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Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Undergraduate Research Awards
$1850 - Ann Gathers- Research Grants and Contracts -
$808 - Tom Blanchard- CENS Undergraduate Research Awards
$1513- James Smart -CENS Undergraduate Research Awards
$5000- Dawn Wilkins-CENS Undergraduate Research Awards
$2500- David Pitts- Smith, Henson, Sliger Undergraduate Research on Reelfoot Lake Fund
Undergraduate Research Presentations
Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society and the Department of Biological Sciences sponsored a spring scientific poster session on April 26. This event provides students with the opportunity to display original undergraduate research. The goal of the poster session is to encourage students to develop the skills needed to prepare professional scientific presentations and give them practice explaining their projects to peers and professors. This event is open to students participating in research in all areas of science. Student entries this year included both students working on individual independent research projects with faculty and students that were completing group independent research projects as part of the course work in Animal Behavior, Field Investigations, and a special topics research course. The students presenting posters represented the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Geology, Geography, and Physics, and the Department of Health and Human Performance. Twenty-one posters were presented and judged for their scientific merit and quality of presentation. First prize was awarded to Virginia L. McFarland and Jude A. Miller who were mentored by Dr. Ann Gathers. Their poster was titled "Designing a comprehensive survey of pre and post-operational effects of medium frequency Russian stimulation versus other rehabilitation practices within the meniscal allograft transplant population." Second Prize was awarded to Jodie Carney who was mentored by Dr. Linda Husmann and Dr. Dawn Wilkins. Her poster was titled "Development of methods for detection of cellulolytic bacteria in the digestive system of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers ( Sphyrapicus varius )." Third prize was awarded to Cheryl L. Sesler and Valerie J. Tillman, mentored by Dr. Dawn Wilkins. Their poster was titled "Interactions between resident and migratory woodpeckers in a bottomland hardwood forest in northwest Tennessee ." Tri-Beta and the Department of Biological Sciences wishes to thank all those that participated in the spring scientific poster session.
Reelfoot Lake Teacher Corps Workshops and Field Trips at Reelfoot Lake Research and Teaching Center Activities. In 2005, efforts to secure funding were successful with a U.S. Department of Education grant. This grant funded a K-12 coordinator, Center manager, and provided funds to upgrade the lab and field equipment. In addition stipends for teacher expenses were funded enabling the writing of age appropriate lesson plans derived from the university level instruction from UTM professors during the workshops and that are aligned with content standards.
The first K-12 coordinator, Kathleen Rugel, worked part-time with the Director, Dr. Sammons, with faculty and K-12 teachers to establish the Teacher Corps Program as it currently operates. The Reelfoot Lake Teacher Corps is a program shared between higher education professors and K-12 educators who are working together to utilize science as a vehicle for facilitating learning for the state's K-12 students.
In 2006, Kim Crews assumed the role as on-site K-12 Coordinator and Center Manager. Canoes were purchased as well as a pontoon boat and other essential field trip equipment and supplies. The sleeping and living quarters on the property was renovated to include about 18 bunks, 3 baths (one of which is for handicapped), and modern kitchen appliances. The future plans still holds much in store including a request to build dorms and increased classroom space as well as a full-time University paid K-12 coordinator and on-site manager. Presently, the Center has over 20 Teacher Corps Workshop lesson plans that are available for use on Reelfoot Lake field trips. To learn more about the Teacher corps Program you might visit the Center's website at http://www.utm.edu/departments/cens/biology/reelfoot/
The Department is in the fourth year of Teacher Corps Summer Workshops where over 50 teachers have been trained in the methods of hands-on-investigations in ecology. There have been 39 K-12 Field Trips this year with 1496 total students participating. This was a total of 48 days spent on K-12 field trips because some of them spent 2, 3, or 4 days. There have been 4 University field trips that account for 8 days and MTSU will have used the station for at least 81 days by summer's end. We have used the station for 7 days for K-12 Teacher Workshops will use another 8 days for ours in July and for IMEGS. Dr. Blanchard is teaching an undergraduate course on Macroinvetebrates at the Station for the second year.
The Department currently has 420 Biology majors. This year was very successful with 31graduating seniors.
Department of Chemistry
Enrollment has grown steadily. For example, an average of 37 additional students began General Chemistry in the Fall of each of the last four years. This includes those in the new General/Organic/Biochemistry sequence developed for Agriculture majors by Bob Hartshorn and Phil Davis. Enrollment in Organic Chemistry 1 in Fall 2006 was up by 20% over the previous record, set in Fall 2005. There were ten graduates in the past year.
We plan to offer a Forensic Chemistry track when the new ACS guidelines become effective in Fall 2008.
Phillip Davis resigned his position as Chair of the department and returned to teaching full-time. Rick Thomas was appointed to replace him as Chair.
William Solomons retired after Summer 2007. He will continue to teach half-time for the next two years. Nancy Hinds will double her teaching load.
Two organic chemists, Paul Higgs and Mark Keranen joined the faculty in Fall 2007.
S. K. Airee led the SAACS to another outstanding rating, their 26th. He received the Cunningham Award for Outstanding Teacher and Scholar; made a presentation on Green Chemistry at a Conference on Chemical Education in Seoul, Korea; and did summer research at UTK.
Anthony Harmon continues to collaborate with forensic wildlife officer Mike Stockdale.
Jozsef Devenyi will take over completion of a NSF grant application to acquire an Anasazi Eft60 NMR spectrophotometer.
Philip Osburn wrote the bulk of the NMR grant, but has now moved to another university and will be sorely missed. He made significant progress in his research on ligands for catalytic transition metal ions.
Rosemary Effiong wrote and teaches the Chemistry component of a $2 million grant to teach more science to middle school science teachers in our region.
Carol Blanchard has joined us as a part-time instructor.
2007 Chemistry Awards:
SAACS Outstanding Chapter Award and the Green Chemistry Award
Lower Division Chemistry Award : Brianna M. Quinn and Tyler M. Sherwood
Chemistry Department Award : Christopher B. Bledsoe (Brad) and Melaina K. Whitley
The Norman and Ruby Campbell Scholarship Award : Carolyn U. Nguyen
The Outstanding chemistry student
from The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences : Robert H. Mitchell
Teaching Assistants :
Megan Malin
Robert Mitchell
Graham Smith
Charles Mitchell
Department of Engineering
The department's laboratories continue to improve. In the past year the department has acquired rapid prototyping equipment for the manufacturing area, dynamic testing equipment for the vibrations lab, and a spectrum analyzer for the electrical lab. The software capability continues to grow: the department purchased a new UT Martin site license for LabVIEW to support the electrical program, and a department license for Civil Engineering related software including GEOPack, Microstation, and STAAD. This is in addition to continuing capabilities including IDEAS solid modeling, AutoCAD, MATLAB, Electronic Workbench, and MAPLE.
Faculty news
Prof. Ed Wheeler received the 2007 Outstanding Faculty Member Award at the recent UT Online Awards Luncheon.
Dr. Somsak Sukittanon joined the faculty in January 2007. Dr. Somsak has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington , and brings broad experience in digital systems, including imbedded microprocessors and digital signal processing.
Dr. Bob LeMaster received the 2007 Outstanding Research Award at the recent College of Engineering and Natural Sciences Banquet
Student news
This past spring there were 21 graduates from the Engineering program. As in previous years, approximately 20% have continued on to graduate school. This year's schools include the University of Illinois Urbana , University of Tennessee Knoxville , Auburn University , and the University of Alabama .
This past year student groups competed in the SAE Mini Baja competition, the IEEE Autonomous Robot Competition, the ASCE Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge Competitions, and the AITC National Timber Bridge Design Competition.
Alumni news
Dr. Amanda Raley Lowery earned her doctorate in Bioengineering at Rice University in spring 2007. Amanda is a native of the Memphis area, was a 2002 UTM Mechanical Engineering graduate and a University Scholar who graduated Summa Cum Laude. Dr. Raley Lowey has accepted a post doctoral position at Vanderbilt University .
Human Interest
The Engineering Department received a $35,000 grant from the State of Tennessee Department of Education to develop assistive technology for two severely challenged young children. The first project will address the needs of a child whose only motor capabilities are to move her head back and forth, blink, and move her eyes. The child appears to enjoy music, and the goal of the project is to design a system which will allow the child to turn a music source, such as a CD or radio, on or off. Dr. Somsak Sukittanon will direct this project. His initial approach is to design a system using a camera as the input device. It can be trained to identify when the child desires to activate the music. The second project addresses the needs of a child who currently relies on a communication device that lies on the tray of their small chair. The size of the currently available communication devices is such that they take up most of the surface area of the tray, and do not allow the child to have toys on the tray at the same time. Dr. Jeff McCullough will direct this project in which the students will design a system that integrates a touch sensitive keypad directly into the tray. They will also integrate wireless capability into the tray to allow communication to the caregiver.
Important upcoming events Engineers Week 2008 will be held February 12-23.
The annual Engineering Design Competition with many visiting high schools will be held Tuesday February 13.
The 42nd Annual Engineering Banquet will be held Thursday February 15.
Research
Dr. Robert LeMaster and two students, Bryan Boggs and Jeffrey Bunn, are conducted research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) this summer. The research is attempting to measure both the residual and externally induced stresses in statically loaded carburized gears using neutron diffraction techniques. The research is being sponsored by a grant from the American Gear Manufacturer's Association Foundation in Alexandria, VA. Access to the ORNL equipment and staff is being provided by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory User Program. This research is a follow on to work performed by the faculty and student team at ORNL last summer. Dr. LeMaster and the students will also be visiting neutron diffraction facilities in both England and Germany to learn how the capabilities of these facilities might be able to further their research. The European travel is being funded by the Advanced Neutron Scattering Network for Education and Science (ANSWER) a National Science Foundation project managed by the Material Science Department at UT Knoxville.
. Department of Geology, Geography and Physics
Dr. Michael A. Gibson (Professor of Geology) was named Distinguished Educator of the Year for 2006 (Higher Education Division) by the Tennessee Science Teachers Association (TSTA). Recipients of this honor are selected for their achievements in the classroom and field. Dr. Gibson previously won this award in 2003.
Welcome new faculty members:
Dr. Linghong Li (Assistant Professor of Physics) replaced Dr. Tahira Arshed who retired in December 2005. She received her doctorate from the University of Rhode Island - Kingston and is an experimentalist who specializes in electromigration and laser modification of semiconductors. Along with an active research agenda, Dr. Li has been initiating what may develop into a student-exchange program with several universities in the People's Republic of China.
Dr. Elizabeth A. McClellan (Assistant Professor of Geology) received her doctorate from UT Knoxville Her specialties includes igneous and metamorphic petrology. Dr. McClellan came to UT Martin from The University of Kansas where she was an associate professor and introductory Geology laboratory coordinator. She was recently awarded a College research grant to determine the absolute ages of ophiolite fragments in the Scandinavian Caledonides of south-central Norway.
Dr. Stan P. Dunagan (Assistant Professor of Geology) is an alumnus of GGP and received his doctorate from UT Knoxville. He specializes in sedimentary geology and has recently presented a variety of scholarly papers based on his dissertation research on phenomena related to the Morrison Formation in Colorado. Before joining the department as a tenure-track faculty member, Dr. Dunagan was an assistant director of the campus' Online and University Studies program where he developed a new and well-received online version of Geology 110.
Retirements:
Dr. Tahira N. Arshed (Professor Emeritus of Physics) retired in December 2005. She and her husband Rashid moved to Karachi, Pakistan where she continues to teach college-level students in a government-sponsored science education program.
Dr. Robert P. Self retired in July 2006 and was granted status as Professor Emeritus of Geology by Chancellor Dunagan later that year. Bob and his wife Carolyn are now in the process of moving from West Tennessee to their newly-built house in the Ocala, Florida area.
Student Success
Sigma Gamma Epsilon W.A. Award in Geology: Matthew Huber
William T. McCutchen Award in Geology: James Thomka
David S. Loebbaka Award in Physics: Wallis Wimbish
Robert V. Ellis Scholarship in Travel & Tourism: Kerrie Crossnoe and Patricia Hernandez
Graduate school acceptances:
Matthew Huber (Geoscience-Geology) accepted an offer to be a graduate research assistant in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Louisiana State University.
Student Research:
Matthew Cook (Geoscience-Geography) presented a poster presentation, "The Spatial Distribution of High School Physics Teachers in Tennessee." at the 2007 Tennessee Geographic Information Council Conference in Chattanooga.
Matthew Huber (Geoscience-Geology) presented a paper, "Preliminary Interpretation of Paragenesis of Mineral and Sediment Infill in Scyphocrinites Loboliths from the Lower Devonian Ross Formation of Western Tennessee" at the 2007 Southeastern Section Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Savannah, Georgia.
Dustin Lambert (History), a University Scholar who completed his senior project in Astronomy under the mentorship of Dr. Lionel Crews, co-authored a poster presentation with Dr. Crews, Tracy Huard and R.A. Gutermuth (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics). It was titled "GUI-Based Processing of Near-Infrared Imaging" and was presented at the Joint Conference of the American Astronomical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers in Seattle.
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Pre-Health News
Accomplishments of the new Pre-Health Program for 2006-07
- An independent Pre-Professional Health Sciences Office was established, and all functions were transitioned from the Biology Dept. The office will assist in pre-health student retention by setting up internships, providing students and Pre Health Advisors information on health professions education, helping students prepare for pre professional interviews and exams, tracking retention and graduate school entrance data, etc.
- Marketing of the Pre-Professional Health Sciences Program, included display set-up at 10 career fair events, meeting with 117 high school seniors and their families, development of new marketing brochures, design of a new Health Professions display booth, re-organized and expanded Health Professions website, and initiation of networking contacts with West Tennessee HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America).
- The program completed 50 pre-professional interviews and recommendation letters, which were sent to 37 different graduate health professions schools. Over 50 follow-up letters were sent to schools to track admissions.
- Develop internships (paid and unpaid) for pre-professional students
- Assemble an advisory board that would include local hospitals, clinics, and health care professionals that could suggest resources for the program
- Offer a test taking class, seminars and other support for students taking pre-professional exams
- Implement recognition for pre-professional health science advisors.
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Support advisors with information from national advising associations, training and other resources
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Network with national advising associations
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Establish a mission statement and faculty advisory committee for the pre-professional program
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Maintain current articulation agreements and add new ones
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Encourage more admissions representatives from more schools to come to UTM and meet with students
Maintain a working relationship with MED (campus pre-professional organization).
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Graduate School Acceptance Rates
Discipline |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
Dentistry |
4/4 |
7/8 |
2/3 |
0/1 |
1/8 |
1/1 |
Medicine |
11/21 |
10/16 |
8/17 |
5/7 |
7/14 |
4/14 |
Pharmacy |
9/17 |
10/17 |
7/18 |
5/19 |
16/23 |
12/19 |
Med Tech |
1/1 |
3/3 |
3/3 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
1/1 |
Dent Hyg |
0 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
0/5 |
4/6 |
1/1 |
Phys Ther |
6/8 |
6/8 |
6/9 |
2/3 |
1/3 |
3/4 |
Cytotech |
3/4 |
3/4 |
1/1 |
1/2 |
0/1 |
0/0 |
HIM |
0/0 |
0/0 |
3/3 |
1/1 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
Occ Ther |
1/2 |
1/2 |
4/5 |
0/1 |
0/4 |
4/4 |
Chiropractic |
* |
* |
* |
* |
5/6 |
3/3 |
Optometry |
0 |
0 |
1/1 |
2/2 |
0 |
4/4 |
Total |
35/57 |
42/57 |
38/65 |
14/39 |
33/68 |
21/50 |
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