2011-2012 WKU Biology Department Highlights

1. 2011-2012 WKU Biology Department Highlights

2. Faculty Awards • Dr. Keith Philips, University Research Award • Dr. Rodney King, OCSE Public Service Award • Dr. Albert Meier, OCSE Student Advisement Award • Dr. Keith Philips, OCSE Research & Creativity Award

3. External Grant Recipients Sigrid Jacobshagen • NIH/KBRIN - $26,000.00 Jarrett Johnson • KAS - $500.00 • Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Society, $400.00 • KAS - $5,000.00 Rodney King • NIH/KBRIN - $26,000.00 SahiShivendra • NSF - $375,413.00

4. Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Award Recipients • Dr. Jarrett Johnson received $5,000 from the 2012 Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Special Research Program to investigate gene flow among populations of multiple amphibian species in the eastern foothills of the Santa Clara Valley, California. This work will identify species-specific patterns of amphibian dispersal on a single landscape and inform conservation decision-making for several amphibian species of special concern across the region. • Kevin Tewell, a first-year MS student in Dr. Johnson’s lab, is a 2012 recipient of the Marcia Athey Award. He received $500 to study landscape genetics of marbled salamanders at Mammoth Cave National Park. Kevin's research has the potential to identify key differences in patterns of salamander gene flow in landscapes that are largely intact, versus landscapes that suffer from fragmentation and urbanization. Kevin also recently received $400 from the Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research Program to support this project.

5. 2011 RCAP (Research & Creative Activities Program) Awards in Biology • Dr. Michael Collyer ($11,000): Development of a Non-Parametric Permutation Method for Analysis of Multidimensional Trait Variance • Dr. Scott Grubbs ($17,000): Food Web Dynamics in a Karst River Ecosystem • Dr. Jarrett Johnson ($15,000): Epigenetic Control of Metamorphosis in Axolotl Salamanders • Dr. Nancy Rice ($8,200): Prevalence and Mechanism of Essential Hypertension in Kasigau, Kenya • Dr. ShivendraSahi ($16,000): Plant-Mediated Synthesis of Nanoparticles • Dr. Bruce Schulte ($8,000): The Value of African Elephants in Habitat Modification, Biodiversity and Human Perception • Dr. Michael Stokes ($16,000): Ecology of a Founder Population of Reintroduced Black Rhino (Dicerosbicornis)

6. 42nd Student Research Conference Award Winners in Biology Graduate Students: • Amanda Campbell, Department of Biology; Best Graduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 4 — Tracing the Evolution of Telomerase for an Ancestral Precursor to Define and Suggest Cancer Therapeutics (Dr. ChandrakanthEmani) • Chandra Pranav, Department of Biology; Best Graduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 5 — Effect of Coconut Oil (Cocosnucifera) on Ulcerative Colitis in a Mouse Model (Dr. Nilesh Sharma) • GopinathRajadinakaran, Department of Biology; Best Graduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 8 — Cell Proliferation and Apoptotic Pathways Regulated in Zebrafish Auditory Hair Cell Regeneration Using Next Generation Sequencing (Dr. Michael Smith) • Amanda Seaton, Department of Biology; Best Graduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 1 — Defining the Essential Components of Bacteriophage HK639 Early Gene Expression (Dr. Rodney King) Undergraduate Students: • Victoria Gilkison, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 1 – Stable Isotopic Analysis of the Upper Green River in Hart County, Kentucky (Dr. Albert Meier) • Leah Frazier, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 2 — Stimulation of Cell Migration in Corneal Endothelial Cells (Dr. Ken Crawford) • Brenna Tinsley, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 6 — The Ecological Roles of Podostemumceratophyllum and Cladophora in the Habitat and Dietary Preferences of the Riverine CaddisflyHydropsychesimulans (Dr. Scott Grubbs) • Henry Uradu, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 15 — The Winter-Active Dung Beetle Fauna of a Costa Rican Cloud Forest (Dr. Keith Phillips) • Elizabeth Gatten, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 6 — Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophage Magnolia (Dr. Rodney King) • Lori Lovell, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 7 (tie) — Land Use and E. Coli / Fecal Coliform Violations in the Upper Green Watershed (Dr. Ouida Meier) • Andrea Eastes, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 9 — Nitric Oxide Synthase 3 Gene Regulation in Pulmonary Myofibroblasts(Dr. Nancy Rice) • Charles Coomer, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 10 — Bacteriophage Classification Via PCR Analysis: An Alternative to Complete Genome Sequencing (Dr. Rodney King)

7. BSURE Awardees for 2011 • Travis Beeler, $2,500 • Bethany Coffey, $2,500 • James Sutton, $2,000 • Sean Shannon, $1000

8. KAS  Undergraduate Student Awards Oral Presentations Ecology and Evolution • 2nd- Brenna Tinsley • 3rd- Mary Newton Health Sciences • 3rd-Justin Pile Physiology and Biochemistry • 2nd-Chad Willis Zoology • 2nd- Bethany Coffey Posters Cellular and Molecular • 1st - Sean Shannon Chemistry • 1st - Nicholas Wright (Chem major) and Amar Patel (Chem major/Bio minor/PreMed) Microbiology • 1st - Travis Beeler and Alison Emmert

9. KAS Graduate Student Awards Physiology and Biochemistry • 1st- Yajie Wang • 2nd-Gopinath Rajadinakaran Zoology • 1st-Jacob Eldridge • 2nd- Derek Rupurt Ecology and Environmental Science • 2nd-Jennifer Yates Botany • 1st- Pranav Chandra Cellular and Molecular • 1st-Jonathan Howton

10. BIOLOGY ADVISING SUPER SESSIONS (B.A.S.S.)BIOLOGY FRESHMEN & SOPHMORES This guy has been advised. This guy hasn’t. Fall 2011 Total Biology freshmen 207 Total Biology sophomores 170 Total freshman and sophomores 377 Number of BASS attendees 248 Percentage of f/s advised at BASS 66% How many plan to still see their advisor? 168 What percentage found the sessions helpful? 76% Spring 2012 Total Biology freshmen 93 Total Biology sophomores 196 Total freshman and sophomores 289 Number of BASS attendees 140 Percentage of f/s advised at BASS 48% How many plan to still see their advisor? 63 What percentage found the sessions Helpful? 69%

11. 2011-2012 Honors Students We had an impressive 156 Honors students during this past year!

12. Ogden College Student Awards Outstanding Biology Graduate Student • Jonathan Howton Dillard/Hoyt Graduate Scholarship (Awarded for excellence in graduate research) • Kevin Tewell Outstanding Biology Teaching Assistant • Derek Rupert Outstanding Biology Student • Brenna Tinsley Outstanding Biodiversity Center Student • Victoria (Torey) Gilkison Outstanding Biotechnology Center Student • Jordan Olberding Larry N. Gleason Award for Excellence* (Awarded for excellence in undergraduate research) Dr. Dan Skean Award for Outstanding Microbiology Student* • Sarah Schrader L.Y. Lancaster Award* (Awarded for excellence in the study of biology) • Chad Willis

13. Biology Graduate Student Awards Outstanding Graduate Student: • Winner: Mr. Jonathan Howton • Nominated: Ms. Jennifer Yates, Mr. GopinathRajadinakaran, and Mr. Jacob Eldridge Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: • Winner: Mr. Derek Rupert • Nominated: Ms. Cynthia Worcester, Ms. Amanda Seaton, and Mr. GopinathRajadinakaran

14. WKU students present research during 2012 Posters-at-the-Capitol Students from WKU, seven other public universities and KCTCS participated in the 2012 Posters-at-the-Capitol event Jan. 26 in Frankfort. Posters-at-the-Capitol is intended to help members of Kentucky’s legislature and the Governor better understand the importance of involving undergraduates in research, scholarly and creative work. • Andrea Esterle, a Bowling Green senior, presented “Biosynthesis of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Using Yucca filamentosa Plant Extract” with faculty mentor ShivendraSahi. • Sherry R. Helm, an Eastview senior, presented “Analysis of RNA Mediated Antitermination in ErwiniaTasmaniensis Bacteriophage” with faculty mentor Rodney A. King. Students from WKU, seven other public universities and KCTCS participated in the 2012 Posters-at-the-Capitol event Jan. 26 in Frankfort.

15. 28 New Members of WKU's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) inducted on November 14, 2011 • Jasmin Boone, Hendersonville, TN • Zachary Claytor, Lexington • Charles Coomer, Louisville • Addie Dodson, Bowling Green • Caylee Duncan, Dixon • Joseph Edwards, Grand Island, NY • Mary Greenwood, Covington • Morgan Gruner, Coldwater, MI • Caleb Hayes, Bowling Green • Mary Katherine Higginson, Owensboro • Julie Taylor Johnson, Russellville • Phillip Lindsey, Bowling Green • Karinne Marcum, London • David Mauser, Louisville • Kaleb Moore, Central City • SemirMujezinovic, Bowling Green • Jessica Oaks, Morgantown • Allison Pare, Tompkinsville • Jessica Parks, Bowling Green • Lyle Parrigin, Bowling Green • Dillon Pender, Elizabethtown • Suzanne Scott, Henderson • Kristina Simpson, Bowling Green • Aaron Strawn, Henderson • Brock Vervilles, Bowling Green • Kacy Wilson, Columbia • Matthew Wood, Madisonville • Spencer Wright, Liberty

16. 2012 Residency Matches of Former Students • *A few additional highlights from this group:  • Jameson Mattingly won the Dean’s Award for Scholarship as UL’s top graduate. • Joe Thomas has served as Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges Organization of Student Representatives, representing all medical students nationwide. • Three of our former students will be doing residencies at the Mayo Clinic.

17. 2012 Graduate/Professional School Acceptances MS Programs Jane Bartanjo – Western Kentucky University Bethany Coffey – Western Kentucky University Elizabeth Malloy – Western Kentucky University Jared Mink – Western Kentucky University Kayla Pittman – Western Kentucky University Brenna Tinsley - Missouri State University Rachel Wilson – Western Kentucky University PhD Programs GopinathRajadinakaran -Neuroscience PhD program at The University of Connecticut Danielle Racke  -University of Virginia, PhD Program Rachel Wigginton -University of California Davis, PhD Program Stephanie Bryant -University of Kentucky MS/PhD Program Jonathan Howton – Dartmouth, Ph.D. program Heather Shockley – Montana State University, PhD program (Biochemistry) Medical Technology Chelsey Faulk – Owensboro Mercy Ashley O’Bryan –Owensboro Mercy Kristina Fraley - Vanderbilt Veterinary School Miranda Barrick (Tuskegee) Travis Beeler (Accepted to Royal Veterinary College of London, Auburn, and Tufts – Will be attending Tufts) Alison Emmert (Auburn) Jonathan Hornback (Auburn) Hillary Kerr (Tuskegee) Brittany Lenz (Tuskegee) Dental School Carly Brinson (University of Kentucky) Jessica DiLeo (University of Kentucky) Virginia Faulkner (University of Kentucky) Mark Graves (University of Louisville) Tyler Jury (University of Louisville) Mark Kuzma (University of Kentucky) Dental School con’t Ashley Merritt (University of Kentucky) Lauren Wathen (University of Louisville) Joshua Whitt (University of Kentucky Medical School Lauren Bretz (University of Kentucky) Patrick Bryant (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine; Pikeville) Grant Burkeen (University of Kentucky) Emily Calhoun (University of Louisville) Chris Colonna (University of Kentucky) Jonathon Craig (University of Louisville) Morgan Crigger (University of Louisville) Stephen Edds (Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine) Katie Ferry (University of Louisville) Ashton Fields (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine; Pikeville) SunetrisFluellen (IU) Jordan Gass (University of Louisville) Kyle Hawkins (University of Louisville) Chris Housden (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine; Pikeville) Aric Johnson (University of Kentucky) Angela Oulay (University of Louisville) Amar Patel (University of Louisville – Deferred Admission) Khushbuben Patel (University of Louisville) Sean Shannon (University of Louisville) C.J. Simouth (University of Kentucky) Jeremy Sites (University of Kentucky) Kari Smith (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine; Pikeville) Eric Stamper (University of Louisville) William Tucker (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine; Pikeville) Anne Walsh (University of Louisville) Amanda Webb (University of Kentucky) Kelsey Willen (University of Louisville) Chad Willis (University of Kentucky) Optometry School Lee (Alex) Compton (Southern College of Optometry)