On Monday, April 29, assistant dean of Graduate Student Affairs, Kerry Landers, initiated a speed researching event aimed at developing students’ communication skills. In this event, students were expected to explain their research to their smart, but not expert, colleagues in only two minutes!

“We have received feedback from faculty who attended the recent Graduate Poster Session and were impressed with many of our graduate students’ ability to explain their research to non-experts,” notes Landers. “The goal of this speed researching event was to provide another opportunity for graduate students to continue to improve this essential skill.”

At the event, a total of 10 students explained their research to each other in pairs over lunch, followed by a two-minute constructive comments session. Students came from programs in biology, chemistry, engineering, genetics, MALS, and physics and astronomy. A wide range of research topics were discussed, including black holes, prion diseases, and the causes of the Arab Spring. Each student had the opportunity to present his or her research five times, providing plenty of practice.

“This event was great! I now know what other students in genetics, engineering, and chemistry do,” commented Daniel Durcan, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies student, who also serves as the graduate student activities coordinator. Durcan continued, “The clarity for the presentations was very impressive. I thought it was a great opportunity to practice explaining my research to students from other disciplines.”

The event was somewhat similar to the Three-Minute Research Presentation sessions held by the Graduate Studies Office in the past. However, there is a subtle difference in emphasis between the two events. The Three-Minute Research Presentation sessions involve a single three-minute talk and aim to improve public speaking skills. On the other hand, “speed researching” aims to help students present their research swiftly to several people—a skill they will need at job fairs or conferences. Such a skill is crucial in a competitive academic environment.

Speed researching is, indeed, very helpful and from the looks of it, a very successful idea. Please keep your eyes open for the second speed researching event!

by Gilbert Rahme

Old and new – Exec Board ’12-’13 and ’13-’14

On Tuesday May 8^th, the GSC held it’s annual elections for the Executive Board. Eight positions were open for election. They were: President, Vice President, Finance Chair, Student Life Chair, Academic Chair, Secretary and two Social Chairs. The Executive Board is responsible for the leadership of the GSC. Each member has their own portfolio and collectively they run action teams and organize social events. They also represent the GSC and Dartmouth, meeting the president of the College, the trustees, and grad leaders at other Ivy Schools.

While all graduate students are welcome to run in Executive Board elections, votes are cast by Departmental Representatives who have fulfilled both the attendance and volunteer requirements outlined in the GSC constitution: to vote, Departmental Representatives must attend all council meetings (two absences allowed) and volunteer at two GSC events.

The GSC’s role is to nurture and enhance a sense of graduate student community across Dartmouth’s graduate departments, schools, and programs. The GSC consists of elected Departmental Representatives from all Graduate Arts and Sciences programs, including TDI and Thayer, and non-voting representatives from the Tuck School of Business and the Geisel School of Medicine.

The winners of this year’s elections are:

President: Lisa Jackson

Vice President: Anne Xu
Finance Chair: Adrienne Perkins
Student Life Chair: Meg Menon
Academic Chair: Laurie Laker
Secretary: Drew Wong
Social Chairs: Haofeng Li and Erin O’Malley

For more information about the GSC, please visit the home page and don’t be afraid to reach out to your new Exec Board.

Elections for Departmental Representatives are held in the fall term.

The Exec Board in their own words:

Lisa Jackson, TDI, President: I feel so honored to have been elected President of the GSC for the upcoming school year! Building off the work initiated by this year’s GSC executive board and council as a whole, I hope that next year’s GSC will continue to foster communication and collaboration between the other grad student governments, between grad students and undergraduate students, and between grads and the college administration and broader Upper Valley community. By working together, we can continue to enhance the Dartmouth experience for everyone! Congratulations to my fellow executive board members elected on Tuesday as well; I can’t wait to work with you all.

Ani Xu, MALS, Vice President: For a long while, I’ve struggled with the concept of community at Dartmouth, or the lack thereof. Lately and thankfully, I’ve been proven dead wrong. I am absolutely overwhelmed by the strength of character of the students here. This community has given me so much and I sincerely hope that by serving as Vice President of the Graduate Student Council, I will have the opportunity to contribute back to the absolute best of my abilities. I am beyond excited to work with this excellent group of people in the coming year.

Adrienne Perkins, Biology, Finance Chair: I’m happy to have the opportunity to continue serving and working with the GSC as Finance Chair.

Drew Wong, Thayer, Secretary: I am excited to build on the framework established by the former GSC committees and to pave the way for the future councils.

Meg Menon, MALS: I look forward to working with the Graduate Student Council, as we support your interests and strive toward fostering our deep sense of community through tangible and sincere efforts. I promise to do my best in this position and  I encourage you to think of me as an advocate for your well-being and an agent for change that you would like to affect. Thank you.

Laurie Laker, MALS, Academic Chair: I’m honored and excited to have been elected to the GSC Executive Board. We’re all here at Dartmouth to better ourselves academically, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve our graduate student community towards that betterment. As a current MALS rep on the GSC, I’m excited to take the reigns of Academic Chair from Rich Lopez – who has done a tremendous job this past year. I can’t wait to get started.

Haofeng Li, Social Chair: Excited about this great opportunity! Hopefully our efforts will make this coming year awesome:)

Erin O’Malley, Social Chair: I am very excited to have been elected as the GSC Social Chair for 2013.  I look forward to being able to bring many diverse groups together and provide the very important social interactions that can all too often get missed in our hectic lives as graduate students.  Also, I look at this as an opportunity to use leadership skills to plan events that everyone can enjoy and to make this another successful year.

Working as a teaching assistant is one of the most rewarding, and oftentimes challenging, aspects of graduate school. Being a TA offers the opportunity to learn pedagogical techniques, such as lesson planning and testing strategies, from professors. TAs are in a unique position in that they act as a bridge between students and professors. TAs are therefore able to learn from undergraduates which pedagogical techniques work well.

“I think TAing is an excellent opportunity to ‘grow’ as a person. It makes me more responsible, as I am the person students refer to if they have any problems. TAing makes me see the same issue from different perspectives and appreciate that a problem may be faced and solved in different ways,” said Stefano Poggio from the Department of Chemistry, who was nominated by students from his Chemistry 6 class.

Despite the challenges, these TAs clearly excelled in their role. “He is an excellent teacher, going far beyond any other TA or professor that I have had in terms of his availability outside of class, willingness to discuss and explain the material individually to students, and quality of lectures,” said one undergrad of their TA. “[She] is one of the kindest, more enthusiastic people I know,” said another. Enthusiasm, passion for science, and patience were commonly cited as qualities of the outstanding TAs.

Dr. Cindy Tobery from DCAL hosted the lunch, at which graduate students and undergraduates were able to share classroom experiences and teaching techniques.  Because the graduate students came from very different academic backgrounds, they were able to share diverse opinions on teaching and life as a graduate student. Dr. Tobery noted, “I am always impressed that undergrads take the time to nominate a grad student for this award. Sometimes many students from a class work together to nominate their TA. I think this is a nice way to include undergraduates in Grad Student Appreciation Week.”

“Receiving this award was such unexpected news! I was so touched and honored! Mentoring students is always such a great experience for me, and it is very rewarding to know that the students think that I do a good job!” said Ramsa Chaves-Ulloa from the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program.

The 2013 nominees for Outstanding Graduate Student Teachers from an undergraduate perspective were Julia Bradley-Cook, Ramsa Chaves-Ulloa and Zak Gezon from the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program, Zeb Engberg and Zachary Evans from the Mathematics Department, Deqing Li from the Thayer School of Engineering, Stefano Poggio from the Department of Chemistry, Anna Prescott and Alex Schlegel from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Damian Sowinski from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Congratulations and keep up the good work, TAs!

by Zak Gezon

photo courtesy of Alex Schlegel

Poster Title: Irene Landslides and Sedimentation in Vermont Rivers:  Importance of Gradients in Transport Capacity

How do rivers transport sediment from the mountains to the sea? This question has implications for every species that lives in and near rivers, including humans. Hurricane Irene, as devastating as it was to so many people, provided an unprecedented opportunity to observe how rivers cut into and also bury the local landscape with sediment.

For decades, geomorphologists have measured stream power at spot locations along rivers to determine if the capacity at a point is high enough to transport sediment. Yet the stream power of rivers is seldom constant from the headwaters downstream, and this change should affect sediment transport dynamics. Specifically, if the stream power is decreasing downstream, going from high to low power along a given segment, then the river cannot carry the sediment load delivered from upstream and must deposit material. In contrast, if stream power increases moving downstream, then the river can entrain all sediment delivered from upstream and more, possibly exporting material from the riverbanks, undercutting the adjacent hillslopes, and inducing landslides. I hypothesized that river segments with decreasing stream power should exhibit widespread floodplain deposition and few landslides, and, conversely, segments with increasing stream power should exhibit abundant landslides and minimal floodplain deposition.

To test these ideas, landslides and floodplain deposits were mapped based on field surveys and aerial photos in two Vermont watersheds after Irene. Freely available digital elevation data were used to compute stream power and, more importantly, gradients in stream power on the two rivers. The hypotheses were supported by the preponderance of floodplain deposits occurring in reaches with decreasing stream power and an abundance of landslides in reaches with increasing stream power.

This novel approach to characterizing sediment transport dynamics shows that gradients in stream power can affect both the downstream and lateral mobility of sediment. In particular, decreasing downstream sediment transport capacity favors the movement of material from the river onto the adjacent landscape. However, reaches of increasing downstream capacity have an opposite dynamic, with material moving from adjacent areas into river channels. One critical broader implication is that maps of stream power gradients can be an important tool for protection and management of human infrastructure and riparian ecosystems.

poster summary by John Gartner

The Advisor/Advisee Coffee, Tea and Muffin Time was an exciting way to start the last day of Graduate Appreciation Week. The event was held on Friday, April 12 from 9 am to 10:30 am in Occom Commons, inside of the Goldstein Dorm in the new McLaughlin Residential Cluster.

By the end of a fun week of events in honor of graduate students, including many academic events, breakfast and some casual relaxation were welcomed. This was an excellent opportunity for graduate students to get to know their advisors a little better over coffee and breakfast. The spread included bagels, muffins, and donuts (basically every breakfast pastry you could think of!) from Lou’s Bakery, as well as coffee, orange juice, and tea. There was a large area for sitting with people from the graduate school off to the side opposite the food. The atmosphere was very casual, and every once in a while you would hear a small swell of laughter fill the room.

This event provided students the chance to talk with their advisors about things that may or may not be research related.  The dean of Graduate Studies Jon Kull observed, “The breakfast was a great opportunity for advisors and graduate students to sit down for an informal discussion about whatever was on their minds. Not to mention a lot of great food!”

The students who attended the event had positive things to say about the experience. Jeanine Amacher, a PhD candidate in the Department of Biochemistry exclaimed, “I consider myself to be in that lucky group of graduate students blessed with a mentor who treasures an ‘open door’ policy. However, even for those of us who regularly communicate with our advisors in a more informal way, the Grad Appreciation Week advisor/advisee breakfast provided a fun opportunity to share breakfast with multiple students and professors simultaneously! It was an excellent event, and nice to see it so well attended.”

In addition, students and faculty from all departments were given the chance to interact with each other. Professor of Biochemistry Dean Madden thought this was important, “The breakfast is a great chance for students and faculty to catch up, not only individually, but also across labs in different departments. Like many of the events during the week, it really helps to reinforce the strong sense of graduate community at Dartmouth.”

Another great event put together by the Grad Studies Office. A successful event for everyone that came, and hopefully we will see even more faces there next year!

by Britney Tappen

Congratulations to graduate student Alex Schlegel, in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, who was one of four winners of the Graduate Poster Session held recently in Alumni Hall! (Below is a summary of Schlegel’s poster.)

Poster Title: A Neural Network Supporting Mental Operations on Visual Imagery

Ask a bonobo what you get when you cross an elephant with a rhino, and he likely will not have the slightest clue. But if you ask me, I can vividly imagine an elephino with two tusks and horns charging through the savanna. Humans have evolved robust machinery for synthesizing new concepts that we can use for a range of pursuits including art and science. However, we know little about the neural basis of this machinery.

In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the brain’s ability to manipulate the contents of visual imagery. We developed a set of abstract visual shapes that could be assembled into 2×2 arrays to generate figures of varying complexity. Subjects performed two types of tasks: they either held the stimuli in short term memory for later recall or mentally manipulated the stimuli in working memory.

We found a network of 11 cortical and subcortical brain regions. There was differing activity between those tasks involving remembering and those involving manipulation. Multivariate pattern classification within these regions revealed a subset of frontal, parietal, and occipital areas whose informational structure could distinguish between the different mental operations. This suggests that these regions play a key role in mental operations. We also found that the pattern of functional connectivity between these regions changed depending on the task, with an area called the precuneus serving as a network hub.

Thus, a multi-region network of areas dominated by fronto-parieto-occipital connections supports the mental manipulation of visual imagery.

poster summary by Alex Schlegel

Congratulations to graduate student Marianna Kleyman, in the Department of Biochemistry, who was one of four winners of the Graduate Poster Session held recently in Alumni Hall! (Below is a summary of Kleyman’s poster.)

Poster Title: STAG2 Regulates Kinetochore-Microtubule Attachments in Human Cells

Chromosomes must be faithfully segregated during cell division to allow for normal growth and development of organisms. Errors in chromosome segregation cause birth defects and are common in many solid cancers yielding a heterogeneous population of cells. This increases the potential to resist drug treatment and metastasize, and generally leads to a poor cancer outcome for patients.

Cancer cells frequently missegregate whole chromosomes at high rates in a phenomenon called chromosomal instability, or CIN. CIN is caused by mal-attachments between chromosomes and the microtubule fibers responsible for movement of chromosomes during segregation.

The data demonstrate that loss of the chromosome-associated protein STAG2—important for chromosome cohesion—increases the frequency of mal-attachments of chromosomes to the microtubule fibers. The loss of STAG2 occurs in about 10-20% of cancers and results in the improper assembly of chromosomes. These data indicate that STAG2 plays an important role in ensuring faithful chromosome segregation in human cells.

poster summary by Marianna Kleyman

Congratulations to graduate student Sadik Antwi-Boampong, in the Department of Chemistry, who was one of four winners of the Graduate Poster Session held recently in Alumni Hall! (Below is a summary of Antwi-Boampong’s poster.)

Poster Title: Detection of Formaldehyde Vapor Using Conductive Polymer Films

Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous carcinogen that leaches from construction materials, household appliances, and abounds in cigarette aerosol. Systemic exposure to formaldehyde causes cancers of the lungs, throat, and mouth as well as myeloid leukemia. It has been reported that exposure to extremely low formaldehyde concentrations, as low as 10 ppm, has debilitating health effects.

Current formaldehyde sensors are expensive, insensitive, and do not detect and report in real time. The goal of this project is to produce a direct procedure that is sensitive, specific, and relatively inexpensive to be used for a variety of commercial applications.

The current effort is directed toward development of such a personal device using a resistive sensor based on a composite film comprising a conductive polymer and a formaldehyde-target polymer additive. Specifically, the primary component of the composite is polyaniline (PANi), a conductive polymer whose conductivity can be modulated through acid-base chemistry or redox reaction. We are also able to tune the porosity of the film, which enhances its ability to bind (and thus sense) formaldehyde.

The sensor has been successfully calibrated, and we find that the change in electrical resistance scales correlatively with concentration of formaldehyde vapor. Additionally, the film is selective to formaldehyde, and not to water vapor, chloroform, or the other organic molecules tested, thus making the sensor appropriate for the sole monitoring of formaldehyde vapor.

By effectively and discriminately binding to formaldehyde, these compelling results motivate the development of the active element in personal, wearable sensors that provide real-time indications of exposure in the environment.

poster summary by Sadik Antwi-Boampong

Skinner at the MDM Observatory

Graduate Studies is proud to highlight Julie Skinner of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for her many contributions to the field of astronomy and the Dartmouth community at large as she prepares to defend her thesis.

Skinner went to the University of Oklahoma where she received a BS in astrophysics. While at OU, she was involved in astronomy research with Dr. Dick Henry, studying the chemical abundances of planetary nebulae. In addition to her research and classes, she remained active as a musician and university ambassador.

Skinner’s inclination towards observational astronomy was a major factor in choosing where she would pursue her PhD. Dartmouth owns a 25% share of time at the MDM Observatory in Arizona. Telescope time, as well as a wonderful prospective student visit where she was charmed by the Upper Valley region and cheerful graduate students, made Dartmouth the obvious choice.

While at Dartmouth, Skinner has continued to execute exemplary research while remaining involved in activities outside of her chosen field. With advisor Dr. John Thorstensen, she investigates cataclysmic variable stars, a type of binary star system where two stars orbit each other so closely that matter from one falls onto the other. These systems have very fast orbits that may be less than two hours in some cases. The core of Skinner’s thesis revolves around a systematic search for these pairs and their progenitors in a nearby region of our galaxy. Her aim is to confirm that the astronomy community has identified all of the cataclysmic variables closest to us. The best part, according to Skinner, is that she has been involved in every point in the pipeline of data processing—from the telescope to the paper—and notes that there is no better feeling than discovering something brand new.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) outreach has been a significant aspect of Skinner’s time here at Dartmouth. Her favorite experiences have been the NSF GK-12 program and the National Science and Engineering Festival in Washington D.C. The NSF GK-12 program is coordinated by Dartmouth and pairs a STEM graduate student with a middle school teacher for an entire year. Skinner was placed in an 8^th grade Earth Sciences classroom where she developed and improved curriculum while building communication skills and becoming comfortable in front of a class. At the D.C. festival, Scifest, Skinner participated as part of the “Stellar Forensics” team, developing activities to share with the public about how astronomers use light to get information about the universe. In addition to these experiences, Skinner is a member of the future faculty advisory board for the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL), and volunteers weekly at the Young Explorers preschool program at the Montshire Museum of Science.

Skinner is currently wrapping up her thesis and plans on defending in the near future. To celebrate, she and her husband have discussed the possibility of taking a big trip. One thing is for certain, Skinner deserves to be recognized for her academic achievements and contributions to the surrounding community while at Dartmouth, and we wish her the best of luck in her future.

by Mackenzie Jones

Graduate students work hard.  Each one knows late nights and early mornings. However, all being said, you will have to look hard to find the graduate student who does not think this is all worthwhile. Graduate students’ dedication to their research and to the education of undergraduates is an invaluable contribution to Dartmouth. The research undertaken in both our PhD and Master’s programs, in both arts and sciences, reinforces Dartmouth as a world-class educational institution. TA-ships see graduate students burning the midnight oil, grading papers and then taking time away from their own work to spend time with students. Those who have done it know how much students benefit from the support of a TA, as a mentor and a role model. Despite the heavy workload and stressful life, graduate student’s community outreach and volunteer work is award-renowned, both in the local community and abroad.

Preparations for the poster session in Alumni Hall on Wednesday 10th April, 5pm-7:30pm.

So every year by the time it gets to spring term, some appreciation is due.

The idea for Graduate Appreciation Week came from the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS). In 1993, NAGPS established Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) as a mechanism to support and appreciate graduate and professional students. Dartmouth proudly sponsors this decade-long tradition.

F. Jon Kull, dean of Graduate Studies, commented on Graduate Appreciation Week:

“I really think it is crucial for the work of graduate students at Dartmouth to be highlighted and appreciated. Being a graduate student is a fantastic thing; it shows a true dedication to learning and advancing in a field or discipline. Dartmouth as an institution is fortunate to have so many enthusiastic and talented graduate students. Their contribution is felt everyday.”

The full range of events can be found here. Keep an eye out for the Graduate Poster Session. The Poster Session displays the best of graduate student talent. There you will see the range of research undertaken and all the hard work paying off. President Carol L. Folt will announce the winners of the Graduate Faculty Mentoring Award at the session. In short, the poster session really brings together many aspects of the graduate student experience.

“Graduate Appreciation Week gives the wider community the opportunity to take stock of their valuable contributions,” says Kull, “The schedule of events shows students they are valued, and the poster session allows their work to be displayed. The poster session is a great opportunity to learn more about Dartmouth Graduate Studies and some of the fantastic things achieved here.”

After the poster session is Pub Night at Molly’s Restaurant and Bar—we all need a break once in a while.

For more information about some of the achievements of Dartmouth’s graduate students, keep posted to the Grad News Forum and our Facebook and Twitter streams.

by Dan Durcan