Recent News
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
First Place Winner for the Presentation Session - $500 Award
Uduak Udoeyo, Junior Biology Major
Presentation Title - Titanium dioxide doped with palladium nanoparticles for sensing hydrazine
Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Eric Borguet
First Place Winner for the Poster Session - $500 Award
Khristina Pavlenko, Junior Chemistry Major
Poster Title - Cannabidiol and mechanisms in preventing chemotherapy-neuropathic pain in female mice C57/Bl/6
Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Sara Ward
Second Place Winner for the Poster Session - $300 Award
Petra Brayo, Junior Neuroscience Major
Poster Title - Role of Pur-a in Temodar Induced DNA Damage
Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Shohreh Amini
Honorable Mention for the Poster Session - $100 Award
Sachin Parikh, Senior Neuroscience Major
Poster Title - Does the slip model apply during inverted running in cockroaches?
Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Tonia Hsieh
Honorable Mention for the Poster Session - $100 Award
Kristina Roth, Senior Chemistry Major
Poster Title - Time dependent vesicle exchange of hydrogenated and dueterated DMPC SUVs
Faculty Sponsor - Dr. Stephanie Wunder
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.
