By Jenny Wells-Hosley
Results from two separate research studies, led by University of Kentucky postdoctoral scholar Valeria Olivares and graduate student Arnab Sarkar, will be presented during the American Astronomical Society’s (AAS) semiannual meeting, taking place in Pasadena, California, this week.
Erin DolanAbstract: A graduate student’s relationship with their research advisor is considered to be the single-most influential factor in the quality and outcomes of their graduate training experience. Indeed, effective mentorship by research advisors promotes the development and success of graduate mentees. Yet, mentoring relationships, like any prolonged relationship, can have negative elements. Little research has examined the problematic elements of graduate research mentoring, even though prior research on mentoring in workplace settings suggests that negative mentoring experiences are common. This seminar will present findings from research on the negative mentoring that graduate life science researchers experience, including how their experiences differ from negative mentoring experienced in workplace settings. The session will offer insights on how mentor behaviors may be experienced as harmful or unhelpful and on how mentees and mentors can identify, avoid, and mitigate the impacts of negative mentoring.
Evangeline Ballerini is an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at California State University, Sacramento. Evangeline’s research examines the evolutionary genetics and developmental biology of traits influencing ecological interactions between plants and pollinators with a focus on the genus Aquilegia. Evangeline earned a BA from the Integrative Biology department at the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD from the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology department at Harvard University and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Abstract: The genus Aquilegia, commonly known as columbine, represents a classic example of adaptive radiation following the evolution of a key innovation - floral nectar spurs. Nectar spurs, tubular outgrowths of floral tissue that produce and store nectar, are hypothesized to promote speciation through pollinator specialization. Variation in spur morphology, along with other floral features such as color and orientation, allows flowers to adapt to different animal pollinators, contributing to reproductive isolation. I will present work focused on understanding the genetic basis of trait evolution in the genus Aquilegia at multiple evolutionary timescales. To shed light on how nectar spurs evolved in the Aquilegia ancestral lineage, I will highlight studies in which I used a combination of genomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify a key gene regulating nectar spur development. Focusing on more recent evolutionary history, I will discuss work in which I use similar techniques to explore the genetic basis of several floral traits distinguishing closely related Aquilegia species adapted to different animal pollinators and examine the population genetic processes influencing the evolution of these traits important for ecological speciation in the genus.
Erin Heath is the Director of Federal Relations at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The Office of Government Relations provides timely, objective information on science and technology issues to lawmakers, and it assists scientists in understanding and getting involved in the policy process.
Erin leads the federal policy team at AAAS and is heavily involved in efforts to empower scientists and engineers to engage with policymakers, the media and the public. She co-chairs the Coalition for National Science Funding, the Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy Coalition, and the steering committee of the Golden Goose Award. She played a key role in the launch of the Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI Center) at AAAS and serves on its internal advisory committee. She is also the inaugural chair of the Governing Board of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance.
Before joining AAAS, Erin worked for the American Institute of Biological Sciences, where she led the organization’s media training and outreach efforts and cut her teeth on science policy. Erin holds a Master of Science with Merit in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science. While in London, she served as a research assistant in Parliament. Prior to graduate school, she spent years as a journalist in Washington, most notably as a science policy reporter and columnist for the National Journal. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland.
In 2017, Erin was awarded the AAAS Champion Award, given to an individual who has "championed" the mission of AAAS with a positive attitude and has inspired and motivated others to embrace and fulfill the AAAS vision.
by Jenny Wells-Hosley
This week, the University of Kentucky and surrounding communities will celebrate Juneteenth — the federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans — with a variety of community events.
By Jenny Wells-Hosley
The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that 10 students and recent graduates have been selected to receive government-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. In addition, a UK doctoral student and two alumni received honorable mention recognition from the NSF.
Biosketch: Christopher H. Hendon is an Assistant Professor of Computational Chemistry at the University of Oregon, with interests in energy materials and coffee extraction. He obtained his BSc. Adv. HONS from Monash University (2011) and PhD from the University of Bath (2015). After a two year postdoc at Massachusetts Institute of Technology he joined the University of where his research group focuses the chemistry of transition metal clusters.
Prof. Hendon’s interest in coffee began during his PhD, and since then has published several peer-reviewed articles and a book, Water For Coffee. He enjoys washed African coffees, dry rieslings, and east coast oysters.
Abstract: Although generally thought of as highly ordered crystals, all metal-organic frameworks contain defects. Some defects may reveal catalytic active sites or hint at competing material phases, while othersmay result in electronic doping. Modern computational approaches are well-suited to studying theemergent chemistry of these imperfections, and can be used to directly inform experiment and characterization of materials with properties that diverge from those gleaned from crystallography. This talk discusses the chemistry afforded by defects in metal-organic frameworks, with a focus on structural dynamics and adatoms, both promoted by Lewis basic sites within the scaffolds. The utility of these defects will be presented from the perspective of heterogeneous catalyst development.
This lecture series commemorates the life and legacy of Professor Susan Odom, an energetic, productive, and driven faculty member in the Department of Chemistry from 2011 to 2021. It features speakers noted for outstanding research in Professor Odom’s fields of synthetic and materials chemistry.
Visit this page for more information on the Susan A. Odom lecture series.
Bio: Ellen was born in Washington D.C. and spent most of her life moving around the world with her family. After graduating from Somers High School (Somers, NY), Ellen attended Boston University, where she participated in the BUCOP program, pursuing simultaneous d
egrees in Science Education (B.S.) and Chemistry (B.A.). Following graduation, she journeyed out west to begin her graduate work at Purdue University, where she became a founding member of the research group of Suzanne C. Bart. Her thesis was centered around the synthesis and reactivity of low-valent, organouranium complexes. In 2013, she completed her Ph. D. work and began a postdoctoral position in the Fout Laboratory at UIUC, where she studied the development of bioinorganic systems for functional models of nitrite reduction. Ellen is a runner and has completed multiple marathons and half-marathons.
"Advances in Polyoxovanadate-alkoxide Cluster Synthesis with Application in Nonaqueous Redox-flow Batteries"
Abstract: Effective integration of renewable energy from intermittent sources (i.e. solar and wind) requires the development of efficient energy storage systems which can function in tandem with the electrical grid. Non-aqueous redox-flow batteries have emerged as promising systems for large-capacity, reversible energy storage capable of meeting the variable demands of the electrical grid. The use of non-aqueous solvents increases the energy density of these systems, however there are few electrolytes with sufficient solubility and electrochemical stability to function in organic media. In this work, we investigate the potential for Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters to serve as both the anolyte and catholyte for symmetric, non-aqueous redox-flow batteries. POV-alkoxide clusters display numerous, highly reversible redox events, and demonstrate significant solubility and electrochemical stability in organic solvents. These bulky compounds also demonstrate the ability to mitigate species crossover and membrane fouling, thereby improving the energy efficiency and lifetime of flow battery cells. The application of POV-alkoxides as electrolytes in organic media demonstrates that the remarkable redox properties of multimetallic clusters can be harnessed for non-aqueous energy storage applications, and represents an important new direction for the generation of high performance redox-flow batteries.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 9, 2022) — Poor sleep is linked to a wide range of medical issues, including hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. With more than a third of U.S. adults reporting insufficient sleep, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe sleep deprivation as a public health epidemic.
