CSMCONNECT http://science.kennesaw.edu
ISSUE 07
Spring / 2016
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER
ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
MATHEMATICS
PHYSICS
STATISTICS AND ANALYTICAL SCIENCES
CSMConnect is the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) biannual newsletter designed to keep you informed of the latest activities and developments going on in the college. CSM is soaring into the next level of national prominence through cutting-edge research. The College is active in local and international scientific communities and promotes innovation in teaching. CSM values the networks developed with partners on and off campus. You are important in our network of partners.
THE ISLAND OF STABILITY By Robert Godlewski & Jennifer Hafer, University Relations
IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements
1 1
18 2
He
H
helium
hydrogen [1.007, 1.009]
3
2
Be beryllium
[6.938, 6.997]
atomic number
4
Li lithium
13
Key:
5
Symbol name standard atomic weight
9.012
14 6
15 7
16 8
17
4.003
9
10
B
C
N
O
F
Ne
boron
carbon
nitrogen
oxygen
fluorine
neon
[10.80, 10.83]
[12.00, 12.02]
[14.00, 14.01]
[15.99, 16.00]
19.00
20.18
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Na
Mg
Al
Si
P
S
Cl
Ar
sodium
magnesium
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
phosphorus
sulfur
chlorine
argon
[24.30, 24.31]
4
silicon
22.99
3
aluminium 26.98
[28.08, 28.09]
30.97
[32.05, 32.08]
[35.44, 35.46]
39.95
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
K
Ca
Sc
Ti
V
Cr
Mn
Fe
Co
Ni
Cu
Zn
Ga
Ge
As
Se
Br
Kr
potassium
calcium
scandium
titanium
vanadium
chromium
manganese
iron
cobalt
nickel
copper
zinc
gallium
germanium
arsenic
selenium
bromine
krypton
40.08
44.96
47.87
63.55
65.38(2)
69.72
78.97
[79.90, 79.91]
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
Rb
39.10
Sr
Y
Zr
Nb
50.94
Mo
52.00
Tc
Ru
Rh
Pd
Ag
Cd
In
Sn
Sb
Te
I
Xe
yttrium
zirconium
niobium
molybdenum
technetium
ruthenium
rhodium
palladium
silver
cadmium
indium
tin
antimony
tellurium
iodine
xenon
101.1
102.9
106.4
107.9
112.4
114.8
118.7
121.8
127.6
126.9
131.3
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
Tl
rubidium
strontium
85.47
87.62
88.91
91.22
92.91
95.95
55
56
57-71
72
73
74
lanthanoids
Cs
Ba
caesium
barium
132.9
137.3
87
88
89-103
Fr
Ra
actinoids
francium
radium
54.94
75
55.85
58.93
58.69
72.63
74.92
83.80
Hf
Ta
W
Re
Os
Ir
Pt
Au
Hg
Pb
Bi
Po
At
Rn
hafnium
tantalum
tungsten
rhenium
osmium
iridium
platinum
gold
mercury
thallium
lead
bismuth
polonium
astatine
radon
178.5
180.9
183.8
186.2
190.2
192.2
195.1
197.0
200.6
[204.3, 204.4]
207.2
209.0
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
Rf
Db
Sg
Bh
Hs
Mt
Ds
Rg
Cn
Uut
Fl
Uup
Lv
Uus
Uuo
rutherfordium
dubnium
seaborgium
bohrium
hassium
meitnerium
darmstadtium
roentgenium
copernicium
ununtrium
flerovium
ununpentium
livermorium
ununseptium
ununoctium
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
La
Ce
Pr
Nd
Pm
Sm
Eu
Gd
Tb
Dy
Ho
Er
Tm
Yb
Lu
lanthanum
cerium
praseodymium
neodymium
promethium
samarium
europium
gadolinium
terbium
dysprosium
holmium
erbium
thulium
ytterbium
lutetium
138.9
140.1
140.9
144.2
150.4
152.0
157.3
158.9
162.5
164.9
167.3
168.9
173.0
175.0
89
90
91
92
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
93
103
Ac
Th
Pa
U
Np
Pu
Am
Cm
Bk
Cf
Es
Fm
Md
No
Lr
actinium
thorium
protactinium
uranium
neptunium
plutonium
americium
curium
berkelium
californium
einsteinium
fermium
mendelevium
nobelium
lawrencium
232.0
231.0
238.0
Photo courtesy of iupac.org
For notes and updates to this table, see www.iupac.org. This version is dated 8 January 2016. Copyright © 2016 IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
Sounds like a nice place,
doesn’t it? “The Island of Stability.” This is no tropical paradise, but rather a theoretical place on the periodic table that could one day lead to unknown technological advances. Scientists recently took four more steps toward “The Island of Stability,” with the discovery of new elements, Nos. 113, 115, 117 and 118. Discoveries that should be exciting to even non-California Institute of Technology grads, according to Caltech grad and Kennesaw State physics professor Nikolaos Kidonakis.
Kidonakis says creating the higher number elements is a simple matter of attraction. The higher the number on the periodic table, the heavier the elements. A theoretical physicist, Kidonakis’ research involves the elementary particles in physics, including quarks and the Higgs boson, which the media often refers to as the “God particle.” Kidonakis’ calculations have been used by scientists running experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. A few years ago, scientists at CERN made news around the world when, after analyzing data from a series of experiments, they announced they were certain that the Higgs boson had been discovered. Watch Dr. Kidonakis’ interview Super-heavy Elements Discovered Part 1 and Part 2 on YouTube for more information on the newly discovered elements.
OWL INAUGURAL CLASS FINDS SUCCESS IN BRIDGES PROGRAM The new Peach State Bridges to the Doctorate program in the College of Science and Mathematics launched in Fall 2015 with an inaugural class of seven participants. Participants include five first year M.S. students and two second year M.S. students, all based out of our Master of Science in Integrative Biology and Master of Science in Chemical Sciences degree programs. Although the program started in the fall, it has already given the participants several opportunities to distinguish themselves from other candidates for doctoral programs. Second year students Juan Rodriguez and Verra Ngwa (pictured L to R) are currently interviewing at top-tier doctoral programs, including Vanderbilt and Emory. Both Ngwa and Rodriguez have presented at several conferences since the start of the program, and Ngwa will give a talk at the upcoming meeting of The American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in San Diego. “The Bridges to Doctorate program has given me more hands on experience including skills and techniques on optical biosensing, confocal microscopy, and tissue culture,” says Ngwa, who has also co-authored a paper published in Journal of Cell Science that will be featured as a spotlight paper in March. “The program has prepared me to hit the ground running as I utilized my skills when I get into a doctoral program.” First year students include a Gates Foundation Scholar, a McNair Scholar and the former student body president of Miles College in Alabama, with research interests ranging from neuroscience to human genetics to virology. First year student Carmen Vails is author on a paper recently published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. “We are off to a great start,” says Jonathan McMurry, director of the program. “Our inaugural class is a very talented, eager and ambitious bunch. The faculty have been very impressed with how quickly they have immersed themselves into the process of becoming research scientists. Discoveries have already been made.” One of only 18 such programs nationwide, the NIH-funded, five year project aims to increase the number of biomedical Ph.D.-level scientists from underrepresented minority groups by providing outstanding training to students at the masters level and assuring successful transitions to doctoral programs. Participants are also pursing professional development and networking opportunities with the program’s doctoral partners, UGA, Georgia Tech and the Medical College of Georgia. Recruiting partnerships have been established throughout the Southeast with baccalaureate institutions and the program has drawn nationwide interest from applicants. The Bridges to Doctorate program is currently recruiting the Class of 2018 to start in August 2016. Visit bridges.kennesaw.edu to learn more about the program.
Kennesaw State elevated to doctoral research institution in Carnegie Classification Kennesaw State University has been elevated to a doctoral research institution with moderate research activity — designated “R3” — in The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning 2015 update. The University was previously classified among larger Master’s Colleges and Universities or “M1” institutions. Under the Carnegie classifications, doctoral research institutions are those that awarded at least 20 research/ scholarship doctoral degrees during the upgrade year. In FY 2015, Kennesaw State awarded 40 doctoral degrees, including the Ph.D. in International Conflict Management and doctorates in education, business administration and nursing science. Continue reading at http://bit.ly/20T1CtW
2 CSMCONNECT
College Distinguished Awards CONGRATULATIONS!
CSM honors outstanding faculty and staff
Research: Mentoring: Yuliya Babenko, Ph.D. John Haseltine, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Mathematics Associate Professor of Chemistry Staff: Vickie Burris Administrative Associate
Teaching: Lake Ritter, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics
Service: Linda Galloway, Ph.D. Lecturer of Mathematics
Professor: Tad Watanabe, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics Education >> http://science.kennesaw.edu
Alumni Spotlight
College of Science & Mathematics Research Dr. Daniela Tapu
Associate Professor of Chemistry Aridth Gibbons (left center) with President Daniel Papp and other Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.
Congratulations Aridth Gibbons!
Kennesaw State University's Office of Alumni Relations recently recognized three successful alumni and a faculty member with a ceremony and banquet celebrating their achievements as part of Homecoming 2015. Aridth Gibbons graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Viral Special Pathogens Branch, studying highly infectious viruses. At the CDC, she was part of the response team fighting to control the 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, helped track the Hantavirus in Montana and was deployed to Uganda in 2012 to battle the Marburg virus.
Dr. John C. Salerno Professor and Neel Distinguished Chair of Biotechonology
>> http://science.kennesaw.edu
Dr. John C. Salerno, Professor of Biology and Chemistry and Neel Distinguished Chair at Kennesaw State University, passed away on Dec. 25, 2015. Dr. Salerno was eminent in his field, having authored over 200 scientific publications, including fundamental discoveries in spectroscopy and enzymology. He mentored many young scientists and co-founded New Echota Biotech. Dr. John Salerno joined KSU in the academic year of 2006/2007. He was recognized by the KSU Foundation with the university’s “Distinguished Professor” award in August 2015.
Dr. Daniela Tapu’s research interests lie at the interface between organic, organometallic and material science with the main focus in an area of urgent industrial interest – catalysis. Although the fundamental processes for refining petroleum and its conversion to basic building blocks are based on heterogeneous catalysts, many important valueadded products are manufactured by homogeneous catalytic processes. Development of improved catalysts was identified as one of the today’s key challenge in the Department of Energy’s Vision 2020 report. Currently funded by the National Science Foundation, Tapu’s research challenges conventional models of chemical bonding and structure and it is centered around the development of new synthetic methodologies and strategies to facilitate the synthesis of new and improved catalysts. Understanding the relationship between molecular architecture, electronic structure and chemical reactivity of these new compounds allows for the development of more efficient homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and possible strategies to facilitate their recovery. Tapu’s laboratory provides undergraduates and graduate students at KSU the opportunity to develop as young scientist-scholars in the classroom, laboratory and as presenters at scientific meetings.
ScienceTalk: A lecture series Founder & CEO of ArrayFire John Melonakos will focus on high-performance engineering and entrepreneurship. When: Wednesday, March 23 at 2:00pm Where: Marietta Campus, Wilson Student Center, Ballroom A&B. Space is limited! Register today at http://bit.ly/ScienceTALKMar2016
3 CSMCONNECT
Kennesaw State University College of Science and Mathematics 105 Marietta Dr., MD #1301 Kennesaw, GA 30144
This newsletter is a collaboration between the College of Science and Mathematics and the KSU Alumni Association.
Alumni Spotlight Be featured in CSMConnect, our alumni newsletter! Let us know what you are doing after graduation and how our programs prepared you for your career. Submit your story at http://bit.ly/CSMAlumniSpotlight
March 19-26, 2016 and donate to the College of Science and Mathematics
Atlanta Science Festival is a week-long celebration of local science and technology held each year. Scientists and educators from local colleges, museums and companies will uncover mysteries and explain discoveries in hands-on activities, facility tours, stimulating presentations, and riveting performances for adults and children of all ages. Our college will be participating with the following events: The Next Generation of Scientists: How STEM fields will impact children Dr. Karen Hypolite Sat., March 19, 12-1pm Atlantic Station An engaging discussion how you can get kids ready for the changing direction of the STEM fields. “The Element of Surprise!” Dr. Nancy Jo Kirk Sat. March 26, 11am-5pm ASF Exploration Expo Chemistry demonstrations and hands-on activities for the curious. “Boiling Ice” Dr. Lori Kingler-Maffe Sat. March 26, 11am-5pm ASF Exploration Expo Have you ever seen ice that can boil water? How about ice that turns water different colors? And why would a bubble sink instead of rise?