School of Science News

IU Biocomplexity event goes public with timely 'Legacy of Frankenstein' talk Thursday

2009-10-23

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- If "surgical manipulation of body parts . . . resurrection of life . . . the ethical consequences of engaging powers we've yet to morally know how to use" reads like a lead-in for a Halloween movie marathon then the public can expect much more next week when biologist David Stocum presents on the seasonally-timed topic of "The Legacy of Frankenstein: Regenerative Biology and Medicine."

Stocum, director of the Indiana University Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine, uses cellular and molecular analysis to study why, among other things, creatures like salamanders and frog tadpoles have the ability to regenerate limbs while froglets, mice and, well, humans, remain deficient at the process.

Stocum will speak from 7:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in room 119 of Swain West (727 East Third St.).

He will deliver his public lecture as part of the Oct. 28-Nov. 1 Biocomplexity X Workshop hosted by The Biocomplexity Institute at IU, according to institute Director James Glazier, who is also an IU professor of physics and adjunct professor of informatics and biology.

"In his public lecture, David Stocum will trace these themes -- surgical manipulation, resurrection and the bioethical consequences -- through the technology of organ and cell transplants, the quest for a universal cell donor through embryological resurrection and to the vision of the chemical induction of regeneration directly at the site of injury," Glazier said. "We think it's a fascinating topic that should offer some intrigue to the general public."

Stocum said examples that progress is being made are plentiful. One is called chemical induction, where the cellular environment that promotes scarring is changed to one that inhibits scarring and promotes regeneration. There are also animals that have the ability to turn certain types of cells into stem cells that can then regenerate tissue after an injury.

"A good example is a salamander, which regenerates limbs through a mechanism called dedifferentiation," Stocum said. "After amputation, skeletal, muscle and skin cells at the site of amputation dedifferentiate to become stem cells, which then proliferate and undergo differentiation to form an exact copy of the parts that were amputated."

Stocum's lab is currently studying the proteins that are expressed in the axolotl salamander during the dedifferentiation process.

David Stocum, director of IU's Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine, will discuss progress in limb regeneration during a public presentation Thursday (Oct. 29) that is part of the six-day Biocomplexity X Workshop at IU Bloomington.

"Once we know, this information hopefully can be applied to mammals like ourselves to stimulate a similar reprogramming after amputation of a finger, for example," he said.

Out of the public eye during the Biocomplexity X Workshop will be six days of speakers, breakout sessions and plenary discussions focused on bringing together experimentalists and modelers working on varying aspects of developmental biology related to tissue and organ development, homeostasis, regeneration and diseases related to developmental mechanisms.

In addition to Stocum's public address, also expected to present during the workshop are Vanderbilt University's Shane Hutson ("Modeling microsurgical interventions in morphogenesis"), Robert Murphy of Carnegie Mellon University, Nadine Peyrieras of the Institut des Systemes Complexes de Paris Ile-de-France, Octavian Voiculesco of University College London ("Shaping the early amniote embryo: A model based on defined cell behaviours") and Trish Whetzel of Stanford.

For more information about the workshop, visit The Biocomplexity Institute Web site at http://biocomplexity.indiana.edu/events/biocX/.

IUPUI Biology Professor Recieves Grant To Explore Cellular Development In Cranial Nerve, Hearing

2009-10-20

Study will advance research in cells that contribute to hearing loss

Indianapolis, IN, Oct. 20, 2009 - The National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health recently awarded Dr. James Marrs, an Associate Professor of Biology at the School of Science at IUPUI, a two year grant for $780,000 to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms of inner ear development. Specifically, Dr. Marrs' research will help to acquire a more thorough understanding of statoacoustic ganglion (SAG) cranial nerve development.

Neuron loss contributes significantly to hearing loss, particularly in the aging population. Future treatments, particularly stem cell therapies, will require detailed understanding of SAG developmental processes. Marrs, along with graduate, undergraduate and post doctoral students, will analyze molecular and cellular mechanisms in zebrafish embryos to gain fundamental understanding of how the nerve cells of the inner ear develop.

The research will use time lapse imaging, a technique developed by Marrs, by which researchers can study SAG development in the small and rapidly developing zebrafish embryo. Experiments will analyze roles for cell adhesion molecules in cell migration and other cell behaviors during formation of the cranial nerve.

"The NIH is specifically interested in the time lapse image technique and its use for future research of cranial nerve formation," said Marrs. "By analyzing neurons migrating, scientists will be able to gain a deeper understanding of how genes control nerve development." Marrs' research investigates cell-cell junctional complexes and their function in the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. Cell polarity mechanisms act during embryonic development, during stem cell activation, during normal adult polarized cell functions and are disrupted in certain disease states, like metastatic cancer. The study of cell polarity will help development of stem cell therapies for devastating clinical conditions. "Dr. Marrs' research is necessary for the future development of stem cell therapy," said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. "This grant was funded by the NIH because it addresses critical research priorities outlined by NIH stimulus (ARRA) funding, providing a great opportunity to not only showcase the research activity of Dr. Marrs and IUPUI, but also helping future studies of neuron, cell and nerve development."

Depression Predicts Increases in Inflammatory Protein Linked to Heart Disease

2009-10-05

Which comes first, depression or inflammation?

To help solve this long standing chicken and egg conundrum, researchers led by Jesse Stewart, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis asked two critical questions. Does depression lead to elevated inflammatory proteins in the human body? Or does an increase in these proteins lead to depression? They found that the answer to the first question appears to be "yes," and the answer to the second question may be "no" among healthy adults.

The researchers report that depressive symptoms are associated with increases over time in interleukin-6, an inflammatory protein that predicts cardiovascular events. In contrast, levels of interleukin-6 were not related to later increases in depressive symptoms.

The new study, published in the October 2009 issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, is the first to examine both directions of the depression-inflammation connection and to measure the physical symptoms of depression, such as fatigue and sleep disturbance, in addition to the cognitive-emotional symptoms, such as pessimism and sadness.

Several previous studies have linked depression to increased inflammatory protein levels measured at the same time. These studies, however, cannot speak to which is the cause and which is the effect. "There is two-way communication between the brain and the immune system, so we had to determine whether activation of the body's immune system sent a signal to the brain to affect mood and behavior or whether the depression activated the immune system," said Dr. Stewart, a clinical health psychologist in IUPUI's School of Science and an IU Center for Aging Research affiliated scientist.

Participants in the study were 263 healthy men and women aged 50-70 years at the start of the study. They were tested at baseline and again six years later to determine their levels of depressive symptoms and interleukin-6. Levels of C-reactive protein, another inflammatory protein, were also measured but were not related to depression.

The strength of the association of depression with future heart disease is similar to that of traditional risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, according to Dr. Stewart.

"Promotion of inflammation may be one pathway through which depression may 'get under the skin' to negatively influence cardiovascular health. The link to cardiovascular disease demonstrates that there may be physical as well as mental health reasons to treat depression," said Dr. Stewart.

Co-authors of "A Prospective Evaluation of the Directionality of the Depression-Inflammation Relationship" are Kevin Rand, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychology in the School of Science at IUPUI; Matthew Muldoon, M.D., M.P.H., and Thomas Kamarck, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh.

This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

IUPUI School of Science Partners with Federal Government

2009-09-16

Two-year Contract Granted to Study Explosive Detecting K-9s

Indianapolis, IN — School of Science at IUPUI announced today the Forensic and Investigative Science (FIS) program has engaged in a two year contract with the federal government to study explosive detecting canines. An expert in explosives, Dr. John Goodpaster received a contract for $473,000 to research the characteristics of explosives vapor and odor compounds to better train canines in detecting explosives. Goodpaster served as a Forensic Chemist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Laboratory and is currently an Assistant Professor in the FIS program at the School of Science.

"We know K-9s can detect even the smallest amount of explosives," said Goodpaster, professor of chemistry at the School of Science at IUPUI. "What we want to learn more about is how they are able to detect compounds so that we can train them to be more effective at finding explosives."

The grant will allow the FIS program to purchase new testing equipment in addition to funding a graduate student researcher to help facilitate the program. According to Goodpaster, the study will involve three phases of testing over the next two years.

During the first phase, Goodpaster along with graduate and undergraduate students will model odor availability to determine whether the amount of explosives plays a factor in detection and whether confinement of an explosive effects K-9 detection. The second phase of the study will focus on the difference of volatile versus non-volatile explosives.

"In volatile explosives, we believe the K-9s can smell or detect the vapors emitted from the compounds in the explosive," said Goodpaster. "However, with non-volatile explosives there is no vapor - yet the K-9s can still detect an explosive. We'll be studying the characteristics of both types of explosives to better understand what the dogs are detecting and how much must be present in order for them to detect."

The final phase of the study will be testing the findings on trained explosive detecting canines from state, local and federal agencies. Explosives detection canines and their handlers from ATF, Indiana State Capitol Police and Noblesville Police Department are presently committed to assisting the researchers.

New IUPUI Biology Professor Receives 5-Year, $1.5 Million NIH Grant Award

2009-09-15

Grant Used to Study Liver Regeneration at Center for Regenerative Biology & Medicine

Indianapolis, IN, Sept. 16, 2009 ˜ Assistant professor of biology at the School of Science at IUPUI, Guoli Dai, was recently awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the role of a transcription factor in liver regeneration. Dai is new to the School of Science from the University of Kansas Medical Center. He plans to use the grant to blend his research to better understand the molecular mechanisms governing hepatocyte proliferation in response to liver injury.

Various insults including drug toxicity and viral infection cause acute or chronic liver injury. However, the liver has an extraordinary ability to regenerate, replacing damaged tissue and restoring original structures and functions. Hepatocytes, as the main structural and functional cells in the liver, are extremely capable of replicating during liver tissue repair process.

"Understanding the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation will help in the development of pharmacological approaches to advance tissue repair for prevention and treatment of liver injury," said Dai. "I am very excited for the opportunity to be exposed to various resources in biology, medicine and regenerative biology at IUPUI."

For the past 20 years, Dai's research in the area of reproductive endocrinology and liver biology have been published and presented among researchers and scientists throughout the world. Specifically, his work has focused on molecular mechanisms governing hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling maternal hepatic growth response to pregnancy.

"Guoli Dai is a great addition to the research we are conducting at the School of Science and Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine," said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. "Dr. Dai's research will not only advance science and medicine in this arena, but also enhance the university's profile in the areas of biology and regenerative biology."

Dai earned his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the College of Agricultural and Animal Sciences at Jilin University as well as his masters in molecular and cellular biology from Changchun Veterinary University in China. Dai has held various research and teaching positions at universities and medical centers throughout the U.S.

Computer & Information Science at IUPUI Hosts NSF SERC Showcase

2009-08-31

Business, Technology Leaders to Discuss Technology Transfer from Academia to Industry

Indianapolis, IN - Department of Computer and Information Science at the School of Science at IUPUI will host a mini-SERC showcase on September 3, 2009 on the IUPUI campus. SERC, Software Engineering Research Center, is a National Science Foundation industry/university cooperative research center focusing on the applied and basic research of SERC affiliates.

The mini-showcase will attract more than thirty business and technology leaders from Central Indiana and around the country to discuss how technology transer from universities can be leveraged for innovations in business. Ball State University's Dr. Wayne Zage, Director of SERC, is coordinating the event with the assistance of the School of Science at IUPUI Department of Computer and Information Science professor and associate chair, Dr. Rajeev Raje. Raje will be a co-site director of SERC in the coming months.

"Hosting this showcase on IUPUI campus illustrates the School of Science's commitment to leading research in the area of computer and information science," said Raje. "Technology transfer from academic research to innovative business solutions is necessary and this collaborative group enables the important dialogue in this area to advance software engineering."

This conference at IUPUI will announce the kick-off of an expanded mission for the center. The newly proposed center, Security and Software Engineering Research Center (S2ERC), will increase projects related to computer security as well as software engineering. The free mini-showcase is an informational session about how companies can benefit from the S2ERC by providing attendees with current research snapshots, industrial perspectives from SERC affiliates, poster sessions and networking opportunities. Representatives from six universities will be present to discuss their research initiatives and answer questions.

The Department of Computer and Information Science also hosted the 12th International Conference on Network-Based Information Systems ealier this month advancing research in the area of computer security, networking, and mobile computing in Central Indiana and abroad.

The event will start at 8:00 a.m. on September 3, 2009 at the IUPUI Campus Center, Room 409. For more information and to register for the SERC mini-showcase go to www.serc.net/showcases.

About the Software Engineering Research Center (SERC) Approximately thirty-five years ago, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) Program to encourage cooperative research between academia and industry. The Software Engineering Research Center (SERC), now in its 24th year of operation, is one of over 100 I/UCRCs established by NSF, and the only one devoted to software engineering. The researchers of the SERC are faculty and students from CS, EE, Industrial Engineering, Management, and Systems Engineering from Ball State University, Butler University, DePaul University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, St. Vincent College, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of West Florida, the University of Limerick, Ireland, and West Virginia University. These researchers work with non-academic researchers at the participating industrial affiliate sites that provide guidance, feedback and funding. Current affiliate companies are Double-Take Software, Intelligent Information Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, NASA, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane, Northrop Grumman, Ontario Systems, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Telcordia Technologies and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. For more information, go to www.serc.net.

Igor Minevich Awarded National Security Agency Internship

2009-08-30

Igor Minevich, a May 2009 graduate of IUPUI with a B.S. in mathematics (pure math concentration), was involved in a summer internship with the National Security Agency (NSA) during the summer after graduation, where he worked on finding efficient methods of testing documents for similarity. Here is what he says about the NSA:

"It is a very pleasant place to work. Everybody is nice, goes by their first name, and the whole atmosphere is very friendly and informal. You are not allowed to talk or write about work outside of work, so you simply cannot work more than allowed, which means you will have free time outside of work, no matter what you do. This prevents very devoted people from working too hard; I am such a person, so I found this to be a really good aspect of working here. Another good aspect is that you get to manage your own time: come in whenever you want to, and leave whenever you want to, as long as you work at least 80 hours in a (two-week) pay period. You can also accumulate credit hours (up to 24 at any one time) which you can use as you like to take time off of work, plus annual and sick leave. You can usually publish anything you like after working here, too, but you must go through a pre-publication process if what you are publishing is at all related to the research you do here. Plus, it's good money. I have absolutely no moral issues with working here and completely understand the necessity for all the policies implemented; to me they seem quite reasonable. I highly recommend having an internship here and coming to work here, even if you do not stay for very long, just to experience it."

Igor is happy to have had the opportunity to partake in this internship and looks forward to applying for the Graduate Math Program internship with the NSA for next summer. In the Fall of 2009, he will start work on a Ph.D. in mathematics at Brown University.

Psychology Professor at School of Science Receives $1.25 Million Grant

2009-08-25

National Institutes of Health Awarded 5-Year Grant To Study Effects of Alcohol Intake, Binge Drinking

Indianapolis, IN, Aug. 25, 2009 - The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health recently awarded Dr. Stephen Boehm, a tenured associate professor of psychology at the School of Science at IUPUI, a five year grant for $1.25 million to extend research on the role gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors play in alcohol consumption and binge drinking. New to the School of Science, Dr. Boehm's research will provide information on the changes in brain GABA systems during alcohol intake to better understand alcohol use, binge drinking, tolerance and addiction.

GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that controls bodily systems. When alcohol is introduced it alters the GABA receptors causing different actions and reactions depending on the receptor sensitivity to alcohol. Boehm's research will explore the sensitivity of these receptors and corresponding actions to determine the importance of GABA systems and to what extent the systems change over repeated binge drinking episodes.

"The Indiana Alcohol Research Center at IUPUI is one of the nation's leading alcohol addiction research centers," said Boehm. "When I was given the opportunity to continue my research and teach at IUPUI, I was thrilled to join such a large contingency of alcohol researchers across several departments in science and medicine. This environment is nearly unmatched in the field and will be invaluable to the research we will be conducting over the next five years."

For the past 15 years, Boehm's studies in behavioral neuroscience, specifically the neurobiology of drug and alcohol addiction, have been recognized by peers and the medical community at large. His works are widely published internationally and have earned Boehm several fellowship and grant awards throughout his career.

"We are pleased Dr. Boehm has joined our faculty this fall bringing along a significant grant that will continue our efforts in understanding the effects of alcohol on the brain," said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. "His study of the cellular and molecular actions of alcohol on the brain will positively influence treatment strategies for alcohol and other addictions in the medical community."

Boehm joins the School of Science's Department of Psychology from the State University of New York in Binghamton (SUNY) where he held a faculty position and received a K01 NIH grant to study the mRNA expression in the brain following repeated alcohol exposure using real-time PCR. He completed his postdoctoral studies in Behavioral and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Texas at Austin. He received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Boehm joined the School of Science at IUPUI in August and immediately began research that enlisted undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.

School of Science at IUPUI Professor Earns National Science Foundation Career Award

2009-08-17

Highest National Honor In Science

Indianapolis, IN - Assistant chemistry professor at School of Science at IUPUI, Dr. Sapna Deo, quickly made her mark on the world of chemistry and research when she was recently awarded the "Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers" from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF award for scientists is one of the most prestigious awards honoring investigators excellence in the laboratory and classroom.

Deo, a professor for only four years, was one of roughly 30 recipients receiving the highest honor bestowed by the United States government to scientists for their extensive research accomplishments and noteworthy educational contributions.

"The School of Science is thrilled for the leadership role Dr. Sapna Deo has taken with research and education early in her career," said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. "Her work in science will be modeled for years to come and her efforts to educate young students will prove to be beneficial to the University and the entire science community."

Deo's research is opening new avenues of inquiry in dealing with disease and combating the threat of biowarfare by identifying the RNA markers that exist in those divergent fields. But her most valued work is making her research, and science in general, fun and exciting for students.

"I like to make research and science fun so young students will begin to have interest in research and science," said Deo. "I believe nurturing a young student's curiosity for science is most imperative for the advancement of science and community."

In researching and working with RNA markers, Deo designed probes to be able to detect RNA markers. The probes force the markers to light up in a colorful glow giving students a great visual tool when looking at RNA markers for diseases. Deo has taken the experiment to various primary schools throughout the state to entice students to consider science as a career. Further, she involves university graduates and undergraduates as well as high school students in her research mentoring and nurturing each one's passion for discovery.

IUPUI School of Science Announces New Physics Chair

2009-08-13

Co-Founder of Just-in-Time Teaching, Leader for Bridges to the Baccalaureate to Head Department

Indianapolis, IN, Aug. 12, 2009 - IUPUI School of Science announced Dr. Andrew D. Gavrin will serve as the new Chair of the Department of Physics beginning August 1, 2009 for a four year term. Dr. Gavrin is well known for his efforts in physics education and research on the physics of nanostructured magnetic materials.

In a strategic collaboration with researchers at IUPUI, the United States Air Force Academy and Davidson College, Dr. Gavrin co-developed the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) method, a renowned program focusing on active learning for physics education in high school. As part of the program, he co-authored Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with Web Technology and received a National Science Foundation grant to adapt the JiTT program to a variety of academic fields.

"Whether it's through his efforts in developing Just-in-Time Teaching or the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program at IUPUI and Ivy Tech, Dr. Gavrin has played an instrumental role in physics education both at the university and throughout the country," said Dr. Bart Ng, Dean of the IUPUI School of Science. "We are extremely excited about the leadership role Dr. Gavrin will take with our physics program and the impact it will have on our students, the university and the community."

He is an active member of the physics community serving as a consultant on the integration of high school and higher education programs to the Indiana Department of Education and several school systems throughout Central Indiana. Most recently Dr. Gavrin helped to develop Bridges to the Baccalaureate, a five year program funded by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation and the National Institute of Health. Bridges to the Baccalaureate places Central Indiana minority students from Ivy Tech in research laboratories on the IUPUI campus, mentoring them through a BS degree in Science at IUPUI.

"It is a privilege to lead such a talented group of people" said Dr. Gavrin in a message to the department on the announcement of his appointment. The department has strong research programs in biophysics, condensed matter physics, and optics. "I am particularly excited to work with the faculty to expand our Ph.D. program and our research capabilities." Last year, physics students and faculty authored 23 publications and made over 40 presentations at national and international conferences, and at other universities.

Prior to taking on the role of Department Chair, Dr. Gavrin served as Associate Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Science for Faculty Affairs and Undergraduate Education at IUPUI. For his extensive experience, leading outreach and undergraduate education on behalf of the School of Science, Dr. Gavrin has earned numerous teaching awards and recognitions including the School of Science Teaching Award, IUPUI Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the IUPUI Trustees Award. He is a member of the Indiana University Faculty Colloquium for Excellence in Teaching.

After receiving his B.S. in physics from MIT and his M.S. and Ph.D.'s in physics from The Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Gavrin completed postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Standards and Technology before joining the Physics Department at IUPUI School of Science in 1995. He is successor to Dr. Gautam Vemuri who led as chair of the department for the past seven years. Dr. Vemuri will return to full-time teaching and research at the School of Science on August 1, 2009.

New Medicinal, Organic Chemistry Professor Joins School of Science

2009-08-10

Research Will Focus On Anti-Cancer Agents, Pharmaceutical Compounds, organic methodology development at IUPUI

Indianapolis, IN, Aug. 10, 2009 - The IUPUI School of Science announced today that leading organic chemist, Dr. Haibo Ge, will join the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology to further extend the organic and medicinal chemistry research programs at the university. Ge's research on the development of organic chemical compounds for selective anti-cancer pharmaceuticals will help in the development of effective treatment and therapy for patients with specific diseases.

Already making his mark at IUPUI and within the local science community, Ge has engaged in a strategic partnership with Dr. Qizhaung Ye, a professor at the IU School of Medicine, to synthesize and modify the structures of biologically active natural products for the development of anti-cancer agents to treat a specific type of cancer: estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. Ge and Ye will both engage undergraduate, graduate and post doctorate students in the research.

"Together with the School of Medicine, we hope to gain a better understanding of the biological activity of these molecules in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer so that we may develop a compound that is more selective, more potent and ultimately effectively treat the disease," said Ge. "I'm very excited for the many opportunities to collaborate with various industry partners in Indiana as well as other academic researchers on IUPUI's campus. The scientific landscape here is unparalleled."

A native of China, Ge and a fellow student patented a specific method to effectively prepare organic chemical compounds. He plans to continue his work in organic methodology development to provide new ways for certain organic chemical transformations. Such methods will help pharmaceutical researchers effectively and efficiently develop new compounds for drugs.

"The School of Science is excited for the advanced research Dr. Ge will be conducting on campus with our students," said Bart Ng, Dean of the School of Science at IUPUI. "His renowned work in organic and medicinal chemistry will not only benefit IUPUI students and the local community, but will inevitably improve patient outcomes in the future."

Ge's passion is to continue studying and teaching science students to identify compounds that will treat very specific disease states. He has been an active researcher for the past 10 years earning his post doctorate at The Scripps Research Institute at La Jolla, Calif. and his Ph.D. at the University of Kansas.

For more information about research in chemistry or Ge's work at the School of Science at IUPUI go to www.science.iupui.edu.

Art and Science Are Inseparable for IUPUI's Rosenberg

2009-08-07

Rosenberg, an associate professor of Earth Sciences at IUPUI, has been elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, an honor that is reserved for the best in his discipline. Members of the society are elected to Fellowship in recognition of distinguished contributions to geosciences.

In his nomination of Rosenberg, Dr. Steve Rowland of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, wrote, "Gary D. Rosenberg is a very innovative scholar whose research on the history of art and geology has shone light on cultural influences on the visual perception of the Earth. Especially significant also is his editorship of GSA Memoir 203, The Revolution in Geology from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment."

The memoir was published at nearly the same time that Rosenberg was elected a Fellow.

The GSA honor is well-deserved, said Gabriel Filippelli, professor and chair of the Department of Earth Sciences in the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI. Dr. Rosenberg has been at the forefront of integrating scientific thought with art history. His work has ranged from the European development of perspective and geological realism in parallel with the Italian Renaissance to idealized and geologically-rare landscapes in Chinese art. Dr. Rosenberg has also taught on this topic here at IUPUI, and is considered an international leader in this area with his own publications as well as the seminal monograph that he recently edited.

There are several criteria under which a member of GSA may be nominated for election as a Fellow. In Rosenberg's case, he was recognized for his accomplishment in the areas of dissemination of geologic knowledge contributing to the advancement of the science and his leadership of professional organizations, particularly GSA.

At IUPUI, Rosenberg's research includes the study of art history for clues that shed light on the origin of modern geologic thought in Western Europe. He has compared the geometric representation of spatial relationships in nature that European Renaissance artists developed with the meditative images that eastern cultures produced.

"I believe these different ways of viewing nature help to explain why the Scientific Revolution took place first in Europe and not in the East," he said.

Rosenberg also maps the distribution of trace elements in shells, teeth, and bone with digital electron microscopy to determine how both physiology and environment influence skeletal form, crystallography, growth, and composition. A long-term goal is to develop a generalized model of shell growth integrating skeletal composition, metabolism, and shape. He has also studied the microstructure and chemistry of teeth and bone in order to understand various afflictions of mineralized tissues.

Rosenberg regards all of Indianapolis as a resource for teaching and research. Especially relevant is the White River Parkway and corridor where he takes students. The Indianapolis Museum of Art along the White River has proved exceptionally important because it has several significant collections and because the entire staff generously advised and shared their expertise, Rosenberg said.

The 20 chapters in the GSA Memoir, The Revolution in Geology from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, explore how modern geology began to take shape during a momentous period of Western civilization when a revolution in understanding spatial relationships transformed the paradigm of nature and the affairs of humankind, ultimately leading to the Western experiment in democracy. Rosenberg is the author of the memoir's introduction and one of the memoir's chapters.

Rosenberg's chapter explores how Renaissance artists' knowledge of anatomy facilitated the conceptualization of landscape. He asserts that explains how Nicholas Steno, a Baroque anatomist, could have discovered the founding principles of modern geology with his geometric studies of the hills of Tuscany. Other papers reveal that Isaac Newton's organic alchemy was a forerunner to modern geochemistry, and that Jesuit scholar, Athanasius Kircher's biologic analogies of Earth presaged the writing of British naturalist James Hutton who is generally credited with the first extensive writing in modern geology. . Papers on Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson's geological and paleontological studies, on British resistance to French evolutionary theory, and on Darwin's refutation of the argument that natural laws require a lawgiver reveal that, from the Enlightenment on, this spatial reorganization of nature facilitated the idea of evolution and of the individual's potential for change in the new social order of democracy. Other papers explore how anatomist, artist, and astronomer, Galileo's "il lume naturale" inspired Charles Peirce's modern essays on historical science that bring geologic thought to the debate over the anthropic principle in cosmology.

Rosenberg says the idea and encouragement for this volume stemmed from a sabbatical in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he met many of the scholars devoted to the life and accomplishments of Nicholas Steno, "preeminent 17th century Danish polymath and founder of modern geologic thought." Rosenberg's goal was to pursue the connection between Steno and art history. "Within art history," says Rosenberg, "lie clues that explain the breadth of Steno's accomplishments in fields that we now consider unrelated, anatomy and geology, but which were then considered integral exemplars of the same geometric paradigm of nature."

Orr, Zou, other IUPUI Researchers Receive Cybersecurity Grants

2009-07-16

As part of the Indiana University Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research (CACR), Dr. Xukai Zou and Scott Orr have received part of $230,000 in internal grant money to pursue research along with Dr. Eliza Du in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at IUPUI. Their work is entitled, "A Novel Approach to Robust, Secured, and Cancellable Biometrics."

Funding for the internal grant program was provided by a gift from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., of Indianapolis. Fred Cate, CACR Director and Distinguished Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, made the announcement on June 19, 2009. The seed grants are expected to enhance the competitiveness of IU and IUPUI researchers in this area for competitive national grants from such agencies as the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition, Zou and Orr were named as two of seventeen CACR Fellows for 2009-10, as researchers whose work in the field of cybersecurity "warrants special recognition."

The full press release from Indiana University is available at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/11196.html.

IUPUI Chemists Develop Distributed Drug Discovery: Finding Drugs for Neglected Diseases

2009-06-16

Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) have developed Distributed Drug Discovery (D3), a new low-cost strategy to accelerate the discovery of drugs to treat neglected diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, leishmaniasis, dengue fever, and Chagas disease.

Even in times of economic prosperity, the pharmaceutical industry has often been reluctant to get involved in developing treatments for diseases that occur primarily in low income countries. The low cost D3 approach, involving distributed global educational resources at the early stage of discovery, is even more attractive in this time of global economic downturn.

A distributed problem solving process breaks large problems into small pieces which are "distributed" to multiple, small, low-cost sites to obtain a solution. For decades astronomers have enlisted the help of the public, asking individuals around the world to leave their home computers on overnight to run a small program. While normally idle, each one of these computers looks for patterns in a small subset of the incredibly large amount of space noise signals received by arrays of radio telescopes scanning the skies.

Two studies, published this year in the Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry, detail the first two steps in D3, developed by William Scott, Ph.D., research professor, and Martin J. O'Donnell, Ph.D., IUPUI Chancellor's Professor, both of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at IUPUI.

D3 uses a distributed problem approach at all three key stages of drug discovery. Step one is identifying candidate drug molecules. To do this, IUPUI researchers are soliciting the global advice of computational experts in neglected disease areas and utilizing the computational power of multiple personal computers around the world to scan the almost infinite number of molecules which the D3 synthesis process could make to identify the smaller number of drug candidate molecules they should make. Dr. Scott and Dr. O'Donnell believe this will lead to the selection, synthesis and development of innovative and inexpensive drugs to treat these neglected diseases.

In the second step, D3 uses an innovative, distributed educational approach to synthesize the candidate molecules. Undergraduate and graduate chemistry students from around the world synthesize subsets of these candidate molecules as part of their normal training in synthetic chemistry. Currently students at IUPUI, the University of Indianapolis, and universities in Poland, Russia and Spain have demonstrated their ability to make the molecules (or portions of the molecules) that can be identified by the personal computers as potential candidates for drug discovery.

Initial results are very promising, according to Dr. Scott. "While learning chemistry synthesis skills, students across the globe synthesize new molecules to be tested as drug leads. The molecules meet the same quality standards as those required in industry. At the same time the students enthusiastically participate in the synthesis laboratories. They enjoy seeing how their work will advance science that is going to make a difference to individuals suffering from diseases which have been ignored," he said.

The third step in D3 is biological testing of the molecules synthesized by the students. Dr. Scott and Dr. O'Donnell hope the success of distributed problem solving at the computational and synthetic stages of drug discovery will encourage their biological colleagues to develop simple, inexpensive tests to enable students worldwide to participate in this final stage of drug-lead discovery. Currently some of the molecules made are being evaluated through the resources of the National Institutes of Health. In the future, promising drugs will then go on to pre-clinical trials.

"The coordinated and recombined results of these distributed D3 resources can economically accelerate the identification of leads in the early stages of the drug discovery process. Simultaneously, this effort provides educational and job opportunities in both the developed and developing worlds, while building cultural and economic bridges for the common good," Dr. Scott and Dr. O'Donnell wrote in an accompanying perspective article.

The studies on D3 published in the Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry were funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, and Lilly Research Laboratories.

Dr. Scott and Dr. O'Donnell continue to enlist chemistry departments in the United States and other parts of the globe in this program to help children and adults with devastating diseases which have been largely ignored by the developed world.

Dr. Murat Dundar receives IUPUI Research Support Grant

2009-06-09

CS Department Assistant Professor, Dr. Murat Dundar, was recently awarded a Research Support Funds Grant (RSFG) from IUPUI's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research for work on his project entitled "An Artificial Intelligence System for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism Using CTPA Scans and Clinical Data." Dr. Dundar's research will work toward developing an artificial intelligence (AI) system for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). This system would provide a useful tool for radiologists and clinicians as a "2nd reader" to be able to more accurately diagnose PE for early treatment.

For further information on Dr. Dundar's research, please visit his website at http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~dundar/research.

IUPUI Study Reports Inherited Impulsivity Predicts Alcoholism

2009-05-01

(April 23, 2009) -- Solving the age-old chicken and the egg dilemma, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis researchers report that genetic predisposition to impulsivity is a trait predictive of alcoholism. The study appears on the July print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, available online on April 22.

The researchers, led by Nicholas Grahame, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the IUPUI School of Science, used selective breeding for 30 generations to produce mice who were high volume alcohol drinkers and others who avoided consuming alcohol. The genetically different mice were presented with a choice between a small, immediate reward and a large, delayed reward. By adjusting the quantity of the immediate reward up and down based on choice behavior, the task allowed the researchers to test the impulsivity of the rodents.

The mice with high alcohol preferring genes were more impulsive than their low drinking counterparts demonstrating that predisposition to impulsivity is predictive of alcoholism.

"Selective breeding allowed us to focus on whether changing genes changes behavior. Just like golden retrievers are bred to retrieve, we were able to breed mice genetically predisposed to drink alcohol voluntarily. Many drink enough to reach a blood alcohol level of .08," said Dr. Grahame, who is a behavioral geneticist.

In humans a blood alcohol level of .08 is produced by the consumption of two drinks an hour by a 120-pound individual or 3 drinks an hour by a 180-pound individual. At that level human concentration and judgment are impaired and all 50 states prohibit operation of a motor vehicle.

"It is well documented that humans with alcohol problems have impulsivity issues. High impulsivity, when defined as the tendency to choose small instantaneous rewards over larger delayed rewards - like getting drunk instead of going to work for that paycheck in 2 weeks- is more prevalent in alcoholics than in non-alcoholics. Because these mice had never had alcohol, we were able to show that it was the genes that increase drinking, rather than drinking itself, that yielded impulsive behavior," said Dr. Grahame.

"Our data can clearly be extrapolated to humans and strongly suggests that impulsivity contributes to high alcohol drinking. Consequently, the diagnosis of any disorder associated with impulsivity, such as attention deficit disorder or bipolar disorder, is cause for concern about future problems with alcoholism," he added.

An Evening with the Association of Women in Science

2009-04-15

On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, beginning at 7:00 p.m., the Indiana chapter of the Association of Women in Science will hold their April meeting at the IUPUI Campus Apartments on the Riverwalk. The event will take place in the Thornbrough Conference Room 150. Feel free to stop by and enjoy dinner and an environment that seeks to promote women in science through discussion and enlightenment. Questions? Please e-mail Women in Science House Resident Assistant, Olutope (Sola) Omosegbon at oaomoseg@iupui.edu.

IUPUI Math Students Place in Top 15 Percent at National Putnam Competition

2009-04-08

(April 9, 2009)--Time magazine called it the "World's Toughest Math Test." Mathematics majors Joel Martin, Igor Minevich and Elizabeth Sweeney might agree. The IUPUI team, coached by Associate Professor Evgeny Mukhin, placed 66th among the 545 colleges and universities that participated in the 68th annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.

"I'm extremely proud of this year's team and very impressed with their outstanding placement," said Mukhin, who has coached IUPUI's Putnam team for five years.

"Normally, students require several years of preparation before they can successfully solve Putnam problems. Joel, Igor and Elizabeth offered tremendous dedication, perseverance and enthusiasm. They are outstanding mathematics students of whom the entire campus should be proud."

The Putnam is a math contest for college students, administered by the Mathematical Association of America. It is intended to test creativity as well as technical competence in undergraduate-level mathematics. The six-hour examination contains 12 problems; each problem is graded on a basis of zero to 10 points for a maximum score of 120 points.

According to Mukhin, Time magazine is right; it's a difficult test. The average score each year for the overall exam is in the range of one or two points, and more than half of the competitors earn no points altogether. This year's competition included more than 3,600 students from across North America.

Martin and Minevich each placed among the top 500 contestants, earning them individual spots in the top 15 percent. Both students will graduate in May and plan to pursue graduate degrees in mathematics. Minevich is headed to Brown University, where he will study pure mathematics in the Ph.D. program. Sweeney is a junior, who was honored recently as one of IUPUI's Top 100 students.

Midwest Robert Noyce Conference Examines Strategies to Improve Math and Science Teaching

2009-03-31

(MARCH 31, 2009) -- Teachers, professors, and student teachers from around the Midwest will gather on the campus of IUPUI this week to discuss strategies for preparing successful science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers, at the Midwest Robert Noyce Regional Conference on April 2-3 at IUPUI's University Place Conference Center.

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a nationwide program to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors and professionals to become K-12 STEM teachers. Robert Noyce Scholars who become STEM teachers commit to teaching in high-need schools as a part of their scholarship.

IUPUI has two different Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Programs, coordinated through UCASE (the Urban Center for the Advancement of STEM Education), a joint effort between the School of Science, School of Education, and School of Engineering and Technology on the IUPUI campus. Through a combination of program development, STEM education research, and graduate and undergraduate scholarships, UCASE fosters the goals of all three schools in increasing the numbers of highly qualified K-12 STEM teachers in Indiana.

At the conference, sponsored by the NSF and the IUPUI Conference fund, participants will discuss common goals, strategies, and challenges of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, sharing best practices in teaching the STEM disciplines, engaging K-12 students, supporting new teaches in STEM disciplines, and examining the success and future of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Robert Noyce programs from 12 states will be represented at the meeting, including Illinois, Indiana, , Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Keynote speakers at the conference include Dr. Ken Tobin, Presidential Professor, City University of New York and NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, and Tom Bloch, author of "Stand for the Best: What I Learned after Leaving My Job as CEO of H & R Block to Become a Teacher and Founder of an Inner-City Charter School". Joan Prival, the NSF Program Director of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, will give closing remarks on April 3, 2009.

The Midwest Robert Noyce Conference will be held at the University Place Conference Center and Hotel, IUPUI, 850 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202. For more information, contact Dr. Kathleen A. Marrs at kmarrs@iupui.edu..

IUPUI Math Contest Offers Cash Prizes for Area High School Students

2009-03-30

(March 30, 2009) - In a triangle, the length of one side a is equal to one third of the sum of the lengths of the other two sides b and c. Show that the angle opposite side a is the smallest.

Would you try to solve this math problem for $500? Area high school students will.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences in the School of Science at IUPUI is hosting the 12th annual High School Mathematics Contest for high school students in central Indiana. Contestants are presented with four mathematics problems and one short essay relating to an application of mathematics to game theory. IUPUI mathematics professors created the questions and will judge all the entries. Student submissions will be judged based on elegance of the solution as well as accuracy of the answer.

Prizes include one $500 first-place prize, five $200 second-place prizes and 10 $100 third-place prizes. Additionally, students who earn a cash prize will also receive a $2,500 renewable scholarship to attend full-time the School of Science at IUPUI. Honorable mention students will receive a gift, and all entrants earn a certificate.

For more information about the contest, including the questions and instructions for entering, visit the Math Department website at www.math.iupui.edu/news/contest. The contest deadline is April 17, 2009.

IUPUI to Host Indiana Environmental Health Summit on May 15

2009-03-30

(March 30, 2009)-Given the many challenges we have for water quality in Indiana-human and animal wastes, industrial wastes, and agricultural chemicals-it is important to consider how those challenges are impacting human health. That's why the Department of Earth Sciences and the Center for Earth and Environmental Science will co-host Water Quality and Human Health in Indiana: The Second Indiana Environmental Health Summit on Friday, May 15, 2009, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the IUPUI Campus Center.

This unique summit brings together leaders from government, academia, business, the health professions and the advocacy community to consider key environmental influences on Indiana water quality and human health. Nationally-recognized speakers and local experts will cover the health implications of microbial contamination, how pharmaceutical use is impacting water, and Indiana's challenges to water quality. A poster session will highlight research on water issues in Indiana.

To register, contact Lauren Stanisic at stanisic@ikecoalition.org. Space is limited to the first 230 registrants. The Indiana Environmental Health Summit is free and open to the public.

High School Students Get Creative in IUPUI Computer Programming Contest

2009-03-26

(March 26, 2009) -- It's not surprising to find a group of high school students consumed on a Saturday with the popular arcade game Whack-a-Mole. What might be surprising is that they weren't in an arcade but in a computer lab.

How many moles pop up at any single time? You might try to count as you're trying to whack them back into their holes. Or, better yet, you might write a computer program to deliver a more exact answer. That's exactly what area students who competed in the IUPUI High School Computer Programming Contest did.

Twenty-eight students from six high schools participated in the third annual contest, which was hosted by IUPUI's Department of Computer and Information Science. Students were presented with 10 programming problems and given three hours to write the programs. They were judged by the speed with which they completed the programs, and how the programs conformed to the specifications of the problems. Students competed in teams of two members.

"The contest problems are typical of those attempted by college level students," said Shiaofen Fang, associate professor and chair of the Computer Science Department. "Our faculty are pleased at the number of students who accepted the challenge of this contest and are impressed at the originality that is evident in their answers."

The winning team was Jessica Fisher and Michael Wintermeyer, both students at Park Tudor. This is the second time in three years that Fisher has competed on the winning team, and the third consecutive year that a Park Tudor team has won the IUPUI programming contest.

Second place went to another Park Tudor team consisting of Sam Clarke and Jeff Shen. Sidney Fletcher and Ross Larson of Zionsville Community High School earned third place for their efforts.

The contest was open to all high school students in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The contest problems and entries were created and judged by IUPUI students who are members of the Computer Science Club.

"The problems we created are meant to reinforce the fundamentals in computer science, such as data representation, which is critical to the operation of most software used today," said Kenneth Eldridge, a computer science major at IUPUI and secretary of the Computer Science Club.

In addition to the programming contest, the IUPUI Department of Computer and Information Science sponsored a teacher training workshop. For most computing teachers in Indiana, computer science is not among their primary areas of expertise and a subject they were asked to take over. They report that workshops like the one at IUPUI fill a critical need for hands-on training and professional development.

"The teacher training workshop and the programming contest are two examples of how IUPUI is reaching out to the K-12 community," said Fang. "Our goal is to be the premiere provider of computer science training in central Indiana."

Shen Appointed Chair of the IUPUI Department of Mathematical Sciences

2009-03-24

(March 24, 2009)--IUPUI School of Science Acting Dean Bart S. Ng has announced the appointment of mathematics professor Zhongmin "James" Shen as the next chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Shen will succeed Professor Benzion Boukai, who is stepping down as chair after 10 years of outstanding service. Shen will assume the position on July 1, 2009.

"Professor Shen's outstanding research record as a differential geometer and his significant service contributions to the U.S. mathematical community makes him an ideal leader for the department," said Ng. "I look forward to working with him to develop further Mathematical Sciences, already a very strong department, into one of distinction at the national level."

"I am very pleased to become the next chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences," said Shen. "I want to work with other units on campus to promote interdisciplinary research and to continue to strengthen the undergraduate and graduate programs in the department."

Shen received his doctorate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1990. Before joining the IUPUI faculty in 1993, Shen held visiting appointments at the Mathematical Science Research Institute in Berkeley, Calf., and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. From 2005 to 2007, Shen took a leave of absence from IUPUI and served as Program Director for Geometric Analysis at the National Science Foundation in Washington, DC.

A highly prolific researcher, Shen is the author of four research monographs and nearly 70 papers in top journals. He is a member of the editorial boards of several leading mathematics journals, including Differential Geometry and Its Applications. Shen is especially well-known for his pioneering research in Finsler geometry. Together with his collaborator, the late Shiing-Shen Chern, Shen has played a decisive role in the revival and the explosive growth of research activities in this area during the past decade. A highly sought after speaker, he has given more than 100 invited talks in many countries around the world, including Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Iran, Mexico and Romania. Additionally, Shen holds honorary appointments at several leading universities in China, including the K. P. Chao Professorship at Zhejiang University and a guest professorship at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Renowned Educator Jane Elliott to Speak at IUPUI March 24

2009-03-24

Jane Elliott, renowned educator, lecturer and diversity trainer, will present "The Anatomy of Prejudice" on March 24, 2009, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the IUPUI Campus Center, room 450. Elliott created controversy with her "Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" exercise, which she devised in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Through this exercise, she demonstrated to her third grade class the negative effects of bias by suggesting their inferiority or superiority based on group membership.

During this three-hour presentation, Elliott will confront the problem of bias and highlight what can be done to decrease biased attitudes and behaviors. This event is sponsored by the IUPUI chapter Psi Chi (the National Honor Society in Psychology) the IUPUI Psychology Club and the School of Science Student Council. It is free and open to the public.

Benzion Boukai to Step Down as Chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at IUPUI

2009-03-24

(March 24, 2009) --Professor Benzion Boukai announced today that he will step down as chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at IUPUI, effective June 30, 2009. Boukai, who holds a doctorate from the State University of New York at Binghamton, has served in this position since January 1999. With 45 full-time faculty and some 30 part-time instructors serving more than 13,000 students each year, Mathematical Sciences is one the largest academic units on the IUPUI campus.

"For the past 10 years, our campus and the School of Science have been very lucky to have someone of Professor Boukai's extraordinary commitment and outstanding administrative skills at the helm of a department that is central to the education mission of IUPUI," said School of Science Acting Dean Bart S. Ng.

Ng noted that during Boukai's tenure as chair, the Department of Mathematical Sciences has grown in faculty and staff and in the number of students served each semester, and the department has expanded its course offerings and programs that now include an actuarial sciences option for its undergraduate majors and a new Ph.D. program in biostatistics. Building on the department's traditional strengths in mathematical physics, integrable systems and dynamical systems, Boukai expanded significantly its research programs through targeted faculty hiring in several interdisciplinary areas-including mathematical neuroscience, bio-fluid dynamics, scientific computing, applied statistics and biostatistics.

Under Boukai's leadership, the department also embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at increasing student success in mathematics. In partnership with IUPUI's University College, the department established the Mathematics Assistance Center (MAC). The MAC provides many beginning students with section- and course-specific mentoring, one-on-one tutoring and other forms of supplemental instruction. Additionally, a summer mathematics preparatory program has been implemented as have other curricular innovations, including the incorporation of MAPLE-TA as a tool for assessing student learning in key mathematics courses. In early 2005, Boukai led the effort to develop, jointly with the Division of Biostatistics in the IU School of Medicine, a Ph.D. degree program in biostatistics, designed to meet the growing national need for highly trained statisticians with specialized skills in the area of health and life sciences. This new Ph.D. program was subsequently approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education in May 2008 and is now admitting its second cohort of students for the fall 2009 semester.

Boukai also founded the IUPUI Signature Center for Mathematical Biosciences (CMB) to spearhead research and programmatic activities in biomathematics. The Center, located on the 4th floor of the Health Information and Translational Sciences Building at IUPUI, houses several faculty affiliates, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students working on research problems in computational neuroscience and bio-fluid dynamics, as well as the modeling and analysis of proteomics and genomics data.

After stepping down as chair, Boukai plans to return to full-time teaching and research and will continue to assist in departmental administration by serving as director of the graduate programs in biostatistics and statistics and as acting director of the CMB. He especially looks forward to continuing his research in mathematical statistics and applications of sequential methodologies and his service as associate editor of Sequential Analysis. Ng has appointed Professor Zhongmin "James" Shen to succeed Boukai as chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, effective July 1, 2009.

Psychology Professor Among 12 Teams of Indiana Scientists to Receive Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Grant

2009-03-19

INDIANAPOLIS (March 19, 2009) - IUPUI Psychology Professor Charles Goodlett and William P. Hetrick, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at IU-Bloomington, are among 12 teams of Indiana scientists who have been awarded the first grants from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). The title of their project is "Translational Evaluation of Secretin's Effects on Cerebellar Function."

The teams, each of which received up to $75,000 for a CTSI Collaboration in Biomedical/Translational Research Pilot Program Grant, include researchers from Indiana and Purdue universities and the University of Notre Dame.

The grants are meant to help Indiana scientists conduct early-stage research projects that will lead to grant awards from external sources, such as the National Institutes of Health. In order to foster collaboration, each grant proposal had to include participation from scientists from two or more of the sponsoring academic campuses: Purdue, IU-Bloomington, IUPUI, IU School of Medicine, Purdue and Notre Dame.

The Indiana CTSI is a statewide collaboration of researchers and health care specialists in academia, business and government created to transform scientific discoveries into new medical treatments and services. The CTSI was formed in 2008 with a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Mathematical Sciences Associate Professor Jeffrey X. Watt Named Distinguished University Teacher

2009-03-19

(March 19, 2009) - The Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America has awarded Jeffrey X. Watt with the 2009 Distinguished University Teaching of Mathematics Award, the organization's highest honor for a math educator. The designation recognizes Watt's stellar record of teaching excellence and his contributions to promoting mathematics teaching and learning at IUPUI and across the state.

"Dr. Watt is an enthusiastic and innovative educator," said Benzion Boukai, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. "He is an exceptionally talented instructor, judged by many to be one of the best in our department and the School of Science. He is a model educator who personifies all that we aspire our best mathematics teachers be."

Watt's work at IUPUI has resulted in improved student placement, improved counseling and better analysis of educational best practices. According to his faculty peers, he is at the forefront of initiative after initiative to improve learning.

Watt is associate chair and associate professor of mathematical sciences in the School of Science. He holds degrees in geophysics, mathematics and math education, receiving his Ph.D. from Indiana University.

He serves as a university consultant on K-12 mathematics for the Indiana Department of Education, and he works with the American Diploma Project to set learning outcome standards for high school algebra and graduation requirements.

IUPUI Math Department to Host State's Largest Mathematics Meeting

2009-03-18

(March 18, 2009) - Indiana's largest meeting of mathematicians and mathematics professionals will be hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences on the IUPUI campus March 20-21, 2009. Researchers and math educators from across the state will present talks on a range of topics, including biological modeling, inquiry-based, interactive mathematics and the intersection of mathematics, computer science and art.

Held at IUPUI for the first time, the spring meeting of the Indiana section of the Mathematical Association of America provides a forum for professors, teachers, students and anyone interested in mathematics to address the importance of mathematics education for our country's future, while sharing new approaches to unsolved problems and the most recent research related to math.

The meeting schedule also includes specific opportunities for mathematics students-an undergraduate competition on Friday and a Saturday workshop on Knot Theory. Nearly 50 college teams from across the state will compete in the math contest, including three teams from IUPUI. Competition results will be available before the end of the meeting on Saturday.

Registration for the two-day conference remains open. Visit www.ipfw.edu/math/INMAA for details.

High School Students Can Get Creative in IUPUI Computer Programming Contest

2009-03-10

March 10, 2009 -- Given some number of occupants, what is the probability that two people in the same room have the same birthday? You might take a guess, using your life experiences. Or, better yet, you might write a computer program to deliver a more exact answer.

The Department of Computer and Information Science in the School of Science at IUPUI is hosting the 3rd Annual IUPUI Computer Programming Contest for area high school students on Saturday March 21, 2009. Contestants will be presented with 10 programming problems and given four hours to write the programs using Java and C++. They will be judged by the speed with which they complete the programs and how the program conforms to the specifications of the problems.

The contest problems were created and will be judged by IUPUI computer science students. To learn more about the contest, visit http://www.cs.iupui.edu/form/contest/faculty.php