Ashland graduate teaches physics on the slopes

Ashland alum Dwight Souder has taken his physics students at Crestview High School to the Snow Trails slopes in Mansfield so that they can experience "snow physics".  Dwight and his students are featured in a news story which aired on WMFD in Mansfield and WKYC in Cleveland.

Choose Ohio First Scholarship program

We recently hosted a site visit by representatives from the State of Ohio's Choose Ohio First (COF) Scholarship program.  The program's director, Briana Hervet, and Jeff Handley spent a morning on our campus talking with our scholarship students, faculty, administrators and taking a tour of our facilities.

The science programs at Ashland have been able to provide additional scholarship dollars to select students in biochemistry, biology, environmental science and toxicology majors as part of a 5-year grant from the State of Ohio to increase the numbers of well-trained scientists going into biomedical, environmental science and agricultural fields.  We graduated our first four COF students this past year.  One of them was the University's valedictorian and is now pursuing a PhD at UNC-Chapel Hill, another was the University salutatorian and is currently applying to MD and DO programs, and a third is working in analytical drug development at Roxanne Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio.  Two of our four COF graduates completed their bachelors degrees in less than four years.  We currently have 20 students in the program and will soon apply for another five years of scholarship support.

The image below shows our visitors in front of a research poster presented recently by one of our COF graduates, Carly Young, who is currently applying to PA programs.  Her research project on viruses that infect bacteria was mentored by Dr. Paul Hyman, a microbiologist in the Department of Biology/Toxicology.  You can read more about our COF program here.

Jeff Handley and Briana Hervet from the State's Choose Ohio First program visiting the Ashland University Science Building

Research internships at the OSU agricultural campus in Wooster

While there are opportunities all over the country for paid summer research internships, those of you that want to stay local have options as well.  We already posted information about classes and research on Lake Erie and in Cleveland.  Even closer is the opportunity to conduct various types of research in agricultural science at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University's ag campus in Wooster.  We have had a number of students perform research at the OARDC over the years.

The 10-week program starts June 2nd and pays a stipend of $2400-3000 for 30 hours of work per week, with additional employment possibilities through your faculty sponsor.  Applications are due by March 5th.  You can find more details about the program here.  You can read about the types of research being done, including cutting edge work in bioenergy development, on the main OARDC webpage.

Summer research internships at Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Our fantastic local Cleveland Museum of Natural History hosts an annual summer research internship program with opportunities in areas such as invertebrate zoology and paleontology, botany, ornithology, vertebrate zoology and wildlife resources.  This 8-week program typically involves both field and laboratory work, pays $7.85 per hour plus $200 for expenses and is open to rising sophomores, juniors, seniors and those who have graduated within the year.  Applications are due in early March and positions are announced in April.

Alum joins University of Rochester Faculty

Josh Allen (’07 Toxicology & Psychology) recently completed his PhD in Toxicology at the University of Rochester. His dissertation research focused on the effects of concentrated ambient ultrafine air pollution on the developing brain in rodents. His work unveiled persistent and sex-dependent neurotoxicity and behavioral toxicity as a result of developmental exposure to human-relevant levels of concentrated ambient ultrafine particles. During his graduate training, Josh became interested in translating his animal model research into human studies utilizing an epidemiological approach. He has recently accepted a position as a K12 scholar and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and will simultaneously pursue graduate-level training in epidemiology. His upcoming research will continue to examine air-pollutant induced neurotoxicity using both basic neurotoxiclogical and epidemiological approaches.

Summer research in field biology and atmospheric science

This summer research opportunity comes by way of Dr. Patty Saunders, who maintains an active email list serve for students interested in environmental science.  Feel free to contact Dr. Saunders to be added to her email list for future notices.

In the meantime, check out this NSF-funded research opportunity at the University of Michigan's Biological Station, founded in 1909 and encompassing 10,000 acres.  According to the program website:

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) is a competitive program funded by the National Science Foundation. Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions in a Changing Global Environment provides a truly interdisciplinary and hands-on experience in field biology and atmospheric science. Students engage with all phases of research, from hypothesis formulation and data gathering to analysis, interpretation, and communication of scientific findings. During this nine-week program, students will: 

• Work closely with a selected mentor/professor as part of an on-going research project 

• Design, conduct, analyze, and report on a research project of their own 

• Participate in special workshops and group discussions designed to provide the philosophical bases and technical tools needed to carry out scientific research.

This 9-week program comes with a $5,000 stipend, room, board and a travel allowance.  You must be at least a rising junior.  Applications are due February 1st.

Summer research and classes on Lake Erie

There is a fantastic summer research opportunity right in our backyard at Ohio State's Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Put-In-Bay, Lake Erie.  Ashland students have taken advantage of both research opportunities and field courses at the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States.  Applications for summer research internships are due February 21st.  Application for field courses are not until March, but courses can fill up so apply early.  The application deadline for tuition scholarships is March 7th.  Courses this summer include Ecology, Evolution, Field Zoology, Ichthyology, Aquatic Ecosystems, and Current Topics in Environment and Engineering.  Many of these courses will transfer back as credit towards your Ashland major in Biology.

Two biology majors took the Stone Laboratory Field Zoology course this past summer.  Caitlin Duncan (pictured above to the left) wrote:

I had a fantastic experience at Stone Lab! I took a 5 week field zoology class. Every student had to keep a field journal and put together a collection of 100 specimens, which were gathered during various field trips to Green Island, North Bass Island, Middle Bass Island, South Bass Island, and Kelley's Island. Collecting, displaying, and identifying the organisms was the most fun part of the course for me! I even won the 2013 "Mad Collector" award for collecting 150 unique specimens! My class also learned how to electroshock, which was a great experience.

 Life Science Education/Biology major Emily Lundquist (pictured above to the right) wrote that:

Overall, it was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life because it was great to be out in nature every day and I met so many new people and enjoyed spending time on an island. I learned so much that I feel will help me later in life with teaching.

The images show a class group shot on the docks at Stone Laboratory and one of the field collections developed in the class.