Volume 1. Issue 7
Contents:
Dean’s Update P.1Awards & Recognition P.2 New Faculty | Student Clubs P.3 Research Spotlight | Open PRAIRIE P.4 ODFS | Interest in Science P.3https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1008/thumbnail.jp

Natural Sciences, College Of

English

Volume 2, Issue 5.
Page 1 Dean\u27s MessagePage 2 - 3 Awards & RecognitionPage 4 Research Spotlight: Dr. Xiaoyang ZhangPage 5 Upcoming RetirementsPage 6 - 7 Geography Alumni Social, Recent Media CoveragePage 8 Open PRAIRIE DataPage 9 - 11 Spring 2021 Dean\u27s List and Academic Recognitionshttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1015/thumbnail.jp

Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange

NEWSLETTERC O L L E G E  O F  N A T U R A L  S C I E N C E S  / /  V O L U M E  2  / /  I S S U E  5Dean's MessageDR. CHARLENE WOLF-HALLIn addition to fond farewells to graduatesand retirees, we say welcome to newstudents, faculty and staff. We arewelcoming new students throughsummer orientation and have severalfaculty and staff searches in progress. This week, we announced the nextDepartment Head for Biology &Microbiology. Please congratulate Dr.Radhey Kaushik who starts on June 22.Dr. Kaushik will relinquish the role ofAssociate Dean for Research; moreinformation about that position comingsoon. Campus is in bloom as we transition fromspring to summer. It is a bit surreal towalk around campus and smell theflowers after this last year. I hope you allenjoy a wonderful summer. Commencement 2021: Dr. Hildreth (pictured left sideof front row) was an HonoraryMarshall for the CNS andCAFES ceremoneyCelebrating WorkAnniversaries---May 2021Jay Shore - 26 yearsMatt Miller - 22 yearsGreg Heiberger - 18 yearsBishnu Karki - 9 yearsPatrick Danielson - 7 yearsCongratulations to our graduates! What apleasure to see many walk at our outdoorcommencement ceremony. Studentspeaker, Keri Pappas, and Marshall, Dr.Hildreth, were amazing. It was chilly andwindy that morning, but oh so joyful. Pleaseremember us warmly and stay in touch. Semester end brings the recognition ofDean’s List students. Please see that listlater in the newsletter. Congratulations forachieving this recognition during aparticularly challenging year. In this issue, we highlight recentretirements and thank these CNS familymembers for their many years of service.We wish them the best. STUDENT MEDALLION RECIPIENTSHailey Axemaker, Biotechnology & MicrobiologyAvori Bastemeyer, BiochemistryKelsey Bender, Human BiologyMonique Bunkers, Chemistry & BiochemistryAbby Burkhart, Human BiologyCourtney Cameron, Biotechnology & MicrobiologyNicholas Carlson, PhysicsJerrod Fedorchik, BiochemistryMoriah Flanagan, Biotechnology & MicrobiologyMcKenzie Gaspar, BiochemistryWes Genant, BiochemistryGabbie Gervais, Human BiologySusie Grabenstein, BiochemistryThane Henschel, Human BiologyJosh Loecker, BiochemistryKatie Lucas, BiologyJosh Mohs, Human BiologyAbigail Morgan, Chemistry & BiochemistryCollin Olevson, Human Biology Keri Pappas, Human Biology & MicrobiologyTimothy Paris, Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Psychology Bailey Pickering, Human BiologyJessica Scheer, Human BiologySarah Schweitzer, Human BiologyEric Sundall, Chemistry & BiochemistryCheyenne Trautmann, ChemistryKaylan Untiedt, BiologyAwards & RecognitionVan D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College 2021 Honors Medallion Ceremony 2021 Commencement Ceremony  Honorary Marshall:  Dr. Michael Hildreth, Biology & MicrobiologyStudent Speaker:  Keri Pappas, Human BiologyAmerican Oil Chemists SocietyePoster Pitch Competition:Ahmad Alhomodi, 1st placeBiology & MicrobiologyFACULTY RECOGNITIONSDon Auger (deceased), Biology & MicrobiologyKevin Cope, Biology & MicrobiologyNicole Grove, Chemistry & BiochemistrySurtaj Iram, Chemistry & BiochemistryRobert McTaggart, PhysicsJess Mediger, Biology & MicrobiologyMark Messerli, Biology & MicrobiologyMatt Miller, Chemistry & BiochemistryMadhav Nepal, Biology & MicrobiologyScott Pedersen, Biology & MicrobiologyDoug Raynie, Chemistry & BiochemistryMarjoanne Thompson, Biology & MicrobiologyRachel Willand-Charnley, Chemistry & BiochemistryNatural Sciences undergraduates make up less than 10% of the student body at SDSU, but represented 37% of the graduating Honors Students earlier this month!Society of Physics StudentsOutstanding UndergraduateResearch Award:Abdullah al Maruf, PhysicsAwards & Recognition, Cont.Sigma Pi Sigma - National Physics Honors Society The following Physics students were initiated into Sigma Pi Sigma on April 30, 2021:Nicholas CarlsonZachary LehmannAbdullah al Maruf It was a special evening as several past inductees were able to join the ceremony via Zoom.  Special guestsincluded George Duffey and LaVon (Doner) Hall, who were both inaugural inductees from the chapter's firstinstallation class in 1947, pictured below. Dr. Duffey would go on to become a faculty member in the PhysicsDepartment here at SDSU, and LaVon and Harold (deceased) Hall remained involved with SDSU throughoutthe years, including establishment of their scholarship. Sigma Xi Research Awards M.S. PAPER CATEGORY1st place: Camille Massmann, Biology & MicrobiologyFaculty advisor: Dr. Bishnu Karki PH.D. PAPER CATEGORY3rd place: Subrata Bhadra, Chemistry & BiochemistryFaculty advisor: Dr. Brian Logue PH.D. PROPOSAL CATEGORY1st place: Ahmad Alhomodi, Biology & MicrobiologyFaculty advisor: Dr. Bishnu Karki       Our research activities focus on the investigation of land surface dynamics and climate impacts using multiple spatiotemporalresolution satellite data from regional to global scales. The research topics mainly involve the followings four fields.        Third, we develop novel algorithms toproduce an operational global biomassburning emissions product in near real timeby integrating active fires observed from anetwork of geostationary sensors andpolar-orbiting satellites. The relatedalgorithms and computer codes have beenintegrated in NOAA for operational productgenerations of hourly and daily biomassburning emissions. With the update ofsatellite observations and the change ofNOAA air quality models, we will continueto refine the algorithms and computercodes and to improve the product accuracy. Research Spotlight: Dr. Xiaoyang Zhang XIAOYANG ZHANG • PROFESSOR/SENIOR SCIENTIST • GEOSPATIAL SCIENCES CENTER OF EXCELLENCE       Finally, we investigate the impacts ofenvironmental change and humanactivities on terrestrial ecosystems. Thisresearch topic is mainly concentrated onthe long-term trends and extremeanomalies of vegetation phenology andbiomass burning emissions in responses toclimate change, environmental variation,and human activity across regional andglobal scales.       First, we develop innovative algorithmsfor the generation of long-term global landsurface phenology (seasonal vegetationdynamics) products at a spatial resolutionof 0.05 degree (~5 km) and 500 m,separately, which services as a NASA’sstandard product for the study on long-term global environmental change andcarbon cycle. The 5-km phenology productis produced from satellite instruments ofAdvanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR, since 1982), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, since 2000), and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS, since 2012), and the 500-m productis generated from MODIS and VIIRS. The VIIRS, as the successor of MODIS, is the new-generation optical sensor in the middle resolution,which will continue to provide Earth surface observations at least during next decade. We will continue to refine the algorithms toreproduce the long-term phenology product (over 50 years) with high accuracy and continuity.       Second, we develop systems for monitoring crop progress and growing condition in near real time at field scales by fusing polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, which is to support USDA’s capability of monitoring crop growth and yield. This research is toreconstruct high spatiotemporal dynamics of crop greenness by fusing observations from geostationary satellites (500-m pixels at every 10minutes), Landsat and Sententil-2 (30-m pixels at every 3 days), and PlanetScope (3-m pixels daily). The system will have the capability ofreporting crop growing conditions weekly at 30-m pixels. Upcoming RetirementsWe would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to these folks who are retiring fromSDSU.  Thank you for your service over the years, and enjoy your next chapter!Terry McCutcheon, Biology & MicrobiologyTerry started at SDSU in January of '99; the temperature was -29 whenhe arrived from Gainesville, TX, where the temperature was 70 whenhe left! He coached the rodeo team from 99-09, helping many studentsget NIRA National Champion titles: Tabitha Sigman Harris (GoatTying), Rachel Tiedeman (Barrel Racing), Andrew Coughlin (BullRiding, reserve) and Joe Gunderson (Bareback Riding, reserve).  Withinthe department, some of his favorite memories include TA meetingsMike Hildreth, Biology & MicrobiologyMike started at SDSU in 1987 and will retire this August.  One of hisfavorite memories: "The look on the SDSU policemen faces whenthey broke into my old spooky coyote necropsy lab out in theWildlife & Fisheries unit while I was working one late night on someskinned foxes. I was in a full isolation suit covered in fox blood, therewere fox body parts were laying around, and they were completelyconfused and scared to death. It took a few minutes to convince them that they hadn’t stumbled onto a mass murder scene and to get them calmed downenough to put their guns away."  In retirement, he plans to continue working on his acreagenear the Brookings area and continue working on bison parasite issues!with Dick Whalen and Kendra Hill, as well as hearing non-majors tell him, "I hate Biology butyou made it fun!"  His plans for retirement include stuff with family, grandkids, and horses.     Sue Schliinz, Biology & MicrobiologySue started at SDSU in 1989 and retired earlier this May.  Stationedin Berg Ag Hall, she handled lab preparations for 100+ sections peryear and her work has impacted many thousands of students overthe years.  "Sue has done so much for the non-majors and majorsintro biology programs over the years and I know coordinating labswould have been much more difficult without her experience andknowledge," Dr. Mandy Orth said.  "She will be greatly missed!"Recent Media CoverageSDSU engineers use satellite images to protect national security: Dr. HankuiZhang, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, is part of a team that will work onusing images from remote-sensing satellites to protect national security.  The fullfour-year contract would bring more than $1.8 million in research funding to SDSU!  GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITYCelebrating service to the City of Brookings: Keith Corbett, alum of theChemistry & Biochemistry Department, recently retired as mayor of Brookings, SD.“Keith Corbett began his professional life in service to his country, and then hereturned to the state of South Dakota and spent at least a few decades in service tohis state,” Bacon said. Eye on KELOLAND: Mentoring matters: Lauri Sohl, online instructor for theGeography & Geospatial Sciences Department, has been a longtime mentor. “Iknew I wanted to offer something to somebody who might need me,” Sohl said.“One of the things I think we all tend to forget about is we think about ourselvesand our own needs but we don’t always think about what someone else mightneed or that act of kindness.”Backhaus (Human Biology B.S.) has been making big plays throughout his career for SDSU & Spirit Lake: "'We saw a skinny, athletic high school player. The thing we didn’t see that we’ve come to know and love is,number one, a great leader, and then number two one of the best football minds I’ve ever been around,' SDSUHead Coach John Stiegelmeier says. Which came from another passion that Logan discovered in high school -orthopedic surgery. 'I always thought it was kind of a cool goal is to help people that love the sport get backto playing it as soon as possible because I know that’s what I’d want my surgeons to do for me as well,' Logansays."SDSU Qualifies 10 for College National Finals Rodeo:Ten members of the South Dakota State University RodeoTeam have qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo(CNFR), including two students from Natural Sciences!  Colton Carlson, Human Biology major pictured top left, willcompete in team roping and Allison Pauley, Biochemistrymajor pictured bottom left, will compete in barrel racing.   The women’s SDSU Rodeo Team has earned the title of2020-2021 Great Plains Region Champions and the men’sSDSU Rodeo Team has earned the title of 2020-2021 GreatPlains Region Reserve Champions.  Congratulations to all! Anchoring the line: Veteran center Wes Genant (BiochemistryB.S., pictured left) leads Jackrabbit blocking unit: "'He’s kind of 23 going on 43,' said Jason Eck, who is the Jacks'offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. 'He’s a mature guy,he’s married, and his personality is really a stabilizing factor for ouroffense. One of his best qualities is that he’s seen just abouteverything so he doesn’t get rattled. That really helps with some ofthe younger guys who might have more emotional peaks and valleys.He keeps those guys steady. He’s been a good leader for us.'”Softball team claims first Summit League Championship Title in program history:Media, cont.: Athletics HighlightsChiara Bassi, BiologyKendra Conard, Human BiologyOlivia Douglas, Human BiologyMia Elliott, BiologyCheyanne Masterson, BiologyEmma Osmundson, BiochemistrySummit League Championship Title on May 15thand put up a strong showing during the NCAAtournament.  Special congratulations goes to:We are proud to have six Natural Sciences students on the Jackrabbits Softball team!  They secured their first Grants Awarded in CNS APRIL 2021Bruce Millett, PI  •  Geography & Geospatial Sciences  •  SDDepartment of Health / Department of Health & Human Services -Centers for Disease  •  FY21 Geocoding and Mapping Services to theCancer Registry at SD Department of HealthOpen PRAIRIE Data What is "Open PRAIRIE"?The Open  Public ResearchAccess InstitutionalRepository & InformationExchange trackspublications from withinNatural Sciencesthroughout the year,showing where and whenarticles were opened allaround the world. 3,165 downloads at  345 institutions in 116 countries9 new works posted, for a total of  917A Study of African Savanna Vegetation Structure, Patterning,and Change was the most frequently downloaded piece at177 downloads. This dissertation is by past PhD studentChristoffer R. Axelsson, who was an advisee of Dr. Niall P.Hanan.   Data across the whole College of Natural Sciences:APRIL 2021Spring 2021 Dean's ListFULL-TIME (12+ CREDIT) STUDENTS WITH A  3.5 OR HIGHER GPAJavi AdividyaAliza AhrendtKarlee AlbertClaire AltMara AndersenSarah AnglinHailey AxemakerAnn BabitsKailey BakGavin BakerJoshua BalsterDayne BartelsArene BarwariChiara BassiAvori BastemeyerJaidyn BaumanTacey BaustianBrady BeckKelsey BenderDonovan BentzKatelyn BettinJenna BloggAustin BonnJaiden BoomsmaElise BraswellCassidy BridgesCaitlin BrightCheyloh BrockelMcKenzie BrownWilliam BrownLaney BrownKaila BrudelieCayden BuddZachary BuddenLogan BurketCallie BursingBrooke ButheCassidy CardaKenzie CarlsonNicholas CarlsonColton CarlsonRegan CarlsonAbigail CarsonKyerra CarterAlyssa CasperAndrew ChristiansenKayla ChristophersonClara ConnerDeirdre CrossMason CrowKallie CrowlCourtney CurrierJackson DanaJoseph DembouskiErin DenevanKaylee DericksonSteven DewaideNichole DialRachel DieckmannSam DiemerDhalten DirksLindsey DockendorfNathan DoeringJoshua DonahoeOlivia DouglasAva DreessenMarissa DriesenThomas EbrahemKayla EgenesMitchal EichackerHunter EideEvan EkstrumAlexis ElfstrandMatias EricksonSarah EricksonKatherine EricksonPeyton EvansHannah EvenMary FantaJerrod FedorchikAlexis FickbohmHarley FischerJulie FischerChase FlickemaAubrie FrankenMichael FrickMcKenzie GasparTaylor GeffreMegan GerhartMegan GilkElizabeth GillinghamLucas GoetzLuke GorskiClara GreenhagenLibby GreggTatum GregstonPaige HaakensonCooper HaalandTseganeshHailemariamMackenzie HanischMiah HansenTyffani HansonCaleb HarthoornTaylor HastingsEmily HedgeMollie HeinenRiley HellmannThomas HennenKelli HenricksThane HenschelMadisyn HeynMadison HigbeeNicole HintzClara HippAbigail HobbsMadison HodgdonHalle HoekstraRylee HonomichlSamantha HunseckerMorgan HuntingtonThad IndermuhleTylee IrwinAmanda JacobsHaley JahnkeDeann JelsmaEmma JensenCaden JohnsonAbigail KastensAmanda KerrConnor KlinkhammerRiley KlueberLuke KnutsonIsaac KovashRobert KowitzMackenzie KrcilBrady KrusePeyton KuchenbeckerJackson KunzNicholas KurtenbachAbygail LangAngela Louise LansangMaxwell LarsenJenell LinneSpring 2021 Dean's List, cont.FULL-TIME (12+ CREDIT) STUDENTS WITH A  3.5 OR HIGHER GPATimothy ParisPeyton ParkerJenna ParliamentHimesh ParmarJacob PaulsonJessica PedeltyRyan PeldoJadyn PerryAllison PetersOlivia PfeifleBailey PickeringGabrielle PietilaKristen PoppenJack RabernMegan RamboAnna Rauber-RamosCale ReederJessica ReinhardtJonathan RickeMorgan RidleyAmanda RoeslerKennedy RolandTiana RuppDarratu SalesaDevindi SamarasingheNathan SangsterAlexis SaundersBrett SchamensMatthew SchmitSierra SchofieldSidney SchroederLauren SchuelerBrandon SchuldtMegan SchulteSarah SchweitzerMichael SchwinghamerWyatt SeagrenBrayden SelchertKatelyn SeversonHattie ShafferMeg SheehanKushagra SinghSaloni SinghJessica SkareSheridan SkinnerBraden SkowJoseph SlamaLogan SmithLandon SmithTanner SmithAlthea SpencerQuenton SteffenHailey StengelKristin StoltenbergKassy StrableRylee Stromer IversenAbigail SwensonMcKayla TegethoffThomas TeigenEllie TheinMarcie ThomasJordan ThompsonKylee ThorpeRiley ThorpeBrittany ToddTommi ToftCassandraTownsendCheyenneTrautmanJada TschetterNathan TuttleKaylan UntiedtSarah UrevigTaylor VideenEmma Von HagelKayla WashingtonBrittney WeberGohan White BullEmily WildeRachel WilnerSydney WilsonAlexander WithrowCole WithrowJax WysongJorie ZiegeldorfMorgan LogueKristina LongKatherine LucasHannah MarkmanNicole MatterMary MatyaCarson MaxCaitlynn McGregorMarie McLaughlinEmory McManimonWyatt MeenderingJaclyn MeierEmily MillerAlana MoeVictoria MoeJoshua MohsMorgan MoonHannah MoranNamra MubasharWhitney MuckAbigale MullerLaura MungerCassie MunstermanElijah MyersEthan NobleTarek NourKyra ObermeyerChristina O'BryanAustin OdlandCollin OlevsonShelby OlsonKayla OlsonBrynn OlsonInsaf OmarEmma OsmundsonKeri PappasSpring 2021 Academic RecognitionsPART-TIME (<12 CREDIT) STUDENTS WITH A  3.5 OR HIGHER GPAKathryn LongSienna Mahan-DeitteEmma MartinZachary MehlbergBrett MogenKenneth O'NeilThomas OttEliza PetersBronson PondJessica ScheerKaihlen SmithJames SpeckEric SundallMakayla SwancuttBrooklyn VanDerWoldeAndrew WhiteMary WillrodtAaron YamJayda ZemlickaAmel AbdallaKaylee AtheyLogan BackhausJustin BalickiTanner BergRachael BinghamSophie BisgardRegan BlackwellCamryn BlackwellConnor BorgosSidney BrowerMarshall BrownCole BrownMonique BunkersAbigail BurkhartCourtney CameronCole ConardHanna CumminsJacob DevineAbigail DressenTy DunseGage FenskiAlissa FindleyMoriah FlanaganWesley GenantRaina GrimsleyMaggie HeezenDevon HegdahlJustin HoogestraatKara JueckstockAnne KnoffJames KrallMitchell LackJacqueline LaddusawCassidy LaidlawTana LickOver 53% of our Natural Sciences students appear on one of these lists!  Weare proud of their drive for academic excellence, especially during a uniquelychallenging semester of navigating pandemic restrictions.  

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, May 2021

Volume 3, Issue 4
Page 1 Dean\u27s MessagePage 2 Awards and RecognitionPage 3-4 The path to a Doctorate DegreePage 4 American Indian Student Center Native Graduate Honoring CeremonyPage 5 Celebrating the lives of those who touched the CollegePage 6 Media coverage of CNSPage 7 Open PRAIRIEPage 8-10 CNS Graduation FestivitiesPage 11-14 Spring 2022 Dean\u27s List Page 16 Richard and Janice Vetter Endowed Professorship in Biotechnology.positionhttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1028/thumbnail.jp

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, May & June 2022

Volume 1. Issue 10
Content:
Dean’s Update P.1 Awards & Recognition P.2 Student Club Spotlight P.3 Open PRAIRIE | Interest in Science P.4 Bioethics Lecture P.5 External Advisory Board P.6 Science as Art Competition P.7https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1011/thumbnail.jp

Natural Sciences, College of

   Updates from Dean Charlene Wolf-Hall Congratulations!  We made it to Thanksgiving. So very much to be thankful for including this college full of awesome students, faculty, and staff.  All your hard work this fall is much appreciated.  I hope you enjoy the holiday break.  Best wishes on finals. If you recall, we held the inaugural Dean’s External Advisory Board meeting on Hobo Day in October.  In this issue, we introduce the members and thank them for their willingness to help grow the college.  It is an honor to have them involved with setting the direction for the college and we highly value their support. As we transition from November to December, I hope to see many of our faculty and staff at the college appreciation open house in our new Dean’s Office in Avera 131. We have gifts for you, a chance at a door prize, and more fun.  Check your email for more details.  Also, consider participating in the art completion described on page 7.  The deadline for submissions is December 11.   The December issue of our newsletter will be the inaugural year-end publication that we will distribute externally to our alumni and stakeholders.  It will highlight the 2020 accomplishments of our college.  Please continue to share your successes with us to highlight in the 2021 issue to come.   In this time of Thanksgiving, please receive my thanks for all your good work and efforts as we finish the fall semester and see the end of 2020. Thank you for all you do.  Go Jacks! I S S U E  N O V E M B E R  2 0 2 0  10 Celebrating Work Anniversaries for  November 2020 Thank you for all your hard work & dedication! • Bruce Millett – 23 years  • Ruanbao Zhou – 12 years   Past Newsletters  All the CNS newsletters have been uploaded for accessibility.  You can view any past issue here:  www.bit.ly/CNS_Newsletters   this issue Dean’s Update  P.1 Awards & Recognition  P.2 Student Club Spotlight  P.3 Open PRAIRIE  |  Interest in Science  P.4 Bioethics Lecture  P.5 External Advisory Board  P.6 Science as Art Competition  P.7       Grants Awarded within CNS, October 2020 • Brian Logue, PI | Chemistry & Biochemistry | US Department of Defense | Analysis of DMTS, DMDS, Cyanide and Thiocyanate following Intramuscular Administration of DMTS as a Cyanide Therapeutic  • Fathi Halaweish, PI | Chemistry & Biochemistry | Agricultural Research Service | Cucurbitacins for management of cucumber beetles  • Nicholas Butzin, co-PI | Biology & Microbiology | SD Board of Regents / National Science Foundation | Role of priority effect on gut microbiota assembly on gut mucosal interface   Awards & Recognition Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Awards The Department recently held a virtual award ceremony which highlighted many honors among the faculty and students.  Please congratulate the honorees when you see them around!  • Keith Corbett, B.S. Chemistry, class of 1975 | SDSU Distinguished Alumni  • Julie Leibold | Leo & Elaine Spinar Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching • Wesley Genant | ACS Analytical Chemistry Award • Thad Indermuhle | ACS Biochemistry Award • Caitlynn McGregor | ACS Biochemistry Award | David & Julie Hilderbrand Scholarship  • Logan Smith | ACS Environmental Chem. Award | Arthur W. Dobberstein Achievement Award • Susan Grabenstein | ACS Organic Chemistry Award • Monique Bunkers | ACS Physical Chemistry Award • Ahsan Ahmed | Eleanore L. & Philip R. Haskett Award Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award • Mavis Korankye | Logue Award for Academic Excellence by a First Year Graduate Student • Christopher Skaggs | Logue Award for Research Excellence  • Adam Araiza, Joshua Loecker, Jessica Miller, Sydney Woltman | Elmer and Roberta Johnson Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarship • Laura Klaverkamp | Eugene Burr and Ella Burr Schultz Scholarship | Herbert H. Hodgeson Award in Chemistry | Webster-Klug Scholarship • Michael Steinlicht | The Guss Memorial Award | Oscar & Elaine Olson Scholarship  • Eric Sundall | Douglas & Shirley Randall Scholarship  • Brandon Schuldt | Hardin-Palmer Scholarship | Edward R. & Ina S. Binnewies Memorial Award • Olivia Warriner | Louise Guild Scholarship in Biochemistry  • Rylee Stromer | Drs. Raymond & Magnhild Greb Scholarship  • Megan Rambo | Olive Burke Crary & Gerald Crary, Jr. Scholarship  • Emily Tisler | Richard L. Deming, M.D. Scholarship  • Skyler Close-Smith, Carter Koons | American Chemical Society Hach Land Grant Scholarship • Jessica Skare | Royce & Ruth Emerick Scholarship in Biochemistry & Chemistry  • Donovan Bain | Chemistry Department Scholarship • And many other awards that have been covered in the newsletter over this past year!  6th Annual “Pack the Pantry” Results • The College of Natural Sciences won the annual Unit Donation Challenge, meaning we donated more than any other college and get to keep the university’s traveling trophy!  Thank you for your generosity. • Within CNS, the departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Physics tied (adjusted to # of donations per faculty / staff). • In the past, there was a central pick-up effort so that departments didn’t have to worry about delivering donations.  This year, that was not the case and each department had to make their own plan!  Special thanks to those who delivered all the donations to Jack’s Cupboard:  Jan Matson, Jaque Mann, Kellrhema Hinton, Sharon Ellens, and Stephanie Jensen       Student Club Spotlight: Chemistry Club The Chemistry Club here at SDSU was started in 2014, thanks to efforts from Dr. Nicole Grove.  It is affiliated with the American Chemical Society (ACS) and is now led by Dr. Melody Jewell and a new group of incoming student leaders! As goes the story with most clubs and groups this fall, COVID-19 has shaken up the norm and brought on cancelled events.  That has not stopped the Chemistry Club from striving toward their goals, however!  Those who join can expect comradery with other students who love chemistry and science, opportunities to learn more about chemistry and science, a safe space with moral support from other students who are taking (or have taken) those really hard classes, and advice and tips on how to succeed.  And once things get back to normal, students can also expect opportunities to volunteer in the community! Past examples include running the “Science Sunday” program at the Children’s Museum, helping with the Brookings Backpack Project, Mole Day Celebrations, and science outreach activities at places like the Boys & Girls Club, 4H, Girl Scouts, and more!  See how to join  Club Info • What: Chemistry Club   • When: Every other week, beginning 1/13/2021.  The first meeting at 7pm will be used to pick a consistent meeting day and time for the rest of the spring semester.  • Where: Avera, room 043  • Who: anyone with an interest in chemistry and who wants to share that with others  • Club Leadership Due to the pandemic, leadership from last academic year agreed to stay on for Fall 2020. New officer elections were just held for positions through Spring 2022.  o Faculty Advisor: Melody Jewell  Outgoing Leadership (FA19-FA20)  o President: Joshua Loecker  o VP: Eric Sundall  o Secretary: Caitlynn McGregor  o Treasurer: Shea Wilson  Incoming Leadership (SP21-SP22)  o Co-president: Aubrie Franken  o Co-president: Olivia Warriner  o Secretary: Anna Schelonka  o Treasurer: Kyle Butzke  o Media Relations & Safety Officer: Macy Winslow  • How to join: show up to a meeting (check Jack’s Club Hub for times) or contact a president to be added to the email list (Aubrie Franken or Olivia Warriner)              Above: hosting a murder mystery dinner  at CMSD Left: Brookings Backpack Project volunteering Below: Outgoing and incoming club officers                                   Open PRAIRIE data for October 2020 • Data across the whole College of Natural Sciences:   o 2,753 downloads at 297 institutions in 112 countries o 6 new works posted, for a total of 855   • For the third month in a row, Monitoring Pollen Counts and Pollen Allergy Index Using Satellite Observations in East Coast of the United States was the most frequently downloaded piece last month at 399 downlaods, up from 162 downloads last month.  This thesis is by past M.S. student Murat Cagatay Kececi, who was an advisee of Dr. Xiaoyang Zhang.   Where did your interest in science begin? Nicole Grove, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Academic Advisor, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Geography & Geospatial Sciences, and Physics There was never a defining moment in my life regarding my love of science, because it seems as though I have liked math and science for as long as I can remember.  Back before computers came equipped to do everything we want or need them to do, you could buy magazines that had computer code in them.  When I was eight or nine, I remember getting those magazines and sitting down and typing a bunch of code into my computer to watch a ball bounce  across the screen.  For some reason, I tried to get away from the math and science as I grew older, and had avoided my chemistry class in college like I try to avoid COVID now.  However, when I finally had to take that  chemistry class to graduate with my interdisciplinary science degree, I fell in love with chemistry.  I loved sitting down to work on my homework and learn as much as I could about it.  I knew at that point, that my career would be in chemistry. So, in my fifth year of undergraduate work at SDSM&T, I decided to double-major in chemistry, and was there for another four years.  I couldn’t imagine teaching anything else, or working with all of my science majors as their advisor.  My takeaway message would be to find something you love doing, and go for it, no matter who may try to stifle that for you. Pictured: Nicole with her first calculator                                   4th Annual Bioethics Lecture On October 8th, Mark Navin, PhD delivered the 4th Annual Bioethics Lecture titled Should You Have To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine? Ethics, Law and Mandatory Vaccination.  Hundreds of students, faculty and community members attended this engaging talk. Dr. Navin’s lecture included Q&A leveraging his nationally renowned expertise in the field of bioethics. Professor Greg Peterson, Director of SDSU’s Ethics Lab, said, "Mark Navin is among the leading philosophers thinking about the ethics of vaccines, and his talk ably guided the audience through history of vaccine mandates and the very different forms that mandates can take internationally." Most of us hope that a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 will soon be developed. But many people disagree about how best to use public and private forms of power to promote vaccination.  Dr. Navin discussed whether a person’s ability to travel, work or go to school should depend on them being vaccinated against COVID-19 or demonstrating immunity to SARS-CoV-2? He also provided insight into if COVID-19 vaccination or immunity testing were not legally mandated, should people who refuse COVID-19 vaccine face stigma or discrimination in their interpersonal or professional relationships?   His talk addressed fundamental ethical and legal issues surrounding vaccination choices and immunization policy, and he used historical and contemporary examples to illuminate possible futures for COVID-19 vaccination. "Although there are clear public health benefits to vaccine mandates, Navin highlighted the ethical and political issues that such mandates can give rise to,   especially when implemented in overly coercive fashion," said Peterson.  Mary Boksa, a 2020 B.S. Human Biology alumni states, “One thing I really about SDSU is that we are influential enough to bring in national speakers. This speaks to the quality and credibility of our education at SDSU. I spoke with undergraduate students after the lecture and they were intrigued by the various perspectives on vaccine ethics; not only the ethics on whether to vaccinate, but the ethics on the development and regulation of vaccines and how these apply to other topics.”  The partnership between the Ethics Lab, Dr. Peterson (Professor of Bioethics), and the Biology & Microbiology Department builds on years of collaboration in teaching and research between the two.  Want to learn more?   Click here to access a recording of Dr. Navin’s talk   Follow along to see current activity in the Ethics Lab: facebook.com/SouthDakotaStateUniversityEthicsLab       Past Bioethics Lecturers can be found here: www.sdstate.edu/school-american-and-global-studies/sdsu-ethics-lab              Dr. Rachel MK Headley  1996 Geography Graduate  Grew up in Brookings, SD  President and CEO of Rose Group Int’l  Lives in Spearfish, SD  Roger Oleson  1986 Geography Graduate  Grew up just outside of Arlington, SD.  Former KBR Employee (Government Contractor for EROS)  Lives in Brandon, SD  Ellen Bubak  2018 Geography Graduate  Grew up in Sioux Falls, SD  GIS Analyst at Zerker in Sioux Falls, SD  Lives in Sioux Falls, SD  Dr. Michael Pietila  1995 Chemistry Graduate  Grew up in Lake Norden, SD  Pulmonologist at Yankton Medical Clinic in Yankton, SD  Lives in Yankton, SD  Dr. Heater Peters  2001 Physics Graduate  Medical Physicist, Providence St. Joseph Med. Cntr., Burbank, CA  Lives in Renaldo Beach, CA  Dr. Bill Beers  1976 Chemistry Graduate  Grew up in Wessington Springs, SD.  Former GE Employee  Lives in Chesterland, OH  Bree Oatman  Education Director at the Discovery Center in Pierre, SD   Dwaine Chapel  Executive Director at the SDSU Research Park  2003 Economics Graduate  Joni Johnson  2016 Psychology Graduate  Executive Director of South Dakota Biotech  Madelyn Grogan  Director of Education at the Washington Pavilion External Advisory Board Members Thank You Thank you to the founding members of the Dean’s External Advisory Board.  At the inaugural board meeting we shared an overview of the college, challenges, opportunities, and had great initial discussions concerning the themes of industry partnering, outreach, and academic programs.  We greatly appreciate the board’s enthusiasm and willingness to help grow the college. College of Natural Sciences   Issue 10   November 2020 ENTRY DEADLINE: 5 P.M. ON DEC. 11TH, 2020WHO: Two submission categories - 1) Faculty/Staff, 2) StudentsWHAT: An original work of art in any medium is eligible; ideas to get your creative juicesflowing include photographs of petri dishes, microscope images, paintings, etc. HOW: Submit your artwork virtually at scienceasart2020.questionpro.com REWARD: In each category, first place receives $300 and second place receives $100OTHER DETAILS: Winners will be chosen by popular voting; winning pieces will bedisplayed in the CNS reception area for one year, after which they'll be auctioned            to support fundraising, or returned to the original artist.The College of Natural Sciences is in its second year of existence and just moved into apermanent space in the Avera Health & Science Center. We need your help to decorate ournew walls! The hope is that this space will inspire all who enter to become scientists. With that,the College of Natural Sciences is announcing a new annual art competition.This year, the challenge is to create a piece that's complementary to the USGS EROS printshown above. This print (approx. 2 feet x 2 feet) will be hung in the new college office.THANKS TO THE GEOGRAPHY & GEOSPATIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT FOR DONATING THE PRINT & FRAMINGCOLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES SCIENCE AS ART COMPETITIONFrom the USGS EROS Center"Earth As Art", Collection #3:After beginning in northernBritish Columbia and flowingthrough Yukon in Canada, theYukon River crosses Alaska,USA, before emptying into theBering Sea. Countless lakes,sloughs, and ponds arescattered throughout thisscene of the Yukon Delta. Theriver's sinuous, branchingwaterways seem like bloodvessels branching out toenclose an organ. It is one ofthe largest river deltas in theworld, and currently (2010)protected as part of the YukonDelta National Wildlife Refuge.

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, November 2020

Updates from Dean Charlene Wolf-Hall Welcome to a new semester!  Thank you all for what you do everyday to make this a successful one. I hope your first few days into the semester have gone well.  Please let us know if you have any challenges and we will do our best to help you.   Thanks to those who helped with the college’s Welcome Back virtual event on August 27th.  There was a great showcase of the student led clubs in the college. If you missed the event, please note the information in this newsletter about the clubs.  I encourage everyone to get involved with at least one of the clubs.  Club involvement can be the best part of a college experience. As we move into September, pay attention for more college activities and events.  September 10 is the One Day at State event.  This is an important day for our college to further extend our supporter network.  I encourage you all to participate to help extend our network and consider a donation if you are able.  Every bit helps, no matter the size. We have wonderful network of college supporters who believe in and value the potential our students have for making the world a better place.  I am so very thankful and humbled by their support. Our Dean’s Office physical location is transitioning from our temporary location in West Hall to Avera Health & Science Center.  We hope to be fully moved in by the end of September.  We will continue the best practices to limit the spread of COVID-19, but also encourage you to stop in when you are able.  Maybe we will have some pictures in the next issue.   I wish you a fantastic September.  Stay healthy, embrace the learning and college experiences.   this issue Dean’s Update  P.1 Awards & Recognition  P.2 New Faculty | Student Clubs  P.3 Research Spotlight | Open PRAIRIE  P.4 ODFS | Interest in Science  P.3 I S S UE  A U G US T  2 0 2 0  07Reminder: CNS Office has movedThe College of Natural Sciences Dean’s Office has moved to room 131 in the Avera Health & Sciences building!  The office phone line (688-4420) remains the same and a new address will be announced soon.   Past NewslettersAll the CNS newsletters have been uploaded for accessibility.  You can view any past issue here:  https://bit.ly/CNSnewsletters Work Anniversaries August 2020 Thank you for all your hard work & dedication! • Larry Browning – 30 years• Jaque Mann – 25 years• Scott Pedersen – 21 years• Jihong Cole-Dai – 20 years• Bob Watrel – 19 years• Judy Vondruska – 19 years• Xiuqing Wang – 18 years• Yung Huh – 18 years• Donald Auger – 17 years• Sara Madsen – 17 years• Brian Logue – 16 years• Geoffrey Bonvallet - 15 years• Kristin Lenertz-Kersey – 14• Randall Warren – 14 years• Adam Hoppe – 12 years• George White – 11 years• Madhav Nepal – 11 years• Suvobrata Chakravarty – 11• Yajun Wu – 11 years• Ashley McConnell – 10• Cheng Zhang – 9 years• Rui Li – 9 years• Nicole Grove – 7 years• Parashu Kharel – 7 years• Xiaoyang Zhang – 7 years• Iram Surtaj – 6 years• Julie Leibold – 6 years• Mark Messerli – 6 years• Tanya Gupta – 6 years• Todd Gardner – 6 years• Dasuni Ranapathi Arachchige - 5• Harika Vuppula – 5 years• Charles Fenster – 4 years• Darci Fink – 4 years• Brian Long – 3 years• Cary Capparelli – 3 years• Dapeng Li – 3 years• Isaac Vroman – 3 years• Jaime Lopez-Mosqueda – 3• Peggy Harper – 3 years• Timothy Vowles – 3 years• Rachel Willand-Charnley – 2Awards & Recognition Grants Awarded within CNS, June & July 2020 • Judy Vondruska, co-PI | Physics | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology / NationalAeronautics and Space Administration | SD Space Grant• Mark Messerli, PI | Biology & Microbiology | Chonex Inc. | BSF larvae chitin analysis• Dapeng Li, PI | Geography & Geospatial Sciences | South Dakota State University | Usingcomputer models, big data, and GIS to improve community wildfire evacuation planning• Larry Browning / Matt Miller / Madhav Nepal, co-PIs | Physics / Chemistry &Biochemistry / Biology & Microbiology | National Science Foundation | Rural Enhancementof Mathematics and Sciences Teachers Scholarship Program• Jaime Lopez-Mosqueda, co-PI | Biology & Microbiology | SD Governor’s Office ofEconomic Development | South Dakota Center for Biologics Research andCommercialization (SD-CBRC)• Bruce Bleakley, co-PI | Biology & Microbiology | SD Soybean Research & PromotionCouncil | Supporting soybean cyst nematode testing in South Dakota• Mike Hildreth, PI | Biology & Microbiology | SD Department of Health/US Department ofHealth & Human Services | South Dakota West Nile Surveillance and Epidemiology Project,August 1, 2020-July 31, 2021• Adam Hoppe, PI | Chemistry & Biochemistry | National Science Foundation | CRISPRWhole genome screen to identify cellular machinery and pathways of SARS-CoV-2 entryinto cells• Adam Hoppe, PI | Chemistry & Biochemistry | National Institutes of Health. | The ImmuneRegulation of Macrophage Antibody Dependent Cellular PhagocytosisSydney Bormann, a recent Human Biology graduate, was awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She is one of 42 recipients of the scholarship, which includes 21 from women's sports among all three NCAA divisions to earn the honor this spring. Bormann, who was a member of SDSU's women's golf team, held a 79.50 stroke average this past season. She shot a season-low 70 in the final round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.  Bormann is attending medical school at USD this fall.  "The research I did at SDSU helped prepare me for the research project I am currently working on as a medical student," she said.  Adam Hoppe, a professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry, is the second SDSU researcher to receive COVID-related Rapid Response Research funding from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Hoppe and his team (Jason Kerkvliet and Md. Saddam Hossain) aim to identify genes that inhibit or contribute to viral infections through a one-year, $200k grant. Pre-Professional Science Club  Society of Physics Students Pre-Medical Chapter of the American Medical Student Association Biology & Microbiology Graduate Student Association Microbiology Club Chemistry & Biochemistry Association of Graduate Students Women in STEM Chemistry Club Drone Club National Science Teachers Association Geography Club New College of Natural Sciences Faculty – Fall 2020 • Name: Dr. Danielle Haskett Jennings• Department: Geography & Geospatial Sciences• Education:o B.S. Geology, University of Georgia (2004)o M.S. Geography, University of Georgia (2013)o PhD Geography, University of Georgia (2020 – on April Fool’s Day!)• Specialty: Paleoclimatology and Paleoecology• Hobbies: Travel, playing the flute, crochet, and Pokémon Go (yes!People are still playing.)• Hometown: Athens, GA• Fun fact: I am also a certified graduate gemologist with a specialty indiamonds.• AY21 classes: This Fall I'm teaching two sections of GEOG 132:Natural Landscapes. In the Spring, I will have one section of GEOG 132and GEOG 714: Research and Writing.• What brought you to SDSU? I am starting as an Assistant Professor inthe Geography and Geospatial Sciences Department. I am currently inthe process of getting my lab up and running - the (Paleo)Ecological andEnvironmental Change Research Laboratory. I can't wait to get started!The Scoop on Student Clubs If you are looking for student clubs to join, consider getting involved with one professional organization in your field and one “just for fun” group! There are many fantastic student clubs within the College of Natural Sciences and all throughout SDSU – browse all the clubs here.  In CNS, we have 11 clubs total.  Each club has a faculty advisor, but they are largely run by student leadership!  Click through the links below to see videos and learn more about these groups.• Name: Dr. Bishnu Karki• Department: Biology & Microbiology• Education:o B.S. Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Nepalo M.S. Food and Bioprocessing Technology, Asian Institute ofTechnology, Thailando PhD Bioprocessing w/ minor in Food Science, Iowa State University• Specialty: My research focuses on the broad area of bioprocessing• Hobbies: Exploring new places & culture, gardening, window shopping• Hometown: Bharatpur, Nepal• Fun fact: Brookings is the city where I have lived longest thus far.• AY21 classes: Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology (MICRO 450/550)• What brought you to SDSU?  My professional career brought me toSDSU several years ago. First few years, I worked as a postdoctoralresearch associate, and for the past 4 years I was working as a seniorresearch scientist in the Dept. of Biology and Microbiology. Now, I amstarting as an assistant professor of Biotechnology in  the samedepartment. Currently, I am advising three graduate students and in theprocess of establishing my research team and capabilities.Research Spotlight – PhD Candidate Kimberly Johnson Maier        Kimberly Johnson Maier is an Instructor in Geography & Geospatial Sciences. Currently, is she is preparing three manuscripts for the completion of her PhD at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. She is a broadly trained geographer with research interests in historical and cultural geographies and qualitative methods.  More specifically, her research focuses on the intersection of social memory, historical fiction, and tourism.          Her dissertation work brought her back to South Dakota as it focuses on the Little House on the Prairie tourism. Her work exposes the complex web between social memories, how we think about our past, Wilder’s work that preserves (truthful or not) it, the places inspired by it, and how tourists today interpret and create meaning through them. She spent a considerable amount time at numerous Wilder tourist’s sites, including the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, SD.        The first manuscript in preparation focuses on how Wilder tourists sites act as places where the white Frontier Myth is preserved by tourists. Despite criticisms of Wilder’s work and the Frontier Myth by the academic community, the representations and practices often found at Wilder tourist sites ensure that tourists are exposed to a white frontier history. The often lack of critical engagement on the part of the tourist, works to continue the white Frontier Myth into the future.         The second manuscript uses settler colonial theory to address the spatializing of the Indigenous narratives at the Ingalls Homestead and how this impacts tourists’ interpretation of frontier history. Here, indigenous perspectives are found in an isolated loft and couched in discussions of the prairie. Ultimately, this works to justify the removal of Indigenous people to make way for productive agricultural land as in this representation, the two are linked.        Finally, her third manuscript addresses gendered performance at the Ingalls Homestead through a focus on the bonnet, which tourists are often found wearing. In part, she is interested in how the bonnet may impact tourist interpretations of gender roles, femininity, and race.        Beyond her dissertation work, Kim also serves as an editor of Atlas of the 2020 Elections.       Kim standing in a covered wagon. At the Ingalls Homestead tourists are encouraged to touch, feel, and climb—making it an embodied experience! Open PRAIRIE data for July 2020 Microbial Communities and Their Impact on Bioenergy Crops in Dynamic Environments was the most frequently downloaded piece last month at 239 downloads.  This dissertation is by past Ph.D student Brandon Monier, who was an advisee of Dr. Heike Bücking.         College of Natural Sciences Newsletter   Issue 07   August 2020 Where did your interest in science begin? Geoffrey Bonvallet, Ph.D. Department of Physics        It is common knowledge that children go through a “why” phase. I not only didn’t grow out of it, I added a “why not” phase on top. Because the people around me inevitably ran out of explanations (or patience), I learned the importance of investigating these questions myself. By pursuing a career in education, this is what I hope to pass on to my students: what is more valuable than being given the answer is being given the tools to discover the answer.        Sometimes the tools are literal. Broken appliances and toys were a trove of information about the physical world, so they inevitably found their way to the workbench before the trashcan. The first computer game I bought came as a book of BASIC code, and modifying it was an excellent jumping-off point for learning. Particularly with physics, which seeks a broad array of knowledge about all phenomena, I have had the opportunity to build up a wide variety of skills. When I needed to power a laptop in the middle of a field all night, I bought a car battery and figured out how to make them compatible. When dealing with repetitive tasks, I learned to code well enough to automate them. No commercial product existed for how I wanted to set up my graduate project, so I learned to use the machine shop. Then the apparatus overheated so I learned enough plumbing to water-cool it. Particularly when learning is driven by a purpose, a great degree of satisfaction is gained when it actually works. Of course that just leads to thoughts of how it can work better. Both of these are the basic drivers of science.        Other times the tools are mental ones. While science does involve learning some number of facts, my favorite days in school were when we learned systems of thought and analysis. Instead of needing to be told the answers to my questions, I was empowered to answer them myself. In college, I took as wide a variety of physical science classes as I could, from coding to instrumental chemical analysis to particle physics. The constant was always the love of learning and of acquiring more tools to learn on my own. This is where I got my first taste of both research and teaching as an assistant. However what stand out to me the most were the greatest challenges presented by teachers. It is rote to given an equation and asked for the result when putting various vales into it. It is far more exciting to be asked to estimate the temperature of Sputnik as moved through the atmosphere, being given no further information than that nor a determined starting point.. That sort of self-driven open-ended challenge is exactly what I hungered for and what has served me well as I moved into graduate and professional work. September 10th marks the 4th annual One Day for State! We are quickly approaching the deadline and are requesting the support of all the faculty and staff within the College of Natural Sciences as we seek to make this our most successful year yet.  This is opportunity for us to share with our external supporters and alumni that Science has a home at SDSU.  I cannot convey how excited our alumni base is about the creation of the College of Natural Sciences. Each of their stories contain a faculty, staff member, or graduate assistant that transformed their lives. This year has unfolded in a manner than no one could anticipate. The resilience, imagination, and dedication that all of you have shown towards your craft of impacting and enhancing the lives of our students is truly inspiring.  Help us share this truth on the biggest stage, on State’s biggest day.  Remind your students that every dollar and every donor can make a difference on September 10th! I implore you to spread the word of Science’s new home at SDSU by sharing posts and encouraging others to do the same, and by donating to our continued growth on this One Day for State!   Go Jacks! Marissa Marshall Development Director  for the College of Natural Sciences Marissa.Marshall@SDSUFoundation.org 

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, August 2020

Volume 2, Issue 11
Page 1 Dean\u27s MessagePage 2 Awards & RecognitionPage 3 Media Coverage of CNSPage 4 2021 Day of ScholarsPage 5 Astronomy OutreachPage 6 SDSU Faculty & Students Host American Society for Microbiology Annual ConferencePage 7 Scholarship BrunchPage 8 Open PRAIRIE Data,  SI Final Exam Review SessionsPage 9 Aamlid Family Anatomy Lab Photoshttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1022/thumbnail.jp

NEWSLETTERC O L L E G E  O F  N A T U R A L  S C I E N C E S  / /  V O L U M E  2  / /  I S S U E  1 1Dean's MessageDR. CHARLENE WOLF-HALLAs I enjoy my fancy coffee delivered viarobot on a chilly November day andreflect on the last month, the theme isSDSU advancing into the future. Youcan see that in this issue with the lookinto the newly renovated Aamlid FamilyAnatomy lab. Watch forthcoming issuesfor highlights of other innovations inthe College of Natural Sciences.I greatly enjoyed a recent trip to St.Louis. Dr. Bob Watrel, Marissa Marshalland I visited with representatives fromthe National Geospatial-IntelligenceAgency (NGA) at Moonshot Labs; a placethat brings NGA, companies, anduniversities together. We have manyalum at the NGA. We also saw theconstruction progress of the new NGAWest facility and attended a very funalumni watch party where the Jackscrushed the Penguins (page 5). This tripwas great for expanding our alumnibase and forming new placementopportunities for our graduates. We held our new college’s firstscholarship banquet this month. Theday culminated in a very fun DakotaMarker football game with a Jackrabbitvictory over the Bison. All in all anamazing day of celebrating thegenerosity of our scholarship donors. So much to be thankful for. I hope youall have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Celebrating WorkAnniversaries---November 2021Bruce Millett - 24 yearsRuanbao Zhou - 13 yearsDr. Scott Pedersen workswith students in the newlyrenovated Aamlid FamilyAnatomy Lab.  See morephotos on page 9.Awards & RecognitionCongratulations to Andrea Zavadil who received SDSU'sDistinguished Master's Thesis Award!  Andrea graduated in Fall 2020with a MS in Biological Sciences - Microbiology.  Click here to learnmore and read her thesis, Developing Microbial Based Process toProduce High Value Natural Antimicrobial (Glyceollin) in Soybeans andPullulan from Sucrose.Andy Ellis, Biology & Microbiology - nominated by Wes GenantDoug Raynie, Chemistry & Biochemistry - nominated by WesGenantMarj Thompson, Biology & Microbiology - nominated by LoganBackhausIn the month of November, three faculty and staff in the College ofNatural Sciences were nominated as Honorary Coaches for theJackrabbit Football team!   Genant, Biochemistry B.S., and Backhaus, Human Biology B.S., bothgraduated from Natural Sciences this spring and are currently playingout their last year of eligibility for the Jackrabbits.During the 2021 "Packthe Pantry" campus-wide food drive, theCollege of NaturalSciences donated atotal of 1,698 items toJack's Cupboard!Special thanks tothose who helpedtransport thedonations to Jack'sCupboard: Albert AidooSpencer HeilmanKellrhema HintonMatt NixonShantell MontuyaNathan Turner Media Coverage of CNSTuffour receives 2021 Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award:  Isaac Tuffouris a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  Readabout his prestigious award in the Brookings Register!"Isaac Tuffour of Brookings was recently awarded a Love of Learning Awardworth $500 from the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest andmost selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Tuffour isone of 200 recipients to receive the award.Love of Learning Awards are designed to help fund post-baccalaureateprofessional development for active Phi Kappa Phi members includinggraduate or professional studies, doctoral dissertations, continuing education,travel related to teaching and research, career development and more."Students receive award at AISES National Conference: "South DakotaState University’s American Indian Science and Engineering Societystudent organization received The Outreach and Community Service Awardat the annual AISES National Conference, held Sept. 23-25 at the PhoenixConvention Center.SDSU professor Larry Browning, who serves as the chapter’s staff adviser, has been impressed with thestudents’ work. 'The key thing about this award has been the students and student leadership. Danielle Arpan,as AISES president, has helped build an active and involved chapter and played a pivotal role in gettingstudents involved and feeling welcomed,' Browning said. 'However, the students themselves have planned andcarried out a number of great programs and initiatives and have a strong sense of community and socialresponsibility.'”Compounds from soybeans may improve animal health:  "Antimicrobial compounds that soybean plantsproduce when threatened by insects, diseases and even drought may help animals stay healthy, therebyreducing the need for antibiotics.'When a soybean is attacked by a pathogen, the plant produces phytochemicals called glyceollins as a defensemechanism,' explained assistant professor Bishnu Karki of South Dakota State University’s Department ofBiology and Microbiology. Her research group has identified pathogens and lab-scale processes to triggerproduction of glyceollins and begun assessing soybean varieties to see which produce higher levels of theantimicrobial compounds.'Animals, such as pigs and poultry, already consume diets high in soybeans and could benefit from thephytochemical’s antimicrobial properties,' Karki said, pointing out scientists are studying the impact ofglyceollins on human health, specifically in relation to cancer, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases."2021 Day of Scholars       The Department of Biology and Microbiology hosted "Day ofScholars" on November 16th.  40+ student scholars participated bypresenting their posters and visiting with others about theirresearch.  Additionally, all students enrolled in BIOL 119 attended,giving them an idea of what to expect for their future capstonerequirements.  Attendees ranged from these freshmen to professors,which gave presenters a wide variety of audience members topractice their science communication skills on.       Graduate student Chandana Kamaraj was a presenter.  She'sworking on her Master's in Human Biology and has focused onbiomarkers for PCOS and endometriosis. "I learned there's still a lotto research in women's health," Kamaraj said. "The biomarkersthat I researched aren't fully implemented yet, and I hope to seethese conditions spoken about more frequently and effectivelytreated."       Undergraduate Bidhi Kasu has been working in Dr. Natalie Thiex'slab with Master's student Tristan Carivau and PhD students KevinWanniarachchi and Jordan Neises.  "Getting to work with Kevin,Tristan, and Jordan is helping to reinforce the concepts I'mlearning in class by getting hands-on experience with real-worldapplications of cell biology," Kasu said. Top:  Chandana Kamaraj Middle, left to right:Tristan Carivau andBidhi Kasu Bottom:  the postersession took place inthe Volstorff Ballroom.Around 200 attendeescame through to learnabout studentresearch.Astronomy OutreachStudents in the Solar System Astronomy course hostedcommunity star parties at Wal-Mart this semester. "Eventhough there is a lot of light pollution in that area, it's auseful location because of the natural foot traffic, " saidDr. Judy Vondruska, instructor of the course. "Studentshave an opportunity to share their interest in astronomyand teach others about astronomical objects." Sessionsthis fall involved viewing of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn.Viewership at each session was between 150-200 people.November 2021 CNS trip to St. Louis to expand alumni connections and form placement opportuntiesfor Geography & Geospatial Sciences graduates. Front row, left to right: Randy Maxwell '85, Chuck Erpenbach '74, Charlene Wolf-Hall - Dean ofNatural Sciences, Wendy Lakeman '77, Tracey Sheahan '86 and son Gabe, Marissa Marshall -Development Director for College of Natural Sciences.  Back row, left to right:  Kevin Roberts '78,Clint Behrns '09, Tim Morrison '79, Jerry Denison '73, Bob Watrel – Head of Geography & GeospatialSciences Dept., Dean Lakeman '78, Dave Bidinger '86, Vince Preheim '89SDSU Microbiologists recently hosted the American Society for Microbiology North Central Branch (ASM-NCB) annual conference. Attended by 141 registrants from across the region, attendees were treated topresentations by leading experts. Briana Burton from UW Madison shared new insights into the threadingof newly synthesized DNA into dividing cells while Barry Bochner from Biolog showcased applications ofphenotyping arrays. Stephen Diggle from Georgia Tech was the ASM Distinguished lecturer, speakingabout the plasticity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lung environment.The North Central Branch is an important platform for students seeking peer immersion. Fourteenstudents presented their research in concurrent sessions, while a further forty students presented posters.  A career panel of professionals from Industry, Government, and Academia shared career advice withstudents, and fielded many questions from the audience. SDSU faculty & students host AmericanSociety for Microbiology annual conferenceAmerican Society for Microbiology meetings during the Covid pandemic have all been virtual, and theSDSU team wanted to offer this as seamlessly and interactively as possible. Five of our graduatemicrobiology students stepped up as conference support committee. They familiarized themselves withthe hosting software. On the day they hosted the concurrent student presentation sessions, managed theposter presentation platform and virtual event software platform, and served as tech support to solvesoftware and connection issues faced by participants.ASM-NCB meetings are hosted annually across the upper Mid-West states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa,and North and South Dakota. Dr. Joy Scaria from the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Scienceswas this year’s President, supported by Drs. Bishnu Karki and Volker Brözel (Biology and Microbiology) andChris Chase (Vet Biomed Science). ASM NCB ConferenceSupport Committee inaction during theparallel sessions. Clockwise frombottom left: Armaan Kaur Sandhu,Achuthan Ambat,Nathan Sangster, K M Taufiqur Rahmanand Sudeshna Roy. Biology & MicrobiologyPatrick Moriarty Memorial Scholarship in BiologyDon Auger Scholarship in Biology and MicrobiologyChemistry & BiochemistryDouglas and Shirley Randall Scholarship in ChemistryRoyce and Ruth Emerick ScholarshipLowell and Deanna Satterlee Scholarship Geography & Geospatial SciencesVirginia and John Edward Holtry ScholarshipCatherine A. and Thomas R. Madson Memorial EndowmentJohn H. Keill Memorial Scholarship in Geography Physics Elton D. Schafer ScholarshipJerry and Nancy Tunheim Scholarship in PhysicsCollege of Natural Sciences General Scholarship FundIn a first since the College of Natural Sciences was founded, all four departments came together to celebrate scholarships as acohesive unit!  The first annual scholarship brunch, held onNovember 6th, took place at McCrory Gardens and placed extrafocus on newly established awards since July 1, 2018.  Thisincluded 11 scholarships from all four departments:Scholarship BrunchClick above to read the entireprogram which contains many richstories of learning, generosity, andthe desire to support students inthe sciences!Below: attendees were able to take live plants as a memento, keeping in themewith the Dean's #1 goal for the College - GROW!  Right: Dr. John Brawanddirected a string ensemble of seven undergrad students, including HumanBiology majors Caleb Lockhart and Miles Retzer.Open PRAIRIE Data What is "Open PRAIRIE"?The Open  Public ResearchAccess InstitutionalRepository & InformationExchange trackspublications from withinNatural Sciencesthroughout the year,showing where and whenarticles were opened allaround the world. 2,758 downloads at  335 institutions in 110 countries2 new works posted, for a total of  977Characterization of Landsat-7 to Landsat-8 Reflective Wavelengthand Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Continuity was themost frequently downloaded piece at 118 downloads. The firstauthor is Dr. David P. Roy, formerly with SDState's GeospatialSciences Center of Excellence (GSCE).Data across the whole College of Natural Sciences:OCTOBER 2021SI Final ExamReview SessionsStudents, take advantageof these finals reviewopportunities!  They aresponsored by theWintrode Student SuccessCenter - contact them at(605) 688-4155 withquestions.Aamlid Family Anatomy Lab PhotosPhoto credit - Kate Heiberger Photography

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, November 2021

Issue 1. Volume 8
Contents:
Dean’s Update P.1 Awards & Recognition P.2 Interest in Science | Competitions P.3 Open PRAIRIE | ODFS Recap P.4 ODFS Recap | Research Spotlight P.5 Spring 2020 Dean’s List P.6-7https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1009/thumbnail.jp

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, September 2020

Volume 1. Issue 4
In this issue:
Dean’s Update P.1 Awards & Recognition P.2 Club Spotlight | Academic Tips P.3 Interest in Science | Face Masks P.4 Research Spotlight | Welcome P.4 Meet the Pets of CNS P.5https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/consci_pubs/1005/thumbnail.jp

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, May 2020

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&amp;context=consci_pubs

College of Natural Sciences Newsletter, August 2020

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