Category Archives: Science

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

PECASE recipient Eugene Billiot and two students work on molecular structures.

Twenty recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers have been announced for this year. The photo, shows of one those awardees, Eugene Billiot, with two students, working on molecular structures.

Awardees are chosen from 350 to 400 assistant professors who have received grants from NSF’s Faculty Early Career Program (CAREER) in the same year of their nomination for the president’s award. CAREER awards range from $400,000 to nearly $1 million over five years to support career research and education.
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Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowships

The Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program offers hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenges through eight to twelve week research residencies at participating Air Force Research Facilities for full-time science and engineering faculty at USA colleges and universities.

Participants are expected to conduct research at an Air Force Research Laboratory Directorate, U.S. Air Force Academy, or the Air Force Institute of Technology, not at their home institution or any other site. List of 2005 fellows.

The application is now open and the deadline is November 1st.

Diversity Focus

White men, white coats, little change by Nancy Forbes. Commentary stating that NAS’s Rising Above the Gathering Storm report (unfortunately NAS doesn’t seem to understand web usability but if you fill out this form they will allow you to get a pdf – hopefully they will learn to apply better web usability soon) does not address the lack of women in the science and engineering workforce and doctorate graduates.

as a scientist and longtime advocate of women and minorities in the field, I was surprised – and dismayed – to find diversity issues missing from the four key challenge areas.
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I would like to add a fifth recommendation to the four already put forth in the academies’ report: that all members of our science and engineering community, particularly those nonfemale and nonminority members, make a personal effort to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering and math. Suggestions include:

• Mentoring female or minority students through encouragement, guidance or emotional support. Studies show that those with mentors have higher salaries, more advanced positions and greater confidence in their ability to succeed.

Yes, there have been gains. Women now hold more than a quarter of all science and engineering jobs, compared with 13 percent in 1980. They now earn roughly half the doctorates in biology and degrees in medicine. Numbers are also up in physics, computer science and engineering, traditionally male domains.

How Google Earth Is Changing Science

How Google Earth Is Changing Science (broken link removed) by Manfred Dworschak:

Google Earth wasn’t really intended for scientists….
But now the scientific community is discovering how useful the software is for their own work.

With a single keystroke, biologist Born superimposes colored maps over the Arctic. The maps show him where the ice sheet is getting thinner and the direction in which the pieces of floating ice on which walruses like to catch a ride are drifting. All of the ice data, which comes from satellites and measuring buoys, is available on the Internet. By loading the data into the program, Born can detect how global warming is affecting the migratory behavior of his giant walruses.

The way simple to use tools will be used is hard to predict. By making tools (and ideas – open access research) readily available (and customizable – Google Map API) allows the community to build upon the tool in wonderful and unanticipated ways.

Tools, that may indeed be technically superior, may languish while simple to use, widely available, tools can flourish and create great benefits (from the network effect).

Excellence in K-12 Mathematics and Science Teaching

Going to School with Samuel Wheeler (NSF does not provide a way to link directly so you have to look down the page to find this interview of teacher Samuel Wheeler).

NSF: What is your most successful tool to inspire students to study science?
Wheeler: I craft my science courses in such a way that the students themselves become the investigator and principal learner, and I become a guide or facilitator. If they are allowed to explore the material from their own interests with the proper springboard, then it is easier to inspire them.

Samuel Wheeler received the, Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching – USA.
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NSF Undergraduate Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

NSF Undergraduate Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)

program details from NSF (web site for schools)

This program makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate level degree in science and engineering disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution.

The program does not make scholarship awards directly to students; students should contact their institution’s Office of Financial Aid for this and other scholarship opportunities.

Thanks to Marisa Dorazio, Edmonds Community College, for mentioning this. Apply for the scholarships available from Edmonds Community College. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 18. The application form has contact information in case you have any questions.

Beyond Genetics in DNA

Scientists Say They’ve Found a Code Beyond Genetics in DNA by Nicholas Wade:

The genetic code specifies all the proteins that a cell makes. The second code, superimposed on the first, sets the placement of the nucleosomes, miniature protein spools around which the DNA is looped. The spools both protect and control access to the DNA itself.
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Jerry Workman of the Stowers Institute in Kansas City said the detection of the nucleosome code was “a profound insight if true,” because it would explain many aspects of how the DNA is controlled.

A New Ocean?

Secrets of ocean birth laid bare:

Geologists say a crack that opened up last year may eventually reach the Red Sea, isolating much of Ethiopia and Eritrea from the rest of Africa.
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“We think if these processes continue, a new ocean will eventually form,” he told the BBC News website. “It will connect to the Red Sea and the ocean will flow in.”

When do they expect this? “in about a million years.” Just around the corner geologically speaking, though for me that still seems a long way off 🙂

Primary Science Education in China and the USA

Should the US Take a Page Out of China’s Schoolbook?

China consistently performs well on international benchmarks despite having to serve 20% of the world’s students with only 2% of its educational resources.

Pretty impressive.

But mimicking China’s system is by no means a blanket solution for American education woes.

Mimicking is almost never a successful strategy. What can be successful is learning from what others do well and adopting the good ideas in ways that makes sense in your system.
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