FACULTY
SPOTLIGHT |
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Proteins that possess disulfide
bonds oxidatively fold through myriad number of intermediates. Most intermediates
are unstructured because they lack a sufficient number of native disulfide
bonds or contain non-native disulfide bonds. The native, biologically active
protein conformation possesses only native disulfide bonds which it protects
from becoming reshuffeld or reduced by a stable tertiary structure umbrella.
Narayan and co-workers have exploited the inability of unstructured intermediates
to protect their disulfide bonds in constructing a method that sifts through
thousands of folding intermediates and identifies the native molecule. This
is possible by applying mildly reducing conditions that break apart disulfide
bonds in unstructured intermediates, introduction of a cysteine-tag, followed
by mass analysis. All unstructured intermediates are "heavier" compared
to the native protein which is left untagged in the method. Native-like intermediates
are slightly "heavier" than the native protein because they have
a few more cysteines that become tagged compared to the native molecule.
By varying the folding conditions
it is possible to identify that folding environment which reults in the
highest yield of a native species. The power of mass spec permits mixtures
of proteins to be tested simultaenously with high-throuhput, making it
a powerful tool for structural genomics initiatives targeting membrane-bound
and secreted multi-disulfide-bond-containing proteins which are often
involved in the pathogenesis of misfolding-related diseases.
More Information: Click HERE
Full Article: Click HERE
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Mahesh Narayan |
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Tunna
Baruah and Eric Hagedorn help at local NASA Explorer School |
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In
2005, representatives from NASA encouraged UTEP to assist local schools
in writing NASA Explorer School proposals. Dr. Eric Hagedorn from Physics
wrote a successful proposal with science teacher colleagues at Ysleta
Middle School. NASA provides personal assistance, curricular materials,
professional travel funds and $17,000 over three years for educational
technology. On October 17th, 2007, mathematics and science teacher colleagues
at Ysleta Middle School, ran an inquiry-based math/science activity related
to the Mars Rovers during regular class times.
Dr.
Tunna Baruah, also of UTEP's Physics Department, accompanied Eric Hagedorn
on a visit to Ysleta MS to assist with the activities. For more information
about the NASA Explorer School program in general, go to: http://explorerschools.nasa.gov/portal/site/nes/
The deadline for the 2008 proposals is January 31, 2008. Please note:
the school applies - interested faculty assist with the application. For
more information about the NASA Explorer Program at Ysleta Middle School,
go to team leader, Ms. Karen McCarty's site: http://www2.yisd.net/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=4032
Ms. McCarty graduated from UTEP in 2004 in Teacher Education.
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 Dr.
Pavel Kus on a hike in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico
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In Summer 2007,
UTEP's graduate student Pavel Kus did a three-months internship at the
Computational Mathematics and Algorithms division of Sandia National Labs
in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a monthly salary of $5,000. At UTEP,
Pavel Kus is studying Computational Science and doing research in the
field of computational methods for partial differential equations with
his advisor Dr. Pavel Solin. See http://hpfem.math.utep.edu/ for more
details about the research of Dr. Solin's group. At Sandia, Pavel developed
new numerical methods for the Sandia Intrepid project. After his stay
was finished, Sandia gave an extremely positive feedback on Pavel's performance.
Based on their positive experience with Pavel Kus, more UTEP students
of Computational Science will do a similar three-months internship in
Summer 2008. |
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| During seven days in
August, forty eight premed students and two faculty (Dr. Donna Ekal and
Dr. Kristin Gosselink) traveled over 2,000 miles around the state of Texas
visiting all 8 medical schools. We had a wonderful time and received very
positive comments on all the schools about the fine quality of our students.
UTEP is the only school in the state of Texas to undertake this kind of
experience for its students. This trip is an important opportunity for students
to visit the medical schools, hear from the Administration at the schools
what is required for a successful applicant, speak with students to learn
more about each school, and build a sense of camaraderie among the premedical
students at UTEP. This photo was taken in front of the Old Red at the University
of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Old Red was completed in 1890 and
housed its first medical school class of 23 students.
For more information, please visit our websites at:
Medical Professions Institute: http://academics.utep.edu/mpi
Medical Professions Organization: http://mpo.utep.edu/
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Dr.
Donna Ekal and Dr. Kristin Gosselink |
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 Dr.
Larry Lesser |
Drs. Mourat Tchoshanov
and Larry Lesser recently concluded their 2005-07 “Evidence-Based
Professional Development Partnership with Middle Schools to Improve Student
Achievement” grant funded by the Texas Education Agency. The grant
helped El Paso County middle school teachers from high-need low-SES schools
improve student mathematics achievement (the mean TAKS passing rate rose
11 percentage points). The model driving the professional development workshops
included teacher knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, item analysis
of TAKS data, lesson study, and connections to “big mathematical ideas.”
This work yielded juried papers and an invited co-plenary talk at the Dana
Center Annual Math and Science Higher Education Conference. This year, Tchoshanov
and Lesser have also successfully teamed up on their second Teacher Quality
grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to empower middle
school teachers to improve their content knowledge and conduct action research. |
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| Dr. Diane Doser stands
next to a cooling crack in the floor of Kiluea Iki crater, Hawaii. Dr. Doser
attended a meeting of the Seismological Society of America in Hawaii where
she presented a paper on her continued studies of Alaskan earthquakes. |
 Dr.
Diane Doser |
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Drs.
Miguel Argáez and Leticia Velázquez
College of Science Marshal Department of Mathematical Sciences - Spring
2007 |
Drs. Argáez
and Velázquez are this year's recipients of ORSP's Outstanding Performance
Award for "outstanding performance in securing extramural funding in
the College of Science". Miguel Argáez and Leticia Velázquez
both joined the faculty at UTEP as an assistant professor and visiting professor
in September 2000, respectively. Dr. Velázquez was tenured and promoted
to associate professor in 2006 and Dr. Argáez became assistant professor
in 2001.
Dr. Argaez's current research interests include developing of interior-point
methods for solving large scale linear and nonlinear programming problems
with application to parameter estimation problems that arise in reservoir
and earthquake models. Dr. Velázquez's expertise is in global optimization
methods for solving large scale problems. During the Fall 2006, both were
awarded a DOD-PET-Mississippi Grant, Corps of Engineers Contract and an
NSF Grant for 4 years.
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| Dr. Diane Doser joined
the faculty at UTEP as an assistant professor in January 1986. She was tenured
and promoted to associate professor in 1991 and to full professor in 1996.
She has been the chair of the Department of Geological Sciences since 2004
and served as the director of the BS Program in Environmental Science between
2000 and 2004. Her current research interests include earthquake hazards
and seismotectonic studies in the Caribbean, Pacific Northwest, New Zealand
and Alaska. She also applies shallow geophysical techniques to engineering
and environmental problems in the southwestern United States.
She most frequently teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in geophysics
and an undergraduate engineering geology course for the civil engineering
program, but enjoys teaching introductory courses in geology and environmental
science when she has the opportunity. She received a BS degree in applied
geophysics (with high honors) at Michigan Technological University and
her MS and PhD degrees in geophysics at the University of Utah. She was
a Bantrell postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology
for 1.5 years prior to her arrival at UTEP.
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Dr.
Diane Doser
College of Science Marshal Department of Geological Sciences - Spring
2007
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Dr.
Carl Lieb
College of Science Award for Distinguished Service to Students - Spring
2007
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"This [admininstrative]
work is really ***** [bad] most of the time, but every so often I actually
get to help someone who really needs it."
Although I have been at UTEP in various capacities for more than 25 years,
most of my work with undergraduate students has been in the last fifteen
years or so. Prior to my becoming Assistant Chair of the Biological Sciences
Department in 1998, I had become reasonably adept as an advisor and curriculum
specialist. That administrative position greatly increased the volume
and complexity of opportunity to assist students in navigating through
the higher education system. I soon had a parade of students, biology
majors and not, who came to me (or were sent) for effective assistance
with their academic situations … not because I was especially wise
or kind, but because I had the deep knowledge of what to do and how to
do it, how to avoid damage and how to repair it, which rules were bendable
and which weren't. And, even more importantly, I believe in the fundamental
goodness of people and enjoy showing the helpless, the hapless, and the
desperate how they don't have to be so.
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| Several faculty at
the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have recently been funded by the
National Science Foundation under an International Polar Year (IPY) grant
for their education project: IPY-Research and Educational Opportunities
in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM). Dr. Bill Robertson (Education),
Dr. Craig Tweedie (Biology and Environmental Science and Engineering), Dr.
Vanessa Lougheed (Biology) and Dr. Aaron Velasco (Geology) are currently
recruiting 15 undergraduate students, 5 graduate students, and 5 high school
teachers to participate in this exciting opportunity – IPY-ROAM. IPY-ROAM
offers successful applicants a novel and life-changing opportunity to learn
more about the Polar Regions and travel to Antarctica over the 2007-08 winter
break where they will acquire first hand experience in field-based research
and Antarctic system science. Applicants can be interested in multiple disciplines,
including terrestrial ecology, marine biology, geosciences, policy, education
and outreach. A full description of the IPY-ROAM program, including application
forms is available at www.ipyroam.org. Review of applications will begin
on May 1st 2007. |
Dr.
Bill Robertson, Dr. Craig Tweedie, Dr. Vanessa Lougheed and Dr. Aaron
Velasco
IPY-Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities
(IPY-ROAM) |
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Dr.
Larry Jones
College of Science Faculty Marshal of Students - Spring 2007
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The UTEP Medical Professions
Institute (MPI), formally established 2002, grew out of UTEP and Dr. Larry
P. Jones’s commitment to the pre-medical educations and success of
UTEP’s often underrepresented students; the MPI actually began as
a series of small programs in 1994.The MPI office recruits and advises students
from the high school senior year and on. Through the MPI, students are advised
of medical school familiarization programs, aspects of which are conducted
by MPI on the UTEP campus, scholarship and funding opportunities and application
procedures. We have programs with Boston Medical School, UTMB Galveston,
Texas Tech Medical School and Houston Medical School. We also have agreements
with the three Dental Schools in Texas. The MPI supplies all evaluation
letters to the medical schools as students apply; therefore, all of the
premedical profession students pass through the office several times throughout
their time at UTEP. Prior to1994, 6 to 8 students would be accepted to medical
schools; since 1994, that number has grown from 15 to 18 medical school
acceptances per year. |
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| Throughout his research
career, Dr. Mohamed A. Khamsi has been asking one particular question, “How
to find practical use of the main fixed point theorems?” With the
help of faculty from the Computer Science Department here at UTEP, he developed
the new area “Fixed Point Theory in Logic Programming”. Over
the last twenty years, Dr. Khamsi has published more than 50 research papers.
He is an international recognized name in Fixed Point Theory. This coming
summer, Dr. Khamsi will be organizing the 8th International Conference on
Fixed Point Theory and its Applications held in CHIANG MAI, THAILAND. Dr.
Khamsi’s love of mathematics goes beyond pure research. In 1996 with
the help of two colleagues they created the website www.sosmath.com considered
as one of the most popular mathematics websites in the world. |
Dr.
Mohamed A. Khamsi
College of Science Award for Distinguished Research - Spring 2007 |
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Dr.
James E. Becvar
College of Science Award for Distinguished Teacher - Spring 2007 |
James E. (Jim) Becvar
created and implemented the "Plus Two" strategy for student success
in general chemistry starting in fall 2000. "Plus Two" replaces
one hour of large lecture with two hours of small-section, team-based, student-delivered
Chemistry Workshop. "Plus Two" Workshop integrates the proven
strategies of Peer Led Team Learning (www.pltl.org) into the curriculum
in a way to impact every student enrolled and has significantly improved
the student passing rates (grades of A, B, or C) in this gateway-to-STEM-degree
course. Changing the historical passing rate of about 53% into the post-intervention
rate of about 74% translates into 160 additional students progressing into
their science and engineering degrees each year. Becvar received the John
R. Bristol Award for Excellence in Teaching of Science in May 2003 and again
in May 2006. The "Plus Two" Peer Leader Program in Chemistry was
recognized with the prestigious Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
STAR Award in November 2006. Twenty-six presentations authored by UTEP students
were presented in 2006 about this award-winning Program. |
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| Dr. James E. Becvar
received the Star Award on November 6, 2006 - Five exemplary higher education
programs received the Texas Higher Education Star Award from the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board at an award ceremony on Monday evening. “The
winners represent the state’s most effective efforts for closing the
education gaps that challenge our state,” said Commissioner of Higher
Education Raymund A. Paredes. “
The Coordinating Board
is proud to recognize the people and the institutions that develop and
implement these programs, as well as the organizations and others who
support them.”
The awards ceremony
was part of the Coordinating Board’s 2006 Governing Boards Conference
for higher education regents and trustees, who oversee universities and
colleges.
(Commissioner Dr. Raymund Paredes on the left, Dr. James E. Becvar in
the middle)
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 Dr.
James E. Becvar
Star Award |
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Dr.
Diane Doser |
Dr. Diane Doser, professor,
Geological Sciences, on a field trip associated with a conference on the
Neotectonics of Alaska, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union. In
the background are dead trees forming part of a "ghost forest".
During the 1964 great Alaska earthquake the ground dropped below high tide
line in this region, causing the saltwater to kill the trees. Now the ground
is rising again as stress builds up across the fault that broke in 1964.
In the foreground are deposits that indicate other ghost forests were created
by earthquakes occurring over the past 3000-4000 years. Dr. Doser is an
earthquake seismologist who is studying the influence of the 1964 earthquake
on seismicity patterns seen in the region today with a grant from the U.S.
Geological Survey's National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. This
site is located about 30 miles southeast of Anchorage, Alaska. |
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| Drs. Rong Pan (Industrial
Engineering) and Naijun Sha co-wrote a $239,997 NSF grant entitled "Modeling
and Analysis of Profiled Reliability Tests using Computation-Intensive Statistical
Methods". This project is about taking the advantage of powerful computational
intensive approaches to tackle some statistical inference problems existing
in reliability engineering, in particular, the modeling and analysis of
profiled reliability testing. The grant is funded for the 2006-09 year by
NSF Manufacturing Enterprise Systems (MES) Program. |
Dr.Naijun Sha |
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Dr. Lillian Mayberry
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Dr. Lillian Mayberry,
Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been awarded
the 2006 Distinguished Service Award by the American Society of Parasitologists.
The award will be presented at the 11th International Congress for Parasitology
in Glasgow, Scotland in August. She is the first woman to receive the award
and served as only the third woman President of the Society from 1995-1996
in the then 75 year history of the Society. Dr. Mayberry has held 24 different
positions in the Society including Secretary-Treasurer from 1986-1993, President
in 1995-1996, and Co-Chair of the Auction Committee from 2001-2004 as well
as similar positions in two regional parasitology societies and the UTEP
Chapter of Sigma Xi. She is cited for exceptional service in positions of
leadership and in the promotion of parasitology as a discipline. |
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| Dr.
Aaron Velasco, an associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences
at UTEP, has recently been elected President of the Society for Advancement
of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The mission of the
SACNAS is to encourage Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue
graduate education and obtain the advanced degrees necessary for science
research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels. SACNAS has provided
strong national leadership in improving and expanding opportunities for
minorities in the scientific workforce and academia; mentoring college students
within science, mathematics and engineering; as well as, supporting quality
pre-college science education. SACNAS'
annual National Conference and K-12 Teacher Workshops, student chapters,
e-Mentoring Program, and online internship/job placement resources are
tools that help a diverse community of undergraduate and graduate students,
professors, administrators, and K-12 educators achieve expertise within
their disciplines. Dr. Velasco has served on the SACNAS Board the past
fours years, and now takes on this 4-year commitment (1 year as President
Elect, 2 as President, 1 as Past President). |
Dr. Aaron Velasco |
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Dr. William Baldwin
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates
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Nonylphenol
ethoxylates are non-ionic surfactants used in a variety of products including
institutional cleaning agents, textiles, agricultural chemicals, plastics,
household cleaning products, paper products, and personal care products.
Nonylphenol ethoxylates breakdown to form nonylphenol, a toxic chemical
resistant to biodegradation.
Nonylphenol
has been found in some food products, cosmetics, and drinking water, and
the most commonly prevalent man-made chemical found in waterways in the
United States because of its high use in institutional detergents and
laundry soaps. Nonylphenol is also an environmental estrogen, which means
that it can mimic the action of the body's natural estrogens. Early research
has demonstrated that nonylphenol can cause increased growth of breast
cancer cells in culture, and increases growth of developing mammary glands
and the uterus in immature rats.
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| Dr Duval was born in Brooklyn, New York snf was raised in Central New
Jersey. From as far back as he can remember, he has always loved math! As
early as middle school, one of his hobbies was designing tournaments, which
he would simulate with racing marbles.
After his sophomore year of high school, he attended the Hampshire College
Summer Studies in Mathematics program in Amherst, Massachusetts. There
he learned not only a great deal of mathematics, including the beauty
and subtlety of mathematical proofs, but also that math could be presented
through interesting problems, and that learning could be cooperative instead
of competitive. He completed high school at Special Projects High School
(now University High School), a (public) magnet school in Tucson, Arizona,
where his family had relocated |
Dr. Art Duval
UT System Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Teaching
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The Sixth International
Conference on the Geology of the Middle East
Associate Professor, Geological Sciences |
The Sixth International Conference on the Geology of the Middle East was
sponsored by the United Arab Emirates University in El Ain, UAE, on Mach
20-22, 2006. The Department of Geological Sciences of the University of
Texas at El Paso was a Collaborating Organization for this conference, and
had significant input to the professional program. Prof. Philip C. Goodell
is shown receiving an ackowledgement gift for UTEP; he was asked to be Moderator
for the Closing Session for the Conference.
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| Dr. Keller has been
awarded the AAPG GROVER E. MURRAY MEMORIAL DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR AWARD
in recognition of outstanding performance in the classroom, field, and department
chairman’s office informing, inspiring, counseling, and leading geoscience
student professional and personal development.
Randys university education
was obtained at Texas Tech University where he received a B.S. in mathematics
and an M.S. and Ph.D in geosciences, concentrating in geophysics. Following
a year at the University of Utah and three years at the University of
Kentucky, he accepted a position as assistant professor at the University
of Texas at El Paso in 1976 and has been there from that time. During
his tenure at UTEP he has also served as director of the Kidd Seismological
Observatory and founding director of the J.W. Miller Geophysical Lab.
His accomplishments in teaching and research were rewarded in 1993 when
he was named the L.A. Nelson Professor
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Dr. G. Randy Keller, Jr.
Ph.D in Geosciences
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Dr.Hamed, Kastro
Ph. D Physics
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Dr. Hamed organized
and delivered three special workshops on the theme of "Bringing Space
Science to Your Science Classroom", and forty four high school science
teachers participated. Each workshop lasted four full days. The objectives
of the workshops were to help the teachers: Become acquainted with basic
ideas of space science, and space weather. Introduce and use innovative
technology such as GeoWall and Virtual Reality in educational settings.
Learn pedagogy in context while discussing astronomy and space phenomena.
Become acquainted with action research. Re-ignite teachers’ interest
in learning and teaching discussions. Establish a partnership.
He chaired the organization committee of the 2005 PERC:
Physics Education Research Conference, and presided on the session of
the Invited Talks and Panel Discussion. This national conference was held
on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City during the 10th
and 11th of August 2005. This conference had the special theme: "Connecting
Physics Education Research (PER) to Teacher Education at All Levels: K-20".
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| The College of Science
at The University of Texas at El Paso is pleased to announce the appointment
of Dr. Donna Ekal as the new Program Coordinator for the Medical Professions
Institute (MPI). MPI was founded in 2002 as a collaboration of the President’s
Office and the College of Science to assist many of UTEP’s best and
brightest students enter and succeed in medical, dental, and veterinary
school. Dr. Ekal comes to MPI with over fourteen years of educational administration
experience in El Paso and international experience at Egerton University
in Kenya and the Center of Non-Formal Adult Education in Thailand. She has
also been a consultant to several programs and departments at UTEP to help
students with test preparation and study skills. Dr. Ekal received her B.S.
from the University of Minnesota and her M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University. |
Dr. Donna Ekal
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College
of Science Awarded $1.78 Million NSF Grant
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| The National
Science Foundation has awarded a three-year grant totaling $1.78 million
to the College of Science to create a partnership between UTEP and the El
Paso Independent School District to explore the environment of our border
region. The project aims to significantly improve science learning among
middle school science students by teaming teachers with 10 UTEP science
and engineering graduate fellows each year. The fellows will serve as scientists
and mentors to students in the classroom, while enhancing their own graduate
training by learning about teaching in our public schools. As part of the
project, teacher-fellow teams will develop and deliver hands-on science
lessons designed to be relevant to the environmental challenges in our region
and to increase students’ interest and understanding of science |
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Drs. Larry Lesser and Mourat Tchoshanov
Associate Professors of Mathematics
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Drs. Mourat Tchoshanov
and Larry Lesser co-wrote a $132,380 Professional Development Partnerships
grant to help 20-30 El Paso County middle school teachers improve student
achievement in mathematics. Their innovative model’s components include:
teacher knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, “big ideas”,
item analysis of TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) data, and
lesson study. The grant is funded for the 2005-06 year by the Texas Education
Agency. |
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College
of Science Awarded $1.15 Million NSF Grant
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| The Department
of Geological Sciences of the UTEP College of Science has just received
notice that it will receive $1.15 million over five years through a grant
from the Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences program
at the National Science Foundation. The grant activities will be directed
by Dr. Kate Miller, Professor of Geological Sciences and Associate Dean
of the College of Sciences, in collaboration with the faculty of the Department
of Geological Sciences, Dr. Eric Hagedorn of the Physics Department, and
Dr. Sally Blake of the College of Education. The grant is entitled "Track
2: Pathways - A Geoscience Network for Training and Recruitment of Future
Earth Scientists in El Paso" and is a follow-on to a previous award of $380,200
from the same program. |
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| Over 260 colleges and
universities nationwide have joined forces with the American Meteorological
Society (AMS) to introduce a highly innovative course in which their students
are introduced to the science of meteorology by studying weather as it happens.
Dr. Tom Gill, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences and Environmental
Science & Engineering at UTEP, was an invited participant this past
summer in a one-week faculty workshop at the National Weather Service Training
Center in Kansas City, MO, as part of the course implementation effort |
Dr. Tom Gill
Associate Professor of Geological Sciences and Environmental Science
& Engineering
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Dr. Jorge Lopez
Department of Physics, Chair
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During the summer,
Dr. Lopez has give bilingual workshops for Pre-K & K teachers at RF
Kennedy Pre-K Center. |
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