Biology professor receives $327K National Fish and Wildlife Foundation research grant

 

Bloomsburg University biology professor Steven Rier has been awarded a grant, in collaboration with the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University, from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The grant, valued at $327,000, will allow Rier, his graduate student, and several undergraduate students, to evaluate the vulnerability and resilience to climate change of headwater streams in the Delaware River basin.

“This project will allow my research students and I to collaborate with an amazing group of scientists at the Academy of Natural Science on an important project concerning the health of stream ecosystems in the 21st century,” said Rier.

The grant, titled “Evaluating Headwater Biodiversity, Vulnerability, and Potential Resilience to Inform Conservation in the Delaware Basin,” will also allow researchers to study species in their watersheds that are vulnerable to human activities, including climate change. The project will provide data and approaches that can be applied to protect important headwaters and to give an understanding of where in the watershed climate change may pose a higher threat.

“We will measure ecosystem metabolism in 40 streams over two years,” Rier added. “Ecosystem metabolism is a way of taking the ‘pulse’ of the entire ecosystem. It includes all of the photosynthesis and collective metabolic activity of all organisms from bacteria to fish. We will measure ecosystem metabolism by deploying loggers that measure oxygen, temperature, light, and depth every 15 minutes for an entire year.”

The grant is one of 37 new or continuing conservation and restoration projects totaling $8.12 million for a 2020-year round of funding for Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2020 awards generated $22.08 million in non-federal match from the grantees, providing a total conservation impact of more than $30.2 million.

The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund aims to conserve and restore natural areas, corridors, and waterways on public and private lands to support native migratory and resident wildlife and fish, and native plants; and to contribute to the social health and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed.

The fund was launched in 2018 to bring together various stakeholders to collaboratively deliver restoration and conservation efforts throughout the Delaware River Watershed that strategically improve fish and wildlife habitat, grow partner capacity, build networks, and improve project efficiency and focus on a basin-wide scale.

Retrieved from Bloomsburg University tumblr post 9/30/2020

Recent Publications, Presentations, and Awards

Publications
Jennifer Haney, assistant professor of EGGS, recently published a paper, "Science or Fiction: The Persistence of Disaster Myths in Hollywood Films" in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters.

Debra Minzola, assistant professor of nursing, recently published a paper, "Damage Control Rususcitation of a Patient with Tramatic Aortic Rupture: A Case Report." in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Journal.  This work was a collaboration with the Geisinger Medical Center.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Thermal tolerance varies with dim-light foraging and elevation in large carpenter bees (hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini)" in Ecological Entomology.  Stephen Tapsak, undergraduate Biology and EGGS major, was also an author on the paper, along with collaborators in a 2019 Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, from the University of Kansas, the University of Texas, Pomoma College, University of Aegean, and the University of Central Oklahoma.  Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.

Karl Kapp, professor of Instructional Technology, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Enhancing motivation in workplace training with casual games: a twelve month field study of retail employees" in Educational Technology Research and Development.

Pamela Smith, professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, recently published a paper, "Palliative Care in Dysphagia and Dementia" in Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups.


Adrian Van Rythoven, assistant professor of EGGS, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Ultramafic xenoliths from the 1.15 Ga Certac kimberlite, eastern Superior Craton" in The Canadian Mineralogist.


Sean Hartzell, instructor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "An amelanistic Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Caudata: Ambystomidae) from Eastern Pennsylvania" in Herpetology Notes.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Effect of pan trap size on the diversity of sampled bees and abundance of bycatch" in Journal of Insect Conservation.  Cody Pavlick, a spring 2019 B.S. Biology graduate, was also an author on the paper.  The paper stems from research conducted on Lesvos Island Greece with collaborators in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program from University of Kansas, The College of New Jersey, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Unidad para el Conocimiento (Guatemala), University of the Aegean (Greece), and University of Central Oklahoma. Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.


Presentations
Daniel McCurry, assistant professor of Chemisty and Biochemistry, was scheduled to present at the ACS (American Chemical Society) 2020 National Meeting and Expo.  His presentation, "Modified surface-limited redox replacement for template-free nanodeposition" presented research conducted by BU undergraduate, Stepan Budkin.

Awards 
Pamela Cook and Rebecca Toothaker, assistant professors in nursing, received the 2020 Generating Evidence for Nursing Education Practice Award for their abstract "Student Perceptions of Just Culture in Nursing Education Programs: A Multi-Site Study" presented virtually as part of the 2020 Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC).  This prestigious award was in reference to a national research study in assessing a safe and just culture in nursing educational programs.  The results from this study are a call to action for nursing education to emphasize the tenets of just culture, error reporting, and quality improvement.

Faculty and Students Attend the Society for Integrative Biology Conference

Dr. Surmacz, Hannah Anderson, Dr. Hranitz, Stephen Tapsak, Heather Llewellyn, and Dr. Corbin

Students and faculty from the Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences traveled to Austin, TX In January to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative Biology (SICB). SICB is a national professional organization whose mission is to promote research in many fields of specialization in biology from molecules and cells to ecology and evolution. SICB supports biology education and scholarship at all levels, from kindergarten to postgraduate. SICB strives to inform the public, policy makers, and grant agencies of new knowledge in biology and its potential applications. Research is presented in a series of plenary sessions, symposia, workshops, exhibits, and oral and written poster sessions. The theme of the 2020 conference was on the importance and impact of interdisciplinary research. Presenting research at the 2020 SICB meeting this year were graduate students Hannah Anderson and Heather Llewellyn,  undergraduate Stephen Tapsak and faculty members Drs. Clay Corbin, John Hranitz, and Cindy Surmacz.  Stephen Tapsak, BS Biology major, presented research that he conducted in Lesvos, Greece as part of an National Science Foundation funded Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program.


Presentations:
Tapsak, ST, Hranitz JM, Percival CR, Pulley KL, Gonzalez VH, Petanidou T, Tscheulin T, Kantsa A, Barthell, JF,  Generalist Polinators are the Foundation of a Summer Coastal Pollination Network in Dune Habitat.

Pulley KL, Percival C, Tapsak S, Tscheulin T, Pentanidou, T, Gonzalez VH, Hranitz JM, and Barthell JF. Differences in Critical Thermal Maximum between Crepuscular vs  diurnal species of Xylocopa

Anderson HB, Hutchinson M, Corbin CE, Hranitz JM. Avian Host Diversity Detected in Blood Meal Analysis of Two Species of Culex Mosquitoes Collected from Urban Habitats in Pennsylvania.

Corbin CE and Roper VG. Linking Effects of Aid Mine Drainage to Ecology and Morphology or Riparian Birds.

Llewellyn, HJ, Hare-Harris A, Hranitz JM, Surmacz CA. Sublethal Doses of the Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid alters Cellular and Molecular Responses of Honey Bees.

BAHS Student Reflects on Semester Abroad in South Korea

Liz in South Korea

BAHS welcomes back senior Lizmeidy Hernandez after spending a semester abroad in South Korea. Before jumping into a hectic semester took the time to answer some questions for BioSynthesis

Liz explores Japan.

What was your favorite part of the experience? 

My favorite part was definitely the people. I met people from all over the world, even someone who visited North Korea. I had the chance to converse with them about their country and some of the situations that appear in the news. I don’t think it is possible for anyone to understand conflict in specific countries without talking to its people. I roomed with two Korean students who now mean the world to me. They opened their arms to a complete stranger and even introduced me to their parents. The Korean culture is completely different than mine. It was refreshing and intriguing to have Koreans explain their society and the division from North Korea.

Liz in HongKong

What is something new that you learned?

I went to South Korea knowing close-to-nothing about North Korea, except about the missile threats you hear about on the news. I learned about the lives of the North Korean people and the intense leader and party propaganda the country is bombarded with. I learned about the songbun caste system used in North Korea.  The caste is based on family history and devotion to the Party. People don’t really know what class they belong to. Some get a hint of what class they are in when their kids do not get accepted to college, as acceptance to college is largely based on songbun class.

How has this experience changed you?

I feel more confident and more comfortable in my own skin. I have become a better listener and public speaker.  I have learned what I value in life and have reflected on how to live life happily in the years to come.

Do you recommend study abroad to others? 

I wish everyone had the chance to study abroad. It is truly a life-changing experience that lets you learn more about yourself and challenges you to get out of your comfort zone. It gives you a chance to show your true self by diving into a completely different environment where no one knows who you are. Studying abroad lets you explore breath-taking places and learn things you can’t read about in the classroom. 

~from http://bloomsburgbiosynthesis.blogspot.com/

BAHS students awarded CPUB grants

Undergraduate Kayla Sompel and graduate student Ian Whiteside  were awarded research grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Biologists (CPUB)  for the 2019-2020 academic year. CPUB is an organization composed of faculty in the fourteen institutions of the PA State System of Higher Education that fosters excellence in biology education and research.   

Ian Whiteside

Ian's research project examines the Effects of BORIS on Human Telomere Regulation and Stability.  Dr. Kate Beishline is  his research mentor.  Ian is 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, majoring in biology in the molecular biology option. As an undergraduate,he conducted research on developmental patterns of language milestones in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Ian has presented his research at several venues including the Susquehanna Valley Undergraduate Symposium, the PASSHE Research Symposium, and Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society Northeast District 2 Convention. He was awarded first place for Best Poster Session at the College of Science and Technology Research Day. Ian was inducted into Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society and has tutored in the Health Science Learning Community.  

Kayla Sompel

Kayla's research in cancer biology is conducted in Dr. Angela Hess's lab. Specifically, Kayla examines the effects of Vemurafenib and Dabrafenib on Human Melanoma Cells. Kayla is a biology major in the pre-medical sciences option. She has served as the President of the Pre-medical Sciences Club for two years. She is also the Vice-President of Students Helping Honduras and the Treasurer of Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society. She is a recipient of the Biology and Allied Health Scholarship. Kayla has considerable medical experience, participating in Penn State College of Medicine's Primary Care Scholars Program and the International Medical Aid program in Mombasa, Kenya.

~from http://bloomsburgbiosynthesis.blogspot.com/

Pre-med Students take on Geisinger's Jan Plan

Maria Figueroa and Casey Donahoe

Geisinger Medical Center’s Jan Plan brought students to the hospital's Danville campus from January 3 -10, 2020 for an intensive  experience that provides a first hand look at the medical profession. Jan Plan students had the opportunity to interact with medical students, residents, and physicians during rounds, case study discussions, and observations.  Participating in Jan Plan this year were Casey Donahoe, Biology major in the pre-medicine option and Maria Figueroa, enrolled in the Pre-medical Sciences Certificate program.  Casey and Maria shared their Jan Plan experiences:

Maria: I loved my Jan Plan experience. We shadowed doctors in different specialties, such as vascular surgery, emergency medicine, and internal medicine.It was very exciting standing next to the surgical team, watching as they inserted catheters or removed varicose veins. One of my favorite aspects of the Jan Plan program was simply meeting and talking with attending physicians, residents, and medical students-- it really gave me a chance to ask them questions, one on one, and learn a little more about their own individual experience in medicine. The Jan Plan experience reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career in medicine. I highly recommend the program to others students interested in the medical field. 

Casey: During my week walking the halls of Geisinger Medical Center I not only saw what day-to-day medicine looked like, but what it felt like. By Monday afternoon, it was already apparent that the pace and "feel" of each department differs. The teamwork and communication present between all staff members in Obstetrics and Gynecology was inspiring. Members of the fast paced Emergency Department seemed ironically unperturbed. Jan Plan provided me with an opportunity to observe a surgery. I had no clue what Urologic Surgery entailed until I was actually watching a malignant bladder tumor resection. Needless to say, I highly recommend participating in Jan Plan.

~from http://bloomsburgbiosynthesis.blogspot.com

Recent publication and presentations

Publications
Jennifer Haney, assistant professor of EGGS and John Bodenman, professor of EGGS, published a paper entitled, "Creating Markets for Recyclable Materials: The Case of Municipal Solid Waste in Haiti" in Middle States Geographer.

Rebecca Bourgault, assistant professor EGGS, published a paper entitled, "Determination of Primary Mineral Content and Calcium Sources in Forest Soils using Electron Probe Microanalysis Mapping and Cluster Analysis", in the Soil Science Society of America journal.  This work was a collaboration with scientists from USDA Forest Service, University of Vermont, University of Massachusetts and Stockton University.

Sean Hartzell, instructor of BAHS, published a paper entitled, "A salamander survey of the Turkey Hill Oxbow, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, with comparison to historic records from an institutional collection" in Bios.

Mehdi Razzaghi, professor of MADS, published a paper entitled, "Bayesian Model Averaging for Benchmark Dose Analysisin Developmental Toxicology", in Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences.  This work was a collaboration with the University of Bahrain.

Michael Shepard, professor of EGGS, published a paper, "The bidirectional and directional hemispheric reflectance of Apollo 11 and 16 soils: Laboratory and diviner measurements" in Icarus. This work was a collaboration with researchers at the University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Arizona.

Diane Barrett, associate professor of MADS, published a paper, "Cloud Based Evidence Acquisitions in Digital Forensic Education", in the Proceedings of the EDSIG Conference.  This paper was also selected to receive a Distinguished Paper Award.

Karl Kapp, professor of Instructional Technology, published a book entitled, "Microlearning: Short and Sweet" with a MSIT graduate Robyn Defelice.

Pamela Cook and Rebecca Toothaker, assistant professors of Nursing, recently published a paper, "Nursing Students' Perceptions of Just Culture in Nursing Programs" in Nurse Educator. This was a fourteen school multi-site study.

Kyle Beyer, assistant professor of Exercise Science, had an abstract published in the Mid Atlantic Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine conference proceedings entitled, "Positional Difference in Linear Momentum During Vertical Jump in Division II College Football Players".  This work was completed by multiple exercise science graduate students.

Mindi Miller, professor of Nursing, contributed to a book chapter published in The Specialty Practice of Rehabilitation Nursing: A Core Curriculum. The book contains 25 chapters of content and was compiled and reviewed by 66 experts in the field.

Presentations
Kelly Dauber, assistant professor of Exercise Science, recently gave a talk entitled, "Ace the Face to Face: Communicating with Generation Z" at the Social and Emotional Learning in Health and Physical Education Conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Kim Olszewski, associate professor of nursing, recently gave a podium presentations at the American Association of Occupational Health Professional National Conference, the National Safety Council 2019 Congress & Expo, and the Florida State Occupational Health Nurse State Conference.

Food Drive, Clothing Drive, and Ornament Contest

The Biological and Allied Health Science club held a food drive for the Columbia County Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. The clinic, located in Mifflinville, and founded by BU Biology alumnus Bette Grey, provides free health care for those without health insurance. The clinic also maintains a small food/personal hygiene pantry for those patients needing this additional support. Club members, faculty, and staff from the College of Science and Technology collected non-perishable food and personal care items for the clinic. Dr. Angela Hess and Dr. Jennifer Venditti serve as co-advisors for the club.

This food drive was held in connection with the 2^nd annual ornament contest where students and their faculty mentors were encouraged to make an ornament from laboratory supplies. The first place ornament was created by Ian Whiteside and Vitoria Nery from Dr. Beishline’s lab.  The runners up were submitted by Alex Shaffer from Dr. Klingerman’s lab, Rachel Nenstiel and Taylor Bozza from Dr. Surmacz’s lab, and a submission from the Exercise Science department.  

First place ornament -Ian Whiteside, Dr. Beishline, and Vitoria Nery

Honorable Mention Winners - Rachel Nenstiel, Taylor Bozza, Wendy Hoyt (exercise science reprsentative) and Alex Shaffer

COST and Tri Beta also sponsored a professional clothing drive to benefit the Career Closet for Bloomsburg students.  The career closet is professional clothing service provided by the Alumni & Professional Engagement office to help students dress for success.  BU students who are in need of attire for an upcoming interview, career fair, or even class presentation, can obtain one professional outfit from the closet each semester. The Career Closet is available to all BU students and is stocked through donations from alumni, faculty, and members of the community.  All donations not utilized by the BU Career Closet will be donated to Goodwill.

Rachel Nenstiel, Dr. Hare-Harris, and Taylor Bozza