VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2. WINTER 2015
REACH
RESEARCH
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RESEARCH ROCK STAR When Tsehay Abebe arrived in Seattle, she was 17. She had never been outside her hometown in Ethiopia. Four years later, Tsehay graduated from SU with a 3.95 GPA, a BS in Cellular & Molecular Biology — and a four-year scholarship to one of the USA’s top medical schools, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Growing up, I was exposed to people who didn’t have access to health care,” says Tsehay. “I have always wanted to be a doctor, and I chose cell and molecular biology because I am interested in exploring the mechanisms of how the body works. I’m interested in research that has clinical applications and can be used to improve health for everybody.” Tsehay’s interests made her the perfect fit for a research assistant spot at one of our region’s top laboratories. Just up the hill from SU at the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, Paul Robertson, MD, was seeking a student researcher for his lab. Professor Patrick Murphy (NURS) introduced Tsehay to Dr. Robertson, and Associate Professor Daniel Smith (BIOL) recommended her enthusiastically.
“I have fallen in love with two aspects of scientific research: solving the mystery and applying it in a clinical setting.” TSEHAY ABEBE ’13 BIOL
In Dr. Robertson’s lab, Tsehay has been studying beta cell repair, doing genetics work at the molecular level. “People have studied beta cell death,” she says, “but what we are doing is different. We are working with multiple models to see how the cells repair themselves.” “Nobody has ever worked on this model before,” says Dr. Robertson. “Tsehay will be first author on our paper. Without her work, the paper wouldn’t be as great as it’s going to be, because if you don’t have a molecular or genetic explanation, you haven’t figured out the mechanism.” Tsehay’s best memories of SU are in the lab. “I started as a TA for Sally McLoughlin, setting up experiments and assisting students. I was a summer researcher in Dr. Smith’s lab, investigating two strains of myxobacteria that seem to differentiate between their own strains and foreign strains. I continued that work for my senior synthesis project. Soon after graduation, I joined the Robertson Lab at PNDRI, where I was given a lot of independence. It has been a fantastic opportunity.” Adds Dr. Robertson, “Tsehay is a rock star. She’s brilliant, productive and as smart as they come. She’s a clear thinker who cuts to the chase. I want her to get an MD/PhD and go discover things.”
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YOUR YEAR-END GIFT MAKES IT HAPPEN SEE PAGE 10.
R. PAUL ROBERTSON, MD Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute Seattle University Legacy Society Member
“Seattle U is a great source for bright students for my lab. To date, I have had 10 student researchers from SU. I also mentor SU students who are working on their medical school applications. You can be one of the smartest people in the world, but to become a researcher you’ve got to think thoughts nobody else has thought. You have to say, ‘I want to walk on fresh snow and leave my footprints.’ That’s where research blossoms.” R. PAUL ROBERTSON, MD
THE MAKING OF LEADERS I’ve been thinking about how we help our students develop as leaders. In addition to “knowing their stuff,” a leader must see the big picture and communicate effectively. A leader is creative and ethical, and thinks of the common good when making decisions. Our curriculum is structured with these traits in mind. In addition to the science, engineering, mathematics and computing classes required in their major, every student in our college is required to take 45 credits in liberal arts, English, history, philosophy, and religious studies. Why? It’s simple: We’re trying to ask students questions that blow their minds. We are asking questions that start the creative juices flowing and open the students up to new ways of thinking. Sometimes those questions come up in their technical and science classes. And sometimes the questions arise in their religion and philosophy classes. As they dig into discussions about the meaning of life, students begin to ask themselves what they want their own lives to stand for. Our students witness the Seattle U mission in action. They see their friends and professors involved in activities that are not self-centered. They experience firsthand what a more just and humane world looks like. Perhaps it is through a service project in the neighborhood, or a humanitarian project on the other side of the world. The important thing is that they see living examples of what it means to think of the common good. Yes, we give our students a lot of homework. They work hard to develop their technical skills. They are active participants in their learning. They learn to write, present and discuss their work like professionals. And if we do our jobs right, they will leave Seattle U inspired to be leaders who will create a more just and humane world.
MICHAEL J. QUINN, PhD Dean, College of Science and Engineering
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COMPLEX PROBLEMS BRILLIANT SOLUTIONS Every year more than 30 teams of engineering students tackle real-world challenges for some of the region’s top engineering firms, nonprofits and public organizations. Each team is responsible for a working solution or functioning prototype, developed, tested and delivered over the course of one academic year. The experience is more than a senior project — it’s a bridge to their careers. “With class-based projects, you know the parameters in advance,” explains Aklilu Biniam, ’15 ECE. “With our engineering design project, we had no outline. We built our prototype from scratch. Our team’s discussions always focused on what was best for the project. From start to end, we had the support of our mentor, Kelly Fetters from REDC Energy.” After graduation, Aklilu began his new role as an electrical/nuclear engineer at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Dan O’Sullivan, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer at Seattle City Light, has been involved with the Project Center as a sponsor since 1995, and he has high praise for the student teams. “The SU engineering students come to the table with impressive problem-solving skills. They know how to get to the root of the problem. They start off at the beginning of the year with an unknown, and they evolve into subject matter experts. The students’ energy and their desire to learn rub off on us liaisons. We have built at least half a dozen of these SU team projects. In fact, a student-designed project at Babcock Creek is being prepared for bid right now.”
“We worked from absolute zero, from the seed of an idea. We designed and constructed the whole system from the ground up. Whenever we encountered problems along the way, we just hit those problems head on and worked as a team to find a solution.” BEN KLONTZ ’15 MEGR
YOUR YEAR-END GIFT MAKES IT HAPPEN SEE PAGE 10.
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“The Project Center is a true point of pride for our university. The projects are great for the students, great for the sponsoring companies, and great for Seattle U.” STEVE SUNDBORG, S.J. PRESIDENT, SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
“Root Carbon is an oil and gas group with diverse ideas — we have a green intention. We had the idea for upcycling plastic bottles and converting them into useful products such as roof tiles. We asked the students to create a smallscale assembly line for manually folding the bottles. The team’s solution is compact, easy to maintain and affordable, and can easily be used by cottage industries in Costa Rica. Projects like this one are a way to start building a community of subject matter experts. These young minds are not biased, and we benefit from their fresh ideas.” DAVID SMETHURST, PRESIDENT, ROOT CARBON
“This year’s team worked on Phase II of a 2014 project. We requested refinements to the original design and the students took it from there. The team came through with the design for a portable, battery-powered chemical detection system. We plan to pick up the refinement and development process where they left off, taking it all the way to a commercial product. This means that the decisions and efforts of the students will be reflected in our final design. We were impressed by their ability to function as a professional team solving complex, real-world engineering problems.” JOEL CRESWELL, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, BROOKS RAND INSTRUMENTS
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PROPELLED TO SUCCESS For SU’s budding scientists, summers spent as full-fledged, full-time researchers pay off handsomely — in skills and career opportunities!
BUILD SKILL SET INVESTIGATING COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS
SCIENTIFIC GROWTH “This undergraduate lab experience is key when applying to jobs and internships. During the summer of 2014, I worked in Dr. Suydam’s lab studying drug delivery for HIV prevention. That experience opened the door to a research experience investigating complex molecules called orthoester rotaxanes under Dr. Max von Delius at Friedrich-Alexander University in Earlangen, Germany. I have had a chance to challenge myself and grow as a scientist. The experience has solidified my goal to do research after I graduate.” MIKAELA EBNER ’16 BIOCHEM CAREER GOAL: Research focused on pharmaceuticals
or drug delivery
EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE
ENGAGE IN “Doing full-time research at this level and RELEVANT working under a highly experienced professor REAL-WORLD has been eye-opening. I have developed an RESEARCH understanding of the mechanics of how a lab and a variety of experiments are run. On a personal level, I have learned the amazing things I am capable of doing. After this experience I know I am prepared and willing to take on the challenges of medical school.” WILMA AFUNUGO ’17 BIOL CAREER GOAL: Medicine
“Between my junior and senior years, I worked in a cell and tissue engineering lab at Harvard University, participating in a project that involves screening for biomaterials that stimulate the growth and differentiation of dental pulp stem cells. The goal of this project is to synthesize a material that could replace current dental fillings with a material that encourages the healing of the tooth and regeneration of dentin. The use of stem cells to develop therapies for degenerative diseases is cutting-edge research. I am thrilled and grateful to have had these opportunities through Seattle U. I am excited to discover how I can apply scientific knowledge to a career that involves collaboration between different disciplines.” ALAINA BEVER ’16 MEGR & BIOL CAREER GOAL: Immunology or related biomedical field
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LAUNCH CAREER IN A HIGH-DEMAND FIELD
A VALUABLE SKILL SET
“My summer of real-life lab experience at SU propelled me to my career at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I am working closely with leaders in computational protein design and with immunologists, virologists, enzymologists and physicians from all over the world. I will be a co-author on two upcoming papers, one of which is currently being reviewed by the esteemed scientific journal Nature. What I learned as an undergraduate researcher at SU gave me the skill set I need to be both hirable and successful in the scientific community.” JAZMINE HALLINAN ’14 CMOL
Lab Technician, Basic Sciences Division Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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LEARN. INVENT. SET THE WORLD ON FIRE. “Science is an integral part of our world, especially in our technological age. Engineers are charged as a profession to take the goods of the world and fashion them by the laws of science for the benefit of humankind.” FRANCIS P. WOOD, S.J. (1917 - 1992)
Innovation begins with the glimmer of an idea. To become innovators, students need the freedom to experiment – to try and fail and try again. The Fr. Wood Innovation Lab will provide that freedom. We envision an entirely new kind of lab – informal, self-directed, project driven. A state-of-the-art collaborative studio space where students with the spark of an idea will have everything they need to experiment with theories, design prototypes and test their inventions.
When the lightbulb goes on, we want to be ready! Nowadays, student innovators in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department have to search for a space where they can work on a long-term independent project. Finding supplies and the necessary equipment can be a challenge, and it’s sometimes difficult to reserve a computer for more than a few days or weeks. It’s not uncommon to find a handwritten note taped to a shared computer: Do not turn off! I’m working! In the new Innovation Lab, students who wish to experiment with emerging technologies will be able to reserve one of 18 dedicated workstations and computers. They’ll have access to specialized instruments and software, logic boards, 3-D printers, robotics and solar components, and fabrication tools – everything they need to take an idea from conception to design, fabrication and testing. The Fr. Wood Innovation Lab: Where students take the lead Emerging Technologies • Robotics • Intelligent Systems • Assistive Technology • Human-Machine Interaction • Internet of Things
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For three decades, Francis P. Wood, S.J., was a major force in Seattle University’s Electrical Engineering Department, now the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). He founded SU’s Master of Software Engineering program, the first of its kind in the nation. A demanding teacher, Fr. Wood taught and inspired generations of students, some of whom now work at Boeing, Honeywell and Microsoft. An innovator in his own right, Fr. Wood was partly responsible for the selection of the type of automatic pilot used by Boeing, where he worked summers as a research engineer and technical specialist.
“Fr. Francis Wood was my professor and thesis advisor at the EE department of the Seattle University in the late 1960s. His teaching of automatic control theory helped me greatly in my professional career as design engineer and supervisor for the Boeing 747/767 Autopilot and Flight Director System. I appreciate Fr. Wood’s guidance, humor, kindness and leadership and I am very much honored to support the Fr. Wood Laboratory project.” K. CHESTER CHEN ’69 MSEE
Electrical and Computer Engineering students need a place where their ideas can become reality. The Fr. Wood Innovation Lab will be that place. Scheduled Opening: January 2017 To learn more about the project or to discuss giving opportunities please call CSE Development Director Michelle Finet: 206-296-2846 or email finetm@seattleu.edu
PROJECT TIMELINE JULY 2015
JULY 2016
SEPT 2016
DEC 2016
JAN 2017
ALUMNI FUNDRAISING CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT PURCHASE & INSTALLATION LAB DEDICATION
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BECAUSE YOU GIVE, Who are the students of the College of Science and Engineering? They’re inventors, ready to start from ground zero and problem-solve their way to the top. Scientific researchers dedicated to investigating complex processes. Mathematicians wrestling with theories earlier generations never dreamed of. Engineers preparing to tackle challenges once found only in fiction. Our students share a commitment to excellence, a commitment to each other and a commitment to serve the greater good.
HELP OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. YOUR GENEROSITY CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.
MAKE YOUR YEAR-END GIFT TODAY Contact Michelle Finet, CSE Director of Development 206-296-2846 / finetm@seattleu.edu Or visit seattleu.edu/giving & choose the College of Science and Engineering Dean’s Fund
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WE SOAR 85
CSE students benefited from endowed scholarships during the 2014-15 academic year
“Without scholarship support, I would not be able to attend school full time. Thanks to a generous donor I was able to dedicate all of my time to school and maintain honors status.” RAJINAL KUMAR ’16 MEGR, ORR SCHOLAR
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CSE students participated in donor-funded, faculty-led scientific research during 2014-15
“Your support of undergraduate research gave me the opportunity to become a scientist as soon as I stepped through these doors.” JAZMINE HALLINAN ’14 CMOL, LAB TECHNICIAN, FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER
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Electrical & Computer Engineering students will soon have the opportunity to build and test prototypes in the Fr. Wood Innovation Lab
“Taking my invention from start to finish taught me how to view a project from a system-level perspective, which prepared me for taking the lead on challenging projects in industry. Every ECE student should have this experience!” SCOTT MOSER ’14 ECE, EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEER, PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
901 12th Ave PO Box 222000 Seattle, WA 98122
MAKE YOUR YEAR-END GIFT TODAY Visit seattleu.edu/giving & choose the College of Science and Engineering Dean’s Fund Or contact Michelle Finet, CSE Director of Development: 206-296-2846 / finetm@seattleu.edu
Michael J. Quinn, PhD Dean, College of Science and Engineering
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