay Dementev, Dmitry Kazachkin, and Eric Borguet) and "TPD-MS analysis of carbon materials: temperature induced chemistry" (Dmitry V. Kazachkin, Nikolay Dementev, Radisav Vidic, and Eric Borguet).
Dementev has been invited to give a presentation at The Thermal Analysis Forum of Delaware Valley , TAFDV, annual symposium on "Application of Thermal Analysis to Polymers or Pharmaceuticals" on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, to be held at the ASTM Headquarters, Conshohocken, Pa.
Graduate Student Sonja Ingram Invited to 2008 Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting
January 11, 2008
Sonja Ingram, graduate student in the Department of Physics, has been invited to attend the 2008 Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting in Lindau, Germany.
Since 1951, Nobel Laureates in chemistry, physics, and physiology/medicine convene annually in Lindau, Germany, to have open and informal meetings with students and young researchers. Sonja was one of just 60 applicants chosen by The Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE-SC) and the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences of the National Science Foundation.
Lindau Conference Web Site
Faculty: Nominate Your Outstanding Undergraduate Student for a Diamond Award!
January 9, 2008
The Division of Student Affairs has invited the faculty to nominate deserving students for the university-wide Diamond Awards. These awards are for undergraduate students in their junior or senior year. The award criteria take into consideration the student's overall accomplishments in academic excellence, service to the University, impact of the student's work, and leadership.
Nominations are accepted until March 3, 2008.
For more information or to obtain nomination forms, please visit:
http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/deanofstudents/programs/diamond_awards.htm
Matsika to Lecture Nationally and Internationally
January 9, 2008
Spiridoula Matsika, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been invited to lecture on non-adiabatic phenomena at the 48th Sanibel Symposium, to be held in Georgia, February 2008; on " Photochemistry and Photobiology: Probing excited states using experiment and theory" at the 90th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, May 2008; at the Telluride Workshop on Spectroscopy and Dynamics on Multiple Surfaces, Telluride, CO, July 2008; and at the XIX International Symposium on the Jahn-Teller Effect: Vibronic Interactions and Orbital Physics in Molecules and in the Condensed Phase, Heidelberg, Germany, August 2008.
Martoff Invited to Give Seminar at Fermi National Accelerator Lab
January 9, 2008
C. Jeff Martoff, professor in the Department of Physics, was invited to give a seminar at the Astrophysics Division at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory on January 8. Dr. Martoff described the origins and detectibility of directional signals from the dark matter in the galactic halo.Fermilab is a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics.