Native American
Musician Bill Miller
Spring 2011
The North Carolina Scientist
In this day and age, information comes at us rapid fire and we
have to sift through it to locate what is most important. Well, this
issue of the NCAS newsletter is full of opportunities you do not want to miss.
The Annual meeting at Elon University promises to be a great event with
everything from a keynote presentation by Dr. Anthony Atala on Regenerative
Medicine to a workshop by Dr. Malcolm Campbell on Synthetic Biology.
Below, you can read more about the other workshops and presentations
scheduled for the meeting. Online registration for the meeting opens soon.
Perhaps of special interest to undergraduate and graduate students, are the
Yarbrough and Bryden research grant opportunities. Read about these
opportunities below. One final opportunity that I would like to highlight is a
new section that includes current job opportunities. If you would like to include
your advertisements in the future for free, please contact Paul Hager
(HAGERP@ecu.edu). I hope each of you finds something useful in this issue
to consider your time well spent. Looking forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting! Karen Guzman, President
NCAS 108th Meeting Elon University March 25-27
Science in Service to Society
Mike Kingston, Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee
The Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Academy of Science will be hosted by Elon University on March 25-27,
2011. The theme for this year’s meeting is science in service to society. In today’s world, science is conducted at a grand
scale with teams of scientists of diverse disciplinary backgrounds working together to address seemingly intractable
problems of great concern to society such as cancer treatment, climate change, emergent diseases, environmental
pollution, antibiotic resistance, habitat loss, and the spread of invasive species. Solving such problems involves the
interdisciplinary collaboration of biologists, chemists, physicists, environmental scientists, materials scientists, medical
scientists, mathematicians, engineers, computer scientists, anthropologists, psychologists, and sociologists. Given the
long history of the North Carolina Academy of Science in bringing together scientists from
many disciplines across the state since 1902, the theme for this year’s meeting is
particularly apt.
“Science in Service to Society” will begin with meetings of the Board of Directors and the
Finance Committee on Friday afternoon, March 25. The Friday evening poster session will
feature the research of undergraduate, graduate, and senior members of the Academy. A
student mixer will be sponsored by the Elon University Biology Club and the Sigma Mu
chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society following the poster session on
Friday evening. As in past years, contributed papers from the Collegiate and Senior
Academies will be intermingled during morning and afternoon paper sessions on Saturday,
March 26. Late Saturday morning, the keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Anthony
Atala, M.D., Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake
Forest University. The title of Dr. Atala’s presentation is “Regenerative Medicine: New
Approaches to Healthcare.”
Dr. Atala is a practicing surgeon and a researcher in the area of regenerative medicine. He led the team that developed
the first lab-grown organ, a bladder, to be implanted into a human. His work focuses on engineering new human cells,
tissues and organs. One current project involves the development of stem cell lines isolated from amniotic fluid that can
be harvested after birth. These stem cells can be induced to differentiate into multiple different cell types and they do not
form tumors when transplanted.
Dr. Atala is a recipient of the US Congress funded Christopher Columbus Foundation Award, bestowed on a living
American who is currently working on a discovery that will significantly affect society. Scientific American named him
as a Medical Treatments Leader of the Year for his contributions to the fields of cell, tissue and organ regeneration and
U.S. News & World Report featured him as one of 14 Pioneers of Medical Progress in the 21st Century. In 2010, his
work was listed by Smithsonian Magazine as one of 40 things to know about the next 40 years. He has published more
than 300 journal articles, edited 9 books, applied for 200 national and international patents, and currently serves as the
Editor-in-Chief of Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy, and Therapeutic Advances in Urology.
On Saturday afternoon, conference participants will have the choice of attending one of 3 concurrent workshops. One
will be delivered by Dr. Malcolm Campbell, Director of the James G. Martin Genomics Program at Davidson College.
Dr Campbell co-authored the first true genomics textbook, Discovering Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics and
co-founded the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT). This workshop will introduce participants to the
multi-disciplinary field of synthetic biology. The workshop will combine a presentation with hands-on computer
exercises that teach participants how to design and construct new DNA devices out of standardized DNA parts. The
presentation will show faculty how young undergraduates can be incorporated into original research in synthetic biology
with a minimum of cost.
Another workshop will be delivered by Ms. Kacy Cook, Land Conservation Biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission and Ms. Sara DiBacco, Conservation Planner with the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation
Partnership, entitled “The Green Growth Toolbox: Incorporating Wildlife Habitat into Land Use Planning.” This handson computer workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about and utilize “The Green Growth
Toolbox,” a technical assistance tool that integrates GIS datasets with wildlife habitat conservation recommendations to
help communities construct land use plans that conserve natural habitats and resources. Ms. Cook was co-awarded the
2010 Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society’s Wildlife Management Excellence Award for the development and
implementation of this green development resource.
The Local Arrangements Committee is currently developing a third workshop specifically designed for the
undergraduate members of the Collegiate Academy. This workshop focus will on graduate education in the sciences. A
panel of representatives from North Carolina graduate programs will discuss a variety of topics related to graduate
training. The topics currently considered include choosing the right program for you, successfully applying, funding your
graduate education, adjusting to graduate life, developing a research focus, and navigating the challenges of graduate
school.
On Saturday evening following the last contributed paper presentation and the business meetings of the Senior and
Collegiate Academies, we will hold our annual awards banquet. The awards ceremony to announce the prizes for best
student presentations and posters will follow the banquet. The meeting will be hosted in the Koury Business Center and
the Moseley Student Center on the Elon University Campus.
Registration
On-line registration for the meeting will be available through a link on the NCAS web site by the end of January. The
address for the NCAS 2011 Annual Meeting web page with links to the registration and abstract submission pages is:
www.mbio.ncsu.edu/ncas2011. The deadline to register without having to pay a $15 late registration fee is February 25,
2011. The final deadline for on-line registration will be March 17, 2011. Although late registration will be available on
March 25 and 26 at the registration table, the Local Arrangements Committee encourages everyone to register on-line so
that we can ensure that we have accurate numbers for catering purposes.
Make Your Room Reservations Early!
Blocks of rooms for the Collegiate and Senior Academy members attending the NCAS Annual Meeting, March 25-27,
2011, at Elon University are being held at several local hotels. The conference room rates are $41.99 per night per double
room (1-4 people) at the Econo Lodge, $59.00 for single or double occupancy at the Ramada Convention Center, $69.00
for single or double occupancy at the Best Western, and $89.00 per night for single or double occupancy rooms (queen or
king size beds) at the Courtyard by Mariott. The contact numbers and names for each hotel are listed below:
Best Western (block reservation held until March 1) – (336) 584-0151 (Regina)
Ramada Convention Center (block reserv. held until March 1) – (336) 369-0482 (Lucy)
Econo Lodge (block reservation held until March 8) – (336) 570-1444
Courtyard at Mariott (block reservation held until March 16) –(336) 585-1888 (Katie)
Additional information on the distance from campus and amenities provided by each hotel will be posted on the NCAS
annual meeting web site in the next few weeks. Individuals need to make their reservations by the dates indicated above
in order to receive the conference rate. To receive the reduced rate, please mention that you will be attending the NCAS
Meeting at Elon University. We look forward to seeing you all at Elon University in March!!
Yarbrough Undergraduate Research Grants
Application Deadline April 15, 2011
Undergraduate students and their faculty advisors are encouraged to submit proposals for the Yarbrough Undergraduate
Research Grants. Grants are for research to be carried out during the summer of 2011 and/or the 2011-2012 academic
year. Projects that are hypothesis driven and include cost sharing from the host institution will be most competitive.
Applicants must be freshmen, sophomores, or juniors in good standing at any North Carolina college or university, plan
to be enrolled next year, and members of the Collegiate Academy. The research advisor must be a member in good
standing of the NCAS and is responsible for administrating the funds. No faculty advisor can sponsor more than three
applicants in any one year. Funded grants typically are for $100-$500. The application deadline is April 15, 2011.
Membership forms, Yarbrough proposal forms, and directions for submission of the proposals can be obtained on the
Academy web pages (CANCAS: www.cancas.org and NCAS: www.ncacadsci.org).
Robert P. Bryden Graduate Research Award
Application Deadline February 25, 2011
The NCAS is offering two $1,000 grants for research equipment and /or expenses related to attending scientific
conferences. Both the applicant and the research advisor must be at a college or university in North Carolina and
members of the NCAS in good standing. . Past recipients are not eligible
The application form can be found on the NCAS website and the deadline for application is February 25, 2011.
Send applications to Dr. Gerhard W. Kalmus, Chair of the Bryden Graduate Research Award Committee, 823 Don Bare
Road, Jefferson, NC 28640 (email: kalmusg@ecu.edu). Awards will be announced at the NCAS annual meeting.
CANCAS Workshop November 2010
The CANCAS workshop was hosted at Mount Olive College, November 6, 2010. Dr. Mickael Cariveau organized,
coordinated and hosted the meeting and we thank him for making the workshop a successful event for all participants.
We had 27 students and 6 faculty members in attendance representing 8 institutions including: Campbell University, East
Carolina University, Guilford College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Meredith College, Mount Olive College, UNC
Pembroke, and UNC Wilmington. This year’s workshop was focused on career preparation. Workshop sessions included:
presentations on graduate school planning and jobs in biotechnology; a job and graduate school panel highlighting Mount
Olive alumnae in various careers; and mock interviews. A CANCAS Business Meeting was held during the workshop’s
luncheon and students were encouraged to elect CANCAS campus liaisons at each CANCAS member institution. Work
continues to identify a location for the workshop for the fall of 2011. If you are interested in hosting the workshop, or
recommend an institution, please contact Erin Lindquist: erinlind@meredith.edu.
Job Openings
Biology Position
Guilford College invites applications for a one-year position as Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology with a focus on
organismal biology, effective August 2011. This position has the possibility of renewal. Primary interest must be in
teaching undergraduates, both majors and non-majors, traditional-age and adult students. Responsibilities include
teaching the organismal half of our two-course introductory sequence. Ph.D. in Biology is required. Submit cover letter
that includes a statement of teaching experience and specialty areas, statement of teaching philosophy, CV, academic
transcripts and three letters of recommendations to Fred Devine, Director of Human Resources, c/o Office of Human
Resources, Guilford College, 5800 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410. Review of applications will begin
February 1, 2011. Guilford College seeks applications from people representative of diversity based on age, race,
gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnicity, religion, national origin, career and life experiences, socioeconomic
background, geographic roots, as well as members of the Religious Society of Friends. EOE/AA.
Forensic Biology Position
Forensic Scientist. Fulltime, Visiting Assistant Professor position beginning August 2011. Primary teaching
responsibilities include the introductory course for Forensic Biology and Biology majors, BIOL 111: Integrative Biology
– Molecules and Cells, and the upper-level course for Forensic Biology majors, BIOL 313: Molecular Cell
Biology. Must be committed to enhancing the forensics program and working towards its accreditation. Expertise in a
forensics specialty and experience in the field are desirable. PhD in the natural sciences is required. Submit a cover letter
that includes a statement of teaching experience and specialty areas, statement of teaching philosophy, CV, academic
transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to Fred Devine, Director of Human Resources, c/o Office of Human
Resources, Guilford College, 5800 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410. Review of applications will begin
February 1, 2011. Guilford College seeks applications from people representative of diversity based on age, race,
gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnicity, religion, national origin, career and life experiences, socioeconomic
background, geographic roots, as well as members of the Religious Society of Friends. EOE/AA