Grad News Forum

Each spring, the Dean of Graduate Studies presents the Hannah T. Croasdale Award for academic excellence to graduating PhD students. The award recognizes exemplary scholars, dedicated to research and teaching. This year, the recipients are April Daigle Lewoczko and Laurel B. Symes.

Professor Hannah T. Croasdale conducted research and taught biology for more than 40 years at Dartmouth, retiring as a full professor in 1971. She was the first woman at Dartmouth to achieve the level of full professor. Professor Croasdale’s research focus was algae, specifically freshwater algae and desmids, which are single-celled green algae. She received her BS in 1928, her MS in 1931, and her PhD in 1935 all from the University of Pennsylvania.

The two recipients of the Croasdale Award this year have successfully undertaken the many roles of a scholar during their time at Dartmouth.

April Daigle Lewoczko completed her PhD in chemistry over the winter. She worked in Professor Joseph BelBruno’s lab. Lewoczko’s dissertation research focused on the adsorption of amines with gold surfaces. These nitrogen-containing molecules undergo accelerated transformations on gold surfaces and nanoparticles. In addition, she considered the effects of magnetism in the structure of small clusters of manganese and sulfide atoms.

Lewoczko has been a productive researcher during her graduate career. In 2011, she received the Walter H. Stockmayer Graduate Fellowship and in 2009 a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship. Along with Professor Belbruno, she recently published an article entitled “Impact of surface steps and oxygen pre-coverage on the adsorption of methylamine on gold” in the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Issue 13. She has also published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry and Surface Science.

Lewoczko showed dedication to teaching while at Dartmouth. She was a teaching assistant for several courses, including honors general chemistry and physical chemistry. For her work in these courses, she was chosen for the Graduate Teaching Award in 2012. About her teaching experience, Lewoczko observes, “The time I spent as a teaching assistant in the general and physical chemistry courses was defining to my time at Dartmouth. I found great joy in mentoring and working alongside undergraduates in discovering chemistry.”

Lewoczko is currently working with Stefan Bromley of the University of Barcelona on a computational project studying cosmic dust—in particular the degree of order in small magnesium-containing silicate dust particles. She is thrilled to receive the Croasdale Award, noting “It is an honor to be recognized by this award as I graduate. I have had a tremendous time as a member of the Dartmouth community and will be forever grateful to all those who have invested in me as a scholar, especially my adviser Joseph BelBruno.”

Laurel B. Symes is a PhD candidate in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program. She works in Professor Mark McPeek’s lab, studying sensory ecology and animal behavior. In particular, she is researching the processes that generate new species in crickets as a way of understanding the broader processes that lead to the formation of new species.

Symes has received several research grants during her time at Dartmouth, including the Huyck Preserve Research Grant in 2011 and 2012, the Orthopterists’ Society Research Grant in 2010 and 2012, the Gilman Grant in 2010, and the Graduate Alumni Research Grant in 2010. She has recently published on her work in Current Zoology and the Journal of Orthopteran Research.

Symes has also been involved in teaching during her graduate studies. She has been a TA for biostatistics, ecology, and marine biology. She also worked for the Biology Foreign Studies Program in Costa Rica and the Cayman Islands in 2010. Symes has shown dedication to undergraduate education through mentoring as well; she has been a senior research mentor, a summer research mentor, and a Women in Science Project (WISP) mentor. In 2012, Symes was a National Science Foundation Graduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in K-12 Education (GK-12) fellow.

Reflecting on her time at Dartmouth, Symes observes, ‪”Graduate school has been a formative experience. The interpersonal interactions have been critical to my graduate education, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to interact with exceptional students and colleagues throughout my time at Dartmouth. These experiences have been central to my development as a scientist and a mentor. My approach to science has been shaped by the people in this community.”

Symes is excited and honored to receive the Croasdale Award. Following graduation, she will be starting a postdoctoral research position at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

The Graduate Studies Office wishes to congratulate both Lewoczko and Symes on their award.

Two Dartmouth students have their sights set on very different kinds of science, courtesy of the National Science Foundation (NSF). As recipients of NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, Eshin Jolly will pursue graduate studies in cognitive neuroscience at Dartmouth while Aryeh Drager ’12 will head to Colorado State University to study atmospheric science.

For the full article go to Dartmouth Now.

Alex Schlegel gives NSF application advice

Attending the NSF (National Science Foundation) application workshop, for first and second year graduate students, was a fantastic opportunity to prepare before applying for an NSF fellowship. Although the deadline varies depending on field of study, most applications are due around the second week of November, so the timing of this workshop was great. The fellowship is awarded to 2000 students a year, with over 12 000 applicants in 2011. The application process requires each applicant to submit transcripts and grades, as well as a personal statement, research proposal, and an account of research experience. In two sessions, guided by Kerry Landers, students worked, in small groups, to produce rough drafts, which were critiqued with the help of faculty. It was exciting to see the students come to the second workshop prepared for the critiquing session.

After Kerry was finished summarizing what we would be doing for the afternoon, a recipient of last year’s award, Alex Schlegel, took the floor. He outlined what he felt were the most important strategies to his success. “Including the broader impact” of one’s research was the key take home of this short introductory talk, perseverance was also something that Alex stressed. He explained the importance of applying more than once, as the first time you may not produce exactly what reviewers want to see. After some questions, we broke into two groups, led by Dr. George O’Toole, and Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Jon F. Kull.

This part was the meat of the session, where students shared and critiqued their statements and research proposals. Former recipient, Alex, sat in with one of the groups, and offered important information to students regarding wording and context, but also reminded them to be themselves and to take his critiques with a grain of salt. Sharing different styles of writing was definitely a good experience for everyone involved. The feedback was helpful, and was  beneficial to all who attended.

by Britney Tappen

Melody Brown Burkins, second from left, with WISP members.

Melody Brown Burkins, Senior Director of Research & Strategic Initiatives at the University of Vermont (UVM), visited Dartmouth recently and spoke at a Women in Science luncheon. During her time as a graduate student at Dartmouth, Melody served as President of the Graduate Student Council (1998-1999), and also won the Hannah Croasdale Award for excellent in research and teaching. She has recently been appointed Dartmouth’s Graduate Alumni Rep to the Alumni Council.

Asked why she chose Dartmouth for her graduate studies, Melody explained that Dartmouth was one of two top choices and the deciding factor was that Dartmouth’s Earth Sciences program was more flexible, allowing her to take a variety of classes and explore her options, whereas the other program she was considering was very structured and specific. It was her experience at Dartmouth that first sparked her interest in policy. As a graduate student, she participated in many long-term ecologic programs that were funded by the NSF (National Science Foundation). Despite all of her exciting, albeit grueling, projects—working under the scorching sun in the Jornada Desert in New Mexico (“I think I only passed out once,” she jokes, “it was hot”), and then in the vastly different, freezing climates of the Antarctic—Melody found her interests expanding outside of research.

“I was fascinated by the science, but I really wanted to learn about how these projects were funded, and who was paying for it,” said Melody. She was thrilled when she was selected for the National Congressional Science and Technology Fellowship–a fellowship in which, according to Melody, “clueless scientists were thrown into congress.”

The position called for concise, non-scientific writing and communication and, through some trial and error, she realized that the strategies that would have been very appropriate in academia were not as effective in her new position—she needed to change her approach, and quickly did. “I was learning from people who were younger than me and had so much more experience in this world than I did,” she revealed, adding, “I learned to be very humble and realize that even with my expertise, there was still a lot to learn.”

She was soon offered the role of Special Legislative Assistant, to Senator Patrick Leahy, and, not long after, The University of Vermont, having heard what Melody had done for them from DC (in terms of science and policy) offered her a position there. “They wanted me to take programs that had a lot of investment but no funding and secure funding for them with support from the delegation. It was a perfect fit!” she explained.

On the flip side of her developing career path, Melody and her partner were (and still are) raising a family together, and the demands of her various positions required them to make some decisions regarding childcare and work. To make the balancing act less tedious, her husband (whom she met at Dartmouth) decided it would be best for the family if he became a stay-at-home dad, and Melody continued to pursue her career goals. This dynamic has worked beautifully for them, and now he is exploring a new career as a singer/songwriter—a venture he originally began as a graduate student, at Dartmouth.

Aside from having a supportive family, and being adventurous and open to change, Melody encourages students interested in non-academic work to network, and to realize that their application process may need to be self-guided since many advisers will not have connections outside of science. She also urges individuals to remember that their graduate degree does not mean that they will be experts in any field they choose to venture into; hard work, and the willingness to learn and adapt are key. For those who see themselves in managerial positions, Melody stressed that everyone benefits when you give your team trust and support, “what people need is to be heard and then championed. Invest in your people first.”

Asked about her future plans, Melody happily mused, ” I’ve thought about taking some time to write a book or a course, perhaps on how to get scientists talking together, and how to get their points across to non-experts, and therefore how to obtain funding–basically the stuff I most struggled with when I first started. But really, I’m open to whatever paths may present themselves!”

by Tennile Sunday

Five Dartmouth graduate students have received prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for 2012. The award will support their development as scientists and research into topics ranging from genetics and sea level rise to plant domestication and how creative pursuits change the brain.

For the full article go to Dartmouth Now.

This year was quite eventful for the Department of Earth Sciences.  We were shocked by the untimely death of James Scott.  James’ PhD student Derek Smith is now working with Marilyn Fogel at the Carnegie Institution in Washington DC. We graduated six students in the last year—one PhD and five MS’s—and welcomed nine new graduate students.  The graduated students are now working in the industry or studying for higher degrees at other universities.

Brian Dade recently replaced Carl Renshaw as chair of the department.  Carl is the Principal Investigator on a $2.5 million NSF grant that will fund an educational outreach program, in which Dartmouth graduate students will educate local middle school students in science, technology, engineering and math.

Bob Hawley’s glaciology group has grown considerably this year.  In addition to a new Post Doc (Eric Lutz), there are two new graduate students: Thomas Overly (PhD, IGERT Fellow) and Blaine Morriss (MS).  Thus far, Bob’s group has garnered over $1 million in external support.  Last summer, Bob, Gifford Wong (PhD, IGERT Fellow), and Zoe Courville (UNH Post Doc) traveled to Summit Camp, Greenland, to procure a 100m ice core as well as conduct several snowpit studies.  This summer, the glaciology group will be working on six concurrent, externally-funded projects, which will take six Dartmouth grad students and faculty to Greenland this summer to undertake three independent field campaigns.  Gifford, who recently returned from an austral summer abroad, also participated in drilling the longest American ice core (3331 meters!) while working on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core Project.

Meredith Kelly’s research group is comprised of four graduate students who use exposure age dating and lake sediment records to understand past climate changes.  Meredith was recently awarded an NSF Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change grant to study the mechanisms of climate change in the southern tropical and mid-latitude Andes during the Holocene.  Justin Stroup (PhD) and Sam Beal (PhD) organized and led a research expedition to map glacial geology, collect boulder samples, and obtain lake sediment cores near Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru. Laura Levy (PhD, IGERT fellow) conducted a successful field season to East Greenland in September, and she has since been analyzing boulder samples and lake sediment cores. Tom Baker (MS) will travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario this spring to collect boulder samples that he will use to study the eastward drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz.

Xiahong Feng’s stable isotope group admitted two PhD students, Alex Lauder and Ben Kopec, under the IGERT program.  The group is using stable isotopes of precipitation to study the impact of sea-ice change on both ocean-surface evaporation and land precipitation in the Arctic under the newly-launched Isotopic Investigation of Sea Ice and Precipitation in the Arctic Climate System (iisPACS) project, jointly led by Professors Feng and Posmentier, of Dartmouth College, and Jeff Burkhart, of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research.  Alex and Ben will travel to Greenland this summer through the NSF-sponsored IGERT fellowship program.  They will measure the isotopic composition of vapor over diverse bodies of water and sample lake water for later isotopic analysis.  Thirty degrees further west, Kelly Everhart is planning to finish her Masters project, which characterizes the extent to which sea ice modifies the isotopic composition of precipitation landing on the North Slope of Alaska, early this summer.

Mukul Sharma’s radiogenic isotope lab group admitted two new PhD students, Hannah Hallock and Kelly Landau.  Two old hands in the lab, Tim Blazina, MS, and Yingzhe Wu, MS, will be presenting their work in the AGU fall meeting.  Tim has done extensive field work on New Zealand’s North Island where he is studying chemical weathering.  Yingzhe has been studying the origin of the magnetic spherules at the Younger Dryas boundary, a period of intense climate change that coincided with the disappearance of the Clovis people and mega-fauna of North America.

The fluvial geomorphology group, under the auspices of Carl Renshaw, Brian Dade and Frank Magilligan, admitted one new student, Eirik Buraas.  He will investigate the effect of dams on New England rivers.  John Gartner, a third-year PhD student, was recently awarded two grants.  The NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant will help support his research on dam removal and sediment transport, and a National Center for Airborne Laser Altimetry Seed Grant allows repeat LiDAR data at one dam removal. This spring, Nathan Hamm will defend his dissertation on fine sediment dynamics in stream beds.

In other news, Jennifer Bailard just finished another successful field season in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.  Rachel Neurath is nearing completion of her MS thesis on soil carbon cycling in harvested and old growth forests, and Jie Yang is gearing up for his PhD on heavy metal contamination.

By John Gartner, Sam Beal, Kelly Everhart, Gifford Wong, and Mukul Sharma.

Photo: Dartmouth graduate students Gifford Wong (PhD, Earth Sciences), Lauren Culler (PhD, EEB) and Simone Whitecloud (PhD, EEB) during their IGERT trip to Greenland.