Current Research in the College of Science & Health Professions

Dr. April Dean Adams is an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Natural Sciences. Her research involves inquiry-based science instruction, teacher education, and the nature of science. Dr. Adams is currently PI for an NSF Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) Exploratory Research grant entitled, “Developing Inquiry-Based Instruction Skills.” Ms. Monica Macklin and Dr. Renee Cambiano are co-PI’s for this grant. The purpose of the research is to determine if recent reforms to the NSU course Science in the Elementary School have resulted in our elementary education graduates being more skilled in inquiry-based instruction than graduates who took the course before it was reformed.

The project also involves the development of two data collection instruments: the Student Understanding of Science and Science Inquiry (SUSSI) survey and the Analysis of Inquiry Rubric (AIR) classroom observation instrument. Development of the SUSSI is now complete. The process of development involved an international research team that included colleagues from LaSalle University in Pennsylvania, Tsing Hua Univeristy in Taiwan, Najing Normal University in the Republic of China, Wayne State University in Michigan, and Firat University in Turkey. The instrument was field-tested at NSU and at additional sites in the U.S., China, and Turkey. English, Chinese, and Turkish language versions are available. In this project, the SUSSI will be used to measure understanding of the nature of science which is a key component of effective inquiry-based instruction.

The AIR is still under development. This instrument will be used to gather information about the inquiry instruction skills that are displayed by teachers as they teach using inquiry methods. The development of this instrument has involved graduate research assistants who are supported by the TPC grant and practicing inquiry 1st – 8th grade teachers. The instrument will be used in this project to compare graduates who took the reformed science content course to graduates who took the traditional science content course. However, the process of developing this rubric will also help science educators make empirically-based decisions concerning teacher education programs.

Dr. Adams is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Research in Science Education, a past chair of the NSU Faculty Research Committee, chair of the Secondary Science Undergraduate Program, chair of the Master of Education in Science Education Program, and a member of the NSU Graduate Council. More information concerning this TPC research project, including papers and the SUSSI instrument, can be found at http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~nsutpc/.

Dr. Cindy Cisar is a molecular biologist/microbiologist in the Department of Natural Sciences. Her research focus is on environmental microbiology. Microbial source tracking (MST) is the current research project in her laboratory. The quality of water resources used as sources of potable water or for human recreation is closely monitored in the U.S. Fecal pollution of watersheds is of particular concern as human and animal feces may contain human pathogens such as Escherichia coli, viruses (e.g. hepatitis A), or Giardia lamblia. The most commonly used method for monitoring fecal pollution involves determination of the number of fecal coliform bacteria present in a water sample. However, this method does not indicate the source(s) of fecal pollution. Microbial source tracking uses fecal microbes specific for a particular host or group of hosts to identify the source(s) of fecal contamination. Once a source of fecal pollution is identified steps can be taken towards remediation of the problem.

A group of bacteria, the Bacteroidetes, are abundant in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. The Bacteroidete species present in the digestive tracts of different host species are genetically distinct. Based on these genetic differences DNA-based assays have been developed to distinguish human fecal pollution from ruminant (e.g. cattle, deer, etc.) fecal contamination. These assays are based on sequence differences between the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of Baceroidetes present in humans and ruminants. In this research project a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assay is being developed to distinguish chicken feces from human and ruminant feces.

Dr. John de Banzie is a professor of Biology. He currently has two ongoing research projects. The first project is to examine the evolution of an avian leukosis virus that infects chickens, causing economic loss to the poultry industry. The project involves both conventional clone-and-sequence methods and data mining approaches.

The second project is to develop a method to map the three dimensional relationships between specific sequences in the yeast genome.The nucleus is not a homogenous structure as was once thought but is instead divided into distinct regions. Mapping the relative positions of genes in the nucleus should help elucidate the functional significance of these regions and their role, if any, in regulation of gene expression.

Dr. Yun Ho Kim is an assistant professor of chemistry and his research area is Organic/Bio-organic/Protein Chemistry. One of his main research goals is to explore and understand the underlying physical and chemical principles that affect a protein structure as well as how these factors contribute to the overall stability of the structure once it is formed. In the longer term, this knowledge will be applied to practical purposes such as increasing protein stability and designing protein structures. In order to accomplish these objectives, the combined techniques of molecular biology, biophysics, organic and peptide chemistry will be employed.

Dr. Kim collaborates closely with Dr. Stites at the University of Arkansas to characterize the effects of the mutation on protein stability, association and structure by a variety of biophysical techniques such as Circular dichroism, NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic light scattering, and calorimetry. Staphylococcal nuclease is a model protein in his laboratory because hundreds of mutants were made and characterized by Dr. Stites’ group at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Kim’s main interest in this research is chemical modification of proteins in the following areas: 1) methionine and/or cysteine oxidation/ reduction, an apparently important process in human disease and aging and 2) crosslinking the reaction of the protein at introduced cysteine residues.

Another main research goal is to study the naturally occurring potential anti-aging/anti-cancer drugs. Dr. Kim is particularly interested in Artemisia princeps because many of its extracts have been shown to be potential treatments for inflammation, cancer, and other disorders. Artemisinin (Anti-Malaria), flavonoid (anti-cancer), eupatiline (chemopreventive and cytotoxin) and many other components are the extracts from the Artemisia princeps. Dr. Kim’s main interest in this research is to 1) extract and purify the biological active component and test their antioxidant characteristics for further biological engineering process and 2) total synthesis of each natural product. NMR, Mass, HPLC, IR will be used as a primary chemical identification method.

Dr. Spence Pilcher is an organic/polymer chemist whose research interests include the preparation of polymers in microemulsions, polymer blends, polymerization via microwave irradiation, and organic syntheses using microwave irradiation. Polymers are large molecules made up of simple repeating units. Many common examples of polymers include plastics, fibers, coatings, adhesives, rubber, protein, and cellulose. Microwaves are an alternative method to conventional conductive heating for introducing energy into reactions. The most common benefits from using microwave irradiation include decreasing the reaction time required for syntheses, increasing the purity of the products by reducing the number of side-products, and improving the overall yields of the reaction.

Currently, Dr. Pilcher has students examining the effects of microwave irradiation on the polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate in microemulsions. Polystyrene (PS) is the polymer used to make styrofoam and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is marketed using the trade name Plexiglas®. The students are comparing percent conversions and molecular weights of polymers prepared using microwave irradiation to conventional heating methods (i.e. hot plate or heating mantle). Another project that will be carried out by an undergraduate student at NSU will be the synthesis of Dilantin (an anticonvulsant) from benzil and urea. Conventional heating for this process is lengthy and gives a low yield. Microwave heating has the potential to shorten the reaction time and increase the purity and yield of the target compound. The students are using a Milestone microwave chemistry labstation for experiments involving microwave irradiation giving them experience in using technologically advanced equipment. For more information on microwave chemistry visit www.milestonesci.com.

Dr. Mia Revels is an associate professor of biology. She studies Swainson's Warblers on the Little River National Wildlife Refuge in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Since initiating the project in 2001, she has located the first Swainson's Warbler nest documented in Oklahoma since 1917. Since then, over 40 nests have been located and monitored on the project. She has also documented Swainson's Warblers as a new host to Protocalliphora blowfly parasites, and she has gathered data about their natural history, habitat requirements, and territoriality. See interview with Dr. Mia Revels.

Dr. Amy D. F. Smith received her doctorate at the University of Arkansas where she studied the colonization of meiofauna (microscopic invertebrates) in the Illinois River, Arkansas. Her current research examines the impact of disturbance on macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects), meiofauna, and substrates in the Illinois River, Oklahoma.

Dr. Smith and Dr. Craig Clifford have begun a study of the endangered Nicrophorus americanus (American burying beetle) population at Camp Gruber. This population is one of the last ones remaining in the world and is also one of the largest.