February 2018 Newsletter - SD EPSCoR

February 2018 Newsletter Science Teachers’ Organization Honors SD EPSCoR The South Dakota Science Teachers’ Association (SDSTA) has named the South Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (SD EPSCoR) a recipient of its Friend of Science Award. The award is given annually to organizations that help facilitate the implementation of science in all grades, provide staff development for science educators and enhance cooperative relationships and partnerships between science education and industry. SD EPSCoR was presented the award at the 2018 South Dakota Math and Science Conference in Huron. SD EPSCoR promotes and supports educators, research faculty and programs in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Part of its mission is to strengthen research and education in STEM, increase science literacy and provide educational opportunities for K-12 students. SD EPSCoR is funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of South Dakota. “We are honored to be recognized by the SDSTA,” said Mel Ustad, SD EPSCoR Director. “SD EPSCoR works to build partnerships between k-12/higher education, the private sector and state government to align our efforts so the ideas coming out of university-based research contribute to state economic development priorities and the students that are graduated from these programs are ready to fill the jobs that are created as a result.”

Education Outreach Specialist, Rhea Waldman (middle) accepts the SDSTA Friend of Science Award on behalf of SD EPSCoR from SDSTA President, Elizabeth McMillan and SDSTA President-Elect, Mark Iverson.

One SD EPSCoR program works with the South Dakota Department of Education to administer education/workforce development grants for innovators in career and technical education looking to create or improve programs that allow students to explore STEM-related disciplines. SD EPSCoR grants approximately $170,000 to school districts and educational service providers throughout the state. This past year SD EPSCoR launched a free database of curriculum enhancement resources for middle and high school teachers that includes lesson plans based on research taking place in South Dakota’s higher education institutions. SD EPSCoR has also worked to strengthen STEM education in K-12 classrooms in rural and tribal schools by establishing a network among the state’s regional science fairs.

“SDSTA relies on a network of educators, STEM professionals and economic development programs working together to enhance tomorrow’s STEM workforce,” said Elizabeth McMillan, President of SDSTA. “We wanted to recognize SD EPSCoR for working at all levels to

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Register for NSF Day at SDSU

• Research Professionals Talk Science with Students • Ed Blog: Importance of Science Fairs • Northern State to Participate in SEA-PHAGES Program

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Linking LinkingSouth SouthDakota’s Dakota’sFuture Futureto toScience Science&&Technology Technology

NSF Day at SDSU Registration and Travel Assistance Available Through SD EPSCoR The National Science Foundation (NSF) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) have announced an upcoming NSF Day to be held on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at the Volstorff Ballroom in the SDSU Student Union. NSF Days provide basic insight and instruction on how to compete for NSF funding for science, engineering and education research. This day-long workshop will provide background on the Foundation, its mission, priorities, and budget. During the event, you will learn about proposal writing, NSF’s merit review process, and programs that fall within NSF’s seven directorates, as well as funding opportunities that cross disciplinary boundaries. NSF representatives will be on hand to answer questions and to host discipline-specific breakout sessions to personally engage in discussions with attendees. To encourage participation from institutions across the state If you are a South Dakota resident or an employee of a SD entity, and you register before March 21st, you are eligible to have your travel costs covered by SD EPSCoR. Reimbursement is being organized through your institution’s Sponsored Programs Office, see the website for details. Late and onsite registration will cost $65. Registration fees include continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments, and are non-refundable after March 12, 2018. Visit sdepscor.org/nsfday18 to register.

SD EPSCoR Receives 'Friend of Science Award' ...Continued from page 1

strengthen STEM education in K-12 classrooms in rural and tribal schools by establishing a network among the state’s regional science fairs. “SDSTA relies on a network of educators, STEM professionals and economic development programs working together to enhance tomorrow’s STEM workforce,” said Elizabeth McMillan, President of SDSTA. “We wanted to recognize SD EPSCoR for working at all levels to lay the foundation for careers for today’s young scientists.” The South Dakota Science Teachers’ Association is the state’s only comprehensive educational organization dedicated to excellence in science education and communication among members of the science-teaching profession. Membership includes professional scientists, teachers, student teachers, representatives of business and industry and others interested in science education.

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Linking South Dakota’s Future to Science & Technology

South Dakota Research Professionals Talk Science with Students Nearly 180 kids attended a science research showcase at the SD Discovery Center that featured research taking place throughout South Dakota This past January SD EPSCoR and the South Dakota Discovery Center held a ‘Meet a Scientist Showcase’ as a part of the Science Communication Fellowship Program that works with research professionals throughout the state to enhance and refine how they share and communicate their research with the public. Nearly 180 kids attended the showcase, which included exhibits from eight scientists featuring hands-on displays and activities. Rhea Waldman, an Education Specialist with SD EPSCoR and Education Director at the SD Discovery Center leads the program which receives funding from SD EPSCoR. Science Communication Fellows are scientists, engineers, researchers, graduate students, and other science professionals who have successfully completed a Science Communication Workshop and have been certified through Portal to the Public as current science ambassadors and excellent science communicators. The goal of the Discovery Center's Science Communication Fellowships, Waldman said, is to train scientists to communicate with non-scientists. The idea is to bridge the gap between the public and science. Participants who completed the Fall program include: • • • • • • • •

Scyller Borglum, Geology & Geological Engineering at SDSMT Shaydel Davies, Basic Biomedical Sciences at USD Jose Gonzalez Hernandez, Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science at SDSU Brooke Long, Geology & Geological Engineering at SDSMT Riley Paulsen, Basic Biomedical Sciences at USD Alexis RedOwl, Chemistry at USD Eric Sandhurst, Biomedical Engineering at USD Padmapriya Swaminathan, Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science at SDSU

For more information on the Science Communication Fellowship Program, click here.

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ED BLOG: 4 Ways Science Fairs Benefit Our Children The importance of STEM education for our children is increasing rapidly, with the ever-growing technologies of the future cropping up every day. Exposure to STEM education in school is often best applied through experiments and reportage of results. But the holding of science fairs, a mainstay of STEM education in America for many years, benefits children in many more ways, as well. Here are four ways science fairs benefit our children, not only in the STEM subjects but throughout their student careers: Independence This one hits two areas: confidence and skill building. Building a science experiment, conducting it, and reporting it teach younger and older students alike the skills needed for working independently and presenting that work to others. Confidence in doing their work and doing it well can arise from them having a structure to build from and knowing the steps it takes to carry it out. Hands-On Learning Of all teaching methods, hands-on learning is definitely the most effective. Research has shown that students who are taught with hands-on methods outperform those students who are not taught in this way. Science experiments are not just working with words on the page, but with the elements and materials making up the experiment themselves. Speaking Skills This is probably a surprising one, but it shouldn’t be. Science Fairs not only promote STEM learning but also confidence in public speaking. Gathering and recording evidence are not the only parts of science experiments. That evidence must be presented to the judges in a way that is comprehensive and intelligible. As the student progresses in their career, they will benefit from any and all opportunities to speak publicly while demonstrating the skills they learned and the conclusions they found. They will especially benefit from this when they are seeking higher education. Tuition Assistance There are numerous lucrative prizes available in several high profile science fairs. Tech giants such as Intel, Google, and Siemens, all hold annual science fairs with tuition assistance of up to $100,000. The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the most prestigious science fair held, with first prize being $250,000. Jobs in the STEM fields have grown 18 percent in the last ten years. Science Fairs are one of the best ways of teaching STEM subjects, with its promotion of hands-on and independent learning, as well as public speaking. For students proficient in the sciences, very lucrative scholarships can be earned through their participation in national science fairs. Click here for a list of our current science fairs.

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Northern State University to Particpate in Howard Hughes Medical Institute's SEA-PHAGES Program Northern State University (NSU) has received the distinction of participating in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education Alliance’s Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program beginning in the fall. This amazing opportunity will allow NSU science students to get involved in real-world research during their early semesters and participate in the science field on a national scale.

After learning about the program at the 2017 SD EPSCoR investigator’s meeting, Dr. Jon C. Mitchell spearheaded the effort to bring this unique opportunity to NSU’s biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics departments, specifically the biotechnology program.

After learning about the program at the 2017 South Dakota EPSCoR investigator’s meeting, Dr. Jon C. Mitchell, associate professor of biology, spearheaded the effort to bring this unique opportunity to NSU’s biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics departments, specifically the biotechnology program.

The Science Education Alliance (SEA) supports faculty in the implementation of course-based research experiences, advancing science education on a national scale, establishing cohorts of students, educators and institutions that will collaborate nationally. These experiences engage students in research-based curriculum early in their undergraduate academic career. The SEA-PHAGES program is a national research-based lab course that NSU will implement. This course is aimed at undergraduate science students, specifically freshmen and sophomores. “Participation in a program such as HHMI’s SEA-PHAGES allows students to actively participate in inquiry-based labs, engage in the real-world application of the skills and techniques they are learning in the classroom and begin building their resume in their freshman or sophomore year,” Mitchell said. Students who participate in this program must enroll in both BIOL 240/240L, as well as BIOL 250/250L. Honors students participating in this program have the option of replacing BIOL 240/240L with Honors BIOL 151 lab. This program is currently limited to 16 freshman and sophomore science students. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, NSU students will remain actively engaged in science by completing hands-on research, which begins by digging in the soil to discover and isolate bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria). The research then progresses through a variety of microbiology techniques and eventually to complex genome annotation and bioinformatics analyses. Students then submit their annotated sequences to the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank database. “This type of ownership of their research keeps students engaged, motivating them toward further pursuits in science and helping them decide if a career in this field is the right step for them," Mitchell said. To help get this program started at NSU, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute will provide curriculum and lab materials for Mitchell and Dr. John Long, assistant professor of biology, who will oversee the implementation of this program. This will also allow them to attend week-long training workshops to further facilitate the implementation of the program at NSU. Continued on Page 6...

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At the end of the academic year, Mitchell and a selection of students participating in NSU’s SEA-PHAGES program will attend the National SEA-PHAGES Symposium, held at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Va. At the symposium, NSU’s SEA-PHAGES students will present their research and connect with students and faculty members from across the country to share their research through poster sessions and talks. At the 2016–17 symposium, over 4,100 students from 100 different colleges and universities took part. The SEA-PHAGES program has generated more than 20 peer-reviewed publications to date. This is an amazing opportunity for Northern State University science students to get involved in real-world research during their early semesters and participate in the science field on a national scale. -Courtesy of Northern State University

Links of Interest: • • • • • • • • •

Teacher and former student share both a love for teaching and a rare honor USD president awarded inaugural 'State of Innovation' Visionary Award SDSU sophomore to do nanotechnology research in Japan SD Mines student receives national teaching assistant award Influenza D antibodies confirmed in horses on Midwestern farms Analytical methods target new cyanide antidote, biomarkers for mustard gas exposure South Dakota's Road to Economic Development - An interactive map from SD EPSCoR Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program Search for NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate's (REU's)

Important Dates: • • • •

Coalition of EPSCoR/IDEA States 2018 Annual Conference - Feb. 28 - March 1, 2018 RII Track 4 Proposals Due - March 13, 2018 REACH Committee Meeting, Sioux Falls - March 12-13, 2018 NSF Day at SDSU - March 29, 2018

SD EPSCoR Office Staff Dr. Mel Ustad Director SD EPSCoR Phillip Huebner Office Staff Director of STEM Partnerships Dr. Mel Dr. Rhea Ustad Waldman Director Outreach Specialist Education Phillip Huebner Elizabeth Martinson Director of STEM Partnerships Project Administrator Dr. Rhea Waldman Layne Manson Education Outreach Specialist Program Assistant Elizabeth Martinson Nick Eppard Project Administrator Communications Officer Layne Manson Program Assistant facebook.com/sdepscor Nicksdepscor.org Eppard Communications Officer

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation/EPSCoR Grant Number IIA-1355423 and by the State of South Dakota. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.