News | College of Science and Technology

The College of Science and Technology is hosting a symposium on Computational Science on Thursday, Oct. 17 and Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. The event will take place on Main Campus and will feature many leaders in the field, including Pablo Debenedetti, Sharon Hammes-Schiffer, Jody Hey, Ronald Levy, John Perdew and others. Registration is now open.

April

2013 CIS/ACM Awards

March

CIS hosting National NSF Proposal Writing Workshop

The Department of Computer & Information Science will host a NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop on Friday, March 15 at Temple University Center City. More than 100 faculty members have registered for the workshop, from institutions across the United States, including MIT, Duke, Purdue, Princeton, Clemson and the University of Chicago. Invited speakers include Ani Hsieh from Drexel University, Tommaso Melodia from SUNY Buffalo and Sayeef Salahuddin from UC Berkeley. NSF program directors representing Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Computer and Network Systems (CNS), Information & Intelligent Systems (IIS) will also attend. Temple University provost Hai-Lung Dai will be on hand to offer opening remarks.

Organizered by CIS faculty Jie Wu, Shan Lin, and Chiu C. Tan, the goal of the NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop is to introduce junior faculty to the NSF CAREER program, and help them prepare their CAREER proposal. The NSF CAREER program serves a critical role in the National Science Foundation's efforts to identify, foster and support the nation's most promising junior faculty in both research and education. Junior professors who are just starting their careers often have limited experience with grant writing and evaluation. They also have little or no interaction with the program directors at NSF.

In this workshop, young faculty members will have the opportunity to improve their skills in proposal writing, as well as interact with NSF program directors from different divisions (IIS, CNS, and CCF) and recent NSF CAREER awardees. The major components of the workshop include presentations on proposal writing, experience sharing, mock panels and a proposal clinic. More information can be found here.

January

Summer Research Information Meeting

Are you looking for interesting research opportunities for this summer? Not sure what is available? At Temple, hospitals and at other universities? Not sure how to apply? The deadlines to apply are approaching fast! Some are February 1st! Summer Research Information Meeting:

November

Antonio Giordano awarded Hippocrates Grand Prize

Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, has received the Premio Grande Ippocrate or Hippocrates Grand Prize, which recognizes scientific collaboration between the United States and Italy, outstanding medical/scientific research and the importance of communicating discoveries to the general public.

The award, a collaboration between the Unione Nazionale Medico Scientifica d'Informazione [National Association for Medical/Scientific Information] and Novartis, is the sole recognition of its kind. Its four previous editions were awarded to leading figures in Italian medical research who, in addition to excelling in their scientific work, demonstrated a talent for effective communication with the media and general public. This year, the award jury chose Giordano for his outstanding research in the field of oncology, genetics and the relationships between “environmental risks” and the development of neoplasia.

In addition, Giordano was recently invited to lecture at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockolm on the role of the retinoblastoma family pathways in human cancer.

2012 Distinguished Faculty Awards

Instituted in 2007, the College of Science and Technology’s Distinguished Faculty Awards recognize tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty who are outstanding teachers, mentors and researchers. Nominated by their peers and students, awardees have demonstrated tremendous dedication to their work, to their students and to the college.

Matthew Mackie, Assistant Professor (Teaching/Instructional), Department of Physics

Alexander Yates, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer & Information Sciences

James Bloxton, Assistant Professor (Teaching/Instructional), Department of Chemistry

Nicholas Davatzes, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Science

October

Undergraduate Research Program Symposium Award Winners

CST's Undergraduate Research Program offers students the opportunity to work on real-world research projects with experienced researchers from across Temple University. Students then present their research at the URP Symposium. This year's winners are:

Santi Karnam - The Synaptic Palmitoyltransferase DHHC14 Binds and Regulates PDZ Domain Proteins

Amy Hui Ting He - Analysis of cognitive deficits in a mouse model of cerebral palsy using novel object recognition

4) Joseph Hardardt - Exploring molecular differences among distinct monocyte populations implicated in the development and progression of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders

July

Professor Michael L. Klein named Acting Dean of CST

With the appointment of Hai-Lung Dai as Interim Provost of Temple University, Professor Michel L. Klein will serve as Acting Dean of the College of Science and Technology. "Klein’s accomplishments in science, administration and building successful teams of interdisciplinary researchers will serve well in this new role," says Dai. "I have complete confidence in his abilities to do this important work on behalf of the college."

Michael L. Klein is Laura H. Carnell Professor of Science and Director of the Institute for Computational Molecular Science. Dr. Klein obtained his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Bristol in the U.K. He was an associate, senior and principal research officer in the Chemistry Division of the National Research Council of Canada from 1968 to 1987. He joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania in 1987, and was named the Hepburn Professor of Physical Science in 1993. From 1993 to 2009, when Dr. Klein joined the CST faculty, he was director of the Penn Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, one of the leading materials research labs in the U.S.

With interests spanning the modeling of soft materials and biophysical systems from a molecular perspective, Dr. Klein is among the world’s most highly cited researchers. He is the author of more than 600 scientific publications and the editor of four books. Dr. Klein has made outstanding contributions to molecular simulation throughout his career, often collaborating with industry; is a leading proponent of science policy and supercomputer development; and has supervised the education of many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to outstanding careers in academe in the U.S., Europe and around the world.

Dr. Klein received the Aneesur Rahman Prize from the American Physical Society in 1999, and the Peter Debye Award from the American Chemical Society in 2008, which are, respectively, the leading awards in computational physics and physical chemistry in the U.S. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 2009 and is an honorary fellow of many academies around the world.

Within ICMS, Dr. Klein manages a multidisciplinary team of researchers who use state-of-the-art computer simulations to model molecular behaviors in diverse environments. Similar to the way video games simulate experiences based on data—but on a much more expansive and complex level—computer models designed by the ICMS are used to verify the results of experiments put forth by collaborating researchers. ICMS research ranges from understanding nature’s molecular machines to drug discovery and impacts not only the physical and life sciences but also engineering and medicine.

May

Touchpoint Spring 2012

The spring 2012 issue of Touchpoint covers the soon-to-break-ground Science Education and Research Center, this year's student URP Symposium winners, the emerging model system green anole lizard and web-based lizardbase project and "chemistry on a plate," a profile of alumnus Jim Guare, who after a successufl career at Merck is now taking on a new career. Also: a message from Dean Dai, the list of Distinguished Faculty and Student Award winners, a TUteach update and photos from winter graduation.

March

Jie Wu named Carnell Professor

Jie Wu, chair and professor in the Department of Computer & Information Sciences, has been named Laura H. Carnell Professor of Computer Engineering by President Ann Weaver Hart and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Temple University Board of Trustees. Wu will be the fifth Carnell Professor in the College of Science and Technology. The appointment is effective July 1, 2012.

Prior to joining CST, Wu was a program director at the National Science Foundation. From 1989 to 2009, he held an appointment in the Department of Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University,where he rose to the rank of Distinguished Professor. His research interests include wireless networks, mobile computing, routing protocols, fault-tolerant computing and interconnection networks. Wu’s publications include more than 550 papers in scholarly journals and conference proceedings.

Established in 1985 by the Temple University Board of Trustees, Carnell professorships honor Temple’s first dean, Laura H. Carnell, who worked alongside founder Russell H. Conwell from 1893 until his death in 1925, most of that time as Temple’s chief administrator.

“I am honored to be included among such a distinguished and inspiring group of academics within the College of Science and Technology and across Temple University,” says Wu.

CST’s other Carnell professors are Dean Hai-Lung Dai; Franklin Davis and Michael Klein, Department of Chemistry; and Xiaoxing Xi, Department of Physics.

February

Dean Dai presents archbishop with honorary professorship

Hai-Lung Dai, dean of the College of Science and Technology, presented Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski with the title “Honorary Adjunct Professor” at the college.

Monsignor Zimowski, president for the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers for the Catholic Church at the Vatican, is in charge of the Catholic Church’s global outreach for equitable health care.

Several months ago the monsignor visited the Sbarro Health Research Organization Biotechnology Research Center, a nonprofit genetics research organization located in CST. At that time, the archbishop thanked the scientists for their research “for the future of humankind.” He offered a few remarks on the history of health care and the church, particularly the role of the former pope, John Paul II, “who had the wisdom to leave a legacy of courage to pursue difficult health research.” In a humorous closing remark, he also noted the number of young people working at the lab, and thanked them for “their work, their hearts and their good big brains.”

Grant attracts computer undergrads to CST for summer research

The Department of Computer & Information Sciences in the College of Science and Technology has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to bring top undergraduate students in computer-related disciplines to Temple for a summer research experience.

The three-year, $319,932 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) grant will support 10 undergraduate students for eight weeks, during which students will work with Temple faculty on research projects in mobile computing, wireless communication and cloud computing. The grant includes funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE) program.

Chiu Tan, assistant research professor and the principal investigator on the grant, said that the grant will allow students to come to Temple to get “hands-on” research experience and use equipment and resources which they may not have access to at their own schools. “Research equipment is expensive and there are some universities that don’t have the equipment and resources that we have available at Temple,” he said.

CIS chair Jie Wu, a co-principal investigator on the grant, said that attracting the top computer students from around the country and providing them with a rewarding research experience could ultimately lead to some of those students considering Temple for graduate school.

The competitive program, which is also open to Temple students, begins this summer and will run from May 27 to July 25. Eligible students must be either a junior or senior, a U.S. citizen and permanent resident, as well as majoring in the fields of computer science, information science, computer engineering, electrical engineering or other computer-related discipline. The 10 selected students will receive transportation, living costs and a $4,000 stipend.

--Preston Moretz

December

Outook Fall 2011

The newest issue of Outlook, CST's annual alumni magazine, features stories on the Computer & Information Sciences Department; tech commercialization and multidisciplinary research throughout the college; new faculty; class notes and an Honor Roll of Donors. You can also read a special message from Dean Hai-Lung Dai; meet alumni Marcda Hilaire, Joseph Allegra and Mirza Ahmed and learn more about our award-winning students and professors.

November

Professors Kotochigova and Martoff named American Physical Society Fellows

Two CST faculty members, Svetlana Kotochigova and C. J. Martoff, have been elected Fellows of the American Physical Society (APS). Fellowship in APS is limited to no more than one half of one percent of the society’s more than 46,000 members.

Election to APS Fellowship is recognition by peers of outstanding contributions to physics. The APS noted Professor Kotochigova’s “insightful theoretical description of the formation and control of ultracold molecules in optical trapping potentials.” Professor Martoff was singled out by the APS for his many “innovative contributions to the development of detectors for dark matter, in particular for the invention of negative ion DRIFT.”

Each fellowship nomination is evaluated by the fellowship committee of the appropriate APS division, topical group or forum. After review by the APS Fellowship Committee, the successful candidates are elected by APS Council. APS is active in public and governmental affairs, and in the international physics community. In addition, the society conducts extensive programs in education, public outreach and media relations.

New Mathematics Update newsletter

The Department of Mathematics completed another successful year. You can read all about it, meet new faculty members and learn more about student and faculty accomplishments in the first issue of Mathematics Update.

The College of Science and Technology Distinguished Faculty and Student Awards

The College of Science and Technology has awarded its 2011 Distinguished Faculty and Student Awards, honoring faculty for teaching, mentoring and research and undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the classroom and laboratory. For the full list of awardees, click here.

October

2011 URP Research Symposium Award Winners

Presentation Title - Titanium dioxide doped with palladium nanoparticles for sensing hydrazine

Poster Title - Cannabidiol and mechanisms in preventing chemotherapy-neuropathic pain in female mice C57/Bl/6

Poster Title - Does the slip model apply during inverted running in cockroaches?

Poster Title - Time dependent vesicle exchange of hydrogenated and dueterated DMPC SUVs

September

Vanguard helps CIS students attend Grace Hopper Computing Conference

Four CIS students will present their research at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in Portland, Ore. this November. Inspired by computer pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, the conference highlights research and career interests of women in computing.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to see what women innovators and leaders have done in our field,” said Instructor Wendy Urban who, along with Instructor Claudia Pine-Simon, mentored the Temple students.

Two CIS student projects where chosen. Moriah Baxevane-Connell’s “Women and Computer-Related Fields of Study” investigates how high school and college students view computer classes. Annika Lutz, Emily Le Blanc and Kathryn Knauth presented “Mind-Body Kinection, Utilizing the Kinect Platform for Therapeutic Recreation,” which explores how users can control 3D graphics through body movements.

Vanguard, the investment firm that also serves on CIS’ advisory council, will provide $2,900 to offset the students’ conference costs. “Vanguard is an outstanding corporate partner,” said Urban, noting the firm consistently hires interns and full-time employees from CIS. “For students to see such a highly regarded company so committed to Temple, that is a huge plus.”

Biology student Haley Gilles earns CARAS grant to study bird collisions on Main Campus

To find out more about the bird collision problem on Main Campus, Haley Gillis applied for and received a grant from Temple's Creative Arts, Research and Scholarship Program (CARAS), which provides up to $3,000 for scholarly, creative and research projects. "I've been working with the Temple grounds crew to track where and when birds crash into windows," says Gilles. "I'm testing different types of film on glass in Beury Hall to determine which are the most effective at mitigating bird strikes. Hopefully, the university can install them in other locations across campus."

Read more about her project and her experience with feeding cheetahs 'bloodsicles."

August

Undergraduate Research Program Students Earn Scholarships

Five CST students currently participating in the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) were awarded Dean’s Scholarship in recognition of their outstanding work in the classroom and lab. The $2,000 scholarships went to Ashia Bibi, Petra Brayo, Mateusz Dobrowolski, Cheryl Doughty and Feisi Liang.

Another URP student, Nicole Haloupek, received the $2,000 Hazel M. Tomlinson, Ph.D. Memorial Scholarship. Established in 1995 by the estate of Tomlinson (BA ’26, MA ’28, Chem), a long-time member of the chemistry faculty, the scholarship is awarded to undergraduate chemistry students who have demonstrated academic achievement and financial need.

Begun in the summer of 2009, URP aims to get more CST student into the laboratory with world-class Temple researchers. Students receive academic credit for lab work and can earn an hourly stipend. More than 220 students have participated in the program, working with faculty from CST and across the University. In addition to this year’s awardees, there have been seven other URP students who have earned CST scholarships.

In this section

Contact INFORMATION

Recent News

May

Computational Science Symposium

April

2013 CIS/ACM Awards

March

CIS hosting National NSF Proposal Writing Workshop

January

Summer Research Information Meeting

November

Antonio Giordano awarded Hippocrates Grand Prize

2012 Distinguished Faculty Awards

October

Undergraduate Research Program Symposium Award Winners

July

Professor Michael L. Klein named Acting Dean of CST

May

Touchpoint Spring 2012

March

Jie Wu named Carnell Professor

February

Dean Dai presents archbishop with honorary professorship

Grant attracts computer undergrads to CST for summer research

December

Outook Fall 2011

November

Professors Kotochigova and Martoff named American Physical Society Fellows

New Mathematics Update newsletter

The College of Science and Technology Distinguished Faculty and Student Awards

October

2011 URP Research Symposium Award Winners

September

Vanguard helps CIS students attend Grace Hopper Computing Conference

Biology student Haley Gilles earns CARAS grant to study bird collisions on Main Campus

August

Undergraduate Research Program Students Earn Scholarships

Return