RENO, Nev. – Ten local high school students are attending a different kind of boot camp from June 10-20 at the University of Nevada, Reno. The students were chosen through a competitive application process to be participants in the third annual Smallwood Foundation Multimedia Boot Camp. Over the course of two weeks, they will receive rigorous instruction and hands-on experience in a wide range of media and research activities at the University’s award-winning Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, one of the most technologically advanced libraries in the country.

Students Brittany Kent and Lionel Ruckstuhl test out some of the high-tech equipment from the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center during the third annual Smallwood Multimedia Boot Camp.

The students, all high school seniors this coming fall, will make use of the full range of multimedia equipment and software provided in the Knowledge Center’s @One area, including the use of state-of-the-art media facilities. They will receive concentrated instruction in audio, video and media editing skills using Premiere Pro, Flash, iMovie, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Studio Max and Adobe After-Effects. In professional-level projects, they will learn how to shoot video with digital cinema cameras, integrate images, create 2D and 3D animation and use recording-room technologies.

The multimedia boot camp is provided free of charge to students thanks to a grant from the Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation. The student attendees are also allowed to use the Knowledge Center and all it has to offer throughout their senior year in high school.

In addition, the Smallwood Foundation has provided a two-year $2,500 scholarship to attend the University to the student exhibiting the most potential. The student named the Smallwood Foundation Scholar will also have the opportunity to work in the Knowledge Center’s @One multimedia area during his or her undergraduate career at the University.

The 2013-2015 Smallwood Foundation Scholar is Matthew Egan from Bishop Manogue Catholic High School. Egan has a strong work ethic and has shown initiative and dedication by using @One on his own time. During his boot camp experience last year, Egan said, “The highlight of my experience at Smallwood was being able to work with movie-grade production equipment such as high quality film cameras and audio recording equipment.” He has since helped with a number of film productions at the University, including a soon-to-be-released documentary titled the “Hidden Cave.”

Besides providing a learning experience for students, the boot camp is also designed to spread the word among high school students about what the University has to offer.

“The Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center just impresses everyone who steps through its doors,” said Kathy Ray, dean of University Libraries. “It is such a terrific resource for our students. We believe exposing high school students to the Knowledge Center will help them realize all this University has to offer and will aid in recruitment efforts.”

For more information on the Smallwood Multimedia Boot Camp go to the Smallwood Bootcamp Facebook page and Smallwood Bootcamp Facebook Image Gallery.

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The University’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center is one of the most technologically advanced libraries in the nation.

Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Angela Bakker
Communications and Marketing Specialist
University of Nevada
Reno, NV 89557
abakker@unr.edu
775-682-6501 phone
www.knowledgecenter.unr.edu

The incident was promptly reported and an investigation by veterinary professionals began immediately. Proper standard operating procedures were in place at the time. This incident was the result of human error and appropriate personnel actions were taken. The fine, which was paid using non-State funds, follows the USDA investigation in 2012 about the incident.

In the incident, 10 sheep went without water over a period of five days, including a weekend, and one was found dead from dehydration. Immediate therapeutic intervention was initiated on the other animals by veterinary staff. Although the potential loss was minimized, two more animals did not survive.

Follow-up actions, including augmentation of operational procedures and re-training, were completed to prevent this from happening again. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service noted these actions and changes in procedure in its investigation.

The University’s program is registered with the USDA, the federal regulator for research institutions with animal care programs, and is subject to unannounced visits by USDA inspectors. It is also registered with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, part of the National Institutes of Health. The incident was reported immediately to each of these agencies.

The University’s animal-research program is fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs. This accreditation was renewed in March 2013.

In its confirmation letter, the association commended the University for “providing and maintaining an excellent program and laboratory animal care and use. Especially noteworthy were the strong administrative commitment to the program, evidenced by the investments in research buildings, personnel, and equipment; the active and engaged Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; the dedicated and knowledgeable veterinary medical and husbandry staff; as well as the precise, well written Program Description.”

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Mike Wolterbeek
Media Relations Officer
University of Nevada, Reno/108
Reno, NV 89557
mwolterbeek@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu
775-784-4547 phone

Biondi will spend eight months as a Charles Bullard Fellow in Forest Research, completing a book on dendroecology and collaborating with David Orwig, forest ecologist at Harvard Forest, on the topic of measuring, reconstructing and predicting forest-stand dynamics under changing climate and disturbance regimes.

Franco Biondi, professor of geography in the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Science, has just received a fellowship to the prestigious fellowship to conduct research at Harvard University’s 3,500 acre forest research laboratory, Harvard Forest. Photo by Theresa Danna-douglas, University of Nevada, Reno.

Biondi is a professor of geography who specializes in the application of tree-ring science to the study of climate, forest and landscape dynamics.

Using data from his past and current research projects in the Great Basin of North America, he will investigate the use of Bayesian statistics and other advanced tools, such as Gary King’s “ecological inference” approach, to scale up from individual tree growth patterns measured at sub-hourly time scales to site-wide, century-long tree-ring chronologies and to regional indices of forest growth and ecosystem productivity.

In the book he discusses methods to quantify uncertainty in reconstructions of historical environmental change (including climate) while emphasizing that modern ecosystems cannot be understood from the present alone.

The Charles Bullard fellowship program, established in 1962, supports advanced research and study by individuals who show promise of making an important contribution, either as scholars or administrators, to forestry and forest-related subjects including biology, earth sciences, economics, politics, administration, philosophy, humanities, the arts or law. It is a highly competitive program that only accepts five to seven recipients a year from a large applicant pool.

“The Harvard community benefits immensely from the presence of the outstanding scholars and fellows supported by the Bullard program,” said David R. Foster, director of Harvard Forest and chair of the Bullard Fellowship committee. “The breadth of research encompassed by this year’s class of scholars is vast, ranging from sustainable forest management to computer science, from cell biology to reconstructions of past environmental change.”

This year’s Bullard Fellows represent a broad array of forest-related subjects. The six distinguished practitioners and academics from across the United States and around the globe will spend one to two semesters conducting research based in Cambridge, Mass., or at the Harvard Forest in Petersham.

For more information about Biondi visit his website at http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/fbiondi/ and for more information on the Bullard Fellowship please visit http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/Bullard-Announce.

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Mike Wolterbeek
Media Relations Officer
University of Nevada, Reno/108
Reno, NV 89557
mwolterbeek@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu
775-784-4547 phone

 RENO, Nev. –  Members of the University of Nevada, Reno Integrated Marketing Communications competition team presented their campaign proposal in the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition in Phoenix, Ariz., June 7. The University’s team, with students from the Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies and the College of Business, finished in 17^th place among the 18 competing teams. They qualified for the national competition by winning their regional competition this spring.

“I am extremely proud of the IMC Team,” Reynolds School Dean Al Stavitsky said. “The innovative marketing approach taken, along with an integrated plan and multimedia campaign the team developed demonstrates the diverse range of skills learned. Reynolds School students are prepared for success and leadership roles as a direct result of participating in this competition.”

This year, Glidden Paint was the corporate client and provided schools across the country with a unique challenge, to increase sales in Walmart stores. Students had to research the product, its competition and target audiences, identify potential problems and develop an integrated marketing communications campaign. Glidden had previously released desired campaign objectives, a detailed case study of its product history as well as an outline of their recent advertising history to students to prepare for the competition. Each student team had to produce a written plan and “pitch” its campaign to a panel of judges in regional competitions around the country. Initially, over 140 schools participated. Only 18 schools progressed to the final competition in Phoenix where three key marketing executives from Glidden reviewed their plans and “pitches.”

“No matter what place we finished, we made it very far and it was a great experience,” said Stephany Kirby, a recent graduate from The Reynolds School of Journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication. “Our team spent months researching, brainstorming, disagreeing, late nights and early mornings together, and I couldn’t be more proud to share this experience with such amazing people.

Bob Felten, assistant professor of strategic communications, has mentored the competition team over the past 14 years. The University’s teams have won seven regional titles, placed among the top ten in the national competition three times and were the national champions in 2003.

As the team prepared their campaign, Felten encouraged students to develop a plan based on their research findings. Felten and the team recognized their final plan was risky, but believed it best solved the problem outlined by Glidden.

“Our team presented a marketing and communications approach different from any of the other competitors,” Felten said. “The client chose a completely different direction. While disappointing, that too is a lesson in how this business works.”

The competition, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, is divided into 15 districts, each with teams representing from one to five states. The University of Nevada, Reno team advanced to the national competition by winning the district competition on April 19 in San Jose, Calif.

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Jill Stockton
Reynolds School of Journalism
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557
775-784-4783 phone
jbstockton@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu

The University will have major contributions in terms of creating advanced cyber-infrastructure capabilities for data communication, processing and management. This cyber-infrastructure will serve the needs at the nexus of the research initiative: the confluence of renewable energy, water, and the environment; and advancing related human infrastructure and workforce development.

Scotty Strachan, University of Nevada, Reno environmental research coordinator in the Department of Geography installing data network equipment for environmental monitoring at Snake Range Salt Desert East site in Snake Valley, Nevada. Photo courtesy of University of Nevada, Reno.

This project represents a major research and development endeavor in Nevada to address the national priority of creating renewable energy resources. The abundant solar flux in Nevada makes it one of the best possible sources for solar energy generation in the world. If properly explored and used, this source of renewable energy has the potential to diversify the economy of the state.  However, any substantial harvesting of solar energy in Nevada could negatively affect the state’s scarce water resources and sensitive desert environment.

Understanding the linkages (or nexus) among solar energy development, limited water resources, and fragile environments in Nevada is the focus of the work. It will establish a statewide center of research excellence on solar energy conversion to electricity with the goal of minimizing the conversion’s negative impacts on water usage and the environment.

The five-year, Nevada System of Higher Education collaboration, The Solar Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Nevada, is funded by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation, and NSHE will provide $3 million. From the National Science Foundation funding, the University of Nevada, Reno is receiving $6.8 million, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is receiving $7.4 million and the Desert Research Institute is receiving $3.7 million.

Three main components, the solar energy-water-environment nexus, cyber infrastructure and human infrastructure/workforce development, are encompassed in the project. Sergiu Dascalu of the College of Engineering will lead the cyber-infrastructure component. Jacque Ewing-Taylor from the College of Education will lead the human infrastructure/workforce development component. The solar energy-water-environment nexus component is led by Robert Boehm and Jacimaria Batista of UNLV, Markus Berli of DRI and Dale Devitt of UNLV. The project director is Gayle Dana of the Nevada National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Office and DRI.

As many as 150 people will be employed by the project. Of the 41 faculty participants in the project, 15 are University of Nevada, Reno faculty. In the cyber-infrastructure group are Dascalu, Fred Harris, Yaakov Varol, Sushil Louis and Mehmet Gunes from the computer science engineering department and Graham Kent and Ken Smith from the Nevada Seismological Laboratory in the College of Science.

In the Solar Energy-Water-Environment nexus group are Mehdi Etezadi-Amoli and Sami Fadali in the electrical and biomedical engineering department, Amy Childress in the civil engineering department, Chanwoo Park in the mechanical engineering department and Tom Harris in the University of Nevada, Reno Center for Economic Development.

In the workforce development group, in addition to Jacque Ewing-Taylor, are Mike Collopy, director of the Academy for the Environment, and Nancy Latourette in the Computer Science and Engineering Department. This team will develop new approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, engage stakeholders, and help build project-related workforce for a diversified Nevada economy.

A new facility, the Nevada Environment, Water, and Solar Testing and Research Facility or NEW-STAR, will be created. It will involve interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff with a broad range of relevant backgrounds. It will also support new positions to bridge existing gaps in research capabilities and attract new talented graduate students in the project’s areas of research.

“The successful collaboration that began with the first EPSCoR grant is sure to continue as we build on our capabilities in cyber-infrastructure and computational research,” said Kevin Carman, executive vice president and provost at the University of Nevada, Reno. “With 15 faculty from four of our colleges involved in all aspects of the project, we’re proud to be providing major contributions in research and scientific and technical expertise, including workforce development that will benefit all Nevadans.”

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Mike Wolterbeek
Media Relations Officer
University Media Relations
University of Nevada, Reno/108
Reno, NV 89557
mwolterbeek@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu
775-784-4547 phone

RENO, Nev. – Kathleen “Katie” Hill, a recent advanced-degree graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno, is one of 30 alumni of GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, selected to participate in the inaugural GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy. The selected alumni leaders will travel to Washington, D.C., June 22-29, and receive training on grassroots advocacy, social media advocacy and leadership skills.

Kathleen Hill, recent advanced-degree graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, is one of 30 nationally recognized GEAR UP alumni to be selected for the GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas, University of Nevada, Reno.

“As a member of the Leadership Academy, I hope to become a strong advocate for the Nevada State GEAR UP Program,” Hill said. “Through social media and time spent with legislators, I will strive to gain support for a federal program that has had a positive effect in so many students’ lives.”

For the first University GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy cohort, GEAR UP directors were asked to nominate individuals for the leadership academy, and Charlotte Curtis, GEAR UP state coordinator in the Nevada Department of Education, did not need to think twice.

“When we heard about the program, we immediately thought of Katie and encouraged her to apply,” Curtis said. “She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to broadening access to higher education by first-generation college-going students. Participation in the alumni leadership academy will not only contribute to Katie’s academic and professional development, but her learning will benefit the state of Nevada as well.”

Hill is not new to the GEAR UP program, as she has been active in the program since the first Nevada State GEAR UP grant in 2001.

“I happened to be a seventh-grader in an economically disadvantaged school the first year the Nevada State GEAR UP grant started, so I found an outlet and became part of the GEAR UP program,” Hill said.

Hill did not perceived barriers slow her down. She graduated valedictorian from McDermitt High School in Nevada’s Humboldt County in 2007. After high school, Hill attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and graduated magna cum laude in December 2010 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in psychology and a minor in human services.

Hill next attended the University of Nevada, Reno and graduated in May with a master’s of arts degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in higher education administration. This fall, she plans to continue her studies at the University and pursue her doctorate of philosophy, also in educational leadership.

“Upon completion of my doctoral degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, I want to use the skills I gain from both the Educational Leadership Program and my experience with the GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy in order to remain an advocate for GEAR UP,” Hill said. “I would like to see students from economically disadvantaged communities have more support to attend and succeed in post-secondary education.”

GEAR UP is a federally funded college access and success program serving approximately 700,000 low-income students across 43 states and three territories. GEAR UP programs serve students starting in seventh grade, and follow the students through high school graduation or first year of postsecondary enrollment. GEAR UP programs are designed to meet local educational needs, and services often include academic tutoring, financial literacy, college tours, parent engagement programs and more.

The Nevada State GEAR UP Program currently serves 2,674 seventh graders in 18 middle schools throughout Nevada, as well as students in the University of Nevada, Reno’s Dean’s Future Scholars Program. The program will add approximately 2,750 more students, who will be seventh graders during the 2013-14 school year. The GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy is a new program to engage alumni in a national effort to educate lawmakers and the public about the value of investing in targeted college access and success services. Using personal stories, alumni leaders will articulate the impact GEAR UP had on their success in postsecondary education.

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Note to editors: Kathleen Hill is available for interviews by phone or in person through June 21 and after she returns from the academy on July 1. Please call Natalie Savidge at 775-784-4611 if you are interested in an interview.

Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu. 

Media Contact:
Natalie Savidge
Senior Media Relations Specialist
University Media Relations
775-784-4611 phone
nsavidge@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu

RENO, Nev. – Mridul (pronounced “mer-dul”) Gautam has been named vice president for research and innovation for the University of Nevada, Reno. He comes to Nevada from West Virginia University in Morgantown, W. Va., where he serves as associate vice president for research and vice president of the West Virginia University Research Corporation. 

“I am deeply honored to take on this position,” said Gautam, who will start with the University on Oct. 1, 2013. “The opportunity that lies ahead is exciting. I see tremendous promise and amazing potential in the University’s faculty, in the research system and in the leadership.”

“Dr. Gautam is enthusiastic about the opportunity to enhance the University’s research enterprise and performance in a way that stimulates wide-reaching interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration. He has an impressive portfolio of experience working with federal funding agencies and with the private sector,” said Kevin Carman, the University’s executive vice president and provost. “I am convinced Dr. Gautam will tangibly advance the University’s goal of enhancing research opportunities for faculty and students and partnering with industry to support economic development in the Reno area and the state of Nevada. I am impressed by his energy and ideas, and believe his leadership style and emphasis on collaboration will yield substantial dividends.”

Gautam joined WVU in 1988 as assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was named a full professor in 1999 and today holds the title of Robert C. Byrd Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He was named associate vice president for research and vice president in 2007.

During Gautam’s tenure in research administration, WVU has achieved increases in research and sponsored project funding. A champion of faculty development, Gautam created programs and workshops to prepare candidates for membership on national committees and candidacy for National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Awards (CAREER awards) and other major multi-institutional and multidisciplinary awards.

Gautam enhanced resources to support the development of research proposals. He championed and led improvements to advance the university’s cyberconnectivity, which positioned WVU to participate in significant high-tech research initiatives and helped spawn regional economic development. He managed four centers that reported to the WVU Office of Research: the National Research Center for Coal and Energy, the U.S. China Energy Research Center, the Regional Research Institute at WVU and the Advanced Energy Initiative. Gautam has also been actively involved in outreach to state, federal and private funding agencies. His own total research funding as a principal investigator exceeded $24 million.

“One of the most satisfying components of my career has been successful teamwork, forming teams and building multidisciplinary programs,” said Gautam. “At the University of Nevada, I intend to build collaborations across funding agencies and to bring together faculty from across disciplines to solve bigger issues, to take on the bigger challenges facing humanity.”

Regarding the change from the role’s previous title of vice president for research, Carman said, “The addition of ‘innovation’ to the title signals the commitment to support innovation and more strongly integrate research efforts with economic development.”

“Universities are about opportunity and the University of Nevada, Reno is ripe for further development of business and industry partnerships,” said Gautam. “We will work toward creating an enabling atmosphere on campus where we become a portal, ready to connect industry with the right office or faculty member.”

Gautam approached the interview process already aware of many of the University’s internationally known researchers, research programs and scholarly endeavors.

He is passionate about the role of land-grant universities and the many contributions they offer. He said, “I will do my level best to ensure the research enterprise remains fully engaged and focused on the goal of making peoples’ lives better in the tradition of the land-grant mission.”

The vice president for research and innovation position reports directly to Carman, and Gautam will also work closely with University President Marc Johnson and serve as a member of his President’s Council. Gautam will interact closely with the academic deans and with faculty and staff from across campus.

Gautam will take over the role from Marsha Read, who has served in the dual roles of vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School since 2008. Read, who received the University’s 2013 Distinguished Service Award, will continue as dean of the Graduate School and looks forward to supporting the transition with Gautam.

“Dr. Read’s service has been extraordinary,” said Johnson. “Her leadership has helped move the University’s research program forward. I appreciate her support through this transition and her continued service to our Graduate School. 

“I look forward to welcoming Dr. Gautam,” said Johnson. “He is enthusiastic and passionate about advancing the mission of our University in the region, the nation and the world. I am confident he will lead our research program to next level.”

Gautam’s degrees in mechanical engineering include a bachelor’s from G.B. Pant University in Pantnagar, India, master’s from Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India, and doctorate from WVU. He has served on a number of statewide and national committees, including current membership on the Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee of the U.S. EPA’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and on the board of directors for the WV Jobs Investment Trust Board of Directors, TechConnect WV and I-79 Development Council.

Gautam and his wife Seema have two adult children and look forward to living in Nevada.

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Media Contact:
Jane Tors
Executive Director Media Relations
jtors@unr.edu
775-784-1880 (o)
775-240-8686 (m)

 RENO, Nev. – For some, bumble bees can be a pesky nuisance, but to University of Nevada, Reno Assistant Professor Anne Leonard, they could not bother her more.

Anne Leonard, a new faculty member in the biology department, shows her bee attractant apparatus that tracks and conditions bees response to different light, pollen and flowers. Photo by Mike Wolterbeek, University of Nevada, Reno.

In what has taken more than two years of research and moving around, Leonard has finally settled down in a permanent location in the University’s Department of Biology and is making a name for herself. She has found a bumble bee haven to continue her research on the specialization by bumble bees and the evolution of nutritionally diverse floral rewards thanks, in part, to a $465,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

As a first year assistant professor, Leonard knows what a grant like this can do for her research and her career. Most of the grant money will be tied to starting her lab and to salaries.

“This grant means a great deal to me as a new assistant professor,” Leonard said. “It means that I can hire postdoctoral researchers, and support graduate students and undergraduate researchers. There are many challenges associated with starting your own lab, but getting funded has been a great vote of confidence from my scientific peers and assures me that I’m heading in a good direction.”

The beginning of Leonard’s grant research began after she received a seed grant in spring 2011 during her postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona. She developed a prototype for a mechanical flower that tested out bees’ responses and collected pilot data to use in a grant proposal. From there, Leonard moved on to a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which led her to accepting a job at the University of Nevada, Reno. During that time, Leonard submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation, and this month, Leonard was awarded the funding.

The grant money, along with a collaboration with the University of Arizona, has allowed Leonard and her University students to investigate the basic question of why plants reward bees with different kinds of resources such as tomatoes or flowers. Leonard is interested in studying a phenomenon called sanitation or “buzz” pollination, where the bee rapidly vibrates pollen out from the flower.

“We’re interested in how the nutritional content of the reward, as well as how difficult it is for the bee to collect it, and how that influences the bee’s propensity to transport pollen between flowers of the same species,” Leonard said. “We’ll be using artificial flowers that record the pollen-harvesting buzzes of the bees in a lab setting to conduct experiments where we tinker with the type of reward, such as nectar or pollen, and how difficult it is to extract. We also plan to observe bumblebees’ responses to locally-occurring plants that vary in their reward type, under semi-controlled settings.”

Along with receiving a tremendous grant and a busy amount of research, Leonard just completed her first year as an assistant professor at the University with nothing but praise for both the students and the University.

“I was highly impressed with how engaged, creative and responsible the students were,” Leonard said. “They set the bar high for what I can expect from future University undergraduates.”

Her program is a great example of how the University engages students in a creative research environment with professors passionate in their fields, Jeff Thompson, dean of the College of Science said.

“It’s gratifying to see our new faculty, so early in their careers, receive national recognition with grant awards such as this,” Thompson said. “It’s a credit to the department that we attract such high caliber faculty. Anne’s research is a fascinating new area for us and is sure to be popular with students.”

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Mike Wolterbeek
Media Relations Officer
University Media Relations
University of Nevada, Reno/108
Reno, NV 89557
mwolterbeek@unr.edu
http://newsroom.unr.edu
775-784-4547   phone

RENO, Nev. – Iain Buxton, Dhanesh Chandra and Eric Rasmussen were named 2013 University of Nevada, Reno Foundation Professors in recognition of their outstanding research and teaching achievements.

The Foundation Professor award was established in 1983 to recognize and salute University professors for their exemplary achievements. Recipients are selected by a committee of faculty peers and Foundation members and chaired by the University provost. They receive an annual stipend for three years to further their professional endeavors and their names will be engraved in the granite pillars of the University’s Honor Court.

From left to right: Dhanesh Chandra, Eric Rasmussen and Iain Buxton were selected as the 2013 University of Nevada, Reno Foundation Professors, chosen by faculty peers and University Foundation members. They were recognized for their outstanding research and teaching achievements and will receive an annual stipend for three years to further their professional endeavors. Photos by Theresa Danna-Douglas, University of Nevada, Reno.

Iain Buxton, chair of the Department of Pharmacology, has taught a wide range of pharmacology courses during his 28 years at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He has contributed to the most recent transformation of the pre-clinical curriculum at the School of Medicine, a transformation that has profound effects on how pharmacology is taught. He is internationally renowned for his research into the causes of preterm labor and has changed the way scientists think about the regulation of uterine function in pregnancy. Buxton has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and contributed to three textbooks in pharmacology and therapeutics.

Buxton has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2011 Regents’ Researcher Award, the 2011 Vada Trimble Outstanding Mentor Award and the University’s 2008 Outstanding Researcher Award. He was also a winner of a 2011 Grand Challenges Exploration grant, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in support of Buxton’s global health project on effective treatment to prevent preterm delivery.

“Iain truly embodies the highest level of achievement across all three traditional roles in academic medicine: teacher, independent investigator, and, most recently, clinical and academic leader,” said Thomas Schwenk, dean of the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He has built a career as a mentor to countless undergraduate and graduate students.”

Dhanesh Chandra, a metallurgical and materials professor at the College of Engineering, is an international researcher known for his work on X-ray diffraction and hydrogen storage. Since joining the University’s faculty in 1987, he has built a well-respected laboratory for the University utilizing thermodynamic and crystallographic modeling to guide his research. He has published more than 95 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings and has edited three books. Chandra’s research is in the advanced areas of energy storage and conservation; such as low pressure solid state hydrogen storage, organic crystals for thermal energy storage and others. He has completed several research projects for federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Defense.

He was awarded the Mackay School of Mines Outstanding Teacher Award in 1991 and the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Award in 2000.

“Dhanesh has brought a number of advanced laboratory facilities to the University, which are used by his post-doctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students,” said Alan Fuchs, chair of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. “The state-of-the-art instruments make his laboratory one of the most advanced X-ray facilities at the University and put him in a good position for strong collaborations with U.S. Department of Energy.”

Eric Rasmussen is a world-renowned Shakespeare and early modern drama scholar, specializing in the areas of scholarly editing, bibliography and textual criticism. Rasmussen co-edited “The Royal Shakespeare Company Complete Works of Shakespeare,” now the standard text for Shakespeare studies and dramatic productions.

Rasmussen, a professor of English, has successfully garnered numerous grants and fellowships, including nearly a million dollars in awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities for his research on the New Variorum Hamlet project. His excellence as an instructor has been recognized with the Alan Bible, F. Donald Tibbitts and Nevada Regents’ teaching awards.

“His accessible yet challenging teaching style has filled large sections of undergraduate Shakespeare courses, and his reputation has attracted excellent graduate students, many of whom have had the unparalleled opportunity – through his Royal Shakespeare Company and National Endowment for the Humanities grants – to work on significant academic projects in the British Library and other locations around the world,” said Heather Hardy, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu. 

Media Contact:
Natalie Savidge
Senior Media Relations Specialist
University Media Relations
775-784-4611 phone
nsavidge@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu

RENO, Nev. – Small, high-technology companies will get the help they need to submit their innovative technology ideas to 11 federal agencies for funding at a workshop presented by the University of Nevada Reno’s Nevada Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Tuesday, June 4. The workshop will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the University’s Redfield Campus, 18600 Wedge Parkway in the Nell J Redfield Building A, Room 216.

Two programs, the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) make $2.5 billion a year available to promising research and development companies.

Under SBIR and STTR, agencies with large R&D budgets make clear the topics and priorities they are interested in funding. Companies that can meet those interests submit proposals for competitively awarded grants. The grants can be particularly helpful for small, high technology businesses that need non-dilutive funding to bring their innovations from the drawing board to the marketplace.

SBIR and STTR provide funding and support in three phases: research, development and commercialization. Phase I offers up to $150,000 for six months of research, and Phase II provides up to $1 million for development of prototypes. Some of the agencies offer a Phase III that helps companies develop their marketing and production efforts.

“These programs have in the past had an uncertain future. Their recent reauthorization provides certainty and stability for the small businesses that leverage these programs to create jobs,” said Fritz Grupe, SBIR program manager for Nevada SBDC.

“SBIR and STTR are a win-win,” Grupe said. “The agencies find solutions to their R&D needs while small businesses get the chance to bring important innovations to the marketplace. The reauthorization ensures that small businesses will have access to much needed investments. Money from these programs will go directly to small businesses to help them drive innovation, strengthen U.S. competitiveness and create good jobs.”

Nevada SBDC will offer an overview of the program in the workshop to assist companies interested in competing for these grant funds.

To register for the workshop, go to the Nevada SBDC website at http://nsbdc.org/education-training/business-training-calendar/ or call Grupe at 775-813-7407.

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Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno has an enrollment of 18,000 students and is ranked in the top tier of the nation’s best universities. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and with one of the nation’s largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu. 

Natalie Savidge
Senior Media Relations Specialist
University Media Relations
University of Nevada, Reno/108
Reno, NV 89557
775-784-4611 phone
775-784-1422 fax
nsavidge@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu