NC STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2007

Discoveries that

change everything

These two paleontologists’

discoveries have

revolutionized

concepts in their

field and beyond.

IN THIS ISSUE Scope Academy 12 Physics moves into Riddick 14 Genetic light switches 18 New professorships 19

scope A LO O K I N S I D E THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

PAMS Foundation Board of Directors

PAMS Alumni & Friends

Advisory Board

Benton Satterfield, President

Carl Allen, Vice President

Bill White, Secretary

Cindy Clark

Floyd Green

Scott Guthrie

Larry James

Glenn Osmond

Jack Penny

Kimberly Potter

Er Ralston

Nancy Ridenhour

Pam Pittman Robinson

Chuck Wachtel

Leigh Wilkinson

PAMS Campaign

Committee

Eric Bigham

Charles Case

Eric Doggett

Suzanne Gordon

Julie McVay

Connie Moreadith

Emily Mann Peck*

Mike Peirson

Ginger Sall*

John Sall*

* Co- chairs

Bob Jordan

Liaison, University Committee

scope

Officers

Don Johnson, President

Eric Doggett, Vice President

Anita Stallings, Secretary

Kathy Hart, Treasurer

Charles Leffler, Assistant Treasurer

General Members

Charles Case

Roy Cromartie

Maureen Droessler

Stephen Frye

Ned Guttman

Lawrence Ives

Charles Joyner

Rob Lindberg

Preston Linn

Marty Mascianica

Connie Moreadith

Dale Newton

Mo Ogburn

Mike Peirson

Tom Rhodes

John Ryals

John Sall

Cathy Sigal

Cecil Smith

Glen Snider

Herb Strickler

Bill Trent

Bill White

Leigh Wilkinson

Glen Williams

Meredith Williams

Mark Wyatt

Christian Wypasek

Miriam Zietlow

Emeritus

Richard Cook

Scope is published by the College of

Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

The College is made up of internationally

recognized departments:

Physics

Mathematics

Chemistry

Molecular & Structural Biochemistry

Statistics

Marine, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences

Dean

Daniel Solomon

Editor

Anita Stallings

Writer

Sally Ramey

Contributing Writers

Tracey Peake

Matt Burns

Design

Zubigraphics

11,750 copies of this public document

were printed at a cost of $ 8,036.00

or 68¢ per copy.

On the cover:

Mary Schweitzer and Julia Clarke stand

in front of the Acrocanthosaurus atokensis

at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

PAMS’ partnership with the museum

enables Schweitzer to serve as curator

of vertebrate paleontology and Clarke as

research curator of paleontology at the

museum. Photo by Roger Winstead.

FALL 2007 in this issue...

4

11

18

24

Dean’s message

2 Discoveries that change everything

College news

10 Mathematics student explores science writing career

10 Masters of analytics program introduced

14 Physics moves into Riddick Hall

16 A new building and barbecue for Physics

17 Conference room honors Patty

20 How thirsty is your grass?

Research highlights

4 NC State rocks paleontology

9 Meet the next generation in paleontology

11 Fishing for seafood safety

18 Scientists create genetic light switches

20 Astrophysicists receive grant to study supernovae mysteries

Honors

3 Notables

3 Bryant to lead research center

Alumni and Development news

12 Science must address energy issue now

12 Scope Academy draws big crowd

17 Sayers Auditorium dedicated

19 Chemistry Department gains two new professorships

19 Statistics alumni close to professorship goal

22 Why we give

24 Science House matching program attracts two endowments

24 Alumni honor graduate professor

Just for Fun

21 So how much rain did you get at your place?

Every day, scientists around the world make

discoveries that expand human knowledge.

Every day, researchers make discoveries that

clarify our current understanding, contradict

previous findings or introduce something new

and unexpected. This results in further ques-tions,

study and research as the scientific

process continues its diligent approach to

determine what we know, what we don’t

know, and what we need to know.

Every discovery, no matter how large or

small, is important. Most are rarely reported

outside of scientific journals. But every now

and then, discoveries are made that dramati-cally

challenge conventional understandings.

These “ disruptive” discoveries make headlines

not only in the science media, but in the main-stream

media as well.

Jim Martin of our Department of Chemistry

made such a discovery when he found that liq-uids

have structure, and that they can be engi-neered

with a variety of desired properties. This

discovery instantly rendered the traditional def-inition

of “ liquid” obsolete and created a new

sub- field within materials science, which was

reported in the Spring 2003 Scope.

John Blondin, Steve Reynolds and Kazimierz

Borkowski in our Department of Physics made

recent discoveries about supernovae explo-sions

that overturned several long- held beliefs

about our universe – beliefs that formed the

foundation for many aspects of astrophysics

( see story, page 20).

In this issue, you’ll read about two faculty

members in the Department ofMarine, Earth

and Atmospheric Sciences whose discoveries

have shaken the foundations of paleontology

– forever changing how we view the dinosaur/

bird relationship, and even how we view the

fossilization process itself ( see story, page 4).

An interesting irony is that neither Julia

Clarke nor Mary Schweitzer set out to be pale-ontologists.

They both happened to take

paleontology classes that inspired them to

change the direction of their academic careers

– classic examples of how instructors make a

difference by inspiring their students – even

those taking a class just for fun.

Discoveries cost money, however. Faculty

must spend a significant amount of time

preparing research proposals for funding agen-cies.

Competition for funding is fierce, and

some fields, such as paleontology, have only

small amounts of resources available.

There is a misconception that the state

budget and tuition fully funds all of the uni-versity’s

activities and needs. This is far from

true, and faculty constantly struggle for addi-tional

funding to support the educational and

research needs of their students and programs.

Equipment, supplies, travel costs, conference

fees, graduate student stipends – all are typi-cal

expenses covered by research funding.

Research also may be supported by private

funds. The chart inside the back cover indi-cates

our goal for such funding in the Achieve!

Campaign for NC State.

Our College has a solid record of success

when it comes to obtaining competitive fund-ing,

and we have experienced a steady growth

in support for the last several years. However,

the need for resources never goes away, and it

is critical to ensuring a quality educational

experience for students at all levels.

Research is important – it fuels economic

development, enables environmental stew-ardship,

drives development of products and

services, improves the human condition and

answers our most intriguing questions. It also

inspires our students – and we never know

which of them will make tomorrow’s discover-ies,

or shake the foundations of their disciplines.

Daniel L. Solomon, Dean

2  FALL 2007 | scope

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON

Discoveries that change everything

Research is important— it fuels economic

development, enables environmental stewardship,

drives development of products and services,

improves the human condition and answers our most

intriguing questions.

Dean Dan Solomon listens to

Michael Paesler’s remarks at the

rededication ceremony for Riddick Hall

( see related story, page 16).

scope | FALL 2007  3

Robert L. Bryant has been named to a five-year

term as director of the Mathematical

Sciences Research Institute ( MSRI), a major

international center based in Berkeley, Cal.

Simultaneously, he has been appointed as a

tenured professor in the Department of

Mathematics at the University of California,

Berkeley.

MSRI is one of the world’s premier centers

for research in the mathematical sciences, and

has been advancing mathematical research

through workshops and conferences since its

founding as an independent institute in 1982.

More than 1,700 mathematical scientists visit

MSRI each year for stays of up to one academic

year. The institute is funded primarily by the

National Science Foundation with additional

support from other government agencies, pri-vate

foundations, academic and corporate

sponsors, and individual donors.

Bryant received his BS in mathematics from

NC State in 1974 and his PhD in mathematics

from the University of North Carolina in

Chapel Hill in 1979. He received the 2004

PAMS Distinguished Alumnus Award, and has

provided support for mathematics students for

many years through the John W. Cell Scholar-ship

and the Fund for Excellence.

He started his career at Rice University as

an assistant professor in 1979 and was later

named the Noah Harding Professor ofMathe-matics.

In 1988, he came to Duke University

as the J. M. Kreps Professor of Mathematics.

His research focuses on nonlinear partial dif-ferential

equations and differential geometry.

“ Robert has excelled in every area in which

academic achievement can be measured,” said

PAMS Dean Dan Solomon. “ We are very

proud that he has been selected to lead one of

the world’s most prominent mathematics

research organizations.”

Bryant visited MSRI in 2001 as the Clay

Mathematics Visiting Professor while on

sabbatical. He returned to MSRI in 2003 as

co- organizer of the institute’s research program

in Differential Geometry. He also served as a

member of MSRI’s board of trustees in

1999– 2004 and as chair in 2001– 2004.

He was appointed by President George W.

Bush to the Board of the Vietnam Education

Foundation ( 2002– 05). In 2002, Bryant was

elected to the American Academy of Arts and

Sciences. Earlier this year, he was elected a

member of the National Academy of Sciences.

He also serves as vice president of the

American Mathematical Society, and director

of the Institute for Advanced Study/ Park City

Mathematics Institute.

According to his MSRI predecessor, David

Eisenbud, Bryant is a superb researcher, inter-nationally

renowned in the mathematical

community, one whose scientific interests and

knowledge are very broad.

“ He is loved as a lecturer and teacher because

he thinks so clearly, and cares so visibly and

effectively about his audiences and students.

He possesses a rare quality of selflessness,” said

Eisenbud. “ I believe that these characteristics,

combined with his organizational skill and love

of culture will make him a great director.”

Bryant to lead research center

Notables

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

Robert Bryant

Robert Bereman ( Chemistry professor

emeritus)— member, Board of Visitors,

Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana

Bibhuti Bhattacharyya ( Statistics faculty)—

North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine,

the state’s highest civilian honor

Marie Davidian ( Statistics faculty)— 2007

Janet L. Norwood Award for Outstanding

Achievement by a Woman in Statistical

Sciences

Alexander Deiters ( Chemistry faculty)—

Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award; Cottrell

Scholar for proposal “ A Library Approach

to Cellular Light Receptors”

Jacqueline Hughes- Oliver ( Statistics

faculty)— Fellow, American Statistical

Association

Jack Silverstein ( Mathematics faculty)—

Fellow, Institute of Mathematical Statistics

Daniel Solomon ( Dean)— Chapter Award,

American Statistical Association, North

Carolina Chapter

Bill Swallow ( Statistics faculty)— Mu

Sigma Rho Statistical Education Award

Douglas Young ( Chemistry graduate

student)— 2007– 08 American Chemical

Society Student Fellowship, Division of

Medicinal Chemistry

Elizabeth Zell ( MS ’ 80 Statistics)—

Fellow, American Statistical Association

Ji Zhang ( PhD ’ 90 Statistics)— Fellow,

American Statistical Association

MSRI is one of the

world’s premier

centers for research

in the mathematical

sciences.

Jack Silverstein

Mary Higby Schweitzer’s 2005 amazing dis-covery

of soft tissue inside the thigh bone of

a 68- million- year- old Tyrannosaurus Rex not

only led to endless speculation as to whether

or not “ Jurassic Park” may be within reach, it

also revealed how little is really known about

fossilization.

And while it is now generally accepted that

living birds are one group of surviving

dinosaurs, Julia Clarke’s research has shed new

light on the complex transitions linked to the

origin of flight in dinosaurs and how there are

so many diverse groups of birds today.

But neither scientist set out to shake up

the paleontological status quo. In fact, nei-ther

set out to be in paleontology at all – until

they both just happened to take a class that

inspired them, connected them to paleon-tologists

who later became their mentors,

and changed the course of their careers.

COURTESY OF JULIA CLARKE

4  FALL 2007 | scope

NC State’s paleontology

program consists of only two

faculty members – small

compared to most other

programs. However, within

the past few years, these

researchers have received

worldwide attention for dis-coveries

that have captured

the public’s imagination and

defied long- held scientific

assumptions within their

field and beyond.

COURTESY OF JULIA CLARKE

Julia Clarke unearths the fossil of a tiny dinosaur in Mongolia.

Its white bones can be seen just beneath her elbow’s shadow.

NC State rocks paleontology

scope | FALL 2007  5

Clarke: So many choices

While growing up in the San Francisco Bay

area, Clarke was always interested in science

… and literature, language, history, philoso-phy,

culture, archaeology … the list goes on.

She loved stories about explorers and adven-turers,

and she enjoyed finding things like

shells or rocks. She volunteered at the

California Academy of Sciences and browsed

through the museum’s many collections draw-ers,

marveling over fossils millions of years old.

Clarke attended Brown University, where

her broad interests meant that she considered

several areas of study and careers, from geology

to literature and philosophy of science. She

even considered science journalism. She chose

a dual degree in geo- biology and comparative

literature and graduated in 1995.

“ I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,

but I wanted to be prepared to do it,” she said.

“ A science degree provides a good base in crit-ical

thinking, and the comparative literature

program required that I become fluent in a

foreign language, which I felt was important

to whatever I decided to do.”

A passionate student, Clarke received a

number of fellowships that allowed her to do

research and curricular development. She won

a coveted Fulbright Fellowship for a research

project she designed on scientific travel writing

and nationalism in 19th century Argentina.

Before leaving for Argentina, she took a geol-ogy

seminar on events at the “ K/ T Boundary,”

the geologic boundary between the Cretaceous

and Tertiary period and the point at which

non- avian dinosaurs became extinct. She was

fascinated and found an internship with Yale

University paleontologist Jacque Gauthier. Yale

is a center for research into the relationship of

dinosaurs to living birds, and Gauthier is a key

figure in that area.

The seminar intrigued Clarke, and Gauthier

Julia Clarke overlooks the Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.

6  FALL 2007 | scope

COURTESY OF MARY SCHWEITZER

encouraged her to enter graduate school in pale-ontology.

After field experience in Patagonia,

Argentina, with another fossil bird specialist,

Clarke was hooked. Paleontology nourished her

diverse interests.

“ It allows you to travel extensively, work with

scientists from very different cultural back-grounds,

and think about interesting questions

not only from science but history and philos-ophy,”

she said.

She earned a doctorate from Yale’s Depart-ment

of Geology and Geophysics in 2002, after

which she spent two years as a Frick Post-doctoral

Fellow at the American Museum of

Natural History in New York.

Schweitzer: A third career

Inspired by books given to her by her

brother, Schweitzer decided when she was five

that she wanted to be a paleontologist when

she grew up.

Of course, childhood dreams rarely come

true. Schweitzer left her hometown of Helena,

Montana, to attend Utah State University. After

receiving a degree in speech therapy in 1977,

she moved home, got married and raised three

children. Later, she decided to become a high

school science teacher, so she earned a teach-ing

certificate from Montana State University

in Bozeman.

She finished school in December of 1988,

but wouldn’t graduate until spring. During this

time, and just for fun, she took a class under

famed paleontologist Jack Horner, the inspi-ration

for the “ Dr. Alan Grant” character in

Michael Crichton’s book Jurassic Park, and advi-sor

to the Jurassic Park films.

The class reawakened her interest in

dinosaurs, and afterward, she volunteered at

the Museum of the Rockies, where Horner is

curator of paleontology. While working as a

substitute teacher, she immersed herself in read-ing

about dinosaurs and using junk fossils to

teach herself about microscopic bone charac-teristics.

When Horner could no longer address

her questions, he advised her to go to gradu-ate

school and find the answers herself.

She took his advice, and almost immediately,

she found structures that appeared to be red

blood cells in a thin section of dinosaur bone.

When Horner saw the structures, he asked her

if she thought they were preserved dinosaur

blood cells.

“ No,” she said. After all, according to con-ventional

wisdom, this was impossible.

Known for challenging convention, Horner

said, “ Then prove that they’re not.”

“ I had just submitted the proposal for my

master’s thesis the day before,” she said. “ And

then suddenly, the focus of my research

changed, and my degree went from being a

master’s to a PhD.”

How do you prove that tiny red discs are

ancient blood cells, and not a contaminant such

as a fungus? This question had never been

asked. In fact, no one had ever looked at fos-silized

structures at this scale. Schweitzer had

Medical gloves at a dinosaur dig?

Mary Schweitzer’s research has

changed the way fossils are handled in

the field. If a fossil is in an environment

suitable for preservation of soft tissue,

care must be taken to avoid contamination.

“ We tend to think of penguins as being

cold- adapted species, but the new fossils date back to one

of the warmest periods in the last 65 million years of

Earth’s history. The evidence indicates that penguins

reached equatorial regions more than

30 million years before previous estimates.”

Julia Clarke

to develop, test and perfect research methods

never before attempted. The work kept her busy

throughout her graduate school years, and for

several years after receiving her PhD in 1995.

New ideas take flight

Clarke came to NC State’s Department of

Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in

2004 as an assistant professor. She also is a

research associate for the American Museum

of Natural History, and a research curator for

the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

Within only five years of earning her doc-torate,

Clarke has published an impressive

number of major papers.

Soon after joining NC State, Clarke an-nounced

the discovery of 42 million- year- old

penguin fossils from southern- most South

America, doubling the previous penguin fossil

record on that continent. Her findings also pro-vided

support for the idea that penguins may

have first lived in warm climates and only later

adapted to cold ones.

A year later, in 2005, she published a paper

in the journal Nature about a 65 million- year-old

relative of ducks and chickens. Until this

discovery, scientists had debated whether ances-tors

of living bird groups existed that long ago

or came on the scene only after non- avian

dinosaurs became extinct. This find settled that

argument and represented the first proof that

a relative of modern birds lived alongside non-avian

dinosaurs. It also proved that these birds

survived the mass extinction event that killed

off the dinosaurs.

In June 2007, Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences published Clarke’s dis-covery

of two new species of extinct equato-rial

penguins – one of which stood five feet tall

and had a fearsome, never- before seen, spear-like

beak.

This giant penguin lived about 36 million

years ago. The other species lived about 42 mil-lion

years ago, was about two and one- half to

three feet tall, and represents a very early stage

of penguin evolutionary history. Both lived on

the southern coast of Peru, and are among the

most complete early penguin fossils ever found.

Penguins were thought to have evolved in the

high latitudes of Antarctica and New Zealand,

moving closer to the equator about 10 million

years ago, long after significant global cooling

that occurred about 34 million years ago.

“ We tend to think of penguins as being cold-adapted

species,” Clarke said.“ But the new fos-sils

date back to one of the warmest periods in

the last 65 million years of Earth’s history. The

evidence indicates that penguins reached

equatorial regions more than 30 million years

before previous estimates.”

Clarke cautioned against assuming that

because ancient penguins thrived in warm cli-mates,

today’s penguins aren’t endangered by

global warming. Today’s climate change is hap-pening

on a distinctly shorter time scale and

involves only living penguin species that may

be cold- adapted.

Most recently, Clarke announced yet another

surprise about dinosaur size, which was pub-lished

in a September 2007 edition of Science.

Paleontologists have long theorized that

miniaturization was one of the last stages in the

long series of changes required for dinosaurs to

make the evolutionary “ leap” to take flight and

become birds. But new evidence from a tiny

Mongolian dinosaur shatters the theory.

“ This specimen shows that dinosaurs evolved

small size earlier than we previously thought,”

Clarke said.“ And even more interesting is that

in a couple of the lineages most closely related

to birds, dinosaurs didn’t stay small – they got

much larger. So we now see some competing

trends within very closely related groups over

the same Cretaceous time interval.”

If miniaturization of dinosaurs occurred

well before the origin of flight, then this raises

other questions about the ways that paleon-tologists

have traditionally explained trends in

the early history of birds.

“ We thought dinosaurs got smaller, grew

faster and flew,” Clarke said.“ Now that we see

small size occurring well before many other

innovations in locomotion and growth strat-egy,

it forces us to question previous assump-tions

about the acquisition of traits seen in

living birds.”

Blood from a stone

Scientists have long believed that when a crea-ture

died and became fossilized, soft tissues

rotted away and bones were transformed into

rock through a gradual replacement of all or-ganic

material by minerals, forming a stone copy

of the original. This belief was so firmly rooted

that no one had ever bothered to look very

closely at the process, or the fossils themselves.

Schweitzer’s work on small features and

structures within fossils revealed that mineral-ization

can copy even the tiniest structures.

Much can be learned about dinosaurs from the

tiny details hidden within their bones. But

because she was studying fossils at a scale, and

with methods never before tried, she found

something amazing.

When forced to break a T. rex thighbone so

it could be removed from an eastern Montana

scope | FALL 2007  7

COURTESY OF MARY SCHWEITZER

Mary Schweitzer’s tent stands beneath

eastern Montana’s “ big sky.”

dig site, Horner found some odd- looking

fossilized tissue within the hollow of the bone.

Still collaborating with Schweitzer on research,

he sent some to her. She knew instantly that it

was medullary bone, a blood- rich tissue birds

develop to pull calcium from the bones to use

in forming eggshells.

“ We have a girl!” said Schweitzer,“ And she’s

pregnant!”

If she was right, this was the first time a T.

rex’s gender had been determined. It also more

closely tied T. rex to birds. She set out to check

her theory, looking at details such as micro-scopic

tissue structure and vascular patterns

and comparing them to emus and ostriches,

living birds with ancient characteristics.

Along the way, Schweitzer soaked a sample

from the T. rex in a light acid bath for a few

hours, which would dissolve away a small

amount of mineral so she could better see

underlying structures. But instead of leaving

behind a partly- dissolved piece of rock, the

acid revealed a mass of red, squishy, stretchy

tissue. Under the microscope, flexible, hollow

blood vessels were visible with what appeared

to be blood cells inside them.

The announcement in 2005 of the discov-ery

of soft dinosaur tissue shocked the world.

The work was published in Science, and it

became what is believed to be the biggest inter-national

news story in NC State’s history.

Despite the whirlwind of attention,

Schweitzer focused on the more important

question at hand. What was the soft tissue

made of? Was it some sort of strange copy

of the original tissue produced by a never-before-

studied aspect of fossilization, or

could it be real dinosaur protein? And if so,

how was it possible?

Schweitzer announced in 2006 that she

had successfully duplicated her results in sev-eral

other fossils of various ages, proving that

the T. rex discovery was no fluke. The work

also indicated that fossilization under spe-cific

conditions seemed to produce favorable

conditions for soft tissue preservation inside

large bones.

Then in 2007, Schweitzer and colleagues at

Harvard published joint papers in Science, con-firming

the unbelievable. The Harvard team

successfully sequenced dinosaur protein

Schweitzer extracted from the tissue, identify-ing

the amino acids and confirming that the

material from the T. rex was collagen – origi-nal

dinosaur tissue, remarkably preserved after

68 million years.

Further, when compared to a database con-taining

existing sequences from modern

species, they found that the T. rex sequence

had similarities to those of chicken, frog and

newt, but more so to chicken.

These latest results were also published in

Science, and again made headlines around

the world, including the predictable, “ T. rex

just a big chicken.”

Humor aside, Schweitzer’s discoveries have

scientists asking questions.

“ From a paleo standpoint, sequence data

confirms the preservation of these tissues,”

Schweitzer said. “ This will help us learn more

about dinosaurs’ evolutionary relationships,

how preservation happens, and how mole-cules

degrade over time, which could also

have some important medical implications

for treating disease.”

Schweitzer also hopes that the techniques

she has developed over the years will be use-ful

in the search for evidence of life on other

planets, including our neighbor, Mars.

Inspiring the next generation

Schweitzer and Clarke have made their

marks on modern paleontology, and the pro-gram

is poised to continue this pattern with

the work of its majors and graduate students.

They take their responsibilities to students

very seriously. Schweitzer will even kick her

department head out of her office if a student

comes by to talk with her.

“ Mary is a great advisor,” said graduate stu-dent

Jeremy Green.“ And not just about school

and research, but about life.”

Clarke said she enjoys the challenges of get-ting

undergraduates to think about science as

a career, and mentoring graduate students.

“ The reason I’m in academia is that I love

the research, and I want to create opportunities

for students to discover how incredibly cool it

is. I want to help inspire and train the next gen-eration

of systematic paleontologists,” she said.

Under their mentorship, six graduate stu-dents

and several undergraduate students are

pursuing a wide variety of projects. From the

ancient origins of seabirds to the diets of dicyn-odonts–

ancient creatures sharing common

ancestry with today’s mammals– it seems likely

that another major discovery is right around

the corner ( see related story, next page).

8  FALL 2007 | scope

COURTESY OF JULIA CLARKE

Graduate student Drew Eddy excavates a fossil near Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.

… the material from the T. rex was collagen––

original dinosaur tissue, remarkably

preserved after 68 million years.

Liz Johnson is in her first year as a paleon-tology

graduate student at NC State. An Idaho

native, she received her BS at Montana State

University, where she enjoyed four field

research seasons with Museum of the Rockies.

“ Surprisingly, no one knows how fossils

form,” she said. “ I want to figure out exactly

how fossils form in a chemistry sense.”

Johnson said she came to NC State to work

with Mary Schweitzer.

“ Her findings have turned paleontology

upside down. Protein sequencing from a

dinosaur shouldn’t be possible, yet it is,” she

said.“ Hopefully, my research can add to how

such remarkable preservation occurs.”

Many factors may impact the fossilization

process – sediment type, ground water inter-actions,

even the role of decaying flesh.

“ I plan to test these variables by putting

modern bone in simulated environments, then

see if there are any chemical similarities or dif-ferences

between modern and fossil bone,” said

Johnson.

Tim Cleland, a graduate student in chem-istry,

also pursues the chemical angle.

“ I’m doing chemistry on the concretion in

Willo to determine if it is a heart, a stone con-cretion,

or some combination of both,” he said.

“ I will look for organically derived materials,

and examine samples under a microscope to

look for original cell structure.” Willo, a

Thescelosaurus, is located at the NC Museum

of Natural Sciences. Professor emeritus Dale

Russell generated worldwide controversy in

2000 when he announced that Willo contained

a mammal- like fossilized heart.

Like Julia Clarke, graduate student Adam

Smith is interested in ancient birds, specifically

alcids – seabirds that catch fish by using their

wings to fly underwater.

“ I am revising the alcid family tree, both

current and extinct,” he said.“ Once I do that,

I’ll be able to connect changes in these species

to major climatic events in the past. This may

assist in our interpretations of present- day

shifts in sea- bird population ranges due to cur-rent

global warming trends.”

Like his fellow paleontology students, Smith

conducts research on collections at the NC

Museum of Natural Sciences. Another pale-ontology

student, Drew Eddy, is studying the

museum’s largest dinosaur fossil, the

Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, shown in the photo

above.

“ This specimen has a nearly complete skull.

Although its exterior has been studied, its

interior has not,” he said. His study of the

braincase, palate and other features will help

determine if the “ Acro” was related to Allo-saurus,

which had a somewhat global distri-bution,

or to other similar dinosaurs found in

Africa and South America.

The paleontology research group is small,

enthusiastic and close- knit.

“ Although the paleo program at NC State

is still in its infancy, I feel very privileged to be

a part of it,” said Smith. “ We benefit from the

fact that Dr. Schweitzer and Dr. Clarke repre-sent

two extremes of the spectrum of sub- dis-ciplines

in our field. I feel that we get a broader

view of issues in our field because of their

range than paleo students at many other

schools.”

scope | FALL 2007  9

Meet the next generation

in paleontology

Pictured above are ( front row) Liz Johnson,

Mary Schweitzer, Julia Clarke, Dan Ksepka,

( back row) Tim Cleland, Clint Boyd, Adam Smith,

Drew Eddy, Jeremy Green and Tim Collier.

PHOTO BY ROGER WINSTEAD

Science writing is considered one of the

most challenging areas within journalism, and

a career path not often considered by either

journalism or science majors – two groups

who take few classes in each other’s disciplines.

However, a summer fellowship inspired a

PAMS student to pursue this field.

As part of its mission to “ increase public

understanding of science,” the American

Association for the Advancement of Science

( AAAS) sponsors an annual fellowship in mass

media. For 10 weeks each summer, 18 rookie

science writers spend time at radio stations

and newspapers across the country, exploring

and refining a possible future trade.

The fellowships are highly competitive, with

more than 150 applicants. Two of the 2007 fel-lowships

were awarded to NC State graduate

students, one of whom was Brandy Benedict,

who is studying applied mathematics.

“ I’ve always liked math and science, but

was never sure what I wanted to do – I

thought maybe I’d do research in industry,”

she said.“ But the graduate program required

a lot of writing, and I found that I really

loved it. And when two different people men-tioned

the AAAS program to me at two dif-ferent

points in my graduate career, I finally

decided to try it.”

Benedict worked at the Milwaukee

Journal- Sentinel newspaper in Wisconsin.

She produced 10 stories for the paper during

the summer, including a Sudoku math game

story that graced the front page.

“ That was pretty special – math stories are

rare, especially a math story that makes it to

page 1A!” she said.

Benedict added, “ It was a fantastic way to

explore an interest. And although I was an

intern, I didn’t feel like one. I got the opportu-nity

to be a real reporter, to do real stories and

to get some great experience.”

PAMS and the Department of Statistics

are partners in a new master’s program in

the emerging field of analytics. Elements of

the curriculum were developed in collabo-ration

with SAS.

The term “ analytics” covers a broad spec-trum

of activities, which includes data collec-tion

and integration, statistical methods, and

complex processes for enterprise- wide deci-sion

making. As the use of analytics becomes

more widespread, there is mounting demand

for professionals with strong quantitative skills

coupled with an understanding of how the

techniques are applied to a variety of critical

tasks facing decision- makers.

The master of science in analytics ( MSA)

is an intensive 10- month degree designed to

give students a thorough understanding of

the tools, methods, applications and prac-tice

of advanced analytics. It is both focused

and practical in its orientation, with the goal

to provide an education that is directly appli-cable

to positions in industry.

The MSA is an integrated, interdisciplinary

curriculum consisting of courses developed

exclusively for the program. Topics of study

include data mining, forecasting, optimiza-tion,

text analytics, databases, data visualiza-tion,

data privacy and security, financial ana-lytics,

and customer analytics, among other

areas. Students gain hands- on experience with

the same complex tools used in industry today.

Team projects are based on real analytical

problems facing organizations.

Dave Dickey, professor of statistics, is one

of the PAMS faculty members involved with

the program. His modules on time series and

data mining give hands- on experience with

modern statistical tools, providing students

with skills that will catch the eyes of today’s

employers.

“ It has been an absolute pleasure to work

with the fine first- year MSA class,” he said.

“ This empowering program is not for the faint

of heart. Its tight schedule and demands

require dedication, and these students have

dedication and enthusiasm in abundance. We

are all quite proud of them.”

The degree program has attracted strong

interest from the business community, which

sees a growing shortage of professionals who

possess the analytical skills needed to address

the challenges of a data- rich world. Last year,

SAS made a major gift to NC State to facilitate

the development of new courses. Since then,

SAS has played a collaborative role in helping

NC State develop the program. An interdisci-plinary

group of 45 faculty members shaped

the curriculum.

The program is managed by the university’s

new Institute for Advanced Analytics, located

on Centennial Campus and led by Professor

Michael Rappa.

10  FALL 2007 | scope

Brandy Benedict‘ s story made the front page.

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

Mathematics student explores

science writing career

As the use of analytics becomes

more widespread, there is

mounting demand for

professionals with strong

quantitative skills coupled with

an understanding of how the

techniques are applied

to a variety of critical tasks

facing decision- makers.

Masters of analytics program introduced

scope | FALL 2007  11

The bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is

the leading cause of seafood gastroenteritis in

the U. S. Its cousin, Vibrio vulnificus, causes

severe septicemia, has a hospitalization rate of

91 percent, and is responsible for 95 percent

of U. S. seafood deaths.

In the U. S., Vibrio species cause about

41,000 illnesses yearly, increasing during nat-ural

disasters involving flooding. Following

Hurricane Katrina, 17 cases of Vibrio vulnifi-cus

were seen – five of them fatal.

Christian Melander, assistant professor of

chemistry, and John Cavanagh, professor of

molecular and structural biochemistry, are tak-ing

a systems biology approach to stopping

Vibrio infections.

“ Our project integrates high- throughput

comparative genomics methods, state- of- the-art

structural biology, computational studies

and drug design strategies,” said Melander.

Comparative genomics efforts at the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-istration’s

Hollings Marine Laboratory will

provide information about which gene signal

pathways are responsible for Vibrio virulence,

persistence and adaptability. Cavanagh’s struc-tural

biology studies will examine those path-ways

in detail, providing therapeutic targets

for Melander’s team of chemists to exploit.

The virulence and persistence of Vibrio are

due to its ability to form biofilms – commu-nities

of bacteria that respond differently than

a single bacterium to ensure survival in hostile

and shifting environments. In the biofilm

form, Vibrio can be up to 10,000 times more

resistant to antibiotics, as well as inherently

resistant to the body’s immune response.

Melander’s research group has discovered

a class of chemical compounds that inhibit

the formation of biofilm.

“ These compounds appear to be effective

against not only Vibrio, but also several other

drug- and immunity- resistant bacteria,” said

Melander.

Such “ superbugs” include: Haemophilus

influenzae ( ear, eye, and respiratory tract infec-tions);

Bordatella pertussis ( whooping cough);

Acinetobacter baumannii ( frequently found in

hospitals, infecting patients through open

wounds, catheters, and breathing tubes); and

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( opportunistic infec-tions

of immuno- compromised individuals,

including cancer and cystic fibrosis patients).

The team has a patent pending on the com-pounds

and their uses and has formed Agile

Sciences, Inc. With investor backing, the

company will develop the product, recruit drug

company partners, and advance products to

clinical trials. The eventual products will treat

surfaces where target bacteria lurk, including

hospitals, medical devices and seafood pro-cessing

equipment.

This research also has non- medical appli-cations.

For example, biofilms enable barnacles

to stick to the sides of ships, where they cause

drag. Preventing the formation of these bio-films

would save the U. S. Navy about $ 1 billion

in fuel costs every year.

Adapted from Results, produced by Research

and Graduate studies.

PHOTO BY ROGER WINSTEAD

Fishing for seafood safety

If you have been avoiding shellfish since having a brutal attack

of gastroenteritis after eating oysters on the halfshell, you may

have experienced an attack of a “ superbug.”

John Cavanagh and Christian Melander analyze

the results of anti- biofilm screening tests.

The light purple areas in the tray indicate

almost total elimination of biofilm.

12  FALL 2007 | scope

About 225 alumni, friends, faculty and

members of the public registered for Scope

Academy, PAMS’ weekend of adventure and

learning.

Formerly known as the PAMS Alumni &

Friends Weekend, the program included a

Physics Department barbecue and rededica-tion

of Riddick Hall ( see related stories, pages

16 and 17), an afternoon series of short classes

on intriguing and timely science topics, and

the keynote Scope Lecture. Held the weekend

of Oct. 12– 13, Scope Academy built upon the

success of previous weekend events in 2005

and 2006.

“ This program is inspired by the fact that

people interested in science generally never

lose their curiosity and love of learning,” said

PAMS Dean Dan Solomon. “ Scope Academy

provides an opportunity to learn something

new, and to get a taste of the research being

conducted within the College.”

The afternoon of Scope Academy featured

10 classes on a variety of topics, from tsunamis

and Antarctica to energy and how much “ Big

Brother” knows about you through data min-ing.

After welcome remarks from Solomon, the

“ students” eagerly rushed to their classes, which

were held in Fox Laboratory.

“ You may want to vent the bag so it doesn’t

pop,” said Sharon Schulze, interim director of

The Science House, as participants in “ Counter-top

Chemistry” mixed water, baking soda and

calcium chloride in zippered plastic bags. The

hot reaction filled the bags with gas, inflating

them like balloons.

“ Vent the bag, Dad,” said Katie Osmond,

growing concerned.“ Dad… Dad!” Her father,

Glenn ( BS ’ 85 Chemical Engineering), grinned

as he held the bag high, waiting for the last pos-sible

moment to vent it.

“ This was great. I learned so much,” said Anne

Marie Mazur, who attended with her husband

and two children. They had just left John

Blondin’s astronomy class.“ I could have stayed

and asked him so many more questions … in

fact, here, honey.” She handed her bag to her

husband.“ I’m going to go talk to him,” she said

as she disappeared into Blondin’s classroom.

“ It’s nice to learn something new and perhaps

run into someone you know along the way.”

Dale Dusenbury

Scope Academy draws big crowd

“ It’s nice to learn something new and

perhaps run into someone you know along

the way,” said Dale Dusenbury ( BS ’ 82 Physics,

Science Education), who attended with his

11- year old daughter, Courtney. They

attended Ernie Knowles’ tsunami class. “ I had

Dr. Knowles for a class, so it was good to see

him again.”

Scope Academy not only provides a way for

alumni and friends to keep up with the

College’s research, it also allows the College to

provide public science education. The event

drew alumni from as far away as Seattle, as well

as members of the general public.

“ We renamed our weekend of adventure

and learning after our magazine, Scope,” said

Solomon.“ We hope that Scope Academy gives

participants an opportunity to investigate for

themselves some of our exciting research and

innovations.”

Richard Cook, an emeritus member of the

PAMS Foundation Board, brought his daugh-ter-

in- law, Sharon Freeze and her two

teenagers to Scope Academy. They attended

a class on North Carolina’s water quality and

quantity, led by John Fountain and Ryan

Boyles. Given the current drought, Freeze

found the subject timely.

“ It was fascinating,” Freeze said. “ It was

nice to hear about the science and learn about

all of the details and other influences that go

beyond what reporters tell us.”

After the classes, participants gathered in

downtown Raleigh at the NC Museum of

Natural Sciences for the Scope Lecture. This

year’s keynote speaker was energy expert Dan

Nocera of the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology ( see related story, this page).

The lecture was followed by a dinner

reception and a silent auction. Members of

the PAMS Alumni & Friends Advisory Board

gathered together an impressive selection of

gift items and packages available for bid,

including jewelry, NC State athletic ticket

packages, a NASCAR Coca- Cola 500 club

seat ticket package, and a “ Grillin’ and

Chillin’ with the Dean” package for 20.

The silent auction raised about $ 5,000

toward a scholarship within the College.

“ I have enjoyed every event this weekend,”

said John Pasour ( BS ’ 72, PhD ’ 77 Physics), who

started the weekend at the Physics Department

barbecue. “ It was great to see some folks I

haven’t seen in a very long time.”

Today, the world’s population uses 12 tera-watts

of power. In 2050, the total need will be

28 terawatts. To meet this need, scientists

must develop solutions within the next 15 years

… because it takes 30 years to implement new

technologies.

This sobering statement was one of many

made by Dan Nocera, the 2007 Scope Lecturer.

Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of

Energy at MIT, is widely recognized as a lead-ing

figure in alternative energy research. He

studies the basic mechanisms of energy con-version

in biology and chemistry.

Nocera believes that to solve our energy

challenges, scientists must look to the sun,

which bathes Earth with 100,000 terawatts of

power. His lecture, “ Powering the Planet: The

Challenge for Science in the 21st Century,” was

a call to action for the scientific community.

“ This is a problem for the physical scien-tists,”

he said. “ There’s no escaping it.”

He provided a practical examination of the

power output possible through traditional

sources— nuclear, coal, natural gas and

hydro power— as well as new sources such

as biomass. It was not encouraging.

Biomass is not the answer. If every plant on

Earth were burned, it would produce only

about eight terawatts.

Nuclear is not the answer. To meet demand,

3,000 more nuclear plants would be required.

And nuclear fusion?

“ It’s going to take 35 years to develop an

experiment with a power output of only a few

seconds,” he said. “ This is too late.”

Not that we’re running out of fossil fuels.

There are hundreds of years of coal, oil and

gas available. But consider the damage being

done to the world’s climate by filling the

atmosphere with carbon dioxide. He cited sev-eral

examples of damage already done by

global warming, including the death of half of

the arctic’s boreal forest and the loss of all

three of California’s native mussel species.

Then there is the economic impact.

As technologies move away from oil to gas,

national economies will rise and fall. Russia

holds the largest share of the world’s natural

gas reserves, positioning it as tomorrow’s

Saudi Arabia. And because energy is so closely

tied to prosperity, which is tied closely to

peace, it is in everyone’s best interest for all

nations to have the power they need.

Nocera feels it imperative that science suc-ceeds.

China and India’s developing economies

will need massive amounts of power. Without

a viable alternative, those countries will need

to build vast numbers of fossil fuel plants—

plants that will pump even more carbon diox-ide

into the atmosphere.

“ The hope is in the science and catalysis that

will deliver the sun as a fuel source,” he said.

Nocera cited earlier developments of fuel

cell technology that successfully achieved viable

results. But the materials were expensive.

“ We already know how to do it. The chal-lenge

is to do it cheaply. We need new mate-rials,”

he said.

Of course, efforts must be made to support

research in this area. Nocera cited a 1912 state-ment

in Science recommending the use of

technology that mimicked plants’ ability to use

solar energy. The fact that this has not been

achieved in almost 100 years was proof that we

don’t care enough about the problem, he said.

He also made several observations about how

politics hinders progress in this area.

“ Science will solve this problem,” he said,

“ If allowed to.”

Nocera’s appearance was the first university-sponsored,

energy- related event after Chancellor

James L. Oblinger’s announcement of NC State’s

commitment to a “ Year of Energy.” The spring

2008 Scope will focus on PAMS’ energy- related

research.

PHOTO BY JOSH LAWSON

scope | FALL 2007  13

“ Vent the bag, Dad,” said Katie Osmond to her

father, Glenn ( BS ’ 85) as Jack Penny ( BS ’ 74,

MS ’ 80), left, and Linda Balfour, right, look on.

Science must

address energy

issue now

Dan Nocera

14  FALL 2007 | scope

It’s not easy moving a laboratory- focused

department. It takes weeks, trucks of all sizes,

multiple moving companies, carts, hand

trucks, boxes and a lot of teamwork. Faculty,

graduate students and staff all pitched in.

“ We only had two weeks to move into

Riddick before fall semester started,” said Hans

Hallen, associate professor and department

coordinator of the relocation efforts. “ Some

facilities were moved after the students came

back, but we were up and running in time for

classes and laboratory sessions.”

Riddick, which housed College of Engineer-ing

facilities for many years, was completely

gutted in early 2006 after its occupants moved

to Centennial Campus. It was a bit surprising

to see only its exterior walls left standing.

However, soon the new Riddick began to take

shape, including a completely new interior

floorplan featuring state- of- the- art laborato-ries,

classrooms and lecture halls equipped for

modern teaching technologies, offices for fac-ulty,

staff and graduate students, and plenty

of gathering spaces for students and faculty.

In fact, a highlight of the renovation is a

large, two- story, multipurpose room that fills

a former “ U” space at the back of the build-ing.

Architects call this space a “ hearth.” As new

campus facilities are built and old ones reno-vated,

gathering spaces have been incorporated

as an important feature of modern education.

“ Higher education in the sciences now

requires interdisciplinary teamwork and col-laboration,”

said Hallen. “ We also have verti-cally

integrated research teams that include

students of all levels. So we need more, larger

spaces for students and faculty where they can

meet to discuss their work.”

“ Our department has always been close- knit,

and one of our traditions is a weekly gathering

for students and faculty,” said Department

Head Michael Paesler. “ This room gives us a

place to gather for a variety of events, as well

as provides students with a large study space.

It will function as the activity hub for the

building, and our department.”

Physics occupies about 80 percent of

Riddick. The Department of Animal Science

Physics

moves into

Riddick Hall

Riddick’s “ hearth” bustles with activity

all day as it functions as the hub

of activity in the building.

scope | FALL 2007  15

occupies the east wing’s third and fourth floors.

A somewhat humorous aspect of the floor-plan

is that the faculty offices once located in

Bureau of Mines are now located on a floor

above the main auditorium. Because of the

auditorium’s ceiling height, this office area is

not on the same level as the rest of the fourth

floor, requiring short staircases and its own

elevator stop. It has the same private, tucked

away feel that the old location had, prompt-ing

members of the construction team to nick-name

the space, “ Bureau of Mines.”

According to Steve Reynolds, professor, the

faculty and students are trying to avoid using

this nickname, since there’s already a Bureau

ofMines. But the temptation is there, since the

space is occupied by exactly the same people.

“ Actually, since the elevator identifies our

stop as ‘ U- 4’ for upper- fourth floor, some peo-ple

are calling it ‘ U- Fouria,’” Reynolds said.

Euphoria may aptly describe the feelings of

faculty, staff and students who now enjoy work-ing

and studying in Riddick. Physics gained

about 10,000 additional square feet in the

move – space necessary for the department’s

continued growth.

Everyone also seems to appreciate the

natural light provided by Riddick’s plentiful

windows.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the move

is that so much of the department is now under

one roof.

“ I had three labs in three different buildings,

so consolidating labs has been great,” said Laura

Clarke, assistant professor.“ It’s nice having my

office near my lab, instead of five floors away.”

In 2000, North Carolina’s voters approved

a $ 3.1 billion bond referendum to allow the

UNC system to build new facilities and reno-vate

old ones to accommodate projected

increases in the student population and chang-ing

needs. NC State’s portion of the funds was

just under $ 500 million. The Riddick renova-tion

is part of this initiative.

In addition to Riddick Hall, Physics has

space in Partners III on Centennial Campus.

This building houses faculty and laboratories

focused on nanotechnology research. A few

faculty and staff will maintain offices and

some laboratories in Cox, Dabney and Fox,

as well as Research Building II, also on

Centennial Campus.

“ For a department that was once housed in

11 buildings, it’s a joy to be down to only six,”

said Paesler.“ We are quite pleased with the feel

of our facilities in Riddick. We are finding a

new sense of departmental community that

only a large central facility such as this can pro-vide.

We are genuinely indebted to all those

citizens who voted for the bond referendum

that made the renovation of Riddick possible.”

Space in Cox and Bureau ofMines formerly

occupied by Physics will have new PAMS ten-ants,

including the Center for Research in

Scientific Computation, the Center for

Quantitative Sciences in Biomedicine, and sup-port

services such as PAMS Computing and

Business offices.

PHOTOS BY SALLY RAMEY

“ We are quite pleased with the feel of our facilities

in Riddick. We are finding a new sense of

departmental community that only a large central

facility such as this can provide.”

Michael Paesler

Two graduate students conduct research in a laboratory belonging to Keith Weninger, assistant

professor, whose specialty is biophysics and soft- condensed matter.

In Assistant Professor Laura Clarke’s

laboratory, graduate student Mary Scott

connects cables to monitor the temperature

of a sample in a high- vacuum chamber.

16  FALL 2007 | scope

A new building is a good excuse for a party,

or so thought Michael Paesler, head of the

Physics Department.

“ How often do you get a new building?” he

said.“ We thought this year was the perfect time

to invite alumni back to campus. We know they

share in our excitement about having new facil-ities,

and they’ll be curious about how it’s set

up. And we’re just as excited and curious about

what’s been going on in their lives.”

Physics recently hosted alumni, students,

faculty and friends at a barbecue and rededi-cation

ceremony celebrating the department’s

move into a totally renovated Riddick Hall ( see

related story, page 14).

“ Our department has a lot to be proud of,”

said Michael Paesler, department head.“ We’ve

experienced more growth than many others

across the nation, and we’re very pleased with

the strength and scope of our programs. But

Riddick represents a new era for us, and it

deserves a celebration.”

About 65 faculty, students and alumni

attended a barbecue hosted at Paesler’s home

on Friday, Oct. 12. As one of the first reunion-style

events hosted by the department, the event

drew alumni of all ages from across the U. S.

“ It was great to see some of my old profes-sors,”

said Robert Jackson ( BS ’ 75.)

The first thing Tim DelSole ( BS ’ 88) asked

was, “ Is Dr. Tilley here?” He was.

“ I know you!” said Jack Penny ( BS ’ 74,

MS ’ 80) as he greeted his old classmate Gary

Denton ( BS ’ 74) for the first time in years.

The group enjoyed a classic North Carolina

meal with a twist– the usual fried chicken, pork

barbecue, hush puppies and banana pudding

were accompanied by vegetarian selections

provided by Brand Fortner, research profes-sor,

and his wife, Susan Andresen. Attendees

laughed and talked for hours.

The next morning, about 125 people gath-ered

at Riddick Hall for the rededication

A new

building and

barbecue

for Physics

Faculty, alumni gather

to celebrate history and

new beginnings

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON

Larry James ( PhD ’ 89) and Gerd Pfeiffer ( PhD ’ 91)

catch up at the Physics Department barbecue.

“ One of our department’s traditions is a weekly

afternoon tea in conjunction with our colloquiums.

Since moving to Riddick, we’ve given out three

times the cookies at our teas!”

Michael Paesler

Riddick Hall’s main auditorium has been

named in memory of Dale Sayers.

Sayers, a member of the Physics Depart-ment

faculty, died unexpectedly in 2004.

He was a pioneer in EXAFS– extended x-ray

absorption fine structure– a key analyti-cal

tool now used by scientists around the

world. His work opened a new field of

research using this technology. He also was

affiliated with a team that discovered a new

x- ray technique, called diffraction- enhanced

imaging, which is emerging as a new tool for

mammography, osteoarthritis investigations

and bone density studies.

Sayers has been memorialized by col-leagues

around the world. The International

XAFS Society now presents the Dale Sayers

Young Scientist Award every three years.

Family and friends established the Dale E.

Sayers Memorial Fund, which will support a

graduate student fellowship at NC State. The

Physics Department also named a lecture

series in his honor.

“ Dale’s colleagues, students and friends

have made a commitment to complete the

endowment of the fund, which enabled us to

name this facility,” said Anita Stallings, exec-utive

director of Development and College

Relations.

“ This auditorium will be a focal point for

our most significant lectures and events,”

said Michael Paesler, department head.

“ Dale was a devoted educator who was

committed to his students. It seemed only

fitting that our department’s premier edu-cational

space should honor one of our

brightest stars.”

For information about supporting the

Sayers Memorial Fund, see “ How to make a

gift” on the inside back cover.

scope | FALL 2007  17

ceremony. PAMS Dean Dan Solomon presided

over the event, which featured comments from

Paesler, Professor Emeritus Jasper Memory,

and Vice Chancellor for Research and

Graduate Studies John Gilligan.

Paesler thanked university architects and

facilities personnel, contractors, and faculty

and staff who had worked as part of the uni-versity’s

design, construction and relocation

teams. He noted that not only was Riddick

designed to provide outstanding facilities for

learning, but to encourage collaboration.

“ The hearth is filled with students studying,

working on projects in groups and talking with

faculty. Riddick gives us a better sense of com-munity,”

said Paesler.“ I’ll give you an example

– one of our department’s traditions is a weekly

afternoon tea in conjunction with our collo-quiums.

Since moving to Riddick, we’ve given

out three times the cookies at our teas!”

Paesler announced that the department

head’s conference room has been named for

Professor Dick Patty. During the ceremony,

the auditorium was named for Dale Sayers ( see

related stories, this page). Sayers’ wife, Anne,

unveiled a plaque that will be mounted just

outside the auditorium’s doors.

Attendees also received a summary of the

department history, compiled by Ray Fornes,

associate dean for research, and Memory.

The full history will be made available to

alumni through the department’s Web site.

Memory shared highlights of the history with

the audience.

Gilligan then rededicated Riddick Hall,

“ as a gateway through which our students

will enter the world of scientific discovery,

in recognition of the faculty, staff and friends

who have worked to make this project a real-ity,

and in gratitude to the citizens of North

Carolina, who voted in 2000 for the higher

education bonds that made this project

possible.”

He concluded with,“ Dan, Michael, faculty

and students– congratulations, and if success

can be measured in cookies, I’m sure you’ll be

giving out cookies for many years to come.”

Following the ceremony, participants toured

the building, including selected laboratories

where they learned about current research proj-ects.

The tour ended with a social in the hearth.

The events were held in conjunction with

Scope Academy ( see related story, page 12).

PHOTO BY JOSH LAWSON

Department Head Michael Paesler and Anne Sayers

Tour participants look at a demonstration

regarding the movement of granular materials

in Assistant Professor Karen Daniel’s laboratory.

Sayers Auditorium dedicated

The Physics Department has named the department head’s conference room to honor

Dick Patty, who served as department head from 1975 to 1995.

During this period, the department grew significantly and earned national prominence.

External support for research increased tenfold, and strong faculty members were added

in many areas, including astrophysics, condensed matter physics, and research in physics

education.

Patty’s tenure was second only to that of Charles M. Heck, the head from 1917 until 1945.

The Richard R. Patty Conference Room is adjacent to the department head’s office,

on the fourth floor of Riddick Hall. The honor was announced during the Oct. 13 reded-ication

of Riddick Hall.

Conference room honors Patty

The project’s lead researchers are Alex

Deiters, assistant professor in the Department

of Chemistry, and Jeff Yoder, assistant profes-sor

of molecular and biomedical sciences in

the College of Veterinary Medicine. They have

received a five- year, $ 1.4 million grant from

the National Institutes of Health ( NIH) to

develop a series of “ photo- switchable” com-pounds

that will allow scientists to turn indi-vidual

genes on and off within zebrafish

embryos, enabling them to determine func-tions

of particular genes.

Zebrafish have long been used for study-ing

gene functions during embryonic devel-opment,

partly due to how their embryos’

transparency makes observation easier. The

recent sequencing of human and zebrafish

genomes and identification of more than

30,000 genes have increased the zebrafish’s

importance as a model organism in resolving

individual gene functions.

“ Traditionally, scientists have tried to fig-ure

out a gene’s function by either over-expressing

or genetically disrupting a particular

gene and looking at what happens to the

embryo as a result,” Yoder said. “ Does the

embryo’s heart or circulatory function change?

Does it mimic a disease?”

The problem with this approach is that it

lacks a mechanism for “ spatio- temporal” con-trol

of the gene’s expression. In living animals,

genes are activated at particular times within

an organism, and then switched off after they

serve their purpose.

“ To determine what the genes do, you must

mimic nature’s precision in turning genes on

and off,” Deiters said.

To address this problem, Deiters and Yoder

developed a novel solution – the construc-tion

of photo- sensitive organic compounds

that can bind to a specific RNA molecule and

are responsible for “ telling” an expressed gene

when to switch off and on. These artificial

gene switches are then introduced into

zebrafish embryos and exposed to ultravio-let

light, creating a literal “ light switch” for

genes.

Deiters and Yoder hope to create an entire

array of these photo- sensitive compounds that

are tailored to different types of RNA, in effect

providing a suite of tools for the spatio- tem-poral

control of gene expression in zebrafish.

“ One of the major advantages of this

approach is that it allows scientists to switch

off a gene that has previously been activated,

which is not currently possible,” Deiters said.

“ In addition, scientists can direct the light to

individual cells, and that will enable them to

see exactly what the gene in question is doing

within the organism.”

18  FALL 2007 | scope

Alex Deiters and Jeff Yoder with tanks of

zebrafish in the College of Veterinary

Medicine’s research facility

Researchers at NC State have developed a way to switch genes

off and on using ultraviolet light. The work has implications

for many areas of genetic research.

Scientists

create genetic

light switches

PHOTO BY ROGER WINSTEAD

Chemistry Department gains two new professorships

A gift to the UNC system, and a unique dou-ble-

match incentive, have resulted in two new

professorships in the Chemistry Department.

The C. D. Spangler Foundation has endowed

one professorship on each of the 16 campuses

within the University of North Carolina system.

The foundation will invest up to $ 20 million

over five years to help each campus qualify for

another professorship each year – potentially

adding 80 more professorships.

A successful Charlotte businessman and pas-sionate

advocate for public education at all lev-els,

C. D. Spangler, Jr. served as UNC System

president from 1986 to 1997. Previously, he and

his family foundation had endowed or com-pleted

37 professorships across the system.

“ Good professors are professors who like

teaching students and like doing research. This

effort on the part of my family is intended to

retain, reward and recruit good professors,”

Spangler said.

NC State’s administration placed its profes-sorship

in the Chemistry Department. The

Spangler Foundation named it the Governor

Robert W. Scott Distinguished Professorship.

The foundation’s private contribution has

received matching funds from a state program

designed to encourage such investments. As

reported in previous issues of Scope, the NC

State Legislature provides funds to the

Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust

Fund to match endowed professorship gifts

on a 1: 2 basis. This reduces the donor contri-bution

for a $ 1 million professorship to

$ 666,000.

Last year, the PAMS Campaign Committee

allocated $ 2 million for additional matches,

further reducing a donor’s professorship con-tribution

to $ 333,000.

Lord Corporation of Cary established a

chemistry professorship under this program.

A global developer and manufacturer of prod-ucts

and technologies that provide adhesion

and bonding, control motion and minimize

the effects of shock and vibration, the company

has had a close relationship with the university

for more than 20 years.

Dick Ambrose, Lord’s vice president for

research and technology, served on the PAMS

Foundation Board, and guided the company’s

involvement with NC State. This included part-nering

with the Center for Research in Scientific

Computation ( CRSC) and the Department of

Mathematics on numerous research projects,

which provided outstanding opportunities for

faculty and students, as well as benefits for the

company. In 1999, the company established

The Lord Corporation/ CRSC Graduate Fellow-ship.

Before Ambrose’s recent retirement, he

arranged a campus visit for a team of Lord

executives, including Lord president and CEO

Rick McNeel. The group toured PAMS facili-ties

and met with faculty. During the visit,

PAMS staff explained the matching opportu-nity,

which intrigued the Lord team.

The result is the Lord Corporation Distin-guished

Professorship in Chemistry.

“ We recognize the value of strengthening

the capabilities of potential employees attend-ing

local universities,” said Miriam Zietlow,

director, chemical products development with

Lord. “ One way to do this is to strengthen the

health and well- being of a university's academic

department and improve the learning envi-ronment

through professorships.”

“ Named professorships are an increasingly

important tool for recruiting and retaining out-standing

faculty who are both great teachers

and great researchers,” said Dan Solomon, dean.

We’re grateful for Lord’s previously established

fellowship in our applied mathematics pro-gram,

and excited to begin a closer relation-ship

through this chemistry professorship.”

Several statistics alumni are working to

secure contributions from alumni, faculty

and friends to establish the R. A. Fisher

Distinguished Professorship for the Statistics

Department. The group is led by Ji Zhang,

the 2007 recipient of the PAMS Medal of

Achievement, and Bob Starbuck, a former

member of the PAMS Foundation board.

“ When the Statistics alumni reach their

goal, it will leave one remaining opportunity

to establish a $ 1 million professorship for

$ 333,000 under our double match,” said Anita

Stallings, executive director of Development

and College Relations for PAMS. “ With 85

percent of their goal collected, they are get-ting

very close.” ( This double- match program

is described in the story at left.)

Professorships are crucial for attracting

and retaining outstanding faculty who in turn

attract top students and motivate the next

generation of scientists, scholars and policy

makers.

Anyone interested in contributing to the

statistics professorship fund may follow

the instructions for making a gift, located

on the inside back cover, or contact

Stallings at astallin@ ncsu. edu for more

information.

Statistics alumni close to

professorship goal

Bob Starbuck, Department Head Sastry Pantula and Ji Zhang at the 2007 Joint Statistical Meetings

scope | FALL 2007  19

PHOTO BY ANITA STALLINGS

NC State astrophysicists John Blondin,

Kazimierz Borkowski, and Stephen Reynolds

have received a $ 585,900 grant from the

National Science Foundation ( NSF) for theo-retical

investigations into the nature of one of

the two types of supernovae explosions.

Type Ia supernovae are thought to occur

when a white dwarf star, the extremely dense

remains of a low- mass star, happens to have a

companion star close enough to drop mate-rial

onto the white dwarf, raising its mass over

a critical limit. The white dwarf then detonates

like a gigantic thermonuclear bomb. About

one- fifth of all supernovae are of this type, the

rest involving single massive progenitor stars

that run out of fuel.

Since all Ia supernovae result from white

dwarfs just barely over the critical mass, these

explosions are also quite similar to one another,

so much so that they are regularly used as stan-dards

to measure distances to the galaxies in

which they occur. They are also extremely

bright, so they can be seen at enormous dis-tances,

and have been used to chart the expan-sion

of the universe and the recently discovered

surprising acceleration of the expansion.

Type Ia supernovae also produce many of

the universe’s heaviest elements, including

most of its iron.

But recent discoveries by these researchers

have shown that not all Type Ia supernovae are

so similar after all, raising critical questions

about using them as the basis for distance

measurement. Therefore, their findings,

reported in the last two issues of Scope, have

far- reaching impacts across astrophysics.

Blondin, Borkowski and Reynolds have

collaborated for 15 years on investigations into

supernovae remnants, their work primarily

funded by NASA.

PHOTO BY SALLEY RAMEY

Astrophysicists receive grant to study

supernovae mysteries

These researchers’

findings have

far- reaching impacts

across astrophysics.

Stephen Reynolds, Kazimierz Borkowski and John Blondin

20  FALL 2007 | scope

It hasn’t rained in days and you need to

water your lawn. But there are water restric-tions

in place because of the drought, and you

want to be a responsible citizen.

So what do you do?

“ A lot of people water too much, too

often,” said Ryan Boyles, state climatolo-gist

and director of the State Climate Office

( SCO), based at NC State. “ So we’ve devel-oped

a system to help them give their lawns

what they need, when they need it.”

The SCO and the Department of Crop

Science have a Web- based service called the

Turf Irrigation Management System ( TIMS).

The TIMS service is available at no cost

to North Carolina residents, from home-owners

to turf professionals.

Located at www. TurfFiles. ncsu. edu/ TIMS,

the program guides lawn owners through a

series of questions about the type of grass,

soil and irrigation system they use.

Lawn owners are then told to place con-tainers

around the lawn to measure the

amount of water their system puts out over

timed intervals.

Once this data is entered, TIMS calculates

the irrigation amount the grass really needs.

How does TIMS know?

Based on the lawn owner’s address, climate

information is retrieved from the closest

weather station, which is part of the NC

Climate Retrieval and Observations Network

of the Southeast ( CRONOS).

TIMS calculates the irrigation needed by

the lawn owner’s specific turf, based on the

soil type and recent weather conditions,

including precipitation and evaporation.

“ Water conservation is everyone’s respon-sibility,

especially in light of North Carolina’s

drought situation,” said Boyles. “ TIMS will

help NC residents water more effectively, and

reduce waste of a valuable resource.”

How thirsty is your grass?

North Carolina weather buffs can now play

an active role in meteorological reporting and

research using inexpensive equipment in their

backyards.

NC State and the National Weather Service

are looking for volunteer weather observers

across the state to collect precipitation data for

the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and

Snow Network ( CoCoRaHS).

North Carolina is the 21st state to introduce

the CoCoRaHS program, which was started

in 1998 and is based at Colorado State Univer-sity.

This unique, non- profit network of vol-unteer

weather observers measures and reports

rain, hail and snow amounts to provide the

maximum amount of data for natural resource

education and research.

“ North Carolina has the most complex cli-mate

in the eastern U. S.,” said Ryan Boyles, state

climatologist and director of the State Climate

Office ( SCO), based at NC State. “ Data gath-ered

from CoCoRaHS volunteers can be very

important in better understanding our climate.”

According to Boyles, average annual precip-itation

ranges across the state from less than 40

inches in some areas to more than 90 inches in

parts of western North Carolina. In some years,

some monitoring stations report even less than

30 inches of precipitation, while in other years,

some stations report more than 120 inches.

“ The statewide record for 24- hour rainfall

total is 22.22 inches from July 15– 16, 1916, in

western North Carolina,” he said.“ That stood

as the nationwide record for many decades.”

Observations reported by CoCoRaHS

volunteers will be used by a wide range of

agencies and scientists, including National

Weather Service and UNC system scientists, to

monitor and study rainfall patterns, drought,

and the impacts to our surface water systems.

Darin Figurskey of the National Weather

Service’s Raleigh Forecast Office, stressed the

potential value of observations from

CoCoRaHS observers for local monitoring.

“ Summer thunderstorms can dump more

than three inches of rain in some areas, while

areas just a few miles away get little or no rain-fall,”

Figurskey said.

CoCoRaHS volunteers must use a stan-dard

scientific rain gauge, available through

CoCoRaHS for about $ 30, including ship-ping.

Volunteers install the rain gauge on

their property about five feet above the

ground in a site with little or no obstruction

from trees or other objects.

Volunteers also complete a short online

training program available through the

CoCoRaHS Web site so they know how to

properly measure precipitation. They should

be willing to enter precipitation data between

6 a. m. and 9 a. m. daily through the CoCoRaHS

Web site.

“ This is a great activity for science teach-ers

and their students, for the farmer who

tracks precipitation, or for weather hobby-ists

who want to contribute to our knowl-edge

of the environment,” Boyles said. “ This

program will help meteorologists, re-searchers,

the media and others see and study

the variability of precipitation across North

Carolina.”

To learn more and order a rain gauge, visit

the SCO Web site at www. nc- climate. ncsu. edu/

or the CoCoRaHS Web site at www. coco-rahs.

org. Once you register and begin to

report, your rainfall observations will become

part of the volunteer record, and will be plot-ted

on maps of your county and state. You can

view the maps and see how your observation

fits in with your neighbors involved in

CoCoRaHS across the country.

scope | FALL 2007  21

“ North Carolina has the most complex climate

in the eastern U. S. Data gathered from CoCoRaHS

volunteers can be very important in better

understanding our climate.”

Ryan Boyles

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

Gauges may be installed on a fence post, deck or other location with no overhead obstruction.

So how much rain did you get at your place?

Reasons donors support PAMS are as

unique and varied as the donors themselves.

Charles Welby was a professor in the

Department ofMarine, Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences for 25 years before he retired in 1992.

Through a number of funds and endowments,

he has supported geology students. In 1996, he

established the Charles and Eleanor Welby

Geology Scholarship endowment.

“ Eleanor and I were raised with a sense of

altruism, and the idea that you should con-tribute

where you can to better society and life

in general,” Welby said.

While this sentiment is shared by others

who provide financial support for PAMS, some

have additional reasons. But whatever the rea-son,

their support is important. Scholarships,

fellowships, professorships and other endow-ments,

coupled with in- kind and other gifts,

play a vital role in enabling PAMS students,

faculty and programs to achieve their best.

“ We have students who cannot afford col-lege

without scholarships,” said Anita Stallings,

executive director of Development and College

Relations.“ We have programs like The Science

House that need resources to enable them to

succeed. We require professorships to attract

the best faculty to teach our students. PAMS

is an outstanding college, in part, because of

our donors’ support and generosity.”

While all gifts are appreciated, endowment

provides a permanent, stable source of income.

Endowment is PAMS’ primary focus in the

remaining months of the Achieve! Campaign

for NC State. Many donors are involved in

helping PAMS meet a crucial campaign objec-tive

to more than double its endowment.

“ We must train many more scientists, and

make the physical sciences more attractive to

students,” said Jim Witherington ( BS ’ 72

Mathematics), who established the James N.

Witherington Scholarship Endowment. He

was inspired by his father, who sponsored a

university Caldwell Scholarship.

Nancy Ridenhour ( BS ’ 76 Statistics), a for-mer

member of the PAMS Foundation board

of directors, is a member of NC State’s Lifetime

Giving Society. In addition to supporting var-ious

PAMS funds and initiatives, she made a

significant contribution toward replacing old,

unsightly furnishings in the first floor lobby

between Cox and Dabney halls. She enlisted

the help of fellow alumni Marvin and Mary

Chaney, and today, the furnishings in the

Ridenhour- Chaney Lobby are constantly used

by students studying and working together.

“ Even though my father paid my education

costs, I realize that it took a lot of people giv-ing

through various means to make my edu-cation

possible,” said Ridenhour. “ Since the

one thing no one can take away from you is

your education, I give to allow others to obtain

their education.”

An active advocate of the College, Riden-hour

also encourages other alumni to become

more familiar with PAMS.

22  FALL 2007 | scope

Why we give

“ Since the one thing no one can take away

from you is your education, I give to allow

others to obtain their education.”

Nancy Ridenhour

“ Nancy was responsible for getting me

involved,” said Tom Rhodes, ( BS ’ 65 Applied

Mathematics). He had a long- time history of

making contributions to the College, but he

became intrigued after attending the PAMS

Realizing Possibilities Dinner, where he heard

students make speeches about what their

scholarships meant to them.

“ I was hooked by the relationship I wit-nessed

between the faculty and students, and

the quality and potential I saw in the students,”

he said.“ I was also impressed by the quality of

the faculty, how much they really care about

students, and the value of their research.”

Rhodes became another advocate for

PAMS, helping to connect it with other poten-tial

partners in the Charlotte area. He serves

on the PAMS Foundation board of directors,

and in 2006, he established the Thomas and

Bonnie Rhodes Scholarship Endowment.

Sherice Nivens ( BS ’ 98 Chemistry) said that

she sees it as her mission to give back to PAMS

because of the way it supports its students.

“ NC State has proven to be a tremendous

resource in helping me to achieve my educa-tional

goals,” she said.“ PAMS especially opened

many doors of opportunity in my professional

career that allowed me to be far more suc-cessful

than I ever dreamed.”

Robert Starbuck ( MS ’ 72, PhD ’ 75 Statistics)

has been very connected with NC State ever

since he graduated. Through the years, he sup-ported

the Fund for Excellence and The Science

House. Along with fellow statistics alumnus, Ji

Zhang ( PhD ’ 90), he leads an alumni effort to

fund the R. A. Fisher Professorship in Statistics

( see related story, page 19).

“ The Fund for Excellence gives the dean of

PAMS the needed flexibility to achieve pro-grammatic

objectives that otherwise might not

be possible to attain,” Starbuck said.

While serving on the PAMS Foundation

board of directors, he learned about The

Science House, the College’s K-- 12 science and

mathematics education outreach program.

“ This marvelous program helps many K-- 12

students better understand and appreciate

science, and undoubtedly has a positive impact

on the number of students choosing a science-based

career,” he said.

“ The R. A. Fisher Professorship in Statistics

will create a prestigious professorship in the

Department of Statistics, help the department

to attract and retain top talent, and give visi-ble

recognition to the department and to

deserving professors,” Starbuck said.

Donors also share a sense of pride in the

College, an enjoyment of their connections to

it, and an appreciation for how their support

will continue giving well into the future.

“ PAMS has the feel of a small private col-lege

with the resources of a major state uni-versity,”

said Rhodes. “ I’m glad to have an

opportunity to give back a little to NC State.

It’s fun, and I enjoy being involved.”

“ Supporting education is one way to demon-strate

how you value education. It’s also a way

to say “ thanks” to the educational institutions,

departments and faculty that contributed to

your education,” said Starbuck.“ In addition to

the immediate satisfaction of giving, one can

take pleasure in knowing that a gift will provide

lasting benefits to all those affected by the gift.”

Anyone interested in making a gift as part of

the Achieve! Campaign for NC State will find

information on the inside back cover of this issue

of Scope. The campaign ends June 30, 2008.

scope | FALL 2007  23

PHOTO BY PAUL HUBBARD

Education is important at all levels. It benefits everyone. The more educated a

society, the greater the people's standard of living, the less likely they'll be in war,

and the more civilized the society in general.

I've always felt that education is important. It is hard to find a better way to spend

one's money than to educate yourself, your own family, or someone else through

direct contributions. Everyone benefits in the long run.

Science is my background so there was a natural attraction to PAMS at NC State.

I think anyone educated in science has a natural appreciation for the importance

of science and how it can help raise the standard of living of society.

I also had an interest in PAMS when I was working for Lord Corporation in its

technology group. We needed a source of good scientists we could hire to support

our growing company and replace those who retired. PAMS has provided that source

for years. This relationship needs to be a two- way street. Lord Corporation used

NC State analytical facilities and professor consultations, and hired NC State stu-dents.

In return, Lord made regular contributions to PAMS and NC State during

those years, and continues to do so today.

On a personal level, my wife, Marsha, and I contribute to both PAMS and The Science

House. The Science House is trying to encourage math and science at the K– 12 levels.

Our primary and secondary educational systems are lagging behind our university

educational system. The Science House is an opportunity to change that.

My own contributions to PAMS have been directed toward the Fund for Excellence.

These are monies used to recruit top notch students and professors. More impor-tantly,

these monies are hard to come by because organizations like the National

Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health won't provide funding for such

things. University departments are pretty much on their own in finding funds for

many important activities. I welcomed the opportunity to help the Fund for Excellence

and the important role it plays in supporting the University.

Dick Ambrose

Why I give

While not an alumnus, Dick Ambrose has been a long- time friend of the College and has

served on the PAMS Foundation board of directors. He was instrumental in developing the

mutually beneficial research partnerships between NC State and Lord Corporation. For

information about his contribution to The Science House, see the related story, page 24.

Darren Holman, Amy Rhodes, Tom Rhodes,

Chris Rhodes and Claire Rhodes celebrated an

endowment signing in the College box at an

NC State football game.

PHOTO BY SALLY RAMEY

A 1: 2 matching program provided by an

anonymous donor has led to the establish-ment

of two more endowments to support

The Science House, the College’s K-- 12 science

and mathematics outreach program.

Lenwood Dennis ( BS ’ 66 Experimental

Statistics) has established the Lenwood and

Carolyn Dennis Endowment for The Science

House. He and his wife, Carolyn, participated

in a signing ceremony in the College’s skybox

in Vaughn Towers at Carter- Finley Stadium

during a 2007 football game.

“ He values any opportunity to fund initia-tives

in science education programs,” said

Denise Hubbard, director of development, who

organized the signing ceremony. “ Lenwood

believes that for the U. S. to remain competi-tive,

we must increase our numbers of students

pursuing careers in science and technology.”

Another signing ceremony was held at The

Science House.

To honor his wife’s interest in science edu-cation,

Dick Ambrose established an endow-ment

in her name that will support The

Science House. He is a long- time friend of the

College and former member of the PAMS

Foundation board of directors.

The Ambroses came to campus for a sign-ing

ceremony establishing the Marsha Ambrose

Endowment for The Science House. Interim

Director Sharon Schulze led them on a tour of

The Science House, and then into a laboratory

full of students attending Algebra Camp.

The Ambroses were surprised when Dean

Dan Solomon announced to the class that they

were to be the first students to ever witness an

endowment signing ceremony. The students

listened intently as Solomon explained the

Ambroses’ gift and what it meant to them.

After the ceremony, Marsha visited with the

students at their lab tables, where they were

working on group projects. Some gave her

hugs of congratulations and appreciation.

“ It meant so much to me that the kids were

here,” she said.“ That made it very special.”

Science

House

matching

program

attracts two

endowments

Marsha Ambrose visits with Algebra Camp students after the endowment signing ceremony.

24  FALL 2007 | scope

PHOTO BY ROGER WINSTEAD

Alumni honor

graduate professor

Norman Banks ( MS ’ 62 Physics), G. Lansing

Blackshaw ( PhD ’ 66 Nuclear Engineering),

Thomas Hirons ( PhD ’ 66 Nuclear Engineering)

and Wilson “ Bill” Leggett ( PhD ’ 62 Nuclear

Engineering) were students when the nuclear

engineering program was moved from the

Physics Department to the then School of

Engineering. The group recently honored Wes

Doggett, who had been their graduate professor,

by contributing to the Wesley O. Doggett

Endowment for The Science House.

The group gathered at NC State one day this

summer to celebrate their gift. Shown are

( front row) Molly Blackshaw, Carolyn Banks,

Leonor Doggett, Suzanne Leggett, ( back row)

Lansing Blackshaw, Norman Banks, Wes

Doggett, Thomas Hirons and Bill Leggett.

How to

make a gift

You may remember how difficult it

was to manage the expense of higher

education. You may want to help

today’s students achieve their dreams.

The PAMS Foundation provides

many ways to support students, fac-ulty

and programs of the College.

Whether you want to contribute to an

existing scholarship, support a depart-mental

enhancement fund, make a

memorial gift or consider support in

other areas, our staff is available to

help you explore the options.

To support existing funds

To contribute to a scholarship, fellow-ship

or other fund, fill out our secure,

online gift form at https:// www3. acs.

ncsu. edu/ pams/ or mail a check to the

PAMS Foundation, Campus Box 8201,

Raleigh, NC, 27695. Make checks

payable to PAMS Foundation and write

the name of the fund on the “ notes” or

“ for” line.

If your employer provides matches

for charitable donations, please send

a completed matching gift form with

your contribution.

There are many funds not men-tioned

in this issue of Scope, and sev-eral

have specific designated uses. If

you would like information on our var-ious

funds to help you decide the best

fit for your support, please call us at

919- 515- 3462. For a list of funds, visit

www. pams. ncsu. edu/ development/

funds. php.

To explore other options

If you have questions about gift plan-ning,

we can help you identify tax

benefits, choose between permanent

endowment versus one- time support,

and explore estate planning or life-income

options.

There are many ways to match your

interests with specific College needs,

and several possibilities for making

your vision a reality. Whether using

cash, appreciated stock, real estate

or a bequest, we can help you find the

best way to make the most of your gift.

Contact us at 919- 515- 3462 or by

e- mail at pamsalumni@ lists. ncsu.

edu.

Achieve! The Campaign for NC State

PAMS Campaign Goals Endowment Current Needs

Undergraduate and graduate student support $ 6,500,000 $ 3,500,000

$ 10 million will double the current level of support,

providing resources to compete for talented students

and meet financial needs

Faculty support 5,000,000

$ 5 million will endow professorships to recruit and

retain distinguished teaching and research faculty

The Science House/ K– 12 outreach 1,000,000 2,000,000

$ 3 million will create an endowment to provide

permanent support for The Science House, and fund

current teacher training and student science programs

Facilities and equipment 10,000,000

$ 10 million will support modern instructional methods

and technologies

Unrestricted support 2,000,000

$ 2 million in flexible, current gifts will allow us

to respond to exciting opportunities, urgent needs and

unexpected challenges

Research and program development 20,000,000

$ 20 million will enable us to conduct research and

develop academic programs leading to discoveries

and knowledge that enhance quality of life and

stimulate economic development

Total $ 12,500,000 $ 37,500,000

PAMS Campaign Needs $ 50,000,000

20%

Undergraduate and graduate

student suport

Facilities and equipment

20%

4%

Unrestricted

support

Faculty support

10%

40%

Research and

program development

6% The Science House/ K– 12 outreach

Increasing endowment resources to support

K– 12 outreach is an important objective of

NC State’s $ 1 billion campaign. The article on

page 24 highlights recent gifts. At this time,

PAMS is at 73 percent of this goal. A match-ing

program is available for eligible gifts.

The development, analysis, simulation and

control of materials for emerging applications

involves all of the physical sciences and plays

an increasing role in biological and biomed-ical

sciences as well as nanotechnology.

Mathematical analysis is important in devel-oping

new materials, improving performance

of existing materials, and providing frame-works

that bridge scientific disciplines.

A Mathematics Department team led by

Ralph Smith, Pierre Gremaud, Mansoor

Haider, Negash Medhin and Michael Shearer

is developing Research Training Group activ-ities

for undergraduates, graduate students

and postdocs through a five- year National

Science Foundation initiative. These activities

focus on five topics critical to emerging

technologies:

 Multifunctional materials

 Polymers and composites including

carbon nanotubes

 Orthopaedic biomaterials

 Dynamics of thin material layers

 Material behavior of laser welding

The program will attract and train highly

qualified students and postdocs for careers

at the interface between applied mathemat-ics

and materials science, engineering,

physics and advanced technology.

Mathematics improves

understanding of materials

NANOTUBE IMAGE COURTESY OF V. MEUNIER ( ORNL), M. BUONGIORNO NARDELLI, C. ROLAND AND J. BERNHOLC ( PHYSICS) LARGE GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MANSOOR HAIDER

COURTESY OF JAY TU ( MAE) COURTESY OF KAREN DANIELS ( PHYSICS)

Modeling characterizes effects of laser- based

manufacturing techniques on metals.

Understanding granular flow improves

industrial processes.

Carbon nanotubes promise to play a key

role in emerging technologies.

This is a mathematical model of the mechanical interactions of a

single cartilage cell with its surroundings. Understanding these

forces sheds light on osteoarthritis and other tissue characteristics.