Beyond a Building Blueprint

by Sarah Neese

When it came time to name the new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) building on Central’s campus, UCO leadership wanted a name that would carry the legacy of what was and what is to come. After approval from the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents, the building was christened as the Donald Betz STEM Research and Learning Center.

As its namesake, Betz has saturated his tenure in higher education with an emphasis on connection and interdisciplinary, transformative learning. A gesture in preserving this legacy, the STEM building now stands emblazoned with his name, encapsulating this spirit of interdisciplinary learning for students who walk campus today and in the many days to come.

The following pages detail the impact of the work – present and planned – inside the center’s walls and how even the building’s design sheds light on the power of cooperation across disciplines.

Elliott, the principal architect for Elliott + Associates Architects and one of the visionaries responsible for the building’s design, stressed the importance of the idea of collaboration in every aspect of the research and learning center.

“There’s so much emphasis these days on people being put next to someone, where you don’t think there’s anything in common, and you find out, through conversation, that you can learn something,” Elliott said. “You put a medical doctor across from an aerospace engineer and, suddenly, there’s some cross- pollination that starts to click, and it starts to make something happen.”

While there can be no doubt that the spirit of innovation resides in every corridor and classroom of UCO’s newest building, the tangible impact of its purpose may seem more abstract. STEM is an idea, a movement, a directive. How will the interdisciplinary, collaborative work of students, faculty and staff inside the Donald Betz STEM Research and Learning Center reach beyond its walls?

Medical Momentum

Perhaps the most apparent effect of the work possible in Central’s STEM building relates to the field of medicine. It may not seem immediately obvious to onlookers, but through the glass windows of each lab holds the possibility to improve countless lives.

Through the use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques and a process known as deep learning, researchers aim to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities. Currently, they are working to help reduce the risk of pressure ulcers – more commonly known as bedsores – while, in a similar vein, development continues on simulation technology that allows young children with severe motor impairments to practice wheelchair navigation.

These same processes are guiding students to explore new ways to assist in more effective overall recovery for knee injuries, while students and faculty work nearby to develop nanomaterials for use in biomedical implants and other devices, utilized most notably in joint replacements. This work in adjacent spaces harnesses a synergy between engineering, physics, nanotechnology and biomedicine. Mathematics and medicine may not seem synonymous, but within the scope of this environment, researchers will use mathematical models in an effort to better understand how blood clots degrade, ultimately intended to aid in proposals for safer, more efficient stroke treatments.

In a more hands-on approach to medicine, the STEM building boasts a state-of-the-art nursing simulation and practice lab, which allows students to practice clinical decision-making skills in a more reallife environment. The eight-bed ward includes a nurse station and simulation spaces for maternity, pediatric and adult care, as well as an isolation room.

On the same floor and across the hall sits another lab – visually inconsequential but scientifically groundbreaking. There, students and professors share space and ideas, all centered on cancer research. More specifically, researchers continue the study and development of laser-based immunotherapy, used in the treatment of late-stage, metastatic breast cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer. According to preliminary clinical study results, this method could both destroy local tumors and eliminate untreated metastases in other areas of the body, which could provide effective treatment for patients with severely limited options.

Fingerprints and Fauna

The innovative momentum isn’t confined within the world of medicine. Other labs within the STEM building focus on the field of forensics.

As a complement to Central’s already nationally-recognized Forensic Science Institute (FSI), the building houses new labs for the investigation of crime evidence. Students will get hands-on experience with handling, processing and examining evidence, offering insight into real forensic processes. Additionally, there is a separate lab for exploring digital evidence, used to solve both physical crimes and cybercrimes (identity theft and fraud).

Forensics takes a turn on the wild side in another area of the building, with space dedicated to the study and research of wildlife forensics. Central is home to a first-of-its kind wildlife forensics DNA sequencing network. This network allows researchers at UCO to send and receive DNA information about animals and plants to other researchers across the world. With this technology, wildlife forensics experts will work to revolutionize the protection and conservation of threatened and endangered animals. Using a “DNA trail,” researchers also can help national and international partners reduce the amount of illegal animal poaching and plant harvesting.

Computational Cooperation

Central’s mathematics and computer science students and faculty are no strangers to the power of an effective network. In fact, they’re helping to connect researchers from across the state through the use of Buddy, a supercomputer located in the STEM building. Students and faculty at Oklahoma educational institutions can access Buddy for processes that require a high performance of computation, like complex data analysis.

Researchers at Central are working to create a system that will help search through and organize large amounts of data, using machine learning and neural networks, similar to those in the human brain. A system like this could benefit big-data platforms, which are used to collect, order and store a high volume of information. The banking, government, health care and education industries all utilize big-data platforms.

The STEM building also is home to Project SCHOLAR, which offers statistical consulting help for organizational leaders and academic researchers. Students in the program work with UCO students, faculty and staff, as well as industry and nonprofit organizations within the community, to provide a number of services, including: designing experiments, identifying trends, analyzing surveys, developing statistical models and interpreting results. Through this program, students gain experience with real-world clients and applications of statistical methods, and campus and community members benefit from the completion of necessary projects.

“In the new STEM building, the SCHOLAR group has its own conference room,” said Tracy Morris, Ph.D., vice chairperson of UCO’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics and a Project SCHOLAR faculty adviser. “It’s been nice to have a professional space where we can all gather and work. It’s also been nice to share a building with collaborators and potential clients from other departments in the college. I have no doubt that this new space will facilitate future collaborations and connections, both on and off campus.”

The work of students and faculty within the Donald Betz STEM Research and Learning Center is defining what STEM means to the university, the community and beyond. In an abstract sense, the STEM projects on campus can be categorized as the daily use of test tubes, beakers, microscopes and formulas. But, when looked at through a practical lens, the day-to-day workings of Central’s newest building lay the foundation for innovation that has the potential to change lives. ON