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.

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

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

Students Present at 6th Annual PASSHE STEM Conference

The 6th Annual PASSHE STEM Conference was held in early November at Kutztown University.  This conference is an opportunity to showcase the research done by students across the State System in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  This year, ten Bloomsburg University students and six faculty members attended.  The conference included both oral presentations and poster sessions.   Bloomsburg presenters were as follows:

Oral presentation - "Hybrid Stars" by Katelynne Pursel; mentor: Dr. Peter Stine

Oral presentation - "Using Photogrammetry to Produce Morphometric Datasets for
Comparative Paleobiology" by Keara Drummer; mentor: Dr. Alan Gishlick

Oral presentation - "Gold Nanofabrication via Template-Free Electrodeposition" by Stepan Budkin; mentor: Dr. Daniel McCurry

Poster presentation - "Comparison of Sublethal Effects of Neonicotinoid and Pyrethroid
Pesticides on Motor Responses in Honeybees" by Rachel Nenstiel and Taylor Bozza; mentors: Dr. Cynthia Surmacz and Dr. John Hranitz

Poster presentation -  "Fishing for alpha-L-fucosidase: Evaluating Enzyme Activity in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)" by MacKenzie McDowell; mentor: Dr. Jennifer Venditti

Poster presentation -  "Examining the Effects of BORIS on Telomere Regulation and Stability" by Ian Whiteside; mentor: Dr. Kate Beishline

Poster presentation - "Analysis of Within-Task Variability on Standardized Reading Assessments in Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Kyle Flannery and Geena Basile; mentor: Dr. Abby Hare-Harris

Poster presentation  - "Low Frequency Variability in a 𝛿 Scuti Star observed with the Kepler Space Telescope" by Juliette Gudknecht; mentor: Dr. Peter Stine

Keara Drummer and Dr. Gishlick

Kyle Flannery and Ian Whiteside

Kyle Flannery, Gina Basille, and Dr. Hare-Harris

Mackenzie McDowell and Dr. Venditti

Juliette Gudknecht and Katelynne Pursel

Taylor Bozza and Rachel Nenstiel

Dr. Venditt and Dr. Hess earn Press Enterprise ROSE

BU's Biology club recently hosted leopard frog dissection as part of their bi-annual Grossology Lab at the Bloomsburg Children's Museum.  Dr. Jennifer Venditti and Dr. Angela Hess of the BAHS department organize and participate in this popular event two times a year.  In the past, they have dissected fetal pigs, cow eyes, sheep brains and pig lungs.

This event is a great opportunity for young children, ages 6 and up, to learn about anatomy.  Typically, students do not get these laboratory based experiences until high school due to both time and cost. This is one of the reasons why Dr. Venditti and Dr. Hess received a ROSE award from the Press Enterprise.  A ROSE is given to acknowledge positive contributions to the community. The Grossology Lab experience "sparks scientific curiosity among youngsters".  Keep an eye out for the March 2020 Grossology Lab, which will be dissections of squid!

Environmental Science Learning Community Students Visit Butterfly Farm

Shown from left: David Folk, Esteban Castillo, Hudson Smith, Courtney Hale,
Lacie Pichler, Dr. Lauri Green, Brielle Hunt, and Kiersten Dunk

On October 12, the Environmental Science Learning Community volunteered at Folks Butterfly Farm in Nescopeck.The site was selected by biology faculty member Lauri Green because butterflies provide important ecosystem services for people (namely pollination) and are indicators of environmental health.

The BU group helped David Folk plant more than 200 nectar sources and host plants in the shape of a butterfly. Foll hopes to recruit many native butterflies to his site.  After working for 2.5 hours, Folk educated the group about breeding and maintaining butterflies. He taught about what each species eats, their larval development and growth, general ecology of the species, how he keeps the site free of pathogens and his plans for the future.

Hudson Smith digging a hole

Kiersten Dunk planting

Esteban Castillo planting

Lacie Pichler using a microscope to inspect for parasites

Brielle Hunt with a chrysalis

Courtney Hale washing butterfly eggs (to clean them of parasites)