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Volume 48, Issue 92 | thursday, february 19, 2015 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND students selected for Fulbright grants Ten undergraduate, graduate students will travel to Europe and Asia for 2014-2015 fellowships By CAROLYN HUTYRA News Writer
Ten students from Notre Dame were awarded Fulbright grants for the 2014-15 program, ranking the University as a top-producing institution of grant recipients. Jeffrey Thibert, assistant director of national fellowships in Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE), said placement on the list is a significant honor for the University, raising its profile even further among U.S. doctoral and research institutions. “The grants benefit Notre Dame by confirming the University’s commitment to internationalization and expanding our global reputation,” he said. “Notre Dame Fulbright recipients are not just
representing the U.S. abroad; they are representing Notre Dame abroad as well.” Thibert said the Fulbright is a great opportunity for students for three key reasons, the first of which is its ability to allow students to deepen their engagements with a particular part of the world through an immersive academic and cultural experience. “Second, the Fulbright provides funding for work that can significantly enhance one’s professional trajectory, whether that work is graduate study, dissertation research or classroom teaching experience,” he said. “Third, receiving a Fulbright grant opens the door to a vast network of Fulbright recipients around the see FULBRIGHT PAGE 5
MARY McGRAW | The Observer
Hypatia Day to promote women in STEM Students elect new class councils
By OLIVIA JACKSON News Writer
Saint Mary’s will host the 23rd annual Hypatia Day this Saturday for seventh grade girls from local South Bend schools to fight the stereotype that math and science are male-dominated fields. With the assistance of current students, professors and high school students, the day will be centered around exposing both young girls and their parents to the many opportunities available in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields for women. Hypatia Day was first organized
in 1991 by Sr. Miriam Patrick Cooney, professor emerita of mathematics, director of media relations Gwen O’Brien said. Hypatia Day is named for the first known female mathematician, Hypatia of Alexandria, who was the daughter of ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher Theon, O’Brien said. According to legend, Hypatia’s father taught her mathematics during a period in Greek history when young girls were excluded from education. According to Socrates, Hypatia’s home and lecture room were the two favorite gathering places for
see HYPATIA PAGE 5
By KAYLA MULLEN Associate News Editor
want to understand the basis for the drug resistance this very difficult organism has developed over the many decades after its appearance. “When we understand some of the details of the biochemical event, can we subvert them in a way that leads to the demise of the organism? The answer to that question is yes,
Judicial Council released the results of the 2015 class council elections at midnight this morning. First years JP Bruno, Molly Knapp, Matthew Ross and Henry Long were elected to serve as the Class of 2018’s Sophomore Class Council, the ticket’s presidential candidate, JP Bruno. The Bruno, Knapp, Ross and Long ticket garnered 50.73 percent of the vote, while the ticket consisting of Greg Perenich, Teresa Simunich, Patrick Rodgers and Helena Qu won 42.22 percent of the vote. Bruno said his ticket was excited to begin their term as Sophomore Class Council. “We are honored and humbled to have been elected as SCC reps. We couldn’t be more grateful to
see ANTIBIOTIC PAGE 5
see ELECTIONS PAGE 4
Photo courtesy of Gwen O’Brien
Hypatia Day brings local seventh grade girls to Saint Mary’s to explore the typically male-dominated fields of math and science.
Team discovers new MRSA treatment By ALEX CAO News Writer
A team of researches led by Professor Shahriar Mobashery and Mayland Chang developed an antibiotic to combat Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a strain of a certain species of bacteria that is resistant to a considerable number of conventional modern
News PAGE 4
antibiotics. “MRSA is a multi-drug resistant version of a very common bacterium called staph aureus,” Mobashery said. “Staph aureus grows in our skin, grows in our noses, and has been with humanity for a very long time. However, this version, which is drug resistant, first appeared in 1962 in the U.K. and has become a global problem.” Mobashery said
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
understanding the biochemical properties of MRSA that allow it to resist the effects of conventional antibiotics gave them valuable information and resources to develop an antibiotic to respond to the problem. “How does this organism have these biochemical properties that make it so difficult for treatment? That is a question my lab concerns itself with,” Mobashery said. “We
scene PAGE 10
bengal bouts PAGE 20
Women’s basketball PAGE 20