New biology grad program at Miami University (Ohio)

A new graduate program in Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology at Miami University of Ohio will be accepting students for M.S. and Ph.D.s for this coming academic year.  This is an interdisciplinary program involving faculty from the Botany, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Microbiology and Zoology departments.  Possible fields of study could include biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, molecular biology, physiology and structural biology.


I know a professor at Miami who is on the recruitment committee, so let me know if you would like more information or if you would like to schedule a visit to their campus.


And if you are an Ohio resident, the State of Ohio offers an annual scholarship (about $3000 per year) for students that attend any graduate or professional schools in the State.  We will post information on this Ohio Regents Scholarship later this year when application forms become available.

New NMR installed

Ashland University has received a $319,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a new 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. This instrument, which was installed over Christmas break, provides detailed information on the structure of organic compounds and will be extensively used in courses and for undergraduate research. Dr. Robert Bergosh was lead author for the proposal, with assistance from Perry Corbin, Jeff Weidenhamer and Brian Mohney. The instrument will support collaborative projects with Biology faculty members Mason Posner and Steven Fenster.

Summer marine and freshwater biology opportunities

We have received information on summer research and coursework at a number of marine and freshwater science field stations.  These are great opportunities to get field experience, have fun, and make some money.  The research programs listed below pay you to get laboratory experience:

• Stone Laboratories on Gibraltar Island, just off Sandusky, Ohio, is a great local way to get some aquatic field research experience, and take a number of classes.  You can take one of their five-week classes and apply for a scholarship (apps due March 16th), or do research at the same time in their REU program and get free room and board (apps due Feb 24th).
• Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC, has undergraduate research positions in coastal and estuarine science - application deadline is February 15th.
• The Grice Marine Lab at the College of Charleston has research positions in Marine and Environmental Biology - application deadline February 19th.
• Oregon States Ocean Sciences REU research program has a February 15th deadline.
• The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is offering summer courses.
• Friday Harbor Labs in the Puget Sound is an excellent place to take a summer course in marine biology.

You can find other summer research opportunities on this blog, and don't forget to check out the National Science Foundation's directory of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) to find all programs in the country.

Ashland Chemistry Professor in the News

Our own Dr. Jeff Weidenhamer has made quite a splash in the news with his latest research on toxic metals in imported children's jewelry.  This time, Dr. Weidenhamer and two Ashland undergraduate Toxicology majors, Daphne Guinn and Janna Pearson, identified high amounts of the carcinogenic metal cadmium in inexpensive costume jewelry, leading to product recalls at Walmart and an investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The research was first reported by the Associated Press, and later picked up by ABC's Good Morning America, the Washington Post and several other news outlets.

Opportunities for Summer Research in Chemistry

The Cornell Center for Materials Research is seeking students for its summer undergraduate research experience (REU) program. Each summer approximately 35 undergraduates from all fields of the physical sciences and engineering come from across the United States to participate in this 10 week program. Materials science is very broadly defined at Cornell — covering everything from chemical synthesis to mechanical properties and modeling of engineering materials.

In addition to the traditional REU laboratory experience, this program also includes:

• 3 one-day mini-courses (offerings include machine shop, electronics and microscopy)
• An introduction to the various materials science techniques (e.g. TEM, X-ray diffraction)
• A workshop on creating research presentations
• A diverse series of scientific talks by Cornell faculty, called “Fun Talks”
• A panel discussion with current graduate students about life as a grad student
• 2 half-day symposiums that include a formal research presentation from every student
• Optional weekend excursions (e.g. Niagara Falls and New York City)

Go to the program website, http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/reu/ , for further information.

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The American Chemical Society International Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (ACS-IREU) provides unique opportunities for students majoring in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering. This program is funded by the National Science Foundation, in partnership with the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the European Chemistry Thematic Network (ECTN), and several universities across Europe.

21-25 sophomores and juniors with one semester or summer of prior research experience will be selected to receive the ACS-IREU Scholarship to conduct research during the summer of 2010 at selected institutions in Germany, France, Italy and the UK. Detailed information and online application and recommendation forms can be found on the program web site at www.acs.org/ireu.

Although helpful, no foreign language expertise is required. All qualified students, including females and members of underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2010.

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Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at Northwestern University

The Materials Research Center at Northwestern University offers a 9-week, paid summer research experience for undergraduates. The students are paired up with some of the leading research professors in science and engineering fields. Research areas include ceramics, polymers, nanocomposites, photonics, nanoparticles, molecular electronics and biomaterials. Students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in science or engineering who are US citizens or permanent residents are eligible. The program dates this year are June 21 to August 20, 2010; Applications are due Feb. 15, 2010. Participants are paid a $4000 stipend and on-campus housing is provided. For more information, please visit our website:
http://www.mrsec.northwestern.edu/content/educational_programs/reu.htm

If you have any questions, please contact Martha J. Tanner at mrc@northwestern.edu, 847-491-3606.