Dr. Elizabeth Allan Receives National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Planning Grant
Dr. Elizabeth Allan, Associate Professor of Biology, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teaching Fellowships/Master Teaching Fellowships(TF/MTF) planning grant to develop a program that will improve secondary science teachers’ content knowledge and enhance their ability to work in an urban setting. Building upon the Urban Teacher Preparation Academy, the grant is a collaboration among the University of Central Oklahoma College of Mathematics and Science, the College of Education and Professional Studies, Oklahoma City Public Schools, and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Dr. Bill Pink, Associate Dean of the UCO College of Education and Professional Studies, serves as Co-PI on the grant.
CMS
Students Honored at Annual Awards Reception
Students from the
College of Mathematics and Science were honored at the college's annual Awards
Ceremony. Class Marshall for the College is biology major Susan
Elizabeth Ondak. Outstanding graduating seniors from each department are:
Kim Koppari - Biology; Elizabeth Rathgeber - Chemistry; Christopher
Thomas - Computer Science; Igor Ilik and Clint Quisenberry - Engineering
& Physics; Corey Velez - Funeral Service; Deshika Gunasekera -
Mathematics & Statistics; Happiness Dandajena - Nursing. Click
here for
a complete list of award recipients.
Students Chosen for Summer Research Program
The following UCO College of Mathematics and
Science students have been selected as participants in the Oklahoma IDeA
Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (OK-INBRE) Summer Research
Program for 2010. Students and their mentors are:
Rebba Casteel – Dr. Rheal Towner, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Jayson Chau – Dr. Joe Zhao, OU Health Sciences Center
Kelli Duggan – Dr. Morshed Khandaker, UCO Department of Engineering &
Physics
Daniel Figueroa – Dr. Wei Chen, UCO Department of Engineering & Physics
Kelvin Le – Dr. David Dyer, OU Health Sciences Center
Stefano Tarantini – Dr. Morshed Khandaker, UCO Department of Engineering
& Physics
INBRE and OSRHE Grants go to College Faculty
Several College of Mathematics and Science Faculty have received grants
from the Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)
and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE).
Faculty and their projects are: INBRE grants:
·
Dr. Melville Vaughan, Associate Professor of Biology –
”Environmental contribution to the epithelial to mesenchymal transition
of Ras-overexpressing keratinocytes in vitro” $40,849
· Dr.
Hari Kotturi, Assistant Professor of Biology – “Effect of Bitter Melon
leaf extract on mdr1 gene expression and function of P-gp protein
in drug-resistant colon cancer cells”$32,270
·
Dr. Wei Chen, Professor of Engineering & Physics and Assistant
Dean – “Enhancing laser immunotherapy for treatment of metastatic tumors
by reducing TGF-β levels in tumor microenvironment”$63,231
·
Dr. Yuhao Jiang, Assistant Professor of Engineering & Physics –
“Quantitative ultrasound image processing for characterization of
cell-morphology correlated optical properties of prostate cancer”$32,976
·
Dr. Morshed Khandaker, Assistant Professor of Engineering &
Physics – Equipment grant: “Experimental and numerical testing of an
elastomer-type prosthetic disc”$15,000
OSRHE grants:
·
Dr. Lilian Chooback, Assistant Professor of Chemistry – “Cloning
and characterization of yeast aminotransferase”$23,482
·
Dr. Daniel Endres, Professor of Mathematics & Statistics –
“Advanced stochastic models for DNA microsatellite somatic
instability”$25,000
Dr. Charlotte Simmons Receives National Science Foundation Grant
Dr. Charlotte Simmons, Chair of the UCO
Department of Mathematics & Statistics, has received a 5-year $600,000
grant from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. The Center for
Undergraduate Research and Education Student Scholars in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CURE S-STEM) program will serve
as an extension of the STEP@UCO project, also funded by the NSF, that
provides support for UCO freshmen majoring in STEM disciplines. CURE
S-STEM will support these STEP@UCO participants with scholarships allowing
them to continue their undergraduate research projects with faculty
mentors. Dr. John Barthell and Dr. Wei Chen serve as Co-Principal
Investigators (PI) on the project. Drs. Chen and Barthell are also PI and
Co-PI, respectively, of the STEP@UCO grant.
UCO Department of Chemistry Receives Summer Academy Grant
UCO has received a grant from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to offer an Exploring Chemistry
Summer Academy in 2010. Two non-residential sessions will be held June
7-11 and June 14-18 for Oklahoma students entering the 9th, 10th,
or 11th grades in fall 2010. Participants will engage in
scientific inquiry through lab experimentation to include organic
syntheses, nanotechnology, toxicology, biochemistry, and nuclear chemistry
to understand how these disciplines affect daily life. UCO chemistry
majors will guide participant teams, with UCO faculty serving as
instructors. Dr. Dana Rundle serves as director and Dr. Robert Bost is
co-director. For more information, visit the Exploring Chemistry website
at http://www.chemistry.uco.edu/Summer_Academy/Summer_Academy.htm
or contact Dr. Rundle at 405 974 5510,
drundle@uco.edu
College of Mathematics and Science Faculty Honored
During UCO Fall 2009 Convocation
UCO held its annual Convocation and the following CMS faculty received
awards:
Faculty Merit Awards
Scholarly/Creative Award - Dr. Troy Baird, Professor of
Biology
Service Award - Dr. David Bass, Professor of Biology
Vanderford Teaching Award - Dr. Charles Cooper, Professor of Mathematics &
Statistics
Neely Excellence in Teaching Award - Dr. Wei Chen, Professor of Engineering
& Physics/CMS Assistant Dean
Modeling the Way - Dr. John Barthell, Professor of Biology/CMS Dean
Dr. John Barthell receives grant from National Science
Foundation to continue Research in Turkey
Dr. John Barthell, Professor of Biology and Dean of the UCO College of Mathematics and Science, has received a 4-year continuation grant of $301,586 from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program for his proposal "REU Site: Ecology and Behavior of Honey Bees and Solitary Bees." The summer program engages undergraduate students in research that involves collaborations with scientists from Turkey and its western bordering nations. Dr. Barthell was first awarded the REU grant in 2006. Collaborators on the current project include: Dr. Charles Abramson, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Harrington Wells, Tulsa University; Dr. John Hranitz, Bloomsburg State University (Pennsylvania); Dr. Theodora Petanidou, University of the Aegean (Greece); Dr. Ibrahim Cakmak, Uladag University (Turkey); and Dr. Peter Nentchev, Trackia University (Bulgaria).
Dr. Michelle Haynie receives National Science Foundation
Major Research Instrumentation Grant
Dr.
Michelle Haynie, Assistant Professor of Biology, has received a grant in
the amount of $130,006 from the National Science Foundation Major Research
Instrumentation (MRI) program to purchase a DNA sequencer for research in
molecular biology. Acquisition of this sequencer will provide advanced
research opportunities and stimulate new ideas for collaboration among
faculty and students. Dr. Greg Wilson serves as Co-Principal Investigator
on the grant.
UCO Nursing Department receives Scholarships for
Disadvantaged Students Grant
Dr. Linda Rider, Chair of the UCO Department of Nursing, has received a $19,271 continuation grant from the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant provides scholarship funds to full-time students who have been admitted to the nursing program. Students qualify based on financial need and academic achievement. This is the seventh year that the Nursing Department has received this grant.
Dr. Wei Chen named U.S. Professor of the Year by CASE and Carnegie Foundation
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Dr. Wei Chen, biomedical engineering professor and assistant dean of the UCO College of Mathematics and Science has been named 2008 U.S. Professor of the Year for Master's Universities and Colleges by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These awards recognize professors for their influence on teaching and their commitment to undergraduate students. Strongly influenced by the teachings of Confucius, Chen engages students in inquiry-based learning through experiments and simulations in his classes. In 2000, he led an effort to establish a biomedical engineering undergraduate degree program at UCO, the first and only such program in the state. Chen's interdisciplinary approach to learning extends to his research on cancer treatment where students working in his lab use laser immunotherapy, a novel treatment method that incorporates fields including laser physics, engineering designs, biology, and chemistry.
UCO Receives $2 Million Grant from the National Science
Foundation
The UCO College of Mathematics and Science has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Double Bridge Program. The bridge concept has two components - a Summer Bridge for incoming freshmen who plan to major in a STEM field and a Fall Bridge for community college transfer students majoring in STEM. Eight additional Oklahoma higher education institutions are participating in the grant with UCO: Langston University, Northeastern University, East Central University, Rose State College, Redlands Community College, Comanche Nation College, and Oklahoma City Community College. Dr. Wei Chen is the Principal Investigator (PI) for the grant with Dr. Gregory Wilson and Dr. John Barthell serving as Co-PIs.