Fralin Explorer Summer 2019 by Fralin Life Sciences Institute

THE FRALIN

explorer

THE FRALIN LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE

S U M M E R 2019

Table of Contents

4 10 16 20 25 28 32 38

News Coastal@VT DRRMVT Cryptic Connections Timing is Truly Everything Biochemistry Student Spotlights Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellows About Fralin Life Sciences Institute

Editor: Kristin Rose Art Directors: Shelley Cline and Alex Crookshanks Writers: Kristin Rose, Rasha Aridi, Ebone Smith, Kendall Daniels, and Tiffany Trent Photography: Kristin Rose, Ebone Smith, and Alex Crookshanks Photo this page: Aftermath of Hurricane Maria Photo credit: shutterstock Cover photo: Researchers Kate Langwig, Joseph Hoyt, and Jennifer Redell tagged bats with fluorescent dust and observed their movements to track hidden connections that can spread disease within and between bat species. Photo credit: Kate Langwig and Joseph Hoyt

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

Letter from the Director Thank you for reading the Summer 2019 edition of the Fralin Explorer. It is an exciting time for the life sciences community at Virginia Tech. In April 2019, Virginia Tech transferred the resources of the Biocomplexity Institute into the Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech on the Blacksburg campus. In doing so, Virginia Tech plans to support life sciences research across the university by providing “room to grow” through shared laboratories and catalyzing collaboration and partnership. The goal is to grow the Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech into a hybrid thematic and investment institute committed to supporting research, education, and outreach in Virginia Tech’s life sciences community. Residents of the institute’s five flagship buildings are automatically considered affiliated faculty members and all other life science researchers on campus are invited to become affiliated faculty members. Under the guidance of Dr. Rich Helm, shared research facilities supporting the life sciences will be reorganized to provide core resources across departments and disciplines. Staffed by expert technicians and guided by user needs, these facilities will drive efficiencies and promote collaborations across the research enterprise. This model will allow for scale and quality of investment not currently available to individual researchers, departments, or colleges; efficiencies of scale for service and infrastructure; and strategic support for university priorities. Co-funded faculty in strategic thematic thrusts and promising research projects will have the potential to receive additional university support for strategic hires for faculty and retention of key faculty to engage in emerging areas of research excellence. You can read about some of the exciting research being conducted by our researchers in this issue of the Fralin Explorer. Please enjoy our feature stories about Coastal@ VT, infectious disease research by Dr. Kate Langwig and

Dr. Joseph Hoyt, and cancer research being conducted by Dr. Carla Finkielstein’s lab. We also highlight our impressive Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellows and the research projects they conducted over the last year. I am working closely with Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke to convene a group of key stakeholders that will contribute to the further development and implementation of the new model. This summer, our stakeholders will launch and oversee a national search for a new executive director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, and it is expected that faculty members will have the opportunity to fully participate in the recruitment of the new director. The Fralin Life Sciences Institute was formed in 2008, itself the merger of two entities that formed in 1995 and 2003. The institute bears the Fralin name in recognition of the philanthropy by the late Horace and Ann Fralin. Horace Fralin was a member of the class of 1948 and a longtime supporter of Virginia Tech. Last year, the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust and Heywood and Cynthia Fralin donated a record $50 million to Virginia Tech to support research at the newly renamed Fralin Biomedical Research Institute within the Virginia Tech Carilion Academic Health Center in Roanoke. Heywood Fralin is the brother of Horace Fralin. “Horace would be proud to see his vision for life science research come into focus at Virginia Tech,” Fralin said. “To see the university elevate critical research like this by investing in and supporting the Fralin Life Sciences Institute is both important and exciting.”

NEWS

01 VIRGINIA TECH RESEARCHERS RECEIVE NSF GRANT TO STUDY PARENTAL CARE IN EASTERN HELLBENDER SALAMANDERS

Although eastern hellbender salamanders are known by many unflattering nicknames — mud puppy, snot otter, grampus, and Allegheny alligator — about 70 percent of adult male hellbenders should more accurately be known as doting fathers. Unlike most wildlife species, male hellbenders provide exclusive care for their young for an extended period of seven months. William Hopkins, professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is the principal investigator on a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $738,817 to study parental care in the eastern hellbender salamander. This twofoot long salamander, found in cold, rocky, fast-moving rivers and streams in the Appalachian region, is one of the largest and most fascinating amphibians in the world. These giant salamanders were once common in streams across the eastern United States, but have experienced drastic population declines in the past 30 years due to habitat loss caused by erosion a nd pollution a nd are increasingly threatened by climate change. “Hellbenders are a fascinating and misunderstood species surrounded by folklore and misinformation. Their recent rapid population declines are a cause for conservation concern,” sa id Hopkins, director of the Global Change Center, an arm of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. The hellbender requires welloxygenated, clean streams and rivers; they are especially sensitive to environmental changes and pollution because they breathe

A male eastern hellbender with his eggs in an underwater nest box. Photo courtesy of Cathy Jachowski.

by a bsorbing oxygen through their skin. Small changes in water quality affect them much more quickly than they affect local fish and other wildlife, making the hellbender an important indicator for local ha bita t conditions. One commonality among most declining hellbender populations is indirect evidence tha t their reproduction may be disrupted. “Because Virginia harbors some of the hellbenders’ healthiest remaining populations as well as declining popula tions, our work represents one of the last opportunities to reveal the role that reproductive physiological ecology plays in the viability of hellbender popula tions,” sa id Hopkins. The research team spans three colleges and brings together diverse expertise to tackle these important questions. Co-principal investigators on the grant are Richard Helm, associate professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Joel McGlothlin, associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Science. The interdisciplinary team’s research will advance the understanding of how environmental conditions and hormonal processes interact to influence reproduction in the eastern hellbender. “Hellbenders may soon be a n enda ngered species, so the broader impacts of this work have the potential to be huge. Learning more about their reproductive behavior may help to reverse some of the declines we see in so many populations,” said McGlothlin, an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change

Center. Male hellbenders exhibit extraordinary parental care under normal conditions. In the fall, hellbenders start breeding. The female hellbender lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them externally. The male then runs the female off and provides 100 percent of the parental care. The male will stay with the nest until the following spring and defend the eggs against predators. The male hellbender also waves his tail over the eggs to keep them well-oxygenated until they hatch. Many animals provide care for their young, which is critical for early development, but disruption of this relationship can lead to neglect, abandonment, and the death of offspring. Researchers have found that about 30 percent of the time, eastern hellbenders switch from being protective, doting fathers to the extreme of eating their own young, also known as filial cannibalism. More than 100 different species of animals will eat their own young, but the underlying mechanism that causes this drastic switch in behavior is unknown in most species. The investigators hope to unravel this mystery with the research funded by this gra nt. Cha nges in the environment, hormonal imbalance, and energy deficits are among the viable hypotheses as to why this may be happening. “Cannibalism of offspring has long fascinated scientists, but little is known about the environmental factors that provoke this behavior or the physiological changes that underlie the decision to care for or eat one’s young. From a n evolutiona ry standpoint, this behavior has long

HELLBENDERS ARE A FASCINATING AND MISUNDERSTOOD SPECIES SURROUNDED BY FOLKLORE AND MISINFORMATION. THEIR RECENT RAPID POPULATION DECLINES ARE A CAUSE FOR CONSERVATION CONCERN. WILLIAM HOPKINS

written by Kristin Rose

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

baffled scientists,” said Hopkins. Answering these questions will provide insights into how and why adults terminate parental care in a broad range of species. Hellbenders are a great model organism for studying this behavior beca use the resea rchers have developed techniques in the field where they can study hellbenders under natural conditions. Their study will employ underwater nest boxes in streams across a variety of hellbender habitats to determine what hormones trigger this switch in behaviors and what environmental factors influence ca nnibalism. Hellbenders a re large, so researchers can take blood samples repeatedly over a span of time. Researchers from Hopkins’ lab will take blood samples from the hellbenders as well as egg samples and work with McGlothlin’s lab to rule out the hypothesis that male hellbenders eat their eggs when they think that another male has fertilized some of them. Students working in McGlothin’s lab will use DNA paternity testing to test for this possibility. “Although we suspect that this type of extrapair paternity is rare, not much is known about the hellbender breeding system, so we might be surprised,” said McGlothlin. Helm’s research team will analyze blood samples from the hellbenders using mass spectroscopy a nd targeted assays to test if hormonal a nd environmental cha nges are an underlying cause of filial cannibalism. Mass spectroscopy is an analytical technique that ionizes samples of a chemical species and sorts the ions based on their massto-charge ratio. Helm’s team will be able to identify the differences in hormones, metabolites, and proteins from hellbenders exhibiting different behaviors. “This will allow us to associate the chemical features in blood serum with hellbenders before, during, a nd a fter the ma ting season.

We can then link the features to behavior, potentially segregating caretakers from cannibals,” said Helm. Helm’s team will also be able to analyze chemical differences in hellbenders found in environments favorable to hellbender growth and development, and environments that are not, allowing them to help tease out the a nswers to some of the questions about how physiology and the environment affect hellbender parental care. Not only will this research advance knowledge of parental care, but the team’s study will also employ high school science teachers in an integrated outreach effort to conserve the hellbender species. “Southwest Virginia is home to a number of underserved groups, including rural Appalachia n communities that face a number of socioeconomic and educational access challenges. These sa me communities live in one of the most biodiverse regions in North America, though few citizens recognize the global significance of the ecosystems that surround them,” said Hopkins. Hellbenders are well-established in the folklore of Appalachia, providing a platform to access rural communities in Southwest Virginia about science and environmental issues. Hopkins’ research team will take advantage of the charismatic nature of the eastern hellbender to reach local and global audiences. e

02 RESEARCHERS DISCOVER MICROSCOPIC TORNADOES OF SPORES RELEASED DURING RAINFALL Plant diseases are a significant threat to our food security, and while rain provides fresh water to our crops, splashing drops may also contribute to the spread of plant disease. Raindrop impact is known to be a mechanism for dispersing microscopic spores of pathogens, which infect staple crops a nd devasta te crop yields. Recent research in the Schmale Lab at Virginia Tech and the Jung Lab at Cornell University has illuminated how the splashing of rain droplets can transport spores of pathogens from infected plants. The team used high-speed video cameras to observe microscopic tornadoes of rust spores generated from the impact of raindrops on infected whea t leaves. Their findings,

WE ARE THE FIRST TO DEMONSTRATE TORNADO-LIKE AIR VORTICES THAT RESULT FROM RAINDROP IMPACT. THESE MICROSCOPIC TORNADOES MAY HELP TRANSPORT PLANT PATHOGENS OVER

Image of air-vortex dispersal of plant pathogen (top). Images of raindrops on a healthy wheat plant (left) and diseased wheat plant infected with a rust fungus (middle). High-resolution microscopy of rust spores on a wheat plant (right). Photos courtesy of Hyunggon Park.

LONG DISTANCES. DAVID SCHMALE

written by Kristin Rose

NEWS

which were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), have implications for preventing disease spread in wheat crops. “Previous studies only focused on wet-dispersed spores following raindrop impact. We are the first to demonstrate tornado-like air vortices that result from raindrop impact. These microscopic tornadoes may help tra nsport pla nt pa thogens over long distances,” said David G. Schmale III, professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and affiliated faculty member of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. The researchers set up experiments using a high-speed video camera to capture images of ra indrops impacting whea t pla nts infected with the rust fungus, Puccinia triticina. These experiments shed new light on the physics of spore dispersal during rainfall. “Interdisciplinary research is needed to bridge plant pathology and fluid mechanics to study the mecha nics of pla nt pa thogen dispersal,” said Hope Gruszewski, a laboratory specialist senior in the Schmale Lab and a co-author on the paper. This previously unknown method of air-vortex dispersal is a swirling mechanism that can be likened to a mini-tornado of air that carries the plant pathogens off the plant and onto air currents, with the potential for transport over much longer distances. “Our la b specializes in high-speed imaging and fluid mechanics. We used a high-speed video camera to visualize rust spores being liberated from an infected wheat lea f. We observed thousa nds of spores being transported in air vortices following raindrop impact. That was quite surprising,” said Sunghwan Jung, professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering

at Cornell University. The airvortex dispersal mecha nism could explain abrupt increases in spores in the a tmosphere immediately after major rainfalls. Understanding the spread of plant pathogens during rainfall could help farmers better manage the timing of fungicide applications to their crops. “Our research has the potential to provide new strategies for minimizing disease spread in wheat, which could help us meet future whea t yield dema nds,” sa id Hyunggon Pa rk, a Ph.D. student in the biological transport program (BIOTRANS) at Virginia Tech, co-advised by Schmale, and a co-author on the paper. This research was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). e

Photo below: Honey bees were also chosen as the model for this current grant because of their reduced gut microbiome, making it easier to test the roles of the interacting genes from the host

03 VIRGINIA TECH RESEARCHERS RECEIVE NSF GRANT TO STUDY THE HONEY BEE GUT MICROBIOME Researchers from Virginia Tech were pa rt of a colla bora tive $958,415 Na tional Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study the host-microbiome-pa rasite interactions in the honey bee gut, with $750,000 coming to Virginia Tech. Researchers Lisa Belden, David Haak, T.M. Murali, and Richard Fell from Virginia Tech a nd Jenifer Walke from Eastern Washington University are collaborating to study the critical role of the honey bee gut microbiome in health and defense against parasites using a systems biology framework. “Using the honey bee gut microbiome as a model to study host defense aga inst pa rasites could have implications for understanding the human microbiome and host defense, as well,” said Belden, the lead investiga tor on the gra nt and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. A microbiome is a complex community of bacteria and other microbes that inhabit a specific environment; in this case, the honey bee gut. “We know that gut microbiomes cha nge in response to various stressors in

BY STARTING WITH THE SIMPLER HONEY BEE MODEL, THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO EXTRAPOLATE THEIR FINDINGS TO ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF WILDLIFE AND HUMAN HEALTH.

written by Rasha Aridi and Kristin Rose

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

the environment. What we don’t yet understand are the intricate interactions that happen between the host, the microbiome, and parasites,” said Haak, assistant professor of plant and microbial genomics in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and affiliated faculty of the Global Change Center, housed within the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Walke, now an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University, completed her Ph.D. under Belden in 2014 and returned as a postdoctoral fellow from 2015 to 2017, when she studied the microbiomes of amphibian skin and honey bees. Her postdoctoral work led her to Fell, professor emeritus in apiculture, the practice of beekeeping, in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture a nd Life Sciences. “There has been a tremendous loss in the honey bee population since the 1990s that continues to afflict U.S. beekeepers and agricultural producers. Virginia beekeepers lost almost 60 percent of their colonies over the winter of 20172018 — the highest percentage in state history, and almost twice the national average,” said Fell, who has studied honey bees for over 40 years. Belden, Fell, and Walke worked together on a grant to study the effect of pesticides on honey bee gut microbiomes funded by the Virginia Department of Agriculture. “During our research funded by this previous grant, we found that the pesticides weren’t producing a ny acute toxicity in the honey bee popula tions but there seemed to be chronic, longer-term effects on the honey bee gut microbiome. This was a springboard for our new grant, as we found that disruptions in the bacterial communities of the honey bee gut microbiome seem to make it easier for pathogens and parasites to invade,” said Fell.

Honey bees were also chosen as the model for this current grant beca use of their reduced gut microbiome, making it easier to test the roles of the interacting genes from the host, the microbes, and the parasites. Researchers have identified approximately 10 key components of the honey bee gut microbiome, in comparison to the thousands found in humans. Haak will focus on sequencing the genomes of the microbes in the honey bee gut microbiome to look at the true impact of genetic variation within the microbial community and how that reflects its function. He is also working to determine which genes are actively involved in the interactions between the gut microbiome and the host using a tool called metatranscriptomics. By starting with a simpler model, the team hopes to extrapolate the findings to adva nce the understa nding of wildlife a nd huma n health. “The host-microbiome-parasite interactions can be mathematically modeled as a network where, for instance, the biochemical products produced by genes from host cells directly affect the bacteria and vice versa,” said Belden, also an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change Center. The Belden La b a t Virginia Tech studies community ecology and how species interactions influence disease dynamics. The lab focuses primarily on symbiotic microbial communities on a mphibia n skin and freshwater trematode parasites but has also expanded to study honey bees, songbirds, and wheat. One goal of the newly funded study is to develop a network of the genes from the parasite, microbiome, and host to determine their interactions with each other and to develop an idea of the key points where they interact. “We will develop computa tional tools tha t ca n

compare the parasite-microbiomehost gene networks in different conditions (for example, between infected bees and normal bees or between a bee strain that is infected and another that is resistant to infection) to identify modules of genes that might be important for resistance to the parasite. These changes in interconnections might help in identifying focal nodes that can be tested experimentally in honey bees,” said Murali, professor of computer science in the College of Engineering and co-director of the ICTAS Center for Systems Biology of Engineered Tissues. The researchers expect that this approach can then be applied to other systems. Part of the grant funding allows for Haak, with the support of the team, to develop a biology and computer sciencebased outreach module for local elementa ry school students. Students a nd teachers will be guided through building Raspberry Pi clusters, a small computer to teach programming to beginners. Students will be doing microbiome analysis on their mini computers and develop computer science skills at a young age.” e

04 RESEARCHERS ANALYZE BIODIVERSITY PATTERNS IN ANTARCTIC DRY VALLEYS Antarctica is a nearly uninhabited, ice-covered continent ravaged by cold, windy, and dry conditions. Virginia Tech resea rcher Jeb Barrett was part of an international collaborative team that analyzed biodiversity pa tterns in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. “Surprisingly, we found that biotic, or living, interactions are crucial in shaping biodiversity pa tterns even in the extreme ecosystems of the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Antarctic soils are model ecosystems, limited by the extreme climate and lack of vascular plants, and they host simple food webs with few species,” said Barrett, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science. These findings were recently published in two separate papers in Communica tions Biology. A paper on biotic interactions analyzes the entire community of soil organisms; its companion paper focuses on the soil nematode community using a modeling approach. Characteristics of Antarctic communities, such as simple food webs and low species richness, allow for a grea ter understa nding of the whole community, from bacteria to multicellular invertebrates. This resea rch is the product of a n interna tional colla bora tion of scientists from half a dozen countries: the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Great Brita in, a nd South Africa. Organized by the University of Waikato and the New Zealand Antarctic Program, it is the first of its kind to study a soil community

NEWS

Nematode species Plectus (left) and Scottnema (right) found in the Antarctic. Photos courtesy of Jeb Barrett.

WE CONSIDERED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF SOIL ORGANISMS

AND ALL THE POSSIBLE BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC INTERACTIONS THAT POTENTIALLY SHAPE THE SPECIES COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY. JEB BARRETT

written by Kristin Rose

in its entirety at a regional scale. Ba rrett has been conducting research in Antarctica for 20 years; he deployed for this resea rch collaboration in 2009 and 2010. Resea rch in the Ba rrett la b addresses the influences of soils, climate variability, hydrology, and biodiversity on biogeochemical cycling from the scale of microorga nisms to regional landscapes. “My research in the Antarctic has been focused on a nalyzing the physical a nd geochemical drivers that predict biodiversity patterns. I focused initially on the nema tode communities, and my work has now expanded into the bacterial communities, as well,” said Barrett, an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change Center, housed within the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. The Communications Biology paper on biotic interactions considers the entire community of soil orga nisms: cya nobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, nematodes, a nd other microscopic invertebra tes. The scientists studied the factors that determine the distribution and abundance of these orga nisms, as well as temperature, topography, distance to the coast, and soil properties, such as water and pH levels, in their analysis. “What makes this paper truly unique is tha t we considered the entire community of soil orga nisms a nd all the possible biotic a nd a biotic interactions that potentially shape the species composition a nd diversity,” said Barrett. “We used the sta tistical technique of

structural equation modeling to tease out what the drivers of these communities are.” Biogeochemistry and climate have strong effects on biodiversity, but this new data demonstrated that there are two other important factors. They found tha t biogeography a nd species interactions are stronger drivers of biodiversity tha n originally expected. Biogeographic processes occur when an organism moves through space, interacting with its community as it moves. Species interactions, such as predator-prey relationships and competition, also influence biodiversity. In the companion paper, the researchers used a modeling approach to study the co-occurrence and distribution of three domina nt nema tode species found in the soil. Nema todes, also known as roundworms, are a group of simple organisms that have successfully adapted to nearly every ecosystem on Ea rth. The resea rchers demonstrated that competition is a more importa nt driver of diversity patterns in the nematode community tha n previously thought. “We modeled three nema tode species – Plectus, Scottnema, and Eurdoylaimus – that are potentially interacting. Our results show that it is not just environmental drivers tha t influence species distribution across the polar landscape but that competition and interactions are playing a large role in diversity patterns as well,” said Barrett. The future challenge for researchers is to understand how the effects of clima te cha nge on these

interactions will alter species coexistence in Antarctica. They expect tha t with increasing temperatures, the thawing of ice will crea te environments tha t select for nematode species more adapted to warmer and wetter environments. Early indications of this have already been observed in the team’s long-term monitoring studies of soil communities, as reported in the journal Ecology last year. Barrett’s ongoing research is funded by the National Science Founda tion’s Long Term Ecological Resea rch (LTER) Program. His research goal with the LTER is to use a combination of manipulative experiments and long-term observa tions to understand how climate variability influences Antarctic organisms and ecosystems. e

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

05 DRUG HUNTERS AWARDED $2.8 MILLION TO DEVELOP A DRUG TO TREAT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Webster Sa ntos, professor of chemistry and the Cliff and Agnes Lilly Faculty Fellow in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has received a $2.8 million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to discover drugs to inhibit a small molecule transporter. Blocking this transporter modulates the immune system and has implications both in treating autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, and in immune-oncology. Santos received this research grant in collaboration with Kevin Lynch, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Virginia. Lynch will oversee the biological testing of the drug. The NIAID award builds on an existing research grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which was awarded to Santos and Lynch in September 2016 to discover inhibitors of the enzymes that synthesize a molecule called S1P. “My la bora tory is discovering inhibitors that might become a new genera tion of drugs against multiple sclerosis and metastatic cancers,” Santos said. “The inhibitors alter the way immune cells travel throughout the body by changing the extracellular levels of S1P. We have discovered lead inhibitors a nd we a re optimizing these compounds so as to achieve maximum therapeutic benefit.” Santos is a member of the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery and an affiliate of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. He is an expert medicinal chemist whose research focuses on compounds with new modes of action to treat

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AFFECTS 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE AND THERE IS CURRENTLY NO CURE. SANTOS AND HIS TEAM ARE DISCOVERING INHIBITORS THAT MAY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A THERAPEUTIC DRUG TO TREAT MS.

written by Rasha Aridi and Kristin Rose

multiple sclerosis, kidney fibrosis, neurodegenerative diseases, aging, and fatty liver disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord. In MS, the immune system attacks the myelin shea th, the protective cover of nerve fibers, ca using communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. Eventually, the disease results in the nerves deteriora ting or becoming permanently damaged, which can impair brain function, coordination, sensation, and motor ability. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS a ffects 2.3 million people worldwide and there is currently no cure. Treatments, however, can help speed up recovery after attacks, modify the course of the disease, and manage symptoms. In MS, the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath of motor neurons in the central nervous system leading to progressive disability. Santos’ drug inhibits SPNS2, a transporter protein in the membrane of endothelial cells, which line lymph vessels. Lymph S1P (sphingosine 1-phosphate), which is secreted from endothelial cells via SPNS2, is necessary for proper positioning of immune cells. By inhibiting SPNS2, Santos’s drug will modulate the immune system and might ultimately be used to treat MS. “Insofar as we are aware, we are the only group

with SPNS2 inhibitors,” Santos said. The collaboration between Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia is crucial to the research. Sa ntos works on refining the inhibitor a nd developing the compound into a drug, while Lynch does the biological and animal studies. Santos and Lynch have filed an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the drugs and are working with other collaborators who are testing SPNS2 inhibitors in mouse models of MS and metastatic cancer. When SPNS2 inhibitors show efficacy in these models, the next phase would be to demonstrate safety for eventual testing in humans. “Drug discovery and development is a long, expensive, and uncertain pa th,” sa id Kevin Lynch. “The SPNS2 inhibitors that we have will allow validation of this transporter as a bona fide drug target. Both of our groups are working hard to take our studies from the bench to the clinic efficiently and quickly. The synergy between medicinal chemistry a nd pha rmacology is really what makes it work.” Based on their research and to realize benefit by patients, Santos and Lynch co-founded a startup company, Flux Therapeutics. The goal of the company is to commercialize the findings from their laboratories. e The S1P transporter team: Webster Santos, Christopher Sibley, Russell Fritzemeier, Daniel Foster, Ashley Peralta (from left to right).

F E AT UR E

COASTAL@VT FOSTERING COASTAL RESILIENCE AND PROSPERITY THROUGH TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT written by Kristin Rose

THE COASTAL ZONE HOSTS MORE THAN HALF OF THE WORLD’S HUMAN POPULATION, LARGE PORT FACILITIES VITAL TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IMPORTANT TO NATIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY.

Accelerating sea-level rise, coastal hazards, ocean acidification, population growth, and rapid economic development threaten livelihoods, tourism, health, fish and wildlife species, and ecosystem services in this area. “The cascading impacts of these stressors represent a complex and formidable problem that can be addressed only by coordinated investment in research, teaching, outreach, and inclusive engagement efforts. The focus of the Coastal@VT concept team is characterized by disciplinary strength and excellence, and by strong interdisciplinary links among the different disciplines,” said Robert Weiss and Anamaria Bukvic , co-leaders of the Coastal@ VT group. Robert Weiss is a professor of geosciences in the College of Science and Anamaria Bukvic is an assistant professor of geography in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Coastal@VT’s vision is to be a catalyst for finding innovative solutions to sustain development of coastal built and natural environments through diversity and inclusion in research, education, and engagement.

Image of destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. Photo credit: Anamaria Bukvic.

The interdisciplinary linkages of Coastal@VT, developed through research and education programs, are institutionally manifested through the Destination Areas, specifically Data Analytics and Decision Sciences, Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-Centered Communities, Integrated Security, and the Global Systems Science themes of food, infectious diseases, and water. Coastal@VT will serve as an incubator for advancing technology, policy innovation, and knowledge exchange, as well as for forging sustained and long-lasting partnerships with

industry and other organizations that work to make coastal zones more resilient and capable of adapting to rapidly changing environments. The Coastal@VT initiative is comprised of 36 junior and senior faculty participants from eight different colleges and various scientific disciplines at Virginia Tech. They bring a diverse range of expertise to coastal research, including, but not limited to, geophysics, engineering, geography, urban planning, public health, governance and public policy, fish and wildlife conservation, business information technology, and applied economics.

THE NUMBER OF VIRGINIA RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE COASTAL ZONE IS EXPECTED TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY BY 2045.

THE SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS THAT DEFINE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE THAT CAN DESTABILIZE THEM OVER TIME.

DID YOU KNOW? In the U.S. alone, half of weather-related, economic damage is due to hurricanes, mostly from coastal flooding, e.g., Hurricanes Sandy (in 2012; $67 billion, 159 deaths) and Katrina (in 2005; $151 billion, 1833 deaths).

By 2100, population is expected to grow by 50 percent and mean sea level is expected to rise about one meter. Both increase the coastal disaster threat, with the former increasing lives and infrastructure in harmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way and the latter increasing the magnitude and spatial extent of the flood hazard.

Sarah Karpanty and Claire Helmke radio tracking collared red foxes on Fire Island National Seashore, NY, as part of a study of predator impacts on threatened piping plovers. Photo credit: Cat Black.

Robert Weiss (left, Virginia Tech) and Patrick Lynett (right, University of Southern California) inspect the damages of a beachfront house in Mantoloking, New Jersey) after Superstorm Sandy. Photo credit: Jennifer Irish.

Students learning about the beach erosion control measures such as geotubes and groins. Photo credit: Anamaria Bukvic.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

Researchers and stakeholders were able to come together and assess the expertise and resources that Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s universities currently have and will need in the future to answer pressing research questions and produce policy-relevant science related to the commonwealthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resilience to coastal flooding.

Photo courtesy of Anamaria Bukvic.

Anamaria Bukvic

13 Coastal@VT faculty are applying innovative and holistic approaches and utilizing cuttingedge skills and technology to interpret data and solve problems. They engage in a broad range of research topics such as: Tsunami sedimentation and erosion Tropical cyclone dynamics and structure Storm surge dynamics and hazard assessment Disaster preparedness and hazard mitigation Climate change adaptation, resilience, and vulnerability Population displacement and relocation Wildlife conservation management Environmental resource economics Endangered species and shorebird ecology Public health and safety post marine oil spills Collaborative governance and scenario planning To support its faculty and ensure that their research is aligned with the Coastal@ VT mission, the initiative offers seed grants to fund interdisciplinary research

and organizes various events to facilitate knowledge exchange, new partnerships, and collaboration between researchers and the public and private sector. Coastal@VT places a great emphasis on generating impactful data and policy-relevant research. Coastal disasters affect people from all walks of life. Improving the resilience of the communities in which these people live requires collaboration among experts and stakeholders from a wide range of different disciplines. To promote resiliency, Coastal@ VT engages in educating future leaders, practitioners, and researchers in disaster resilience and risk management with support from a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship grant (NRT). This inclusive program, also referred to as DRRMVT (Disaster Resilience and Risk Management at Virginia Tech), invites graduate students from all colleges and departments of Virginia Tech to learn important interdisciplinary skills while

strengthening their knowledge of disaster resilience and risk management. You can read more about the DRRMVT program on page 16. In 2017, graduate students from the Climate Change and Societal Impacts course, taught by Bukvic, had an opportunity to participate in the Resilience Research and Design Tidewater Collaborative Laboratory, better known as the Tidewater Collaboratory. This hands-on learning experience was supported by Wetlands Watch, Virginia Sea Grant, and the Hampton Roads chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. It enabled students to partner with officials from the City of Hampton and study topics ranging from social vulnerability to flooding and community resilience in different city neighborhoods. In October of 2018, the Coastal@VT group hosted the first 2018 Rotating Resilience Roundtable, a two-day event on the Blacksburg campus, which offered faculty the opportunity to interact with coastal scientists

F E AT UR E

Coastal@VT faculty member Sarah Karapanty scoping the beach and tending to shore birds.

and stakeholders in person and in small group settings.

The event was co-organized by Anamaria Bukvic from the Coastal@VT initiative and Michelle Covi from Old Dominion University and the Virginia Sea Grant Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program. The Rotating Resilience Roundtables are designed to respond to the need for cohesive and policy-relevant science that will align and coordinate efforts to benefit Virginia’s resilience and adaptation to changing conditions in the coastal zone. “The roundtables’ aim was to facilitate knowledge exchange and research collaborations to strengthen the statewide capacity to address coastal resilience issues in an integrated and inclusive manner. Researchers and stakeholders were able to come together and assess the expertise and resources that Virginia’s universities currently have and will need in the future to answer pressing research questions and produce policy-relevant science related to the commonwealth’s resilience to coastal flooding.” said Bukvic. Researchers from Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, College of William and Mary, University of Virginia, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science attended and discussed the state’s needs in research and education for coastal resilience. Attendees

included those in disaster preparedness, engineering, technology and socioecological systems, as well as expert staff from the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Wetlands Watch, and the cities of Hampton and Norfolk. "It was particularly gratifying to see key universities in the commonwealth coming together for the Rotating Resilience Roundtables initiative. We have an opportunity for this consortium to place Virginia at the leading edge of a research area that is critical to the future welfare of citizens, not only within our own state but also throughout the world. Our universities can and should continue to work synergistically and collaboratively on such global problems, and I see Coastal@VT as an exemplar of how this can be achieved," said Dennis Dean, director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Jennifer Irish and Robert Weiss of Coastal@VT co-chaired the organizing committee for the 2018 Annual Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Summit: Securing Prosperity in the Coastal Zone. While there are ongoing initiatives to address contemporary coastal issues at the community level, the goal of the summit was to move toward a holistic conversation about promoting prosperity in Virginia's coastal zone and its role in the nation's well-being across geographic and

government scales. “Proactive, smart, and science-informed policies must be developed to accommodate the region's growing population and ensure its economic growth. These policies require coordination across city, county, and state lines. The VASEM Summit helped to jump-start some of these conversations and collaborations among people who don’t usually meet,” said Weiss. The summit format intentionally created active-engagement opportunities for attendees to begin meaningful dialogues on assets, stressors, and opportunities related to coastal prosperity. In addition to high-level oral presentations and directed discussion periods, a highlight of the event was a lively poster session that showcased critical scientific and technological advances, as well as Virginia’s breadth of expertise in the area of coastal zone issues.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

“Our goals for the VASEM Summit were to begin a dialogue around the interdisciplinary issues related to coastal prosperity that would engage the private sector, public sector, and academia equally. We also wanted to bring the universities within Virginia together to create a collaborative environment to address coastal issues,” said Jennifer Irish, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and a Coastal@VT faculty member. Coastal@VT faculty not only conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research but also place an emphasis on inclusiveness and diversity by engaging graduate and

undergraduate students in research activities, enabling them to learn cutting-edge skills. They are also active in numerous outreach and service initiatives. In March 2019, Coastal@VT co-leader Anamaria Bukvic and Coastal@VT faculty member Sarah Karpanty led an interactive Kids’ Tech University talk about the impacts of sea-level rise. The Kids' Tech University program at Virginia Tech is different from other kids' programs because it puts real researchers in front of children to give exciting interactive sessions on those famous "why" questions that have always intrigued children.

Bukvic and Karpanty encouraged the students to think about the various lines of evidence that prove that sea level is rising. Then, they asked the children to think about how that will impact individuals and communities. They concluded with brainstorming about possible solutions and a demonstration showing students how to put together an emergency backpack to be prepared for hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. Future plans for Coastal@ VT encompass playing a part in the Future Earth Coasts program and involving Virginia Tech faculty in international, sustainable, coastal development. e

15 Proactive, smart, and scienceinformed policies must be developed to accommodate the region's growing population and ensure its economic growth. The VASEM Summit helped to jump-start some of these conversations and collaborations among people who don’t usually meet.

Robert Weiss

F E AT UR E

NEW GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT VIRGINIA TECH ADDRESSES DISASTER RESILIENCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT By Ebone Smith

ith the country’s annual average of $20 billion in damages due to natural disasters, it is vital that researchers find ways to improve national mitigation, resilience, and recovery strategies. Disasters affect people across all walks of life, and developing resilience and restoring communities requires collaboration among experts across a wide range of different disciplines. A group of Virginia Tech faculty including Robert Weiss, Marie Paretti, Margaret Cowell, Jennifer Irish, Yang Zhang, and Christopher Zobel set forth to address this issue by developing a new graduate program. In 2017, these faculty members were awarded a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) to support the Disaster Resilience & Risk Management (DRRM VT) transdisciplinary graduate program.

The United States spends an annual average of $20 billion in damages due to natural disasters. Photo courtesy of Robert Weiss.

The DRRM VT program kicked off in the fall of 2018 after accepting 10 doctoral students with five different disciplinary focuses: geoscience, civil engineering, engineering education, business information technology, and urban affairs and planning. The cohort is led by faculty members with diverse educational backgrounds to encourage transdisciplinary collaboration. Although the program consists of a broad spectrum of fields of study, the students and faculty strive to “cross boundaries and create new ways of thinking,” explained DRRM VT coordinator, Aaron Akers. “This program aims to do that in the context of disaster and focusing on being able to help communities prepare for, recover from, and move forward from disaster and become sustainable.” The transdisciplinary focus of the program allows for the students to work together to share ideas and build strong rapport among one another. This collaboration is encouraged by the interactive seminars and classes centered around group projects and discussions.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

THE STUDENTS EACH HAVE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS UNDER THE THREE RESEARCH THRUSTS

NATURAL HAZARDS AND PHYSICAL IMPACT

During the 2018 fall semester, DRRM VT scholars worked in groups to analyze different research problems regarding certain disasters such as Hurricane Maria and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Although overarching topics may have overlapped, how each group defined the problems within the topic varied just by collaborating across different disciplines. Doctoral students Laura Szczyrba and Duygu Pamukcu conducted their study on housing recovery in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, which they have continued to work on with professors. “We are taking that class project, and we are reworking it for publication,” said Laura Szczyrba. While the program is very dynamic, the students each have their own individual projects under the three research thrusts: natural hazards and physical impacts, socioeconomic impacts and recovery, and stakeholder interaction and engagement.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS AND RECOVERY

The natural hazards and physical impacts thrust focuses on postdisaster destruction and mitigation strategies through a lens of business and urban affairs. The approach to this research involves using current resources to create projections of future hazard and physical impact, as well as making advancements in overall predictions of hazards. “I want to make uncertainty quantifications so that the decision making can be more accurate and correct,” said Jun-Whan Lee, a Ph.D. student in the DRRM VT, with a civil engineering background. DRRM VT was a match for Lee because of his prior work experience which left him with questions he wanted answered. His research incorporates the natural hazards and physical impacts thrusts through its focus on developing models for tsunamis and storm surge in order to predict hazards not only accurately but also rapidly.

STAKEHOLDER INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT

Improving place-based models and using existing data and methods are two approaches that are also used under the socioeconomic impacts and recovery thrust. Under this research thrust, Duygu Pamukcu, an international doctoral student from Turkey with a background in business information technology, focuses on improving risk assessment policies and operations through the use of optimization and simulation. “It is really hard to communicate with non-environmental organizations because they don’t know how to implement theoretical or academic approaches to their study; so, I would like to learn how can I connect with them better,” explained Pamukcu. Although Pamukcu is at the beginning of her research, she is passionate about taking what she learns from her DRRM VT graduate research back to Turkey, where she will try to implement her findings into the disaster management efforts and apply them to inter-organizational communication.

F E AT UR E

Aaron Akers

Qiong Wang

PLANNING, GOV., & GLOBAL

Research interests: Economic disaster, deindustrialization, and economic resilience

Research interests: Disaster mitigation and recovery strategies and policy including green infrastructure and property buyout policy

Jessica Deters

Tiffany Cousins

ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE ASSISTANT

PLANNING, GOV., & GLOBAL

Research interests: Experiences of students who do not choose traditional engineering careers

Research interests: The use of social media and participatory GIS during disaster to help make better decisions

18 Catherine Jeffries

Anmol Haque

GEOSCIENCES

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Research interests: Development and implementation of tsunami models to increase understanding of tsunamis and contribute to increased accuracy of tsunami warning

Research interests: Evaluation of risk assessment of tropical cyclones and storm surges with an integration of the physical and social characteristics associated with the hazard

Duygu Pamukçu

Jun-Whan Lee

BUSINESS INFO. TECH

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Research interests: Optimization and simulation models for quick > ` ivwV i Ì « > Ã v À ` Ã>ÃÌiÀ management operations and real life implications of these models

Research interests: Development of rapid and accurate tsunami and storm surge models considering sea level rise

Laura Szczyrba

Ruixiang Xie

GEOSCIENCES

PLANNING, GOV., & GLOBAL

Research interests: Interpreting the information preserved in tropical storm sediment deposits in order to improve quantitative coastal hazard assessments.

Research interests: Public policy process including policy learning, policy diffusion and policy evaluation of resilience

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

Part of disaster management is ensuring that stakeholders are engaged and thoroughly educated on the vulnerabilities, risks, and impacts of natural hazards so they can make informed decisions. Integration – stakeholder interaction and engagement – is the third research thrust under the DRRM VT program, which focuses on effectively disseminating scientific information to stakeholders to increase their understanding of the natural disaster. “I’m interested in influencing government policy and having an impact,” said Tiffany Cousins. Cousins, a Ph.D student in the DRRM VT program, is passionate about improving policy around disaster management in order to improve stakeholders’ decisions. Cousins is confident that the DRRM VT program will provide her with the tools and skills to influence stakeholder decision-making.

It is really hard to communicate with non-environmental organizations because they don’t know how to implement theoretical or academic approaches to their study, so I would like to learn how can I connect with them better.

Duygu Pamukcu

“We all have this common ground and interest in disaster management; we all to some extent want to revolutionize the way government and communities prepare and recover from disasters— let’s come together and do it,” said Cousins. e https://www.drrm.fralin.vt.edu/index.php

F E AT UR E

RESEARCHERS DISCOVER HOW

“cryptic connections” IN DISEASE TRANSMISSION INFLUENCE EPIDEMICS written by Kristin Rose and Tim Stephens

iseases have repeatedly spilled over from wildlife to humans causing local to global epidemics: HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Nipah are all examples.

A new study by researchers of disease transmission in bats has broad implications for understanding hidden or “cryptic” connections that can spread diseases between species and lead to large-scale outbreaks.

By dusting bats with a fluorescent powder that glows under ultraviolet light, Virginia Tech researchers Joseph Hoyt and Kate Langwig, were able to trace the dynamics of disease transmission in bat species that have been devastated by white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that has killed 6.7 million bats in North America since 2006. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature. "These results uncovered and quantified connections, both within and among species, that we never knew about before," said first author Joseph Hoyt, who led the study as a UC Santa Cruz graduate student and completed the analyses at Virginia Tech as a research scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science.

ONE OF THE PUZZLING FEATURES OF WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME IS ITS ABILITY TO SPREAD THROUGH A COMMUNITY OF BATS DURING THE WINTER, WHEN THE ANIMALS ARE HIBERNATING 99.5 PERCENT OF THE TIME.

"We had been seeing explosive epidemics where an entire bat population would become infected with white-nose syndrome within a month or two, and it was a mystery as to how that was happening. We are now able to more accurately explain and track the spread of white-nose syndrome, and our study has strong implications for predicting other epidemics," Hoyt said. When we think about who we might get sick from, we tend to think of our social groups: family, friends, and co-workers. But, we forget about that brief interaction with an employee at the DMV, a barista at a coffee shop, or shared airspace on public transportation. People are aware of these interactions, but not how important they are to the spread of epidemics. In the past, these types of hidden interactions have been poorly understood because they are so difficult to quantify. Second author on the study, Kate Langwig, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, said this study shows that infrequent and indirect connections, also called ‘cryptic connections,’ among individuals play a far larger role in the transmission of disease than was previously understood.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

We had been seeing explosive epidemics where an entire bat population would become infected with white-nose syndrome within a month or two, and it was a mystery as to how that was happening. Joseph Hoyt

THE RESEARCHERS APPLIED THE FLUORESCENT DUST TO SEVERAL BATS IN EARLY WINTER, USING A DIFFERENT COLOR FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL BAT. IN LATE WINTER, THE RESEARCHERS RETURNED TO SEE WHERE EACH COLOR OF FLUORESCENT DUST ENDED UP.

F E AT UR E

“Cryptic connections are essentially pathways or connections between individuals that we wouldn’t normally be able to estimate or observe. They have largely been ignored by researchers in the past, but this study quantifies their importance. Our study creates an integrated model of social group connections and cryptic connections,” said Langwig, an affiliated faculty member of the Global Change Center, an arm of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Coauthor A. Marm Kilpatrick, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz noted that spillover events, when pathogens spread from wild animals to human populations, tend to occur through these kinds of cryptic connections. "We don't normally appreciate how important they are except retrospectively, when we investigate outbreaks of diseases like Ebola or SARS," he said. “Our study has compelling implications that will allow researchers to track seemingly random or indirect connections in wildlife that may spillover to human populations,” said Langwig.

The fluorescent dust used in this study proved to be highly effective at revealing cryptic connections among the bats. The researchers conducted the study at eight hibernation sites, mostly abandoned mine tunnels, in the upper Midwest. Each site had as many as four species of bats using it. At the start of the study, the pathogen causing white-nose syndrome had not yet reached these populations. The researchers first surveyed the bats and characterized their social networks, measuring direct physical contacts among bats hibernating together in groups, as well as additional connections made by bats moving between groups. Then, they applied the fluorescent dust to several bats in early winter, using a different color for each individual bat. In late winter, the researchers returned to see where each color of fluorescent dust ended up. “We amassed huge data sets for every single bat in each population. We characterized the bats' social groups, and also used the fluorescent dust to track their movements and contacts,” said Langwig. The researchers found that “the spread of the dust mirrors how the fungal pathogen spreads, so we can see if a bat deposits dust somewhere in the environment and another bat passes through and picks it up. It also reveals infrequent direct contacts that we would not normally observe," said Hoyt. The fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome arrived in the area after the fluorescent dust studies were conducted, and the researchers also tracked its spread at each site. They found that the actual transmission dynamics of the disease were better explained by the sum of all the connections revealed in the dust studies than by just using the hibernation social groups. "We were able to explain the actual invasion of the pathogen much better by including those cryptic connections, and they were even more important for explaining transmission between species than for transmission within species," Hoyt said. One of the puzzling features of white-nose syndrome is its ability to spread through a community of bats during the winter, when the animals are hibernating 99.5 percent of the time. They rouse from hibernation only very briefly every two to three weeks. Yet the dust studies showed that they move around enough to have many more connections than can be observed in their hibernation groups.

When we put fluorescent dust on the northern long-eared bat, it would show up on other species that we had never seen them interact with. We would never have predicted that the infection could spread by that route. Joseph Hoyt

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

Most striking were the cryptic connections revealed for one species, the northern longeared bat, which roosts by itself, not in groups. Although classical theory would predict low infection rates for this solitary species, it has been hard hit by white-nose syndrome. “When we put fluorescent dust on the northern long-eared bat, it would show up on other species that we had never seen them interact with. We would never have predicted that the infection could spread by that route,” Hoyt said. The researchers discovered that a different solitary species, the tri-colored bat, has a lower infection rate and showed less evidence of cryptic connections with other bats, but did transfer dust to surfaces in the sites where it roosts. “We found that the tri-colored bat is much more spatially segregated. It’s not that it doesn’t rouse and crawl around, it just does so in a range that has less overlap with other bats—it appears to be more territorial in its use of space,” Hoyt said. Unfortunately for bats, the spores of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome stay in the environment and remain infectious for years. Once the walls and ceiling of a cave have been contaminated with the spores, bats using the site for hibernation will be exposed to infections year after year. White-nose syndrome is considered one of the worst wildlife diseases in modern times, having killed millions of bats across North America. White-nose syndrome does not appear to pose a risk to human health. It is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which grows optimally at low temperatures. The United States Geological Survey said, “Thousands of people have visited affected caves and mines since white-nose syndrome was first observed, and there have been no reported human illnesses attributable to white-nose syndrome. We are still learning about the disease, but we know of no risk to humans from contact with white nose-affected bats.” The Virginia Tech and UC Santa Cruz researchers are part of a coordinated response to white-nose syndrome involving state and federal agencies, universities, and nongovernmental organizations. In addition to Hoyt, Langwig, and Kilpatrick, the coauthors of the paper include Paul White, Heather Kaarakka, and Jennifer Redell at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Allen Kurta at Eastern Michigan University; John DePue and William Scullon at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Katy Parise and Jeffrey Foster at the University of New Hampshire; and Winifred Frick at Bat Conservation International and UC Santa Cruz. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bat Conservation International. Hoyt and Langwig were hired as part of the Global Systems Science Destination Area in the College of Science at Virginia Tech to address issues of infectious disease. The Global Systems Science Destination Area is focused on understanding and finding solutions to critical problems associated with human activity and environmental change, that, together affects diseases states, water quality, and food production. e

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHO WE MIGHT GET SICK FROM, WE TEND TO THINK OF OUR SOCIAL GROUPS: FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND CO-WORKERS. BUT, WE FORGET ABOUT THAT BRIEF INTERACTION WITH AN EMPLOYEE AT THE DMV, A BARISTA AT A COFFEE SHOP, OR SHARED AIRSPACE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

Timing Is Truly Everything: NEW DISCOVERIES IN CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO CANCER TREATMENT written by Tiffany Trent

If you’ve ever experienced jetlag, you’re familiar with circadian rhythms. Various processes in the human body are governed by circadian rhythms, even down to the individual cell. These processes are tightly controlled by a variety of molecular mechanisms and feedback loops that help the body self-regulate in response to external cues like sunlight and temperature. Researchers are now discovering that molecules usually implicated in protecting us from cancer initiation and progression are directly involved in regulating the function of our daily circadian rhythms. Not only that, but this molecular interplay seems to regulate how well our body responds to therapeutic modalities seldom delivered to treat diseases such as cancer. In a recent paper in Science Signaling, Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences Carla Finkielstein and her collaborators identified an alternative mechanism to control circadian rhythms in normal cells that is driven by oncoproteins. This discovery places molecules involved in monitoring and calibrating the response of cells to genomic damage at the center of the machinery driving circadian rhythms. While healthy cells share a circadian rhythm with the rest of the body, tumors often have a different rhythm than the healthy cells surrounding them. Tumors divide differently than healthy cells and at different times. Like a person singing out of tune within a chorus, that one difference can ultimately wreck the entire melody. Or in this case, the healthy functions of cells. “We know that our cells experience over 10,000 mutations a day. These are usually mitigated by a repair system comprised of a host of protein interactions. However, only a handful of mutations, three to six depending on the type of cancer, are needed for malignant cells to get a foothold. And if one of these mutations occur in the repair system, then the chances for cancer increase dramatically,” said Finkielstein, an affiliated faculty member of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.

F E AT UR E

We can now test the hypothesis of how deregulation of circadian rhythms, for example by shift work, could be associated with the etiology of cancer. Carla Finkielstein

A small number of regulatory proteins like the circadian protein PERIOD 2 (PER2) act as sensors, while the tumor suppressor p53 and the oncoprotein MDM2 act as integrators. These proteins keep the division of cells regulated and timely. In the last few years, the transdisciplinary team of researchers has been patiently unwinding the crosstalk mechanisms responsible for understanding how the circadian clock and the cell division machinery coordinate processes to specifically understand how their regulation can be exploited therapeutically. “Our findings were totally unexpected and welcome as they expanded our vision of how the circadian clock is regulated in normal cells to include components of the cell division cycle that are necessary to keep proliferation in check,” said Finkielstein. “As a result, we can now test the hypothesis of how deregulation of circadian rhythms, for example by shift work, could be associated with the etiology of cancer or how mutations in ‘guardian’ genes responsible for proliferative decisions lead to abnormal clocks in cancer cells, a finding of relevance when considering new therapeutic opportunities.” The Science Signaling paper was authored by Ph.D. student Xianlin Zou in Finkielstein’s lab; Zou won the Sigma Xi research award for the experimental work reported in the article. Esther Wisdom, an award-winning undergraduate student in Finkielstein’s lab, also helps study the types of cancer that most often arise from dysregulation of circadian rhythms. “Interestingly, a proportion of p53-mutated breast cancer arise in women exposed to chronic circadian disruption, such as nurses working night-shifts. Consequently, my work focuses on understanding the interplay between mutated p53 and PER2 and how their interaction can be exploited therapeutically,” said Wisdom, a double-major in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science.

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

A proportion of p53-mutated breast cancer arise in women exposed to chronic circadian disruption, such as nurses working night-shifts. Esther Wisdom This interaction of p53 and PER2 is of particular interest to Finkielstein’s lab as mutations in the p53 gene occur with the highest frequency in sporadic breast cancer cases, a form of breast cancer that is not inherited and accounts for 90 percent of all cases reported. The good news is that this interplay among circadian molecules, oncoproteins, and tumor suppressors as previously discovered by Dr. Finkielstein’s group, can be used to tailor therapeutics in a more effective way. Fine-tuning these processes is critical for maintaining normal cell function. Chronotherapeutics, or the application of therapeutics at times when drugs are most efficacious, have seldom been used in modern medicine. But the evidence is mounting that timing is truly everything when it comes to the best treatment plans. Lower and more effective doses translate in less side effects for patients, which is particularly relevant to cancer patients who are often given massive doses of very aggressive drugs. What has delayed the application of chronotherapeutics seems to be a lack of molecular foundation for the theory. Time in the case of the genesis of these cancers is indeed of the essence, not only in terms of dealing with the dysregulation of circadian rhythms caused by shift work or frequent international travel, but also in discovering the most efficacious moment to administer treatment. In the uncharted waters of chronobiological research, Finkielstein and her team are forging ahead to discover not only how cancer occurs but when and why it occurs. Their findings could help us understand when tumor cells are most treatable and deliver more effective treatments at the proper time. e

Acknowledgments: Jingjing Liu – former graduate student, now at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Esther Wisdom – undergraduate in the ŽůůĞŐĞ ŽĨ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ͖ dĞƚƐƵǇĂ 'ŽƚŽŚ ʹ ĨŽƌŵĞƌ ƉŽƐƚĚŽĐ͖ ŶŶĞ ƌŽǁŶ͕ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ WƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ ĨƌŽŵ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĂŶĚ /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƟĐƐ͕ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ >ŝďƌĂƌŝĞƐ͖ :ĂĞ <ǇŽƵŶŐ <ŝŵ͕ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞ WƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ͕ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ DĂƚŚĞŵĂƟĐĂů ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞƐ͕ <ŽƌĞĂ ĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ŽĨ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐǇ͕ ^ŽƵƚŚ <ŽƌĞĂ͖ dŚŝƐ ǁŽƌŬ ǁĂƐ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ďǇ Ă ŐƌĂŶƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ EĂƟŽŶĂů ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘

F E AT UR E

A New Twist on an Old Project: ALEXA SALSBURY USES COMPUTATIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY TO TACKLE NEURODEGENERATION, CANCER, AND PREMATURE AGING by Kendall Daniels

In December 2018, Alexa Salsbury, a Virginia Tech graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry, received the Bruce M. Anderson Graduate Award for the Outstanding First-Year Biochemistry Graduate Student.

department, but I’d also have access to all the resources of a big university.” However, her academic aspirations didn’t stop there. The Practice & Experience in Advanced Research Computing Conference (PEARC) is an annual meeting that provides a forum for discussing challenges, opportunities, and solutions among the broad range of participants in the research computing community. Salsbury’s involvement with PEARC was sparked by a seminar provided by the Department of Biochemistry. At that seminar, a National Science Foundation (NSF) program officer spoke about NSF’s mission and vision to promote the progress of science through research and outreach. Salsbury approached Anne M. Brown, an assistant professor in research and informatics in the University Libraries and an adjunct professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, about computation-centered outreach efforts that would allow her to engage underrepresented youth, like herself, in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Every year, Salsbury and Brown perform outreach with Virginia Tech’s HyperCube, an immersive visualization environment that projects anything from DNA strands to intricate networks of neurons in a large 10’ by 10’ room.

“Being from a family without

“When I heard I had received a lot of college or research the award, it was unexpected experience, it was really cool but validating. It meant a to talk to the kids and hear, lot to me because I really ‘Oh, I want to be a scientist respect the other people in when I’m older.’” my graduate cohort and Alexa Salsbury department,” said Salsbury. Salsbury is pursuing her interests in computational biochemistry. She is performing molecular dynamics simulations on DNA G-quadruplexes to gain a better understanding of their dynamics and folding. DNA G-quadruplexes serve as regulators of gene expression and altered stability, and their formation is linked to a number of diseases, ranging from mental retardation and neurodegeneration to several types of human cancer. Originally from a rural area in Ohio, Salsbury is a first-generation college student. As a child, she wanted to become a medical doctor, but through her undergraduate education and research at Eastern Michigan University, she realized there were many other career possibilities in science that contribute to the medical field. It was Virginia Tech’s strong reputation as a university, as well as its vast abundance of research opportunities, that brought her to Blacksburg as a graduate student. She instantly felt connected with the Biochemistry Department and said, “There was a combination of camaraderie and mentorship that I felt I would get in a small

This past year, Salsbury received the award for best student paper at the PEARC conference titled, “Using Immersive Visualization Environments to Engage Students in Hands-on Learning.” “Our ability to engage in outreach experiences like the one in the HyperCube highlights our dedication to Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission by providing routes to connect with students and highlight the connection between “cool” technology and science. Alexa’s outreach work demonstrates areas of science and research in new ways, hopefully sparking interest and increasing accessibility to all students,” said Brown. The HyperCube attracts kids and higher achievement groups from all over the nation, as well as others who have an inherent desire to learn more about science, something Salsbury can identify with. “Being from a family without a lot of college or research experience, it was really cool to talk to the kids and hear, ‘Oh, I want to be a scientist when I’m older.’ And I can ask, ‘Okay, What kind of scientist? A researcher?’ Questions that people never asked me, and I didn’t ever really think about.” Her first introduction to computational biochemistry was through multiple lab rotations in the Biochemistry Department. At the time, Justin Lemkul, a new assistant professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was beginning projects on G-quadruplexes. In his post-doctoral position, Lemkul helped create and refine a groundbreaking polarizable force field for DNA, parametrization work that would eventually propel his research to new

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

and exciting heights. Salsbury says that its significance in drug design and therapeutics combined with her mentor’s passion for the work drew her towards the Lemkul Lab and G-quadruplex research. Currently, the Lemkul lab is working on two distinct projects involving computational biochemistry, one involving Salsbury’s G-quadruplex research, and the other involving simulations of amyloidogenic proteins – an area of collaboration with Brown. After years of speculation, recent research has proven that G-quadruplexes do exist in human cells, as opposed to the previous assumption that they only existed in vitro. In short, G-quadruplexes are DNA structures that are rich in guanine, one of the four bases found in DNA. In fact, these structures form in functionally relevant regions of the genome, the same areas that contain the promoter regions for oncogenes, making them an integral structure in cancerous tumor development. To better understand how G-quadruplexes and their stability play a role in disease, Salsbury is applying a polarizable force field to these biomolecules by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and crystal structural data. The theory behind the work is extracted from the disciplines of quantum mechanics, physics, and physical chemistry. “On a surface level, my work involves sitting down at a computer and going through data files and coding. But, the broader implication of this research is gaining insights into these biomolecules so that they can be targeted for drug design. We can also get a better idea of how they’re contributing to cancer, neurodegeneration, or premature aging through these fundamental investigations,” said Salsbury. Although many simulations of G-quadruplexes have been performed in recent years, the Lemkul lab believes they can provide new and important information on these nucleic acid structures.

The methodology of the Lemkul lab’s research is new because they are the first to apply polarizable force fields to provide a better model of G-quadruplexes. In his post-doc position, Dr. Lemkul worked on an empirical polarizable force field that helped them gain greater comprehension of the driving forces for protein and nucleic acid folding and stability. This new polarizable force field has allowed the team to reach new heights and stay ahead of the competition. They hope to build upon this success to continue studying ion-DNA interactions. “Alexa’s research has the potential to provide critical details about new molecular targets for drugs against a variety of human diseases. She works diligently to describe detailed interactions within DNA G-quadruplexes to provide unprecedented insights. She has recently published her first peer-reviewed, first-author article describing her work on the c-kit1 DNA G-quadruplex, an important cancer target,” said Lemkul. Salsbury is first author of a paper in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, entitled “Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the c-kit1 Promoter G-Quadruplex: Importance of Electronic Polarization on Stability and Cooperative Ion Binding.” In the paper, she uses the polarizable force field to investigate how potassium ions bind to the c-kit1 promoter G-quadruplex. The c-kit gene codes for a receptor tyrosine kinase that is required for blood vessel development in tumors, and is frequently mutated in a range of cancers, making drug design difficult. There are two G-quadruplexes in its gene promoter, both of which are potential targets for pharmaceutical development to turn off the c-kit gene entirely. The Lemkul lab used simulations to understand factors that stabilize the structure so they can eventually understand how to design molecules that bind to it. This ongoing lab work is being led by Salsbury.

Molecular dynamics simulations can provide valuable scientific data and visualizations to AREAS THAT CONTAIN THE PROMOTER both bench biochemists and medicinal chemists. REGIONS FOR ONCOGENES, MAKING “Molecular dynamics makes the discovery or process of understanding a complex phenomenon THEM AN INTEGRAL STRUCTURE IN more affordable,” says Salsbury. “In terms of CANCEROUS TUMOR DEVELOPMENT. the drug market, it can reduce the cost and energy that goes into the process of developing new “Our work is modeling some aspects of G-quadruplexes really well. therapeutics, which, in turn, should make therapeutics cheaper We are seeing what we believe to be appropriate ion coordination and for consumers.” binding with atomistic detail. This is really cool and possible because of In terms of her favorite part about her career, Salsbury said, the inclusion of polarization,” said Salsbury. “Computational research can really help accelerate research and “If we know how ions like potassium, lithium, or sodium bind, we scientific discovery. Advocating for the computational research field can use that information to dictate small molecule binding, so we can and helping people utilize the tools that are available is what I see for leverage this information to stabilize or destabilize the G-quadruplex myself in the future.” e and help prevent disease or treat a disease,” said Salsbury. G-QUADRUPLEXES FORM IN THE SAME

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Undergraduate biochemistry student uses computational modeling to tackle Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is a poorly understood chronic neurodegenerative disease. David Barto, an undergraduate biochemistry student at Virginia Tech, is using computational modeling to further understand the causes of this disease. “Major strides in advancing medicine and finding cures often involves taking smaller steps to allow the scientific community to build off of each other’s research,” said Barto.

30 30

His computational research will provide information for researchers working in wet labs to better design experiments and provide drug researchers with possible structure targets for drug development.

by Ebone Smith

at Urbana-Champaign gave him the opportunity to fill in the gaps and apply what he learned to a research project. “I believe research is a really valuable way for a student to take charge of their own education,” he said. This was especially true for Barto as he didn’t know much about computational research coming into college. The Blue Waters Student Internship Program, with his undergraduate research experience at Virginia Tech, exposed him to the petascale computing curriculum to advance his computational skill-set, expanded his network of computational professionals within the field, and provided him with hands-on experience in presenting and writing research projects.

As part of the internship, Barto attended the Petascale Institute, which is a two-week long, 12-hour day crash course on everything involving high-performance computing. While participating in the Institute, he was able to gain insight into different coding languages and computational modeling programs, thus setting the foundation for his PETASCALE REFERS TO A research project.

Barto is a junior who came to Virginia Tech after graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a magnet school in Alexandria, Virginia that focuses on inspiring joy at the prospect of discovery and fostering a culture of innovation through rigorous STEM learning experiences. Barto’s commitment to science and his hunger for a more challenging learning experience drove him to apply for the Blue Waters Student Internship during the spring of his freshman year.

COMPUTER SYSTEM CAPABLE

Upon completion of the Petascale Institute, OF REACHING PERFORMANCE IN Barto returned to EXCESS OF ONE PETAFLOPS, ONE Virginia Tech to QUADRILLION FLOATING POINT begin working on his The Blue Waters Student research project with OPERATIONS PER SECOND. Internship Program is located assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Anne M. Brown in Urbana-Champaign and has a primary goal of the Bevan & Brown Lab. The Bevan & Brown engaging undergraduate students in petascale Lab is a Virginia Tech research group focused computing research and development projects. on the application of computational molecular In computing, petascale refers to a computer modeling of biological systems. system capable of reaching performance in Barto’s undergraduate research project in excess of one petaflops, one quadrillion floating the Bevan & Brown Lab involves analyzing point operations per second. large amounts of data regarding different Barto’s experiences at the University of Illinois protein aggregates involved with Alzheimer’s

FR ALIN E XPLORER SUMMER 2019

disease. Using predictive modeling, he studies the potential toxicity and biological behavior and structure of the aggregates through computational simulations. "David came to our lab eager to tackle a large project. He was a great fit for the Blue Waters program and gained so much from that experience that it jumpstarted his ability to create and start collecting a lot of data on the project," said Brown, an assistant professor in research and informatics in University Libraries and an adjunct professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. While conducting his research, Barto was appointed to represent Virginia Tech as an XSEDE Student Campus Champion at the Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing (PEARC) conference in 2018, where he also served as a student volunteer and delivered a poster presentation on his research. Research projects like Barto’s are essential to developing treatments in the medical field; however, “...there are many challenges to developing drugs for various diseases,” he explained. One issue that he faces when producing the simulations is the sheer complexity of modeling these systems and the amount of data analysis needed and lack of tools available to find meaningful results.

David Barto “Major strides in advancing medicine and finding cures often involves taking smaller steps to allow the scientific community to build off of each other’s research.” the project going forward is for the simulation output and script files to be archived on Virginia Tech University Libraries data repository, known as VTechData.” This way, other researchers will be able to freely access his simulations without having to start from the beginning; thus, researchers will be able to start where Barto’s research leaves off.

“This project is novel in the scope and magnitude that we are studying aggregate formation. With the resources from BlueWaters and VT’s Advanced Research Computing, we have been able to make some big steps in our data collection and protocols. Sharing this data afterward is in-line with the concepts and initiatives of open science and data,” said Brown.

He hopes the smaller steps he has taken will allow others in the scientific community to build off his research and gain further understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Although Barto has concentrated on this research project throughout his time at Virginia Tech, he is debating whether to continue research within this field of finding new drugs and treatments for Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases or pivoting to focus on other interesting research.

Barto has continued to work through various subcomponents of his research project and hopes to complete his research soon. He will be publishing a research paper in a scientific journal and presenting his findings at more conferences.

“David has been an exceptional student to work with -- he has initiative and thinks critically about his results. I’m thrilled he decided to approach us in his Freshman year and start undergraduate research in our group,” said Brown.

Barto’s experience with creating vast amounts of data and having to create workflows for managing them has compelled him to share his research data and findings. “What I have envisioned for

Whichever research focus Barto decides to tackle next, he is confident in his plan to attend graduate school and further pursue his passion for computational and biological research. e

David Barto and Alexa Salsbur

F R A L IN F E L L O W S IN T HE S P O T L IG H T

88 THE FRALIN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IS A COMPETITIVE AWARD PROGRAM OPEN TO ALL VIRGINIA TECH UNDERGRADUATES TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN RESEARCH.

&Žƌ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϴͲϮϬϭϵ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ǇĞĂƌ͕ ϭϱ ĨĞůůŽǁƐŚŝƉƐ ŽĨ Ψϭ͕ϬϬϬ ĞĂĐŚ ǁĞƌĞ ĂǁĂƌĚĞĚ ƚŽ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ϭϮ ĚĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĮǀĞ ĐŽůůĞŐĞƐ ǁŚŽ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞĚ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ĐĂƉĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ interest in undergraduate research. Students applied ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƚĞ ƐƉƌŝŶŐ ŽĨ ϮϬϭϴ ĂŶĚ ďĞŐĂŶ working on their research in the fall. The fellowship ĞŶĂďůĞĚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĚƵĐƚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ǁŝƚŚ a Virginia Tech faculty mentor who had agreed to mentor them and work on a new project. dŚĞ &ƌĂůŝŶ &ĞůůŽǁƐ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ǁĂƐ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ ďǇ ĞŶŶŝƐ ĞĂŶ͕ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ &ƌĂůŝŶ >ŝĨĞ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞƐ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ͕ ŝŶ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ KĸĐĞ ŽĨ hŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͘ ĞĂŶ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ŽĨ ŚŽǁ ǀĂůƵĂďůĞ ŚŝƐ ŽǁŶ ƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ Ăƚ tĂďĂƐŚ ŽůůĞŐĞ ǁĂƐ ŝŶ ůĂƵŶĐŚŝŶŐ ŚŝƐ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ͘ ůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ĞĂŶ ŝƐ Ă ďŝŽĐŚĞŵŝƐƚ͕ Ă ŬĞǇ ĐŽŵƉŽŶĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ŝƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƚ ŝƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ƚŽ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ăůů ƚǇƉĞƐ ŽĨ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͕ ĞǀĞŶ ŝŶ ĮĞůĚƐ outside of the life sciences.

Photo by Kristin Rose. Color font by Twinbrush.

Another key component of this program is Dean’s desire to fund students from underrepresented ŐƌŽƵƉƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ďƵƚ ŶŽƚ ůŝŵŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ͗ ĞƚŚŶŝĐ ŵŝŶŽƌŝƟĞƐ͕ ĮƌƐƚ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ůŽǁͲŝŶĐŽŵĞ ĂƌĞĂƐ͕ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĚŝƐĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ >' dYн ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͘ /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ Ă ĐůŽƐĞ ŵĞŶƚŽƌŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉƌŝŵĂƌǇ ĨĂĐƵůƚǇ ŵĞŵďĞƌ͕ ĨĞůůŽǁƐ also met with Dean throughout the program. ,Ğ ǁĂƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĨŽƌ ŽŶĞͲŽŶͲŽŶĞ ŵĞĞƟŶŐƐ and hosted a lunch for students to meet one another and discuss their research, thus ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĞǆĐŝƚĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŽƌƐ ƚŽ ŝŶƚĞƌĚŝƐĐŝƉůŝŶĂƌǇ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ͘ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ǁŝůů present their research results at the end of the year in an undergraduate student showcase.

Project: Halyomorpha halys feeding impact on industrial hemp yield and quality ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ Mentor: Thomas Kuhar

MIKA PAGANI

DŝŬĂ WĂŐĂŶŝ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŐĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽĨ Halyomorpha halys͕ ƚŚĞ ďƌŽǁŶ ŵĂƌŵŽƌĂƚĞĚ ƐƟŶŬ ďƵŐ͕ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ǀŝŐŽƌ ĂŶĚ ǀŝƚĂůŝƚǇ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŚĞŵƉ ƉůĂŶƚ͘ ,ĞŵƉ ŝƐ Ă ŶĞǁůǇ ƌĞĞŵĞƌŐŝŶŐ ĂŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ĐƌŽƉ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ǀĞƌǇ ůŝƩůĞ ĚŽĐƵŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ŝƚƐ ƉĞƐƚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶĐĞ͘ dŽ ƐƚƵĚǇ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ŚĞŵƉ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚůǇ ŝŶǀĂƐŝǀĞ ďƵŐ͕ WĂŐĂŶŝ ĐŽŶĮŶĞĚ ǀĂƌǇŝŶŐ ĚĞŶƐŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ ƐƟŶŬ ďƵŐ ĐŽůŽŶŝĞƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŇŽǁĞƌŝŶŐ ƉŽƌƟŽŶ ŽĨ hemp on outside plots. The plants were monitored weekly to record symptoms of feeding damage. ŌĞƌ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ǁĞĞŬƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ƐĞĞĚƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ŚĞŵƉ ƉůĂŶƚƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĞǀĂůƵĂƚĞĚ ďŽƚŚ ƋƵĂůŝƚĂƟǀĞůǇ ĂŶĚ ƋƵĂŶƟƚĂƟǀĞůǇ͘ dŚĞ ŝŶĚŽŽƌ ƚƌŝĂů ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞĚ ŽĨ ƌĞĂƌŝŶŐ ƐƟŶŬ ďƵŐ ĞŐŐ ŵĂƐƐĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ŶǇŵƉŚƐ ƚŽ ĂĚƵůƚƐ ŝŶ Ă ĐŽŶƚƌŽůůĞĚ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚĞŵƉ ƵƐĞĚ ĂƐ ŚĂďŝƚĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƐƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ͘ dŚĞ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ƐƵŐŐĞƐƚĞĚ Ă ŶĞǁ ĮŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŐƌĂŝŶ ŚĞŵƉ ŝƐ Ă ƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ŚŽƐƚ ƉůĂŶƚ ĨŽƌ H. halys͘ ĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƟŶŬ ďƵŐ ĨĞĞĚŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶƚ ƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ƋƵŝƚĞ ƌĞƐŝůŝĞŶƚ͘ Ǉ ďĞƩĞƌ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƐĞĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞŵƉ͕ ƚŚĞ ƚŚƌĞĂƚ ŽĨ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĚĂŵĂŐĞ ƉŽƐĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ƐƟŶŬ ďƵŐƐ ŝƐ ƌĞĚƵĐĞĚ͘ WĂŐĂŶŝ ŚŽƉĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĞƌ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĐĂŶ ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƐŵĂůů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ŽĨ ŚĞŵƉ ŐƌŽǁĞƌƐ ďǇ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ǀĂůƵĂďůĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ can aid in the future success of the crop.

Project: /ĚĞŶƟĨǇŝŶŐ ƵŶŬŶŽǁŶƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐůŽďĂů ĐĂƌďŽŶ ďƵĚŐĞƚ͗ ƋƵĂŶƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ǁĂƚĞƌ ĐŽůƵŵŶ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ŽǆŝĐ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ

ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ Mentor: Erin Hotchkiss

MORGAN GALLAGHER

DŽƌŐĂŶ 'ĂůůĂŐŚĞƌ͛Ɛ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ĨƌĞƐŚǁĂƚĞƌ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶŚŽƵƐĞ ŐĂƐ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ͘ ŝƐƐŽůǀĞĚ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ŝƐ ĨŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ͕ ůŝŬĞ ŝŶ ^ƚƌŽƵďůĞƐ ƌĞĞŬ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŽǆǇŐĞŶ ŝƐ ƉůĞŶƟĨƵů͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůƐ ŽŶ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ŽǆǇŐĞŶͲƌŝĐŚ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ƵŶĞǆƉůŽƌĞĚ͕ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐ ŵŽƐƚ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ Ğŵŝƚ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂƚŵŽƐƉŚĞƌĞ͘ ƐƟŵĂƚĞƐ ƐƵŐŐĞƐƚ ƚŚĂƚ ΕϯϬй ŽĨ ĚŝƐƐŽůǀĞĚ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ŝƐ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂůůǇ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ŝŶ ĂŶŽǆŝĐ͕ Žƌ ŽǆǇŐĞŶͲĨƌĞĞ͕ ƐĞĚŝŵĞŶƚƐ͘ dŚĞ ƌĞŵĂŝŶŝŶŐ ϳϬй ŝƐ ĂƩƌŝďƵƚĞĚ ƚŽ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƉƌŽƉŽƌƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ĞǆƚĞƌŶĂů ŐƌŽƵŶĚǁĂƚĞƌ ŝŶƉƵƚƐ Žƌ ĨƌŽŵ ǀĞŐĞƚĂƟŽŶ͘ &ƵƌƚŚĞƌŵŽƌĞ͕ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ůĂŬĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĨŽƵŶĚ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĐĐƵƌƌŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƚĞƌ ĐŽůƵŵŶ ĨƌŽŵ ŵŝĐƌŽďĞƐ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĂůŐĂů ĐĂƌďŽŶ͕ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůůǇ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƟŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŵƵĐŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŵĂŝŶŝŶŐ ϳϬй͘ 'ĂůůĂŐŚĞƌ ĞǆƉůŽƌĞĚ ŝĨ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƚĞƌ ĐŽůƵŵŶ͕ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ŝƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞ ƐŽƵƌĐĞ ŽĨ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ŝŶ ƐƚƌĞĂŵƐ ǀĂƌŝĞƐ ƚĞŵƉŽƌĂůůǇ ĂŶĚ ƐĞĂƐŽŶĂůůǇ͘ dŚŝƐ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ďƵŝůĚƐ ƵƉŽŶ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ďĂƐĞůŝŶĞ ĚĂƚĂ ĂŶĚ ŽīĞƌƐ Ă ŶĞǁ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ ŽŶ ŝŶͲƐŝƚƵ ŵĞƚŚĂŶĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ĐƌƵĐŝĂů ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĂůůŽǁ ĨŽƌ ďĞƩĞƌ ĞƐƟŵĂƚĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐůŽďĂů ĐĂƌďŽŶ ďƵĚŐĞƚ͘

Project: ^ĐĂůĂďůĞ ŶĂŶŽĨĂďƌŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŶĂŶŽƚƌĂŶƐĚƵĐĞƌƐ Electrical Engineering Mentor: Wei Zhou

ELIESER MEJIA

dŚĞ ĞŵĞƌŐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŶĞǁ ĨĂďƌŝĐĂƟŽŶ ƚĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ŶĂŶŽŝŵƉƌŝŶƚ ůŝƚŚŽŐƌĂƉŚǇ͕ ŚĂƐ ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ŶĞǁ ĂǀĞŶƵĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐŝŶŐ ŚŝŐŚ ƌĞƐŽůƵƟŽŶ ŶĂŶŽƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌĞĐŝƐĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů͘ tŝƚŚ ƚŚŝƐ ŝŶ ŵŝŶĚ͕ ůŝĞƐĞƌ DĞũŝĂ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ Ă ůŽǁͲĐŽƐƚ͕ ŚŝŐŚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚƉƵƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐĐĂůĂďůĞ ŶĂŶŽŝŵƉƌŝŶƚ ƉĂƩĞƌŶŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĨĂďƌŝĐĂƚĞ ŶĂŶŽŚŽůĞ ĂƌƌĂǇ ƚĞŵƉůĂƚĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŵƵůƟͲůĂǇĞƌĞĚ ƚŚŝŶ Įůŵ ĚĞƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ͘ hůƟŵĂƚĞůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ ƚĂƌŐĞƚ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ĂƌƌĂǇ ŽĨ ŽƉƚŽͲŶĂŶŽĞůĞĐƚƌŽĚĞƐ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƟŶŐ ŽĨ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟŶŐ ƚŚŝŶ ůĂǇĞƌƐ ŽĨ ŐŽůĚ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚŝƵŵ ƟƚĂŶŝƵŵ ŽǆŝĚĞ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǇŝĞůĚ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŽƉƟĐĂů ĂŶĚ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ƉƌŽƉĞƌƟĞƐ ŝĚĞĂů ĨŽƌ Ă ďƌĂŝŶͲŵĂĐŚŝŶĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĨĂĐĞ͘ KǀĞƌĂůů͕ ƚŚĞ ĨĂďƌŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŵĞƚŚŽĚ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ƉŽůǇŵĞƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĞůĞĐƚ ƚŚĞƌŵĂů͕ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů͕ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů ƉƌŽƉĞƌƟĞƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞ ďŽƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽůĚ ƵƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŝŵƉƌŝŶƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ďŝͲůĂǇĞƌ ƉŽůǇŵĞƌ ƐƚĂĐŬ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƚĞŵƉůĂƚĞ ďĂƐĞ͘ ƵƌƌĞŶƚůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ ĨĂďƌŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŵĞƚŚŽĚ ǇŝĞůĚƐ ƵŶŝĨŽƌŵ ƚĞŵƉůĂƚĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǆƚ ƉŚĂƐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝƐ ƚŽ ǀĂƌǇ ƚŚĞ ŚŽůĞ ĚŝĂŵĞƚĞƌ ƵƐŝŶŐ Ă ďĞƩĞƌͲƋƵĂůŝƚǇ ŵŽůĚ ĐŽƵƉůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂƚŽŵŝĐ ůĂǇĞƌ ĚĞƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ƚŚĞ ŚŽůĞ ĚŝĂŵĞƚĞƌ͘ hůƟŵĂƚĞůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ŐŽĂů ŝƐ ƚŽ ƵƐĞ ƚŚŝƐ ŶŽǀĞů ĨĂďƌŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŵĞƚŚŽĚ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ŽƉƚŽͲŶĂŶŽĞůĞĐƚƌŽĚĞ ĂƌƌĂǇƐ ĐĂƉĂďůĞ ŽĨ ƐŝŵƵůƚĂŶĞŽƵƐůǇ ĂĐŚŝĞǀŝŶŐ ĐĞůů ƐƟŵƵůĂƟŽŶ͕ ĞǆƚƌĂĐĞůůƵůĂƌ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚƌĂĐĞůůƵůĂƌ ƌĞĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƌĨĂĐĞ ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞĚ ƌĂŵĂŶ ƐƉĞĐƚƌŽƐĐŽƉǇ ŝŶ ŶĞƵƌĂů ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬƐ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĂĐƵƚĞ ďƌĂŝŶ ƐůŝĐĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĂĚƵůƚ ŵŝĐĞ͘

F R A L IN F E L L O W S IN T HE S P O T L IG H T

Project: DŝĐƌŽƐĐŽƉŝĐ ĂŶĂůǇƐŝƐ ĂŶĚ ƉŚĂƐĞ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝǌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƌĂƌĞ ĞĂƌƚŚ elements in select coal seams

Mining Engineering DĞŶƚŽƌ͗ ĂƌŽŶ EŽďůĞ

ALEXANDRA RUSSELL

ůĞǆĂŶĚƌĂ ZƵƐƐĞůů ůŽŽŬĞĚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŽĐĐƵƌƌĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƌĂƌĞ ĞĂƌƚŚ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ;Z ƐͿ ŝŶ ĮŶĞ ĐŽĂů ǁĂƐƚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŽŶƚĂŝŶ ƋƵĂŶƟƟĞƐ ŽĨ Z Ɛ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŽĨ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĚĞƉŽƐŝƚƐ͘ ^ŚĞ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƐƚ ǇĞĂƌ ƚŽ ŝĚĞŶƟĨǇ ƚŚĞ ŵŽĚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ Z Ɛ ŽĐĐƵƌ ŝŶ ĐŽĂů ďǇƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ďǇ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ŵŝĐƌŽƐĐŽƉǇ ĂŶĚ ƐĞƉĂƌĂƟŽŶ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ƚŽ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůǇ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝǌĞ ƚŚĞƐĞ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŝŶĞƌĂůƐ͘ dŚĞ ŵŝŶĞƌĂůƐ ƐŚĞ ŚĂƐ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚ ĂƌĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĐĂůĞ ŽĨ ŵŝĐƌŽŶƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂĚĚƐ Ă ůĞǀĞů ŽĨ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚǇ ƚŽ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͘ ,Ğƌ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƚŽ ƚĞƐƚ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ĨŽƌŵƐ ŽĨ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů ĞǆƚƌĂĐƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĞǆƚƌĂĐƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ǀĂůƵĂďůĞ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĐŽĂů ǁĂƐƚĞ ŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐĂůůǇ ǀŝĂďůĞ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ ŽĨ Z Ɛ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ ^ƚĂƚĞƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ h͘^͘ ĚŽĞƐ ŶŽƚ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ƐŽƵƌĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĂƐ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚ ƚŚĞŵ ĂƐ Ă ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ǀŝƚĂů ŝŶ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĚĞĨĞŶƐĞ͕ ĐůĞĂŶ ĞŶĞƌŐŝĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞŵĞŶƚ͘

Project: ^ůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ ŝŶ ǇŽƵƚŚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂ͗ ĂŶ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƵŶĞǆƉůŽƌĞĚ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ

Psychology Mentor: Thomas Ollendick

AINSLEY PATRICK

ŝŶƐůĞǇ WĂƚƌŝĐŬ͛Ɛ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŐĂƚĞĚ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ ĂŵŽŶŐ ǇŽƵƚŚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂƐ͘ ^ƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂ ŝƐ Ă ƚǇƉĞ ŽĨ ĂŶǆŝĞƚǇ ĚŝƐŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŚĂƚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉƐ ĂƐ ĂŶ ŝƌƌĂƟŽŶĂů ĨĞĂƌ ŽĨ ĂŶ ŽďũĞĐƚ Žƌ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĂĐƚƵĂůůǇ ƉŽƐĞƐ ůŝƩůĞ ƚŽ ŶŽ ŚĂƌŵ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ƚǇƉĞƐ ŽĨ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂƐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶĂů͕ ĂŶŝŵĂů͕ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͕ ďůŽŽĚͬŝŶũĞĐƟŽŶͬŝŶũƵƌǇ͕ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ͘ WĂƚƌŝĐŬ͛Ɛ ƐƚƵĚǇ ĂŝŵĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞ ŝĨ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĂƐ Ă ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĞǀĞůƐ ŽĨ ƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ ŝŶ ǇŽƵƚŚ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ĚŝĂŐŶŽƐĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐƵďƚǇƉĞƐ ŽĨ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂ͘ hŶĚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ dŚŽŵĂƐ KůůĞŶĚŝĐŬ ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ ƐŚĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƟĂƚĞĚ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂ ƐƵďƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƉĂƌĞŶƚͲƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŚŝůĚ ĞŚĂǀŝŽƌ ŚĞĐŬůŝƐƚ͘ ,Ğƌ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ƐŚŽǁĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ǇŽƵƚŚ ǁŝƚŚ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ Žƌ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶĂů ƐƵďƚǇƉĞ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂƐ ŚĂĚ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƌ ůĞǀĞůƐ ŽĨ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ͕ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůǇ ǁŝƚŚ ƉŚŽďŝĂƐ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƚŽƌŵƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĚĂƌŬŶĞƐƐ͘ /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐůǇ͕ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƚƌĂƌǇ ƚŽ ŚǇƉŽƚŚĞƐĞƐ͕ ĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ ĚŝĚ ŶŽƚ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚůǇ ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƉŚŽďŝĂƐ ĂŶĚ ƐůĞĞƉ ĚŝĸĐƵůƟĞƐ͘

Project: dŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽĨ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ĂĚƵůƚ ƉƌŝƐŽŶƐ Sociology Mentor: Donald Shoemaker

KELSEY MCMAHON

<ĞůƐĞǇ DĐDĂŚŽŶ ƐƚƵĚŝĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂĚƵůƚ ƉƌŝƐŽŶ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ŽŶ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ĚĞůŝŶƋƵĞŶƚƐ͘ ŌĞƌ ĐŽŵƉůĞƟŶŐ Ă ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ĮĞůĚ ŽĨ ƐƚƵĚǇ͕ ƐŚĞ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝǌĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽďůĞŵƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶ ũƵƐƟĐĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ͘ Ŷ ĂůĂƌŵŝŶŐ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƐĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƉƌŝƐŽŶƐ ŝŶƚĞŶĚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĂĚƵůƚƐ͘ tŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ͕ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ĂƌĞ ŵŽƌĞ ůŝŬĞůǇ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŝƐƐƵĞƐ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ƚŚĞǇ ĨĂĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ŶŽƚ ďĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ŝŶ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶƐ͘ &Žƌ ĞǆĂŵƉůĞ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŚƌĞĂƚ ŽĨ ƐĞǆƵĂů ĂƐƐĂƵůƚ ŝŶ ĂĚƵůƚ prisons. McMahon studied the type of legislature allowing judges to send children to adult prisons, what ŚĂƉƉĞŶƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŵ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞǇ ĂƌĞ ŝŶĐĂƌĐĞƌĂƚĞĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ĨƌŽŵ ďĞŝŶŐ ƐĞŶƚ ƚŽ ĂĚƵůƚ ƉƌŝƐŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƉůĂĐĞ͘ DĐDĂŚŽŶ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ĂŶ ĂŶĂůǇƐŝƐ ŽĨ ǁŚĂƚ ŚĂƉƉĞŶƐ ƚŽ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂĚƵůƚ ƉƌŝƐŽŶ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƚŚĂƚ ƐŚĞ ŚŽƉĞƐ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ Ăƚ ĐŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƵďůŝƐŚ ŝŶ ůŝƚĞƌĂƌǇ ũŽƵƌŶĂůƐ Ăƚ sŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ dĞĐŚ͘ WĞŶĚŝŶŐ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĂů͕ DĐDĂŚŽŶ ƉůĂŶƐ ƚŽ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁ ĨŽƌŵĞƌůǇ ŝŶĐĂƌĐĞƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ůĂǁǇĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ũƵĚŐĞƐ͕ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ũƵƐƟĐĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƚŽ ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐ ƚŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƐŽ ĐůŽƐĞůǇ ƟĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚŝƐ ŝƐƐƵĞ͘

THOMAS HALE

SOPHIA TEXTORIS

Project: ŚŝŶĂͲWĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ŽƌƌŝĚŽƌ

Project: ǆĂŵŝŶŝŶŐ ƐŝďůŝŶŐ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ŝŶ

ƉƵďůŝĐ ŵĞƐƐĂŐŝŶŐ͗ ĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶ Žƌ ŐĞŽƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ŵĂŶĞƵǀĞƌŝŶŐ͍

WŽůŝƟĐĂů ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ DĞŶƚŽƌ͗ zĂŶŶŝƐ ^ƟǀĂĐŚƟƐ dŚŽŵĂƐ ,ĂůĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞĚ ŚŽǁ ŚŝŶĂ͛Ɛ Ğůƚ ĂŶĚ ZŽĂĚ /ŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ Ă ĨƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬ ĨŽƌ ĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂů ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ and strategic changes across South and Central Asia. dŚĞ Z/ ŝƐ Ă ŵƵůƟƚƌŝůůŝŽŶ ĚŽůůĂƌ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶ ŚŝŶĂ͛Ɛ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƐƚ ŽĨ ƐŝĂ͕ ĨƌŝĐĂ͕ ĂŶĚ ƵƌŽƉĞ ďǇ ƉƌŽŵŽƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŇŽǁ ŽĨ ŐŽŽĚƐ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ͘ KƵƚ ŽĨ ƚŚŝƐ ďŽůĚ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ŐƌĞǁ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŶĂͲ WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ ĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ŽƌƌŝĚŽƌ͕ Ă ƉůĂŶ ƚŽ ŵŽĚĞƌŶŝǌĞ Pakistan’s infrastructure and economy. While marketed ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ŵƵƚƵĂů ĐŽŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͕ ƐĐŚŽůĂƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶĂůǇƐƚƐ ƐĞĞ W ĂƐ Ă ďŽůĚ ŐĞŽƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ŵŽǀĞ ĨŽƌ ŚŝŶĞƐĞ ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ͘ ,ĂůĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ ďĞŚŝŶĚ W ƚŽ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞ ŝĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ǁĂƐ Ă ŐĞŽƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ŵĂŶĞƵǀĞƌ Žƌ ƌĞĂůůǇ ĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ŽƵƚƌĞĂĐŚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ƌĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉ WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ͘ ,ĂůĞ ĂŶĂůǇǌĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵĞƐƐĂŐŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŶĞƐĞ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŽŶ W ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ǀĞƌƐƵƐ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĂůŝƚǇ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ͘ ,ŝƐ ŐŽĂů ǁĂƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ Ă ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ƚŽ ĐŽƵŶƚĞƌŝŶŐ ŚŝŶĞƐĞ ŶĂƌƌĂƟǀĞ ŽŶ W ͘ tŝƚŚ ƌĞĚƵĐĞĚ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ h͘^͘ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ͕ ŚŝŶĂ ĐŽƵůĚ ďĞĐŽŵĞ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŝŶ ĂĐƚŽƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶŝ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ Įůů ƚŚĞ ǀŽŝĚ ůĞŌ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ ĂŝĚͬƚƌĂĚĞ ĐƵƚƐ͘ dŚĞ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ŝŵƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ W ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ǁŝůů ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h^ /ŶĚŽͲWĂĐŝĮĐ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐǇ ĂŶĚ the role Pakistan plays in South Asia.

ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŝůůŶĞƐƐ

,ƵŵĂŶ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĞŶƚŽƌ͗ ĂƌŽůǇŶ ^ŚŝǀĞƌƐ ^ŽƉŚŝĂ dĞǆƚŽƌŝƐ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŝůůŶĞƐƐ ;D/Ϳ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ƐƚƵĚǇ ǁĂƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ĮŶĚŝŶŐƐ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ƐǇƐƚĞŵĂƟĐ ƌĞǀŝĞǁ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůŝƚĞƌĂƚƵƌĞ ŽŶ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ D/͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ŵŽƐƚ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ůŝƚĞƌĂƚƵƌĞ ŽŶ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ D/ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƐĐŚŝǌŽƉŚƌĞŶŝĂ͘ dŚƵƐ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ǀĞƌǇ ůŝƩůĞ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŽƌĞ ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶƚ D/͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ĂŶǆŝĞƚǇ ĂŶĚ ĚĞƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ͘ ĂƚĂ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵĚǇ ďƵŝůƚ ŽŶ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ƌĞǀŝĞǁ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůŝƚĞƌĂƚƵƌĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ W/ ĞǆƉĂŶĚĞĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ŽĨ ŚŽǁ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŝůůŶĞƐƐ ŝŵƉĂĐƚƐ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĨŽĐƵƐ ŽŶ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƟŶŐ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ǁŝĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ D/ ĚŝĂŐŶŽƐĞƐ ;Ğ͘Ő͕͘ ĚĞƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ĂŶǆŝĞƚǇ͕ ĞĂƟŶŐ ĚŝƐŽƌĚĞƌƐ͕ ĞƚĐ͘Ϳ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ǁŝůů ŚĞůƉ ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐ͕ ĐůŝŶŝĐŝĂŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƌƐ ďĞƩĞƌ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ ǁŚĞŶ ŽŶĞ ŚĂƐ ĂŶ D/͕ ƚŚƵƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ƚŚĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌǀĞŶƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĞƐ ƚŽ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ ŚĞĂůƚŚǇ ƐŝďůŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ͘ dŚĞ ƉƌŽƉŽƐĞĚ ĂŶĂůǇƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŶĞǆƚ ŝŶ Ă ƐĞƌŝĞƐ ŽĨ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƐŝďůŝŶŐƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ D/͘ tŚĂƚ ƐƚĂƌƚĞĚ ĂƐ ĂŶ ĞǆƉůŽƌĂƚŽƌǇ ǀŝƐŝƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĞǁ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ ŚĂƐ ďĞĐŽŵĞ͕ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ŽĨ &ƌĂůŝŶ͕ ĂŶ ŽŶŐŽŝŶŐ trajectory of research to close the gaps in understanding ƚŚĞ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ŽĨ D/Ͳ^ŝďƐ͘

F R A L IN F E L L O W S IN T HE S P O T L IG H T

Project: īĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ŽŶ ŶŝƚƌŽŐĞŶ ĐŽƌƌĞĐƚĞĚ ĂƉƉĂƌĞŶƚ ŵĞƚĂďŽůŝǌĂďůĞ

ĞŶĞƌŐǇ ŽĨ ďƌŽŝůĞƌ ĐŚŝĐŬƐ

Animal and Poultry Science Mentor: Michael Persia

BECKY TRAN

dŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ ƚŽ ƌĞƉůĂĐĞ Žƌ ƌĞĚƵĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƵƐĞ ŽĨ ĂŶƟďŝŽƟĐƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƵůƚƌǇ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ͘ ĞĐŬǇ dƌĂŶ ƐƚƵĚŝĞĚ ŚŽǁ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ĨĞĞĚ ĂĚĚŝƟǀĞƐ ĐŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ĚŝŐĞƐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ǇŽƵŶŐ ďƌŽŝůĞƌ ĐŚŝĐŬĞŶƐ ďǇ ĂŝĚŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĚŝŐĞƐƟǀĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŵĞĂƚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂďƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ĂŶƟďŝŽƟĐƐ͘ ƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ŝƐ Ă ƐŚŽƌƚͲĐŚĂŝŶ ĨĂƩǇ ĂĐŝĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƐŚŽǁŶ ƚŽ ƉƌŽŵŽƚĞ ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ŽĨ ǀŝůůŝ͕ ĮŶŐĞƌͲůŝŬĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ƚŚĞ ĂďƐŽƌƉƟǀĞ ƐƵƌĨĂĐĞ ĂƌĞĂ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĞƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽŵŽƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƵƉƚĂŬĞ ŽĨ ŶƵƚƌŝĞŶƚƐ͘ /Ŷ ŚĞƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͕ dƌĂŶ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞĚ ŝĨ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ǀĂƌǇŝŶŐ ĂƩĂĐŚŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂīĞĐƚ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ ĂďƐŽƌƉƟŽŶ͕ ǁŽƵůĚ ŚĂǀĞ ĂŶ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ůĞǀĞů ŽĨ ŶŝƚƌŽŐĞŶͲĐŽƌƌĞĐƚĞĚ ƉƉĂƌĞŶƚ DĞƚĂďŽůŝǌĂďůĞ ŶĞƌŐǇ ; D ŶͿ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐŚŝĐŬƐ͘ ^ŚĞ ŚǇƉŽƚŚĞƐŝǌĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚĞĚ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ͕ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞůĂǇ ƚŚĞ ĂďƐŽƌƉƟŽŶ ŽĨ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ƵŶƟů ŝƚ ƌĞĂĐŚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĞ͕ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ ďƌŽŝůĞƌ ĐŚŝĐŬĞŶƐ͕ ƌĞƐƵůƟŶŐ ŝŶ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ D Ŷ͘ tŚĞŶ ďƵƚǇƌĂƚĞ ǁĂƐ ĂĚĚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĚŝĞƚ͕ D Ŷ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ďǇ ϭϬϱ ŬĐĂůͬŬŐ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůͲĨĞĚ ďƌŽŝůĞƌƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐĞ ŝƐ ůŝŬĞůǇ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ͕ ƌĞƐƵůƟŶŐ ŝŶ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƌ ŶƵƚƌŝĞŶƚ ĂďƐŽƌƉƟŽŶ͘

Project: ƵƌĞsdEĞƵƌŽ͗ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝǌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůŝĚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ƉŽƐƚͲƚƌĂƵŵĂƟĐ ĞƉŝůĞƉƐǇ ŵŽĚĞů ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵĚǇ ŽĨ ďŝŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ĂŶĚ physiological changes or predictors

ǆƉĞƌŝŵĞŶƚĂů EĞƵƌŽƐĐŝĞŶĐĞ Mentor: Michelle Hedrick Theus

RACHAEL WARD

ZĂĐŚĂĞů tĂƌĚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ dŚĞƵƐ >Ăď ƐƚƵĚŝĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĞīĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚƌĂƵŵĂƟĐ ďƌĂŝŶ ŝŶũƵƌǇ ;d /Ϳ͕ Ă ŚŝŐŚůǇ ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶƚ ŝŶũƵƌǇ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƐ ĚŝƐĂďůĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŬŝůůĞĚ ŵŝůůŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ͘ tĂƌĚ͛Ɛ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ďůŽŽĚ ďƌĂŝŶ ďĂƌƌŝĞƌ ; Ϳ ƉĞƌŵĞĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝƉŚĞƌĂů ŝŵŵƵŶĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ǁŝƚŚ d / ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌǇ͘ WŽƐƚ d /͕ ƚŚĞ ďƌĞĂŬĚŽǁŶ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉĂŝƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝƐ ĐƌƵĐŝĂů ŝŶ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĞǆƚĞŶƚ ƚŽ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚŚĞ ďƌĂŝŶ ĐĂŶ ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌ͘ ŝƐƌƵƉƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂůůŽǁƐ ĨŽƌ ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďŽĚǇ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƉĞƌŝƉŚĞƌĂů ŝŵŵƵŶĞ ĐĞůůƐ͕ ƚŽ ŝŶĮůƚƌĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ĞǆƉŽƐĞĚ ƟƐƐƵĞ͘ ƉŚ ϰ͕ Ă ƌĞĐĞƉƚŽƌ ďĞůŝĞǀĞĚ ƚŽ ƉůĂǇ Ă ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ ͕ ŝƐ Ă ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶ ĨŽƵŶĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƵƚĞƌ ŵĞŵďƌĂŶĞ ŽĨ ĞŶĚŽƚŚĞůŝĂů ĐĞůůƐ͘ WƌĞůŝŵŝŶĂƌǇ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƉŚ ϰ ŵĞĚŝĂƚĞƐ ƉĞƌŵĞĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƌĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĂďŝůŝƚǇ ŽĨ ďůŽŽĚ ŇŽǁ ƌĞƐƚŽƌĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ĐŚĂŶŐĞ ŝŶ ƉĞƌŵĞĂďŝůŝƚǇ ŝƐ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ƉŚ ϰ ĂŶĚ ƉůĂǇƐ Ă ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ ŶĞƵƌŽŶĂů ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌǇ͘ dŚĞǇ ƵƐĞĚ ůĂďͲŐĞŶĞƌĂƚĞĚ ǁŝůĚƚǇƉĞ ĂŶĚ ƉŚ ϰ ŬŶŽĐŬŽƵƚ ŵŝĐĞ ŝŶ Ă ŵŽĚĞů ŽĨ d /͘ ĂĐŚ ŵŽƵƐĞ ǁĂƐ ŐŝǀĞŶ Ă ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ƐĂĐƌŝĮĐĞĚ Ăƚ Ϯ͕ Ϯϰ͕ Žƌ ϰϴ ŚŽƵƌƐ ƉŽƐƚͲd /͘ dŚĞŝƌ ďƌĂŝŶƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞĚ͕ ƐĞĐƟŽŶĞĚ͕ ƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂŶĂůǇǌĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŝŵŵƵŶĞ ŝŶĮůƚƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂĐƟǀĂƟŽŶ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĂŶƟďŽĚŝĞƐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϰϱ ĂŶĚ ϲϴ͕ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ͘ tĂƌĚ ŚǇƉŽƚŚĞƐŝǌĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŚ ϰ ŬŶŽĐŬŽƵƚ ŵŝĐĞ ƐŚŽǁĞĚ ƌĞĚƵĐĞĚ ŝŵŵƵŶĞ ĐĞůů ŝŶĮůƚƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƉĞƌŵĞĂďŝůŝƚǇ͕ ĐŽƌƌĞůĂƟŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶĂů ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌǇ͘

MIAN LIAO

Project: dŚƌĞĞͲƉŚĂƐĞ ďƌƵƐŚůĞƐƐ ŵŽƚŽƌ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ĨŽƌ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐ ďŝŬĞ ;ƉŽǁĞƌ ĞůĞĐƚƌŽŶŝĐƐͿ Electrical Engineering Mentor: Jason Lai

COURTNEY LINKOUS

Project: /ŶŇƵĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ǀĞŐĞƚĂƟŽŶ ĐŚŽŝĐĞ ĨŽƌ ŶĞƐƚͲ ƐŝƚĞ ƐĞůĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƐŽŶŐ ƐƉĂƌƌŽǁƐ ŝŶ ƵƌďĂŶ ĂŶĚ ƌƵƌĂů ŚĂďŝƚĂƚƐ tŝůĚůŝĨĞ ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ Mentor: Kendra Sewall

ADRI RIDINGS

Project: YƵĞĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŶƐŐĞŶĚĞƌ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ

ĐŽůůĞŐŝĂƚĞ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͗ sŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ dĞĐŚ

AMBER ABBOTT Project: ZĞƚ ƐŝŐŶĂůŝŶŐ ŝŶ ŚĞƌƉĞƐ ƐŝŵƉůĞǆ ǀŝƌƵƐ ůĂƚĞŶĐǇ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĂĐƟǀĂƟŽŶ

Biochemistry DĞŶƚŽƌ͗ ZĞďĞĐĐĂ ,ĞƐƚĞƌ

ANNELISE STUNES

DŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐǇ Mentor: Andrea Bertke

Project: E ĚĂŵĂŐĞ ĂƐ Ă ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞ ŽĨ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ƐƚƌĞƐƐ ŝŶ ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ

ŵďĞƌ ďďŽƩ ĞǆĂŵŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƌŽůĞ ŽĨ ŶĞƵƌŽƚƌŽƉŚŝĐ ĨĂĐƚŽƌƐ ;Ed&ƐͿ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŚĞƌƉĞƐ ƐŝŵƉůĞǆ ǀŝƌƵƐ ;,^sͿ͘ Ed&Ɛ ĂƌĞ ƐŵĂůů ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶ ŶĞƵƌŽŶ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƌǀŝǀĂů͕ ĂŶĚ their cellular signaling pathways are related to HSV latency ĂŶĚ ƌĞĂĐƟǀĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ůĂƚĞŶĐǇ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ƌĞĨĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŽĚ ŽĨ ƟŵĞ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ďĞŝŶŐ ĞǆƉŽƐĞĚ ƚŽ Ă ĚŝƐĞĂƐĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƐǇŵƉƚŽŵƐ͘ dŚĞ ĞƌƚŬĞ >Ăď ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐůǇ ĨŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŚĞŶ Ed&Ɛ ĂƌĞ ďŽƵŶĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƌĞĐĞƉƚŽƌƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĐĞƉƚŽƌ ƚǇƌŽƐŝŶĞ ŬŝŶĂƐĞ ZĞƚ ŝŶ ĂĚƵůƚ ƐĞŶƐŽƌǇ ŶĞƵƌŽŶƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƌƵƐ ŝƐ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ůĂƚĞŶƚ ƐƚĂƚĞ͘ tŚĞŶ ƚŚĞƐĞ ĨĂĐƚŽƌƐ ĂƌĞ ƌĞŵŽǀĞĚ͕ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƌƵƐ ƌĞĂĐƟǀĂƚĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƐĞĂƐĞ ƌĞĐƵƌƐ͘ ďďŽƩ ĐƵůƚƵƌĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĨĞĐƚĞĚ ĂĚƵůƚ ŶĞƵƌŽŶƐ͕ ƚƌĞĂƟŶŐ ƚŚĞŵ ǁŝƚŚ Ed&Ɛ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů ĐŽŵƉŽƵŶĚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞĚ ƋƵĂŶƟƚĂƟǀĞ ƉŽůǇŵĞƌĂƐĞ ĐŚĂŝŶ ƌĞĂĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ tĞƐƚĞƌŶ ďůŽƚƐ ƚŽ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŐĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ǀŝƌĂů E ĂŶĚ ZĞƚ͕ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ͘ dŚĞ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ƐŚŽǁĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŽŶĞ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂů ĐŽŵƉŽƵŶĚ ĐĂŶ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ ,^s ƌĞĂĐƟǀĂƟŽŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ Ed& ĚĞƉƌŝǀĂƟŽŶ͕ ƐƵŐŐĞƐƟŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ZĞƚ ƐŝŐŶĂůŝŶŐ ŝƐ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ŝŶ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ ůĂƚĞŶĐǇ͘ ďďŽƩ ĂůƐŽ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ZĞƚ ŵĂǇ ŶŽƚ ďĞ ĂĐƟǀĂƚĞĚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ƐŝƚĞ ƐŚĞ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐůǇ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚ ĂŌĞƌ Ed& ƚƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚ͘ dŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ͕ ƚŚĞ Ed&Ɛ ŵĂǇ ŝŶĚƵĐĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ĐĞůůƵůĂƌ ƐŝŐŶĂůŝŶŐ ƉĂƚŚǁĂǇƐ ƚŚĂŶ ĞǆƉĞĐƚĞĚ͘ &ƵƚƵƌĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŶĞĞĚĞĚ ƚŽ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚ ǁŚĂƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƉĂƚŚǁĂǇƐ ĂƌĞ ŝŶ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞůǇ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ ǀŝƌĂů ƌĞĂĐƟǀĂƟŽŶ͘

Biological Sciences Mentor: Ignacio Moore

about

FRALIN LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE The Fralin Life Sciences Institute is a hybrid thematic and investment institute committed to supporting research, education, and outreach in Virginia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life sciences community. Residents of the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five flagship buildings, which include Steger Hall, Fralin Hall, Latham Hall, Integrated Life Sciences Building, and Life Sciences 1, are automatically considered affiliated faculty members, and all other life science researchers on campus are invited to become affiliated faculty members.

Affiliated faculty members are given resources necessary to explore new, innovative science that benefits people in the New River Valley, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the world.

Through seminars, conferences, and research group support, the institute serves as a meeting point for progressive ideas involving multidisciplinary research. It is closely aligned with Virginia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other six research institutes, which include Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Sciences, the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment, and the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology. The Fralin Life Sciences Institute strategically invests in targeted research areas within the life sciences. Such investments include recruitment and set-up support for new faculty members, retention and recognition of established faculty members, seed funds for new research projects, equipment purchases, graduate student recruitment and support, undergraduate research support, and support for outreach activities. Research initiatives within the life sciences receiving the highest priority for support include vector-borne disease, infectious disease, plant sciences, ecology and organismal biology, obesity, and cancer biology. The Fralin Life Sciences Institute is also actively engaged in cooperative partnerships with colleges, departments, and other institutes that support the life science community.

horace

FRALIN Following his graduation in 1948 with a degree in electrical engineering, Horace Fralin forged a partnership in Fralin and Waldron Inc., a company that specializes in federal housing programs, health care facilities, and retirement centers. The company has also been involved with the revitalization of Roanoke.

Mr. Fralin was a charter member of Virginia Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ut Prosim Society and was a Corporate Distinguished Benefactor, founding member of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center Board of Directors, and served as president of the Virginia Tech Foundation. He served on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, College of Engineering Committee of 100 Advisory Board, Virginia Tech Foundation Executive and Finance Committee, and was chairman of the Hotel Roanoke Advisory Committee. The Virginia Tech Alumni Association recognized his leadership by honoring Fralin with the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, and in 1992 the university conferred upon him its most distinguished award for service, the William H. Ruffner Medal. Fralinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bequest to Virginia Tech, valued at $8.6 million, is one of the largest gifts in university history. Four million dollars of his gift was, at his request, earmarked for the study and application of biotechnology. These funds have been used to create a permanent endowment for the institute. The proceeds from the endowment are used to match contributions and grants from other sources to continue the outreach, teaching, and research missions of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Through this endowment, Horace Fralin will continue to support research in the fields of human and animal health and agricultural productivity forever.

Fralin Life Sciences Institute Steger Hall 1015 Life Science Circle Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-6614

fralin.vt.edu

Disaster in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, 2012. Coastal@VT p. 10 Photo credit: Anamaria Bukvic