Whitbourne says that the intensity of watching the Super Bowl can mask physical pain
Susan K. Whitbourne, Psychology, says sports fans undergo a high level of stress during contests such as the Super Bowl and sometimes ignore the physical symptoms of injury or disease as a result. A scientific study has found that emergency room visits during the Super Bowl are significantly lower than at other times. WGBH-TV 2
Bhomik named outstanding weed science researcher
Prasanta Bhowmik, Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences, received the Weed Science Society of America’s Outstanding Research Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of weed science. Bhowmik’s research focuses on weed biology, allelopathy and invasive species, perennial weed control and integrated weed management in field crops and turfgrass. Press Release
New book shows that work-family balance remains complex for women
"Women and Work: Choices and Constraints," a national conference organized by the Center for Research on Families (CRF) in 2008 has led to the publication of "Women Who Opt Out," a new collection of original essays by leading scholars in the field of work and family research, and edited by Bernie Jones. Press Release
Albertson awarded CAREER grant to study environment’s effects on evolution
Craig Albertson, Biology, was awarded a five-year, $625,000 NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant to study the evolutionary developmental biology or “evo-devo” of jaws in cichlid fish, tropical freshwater relatives of the tilapia. These medium-sized, highly adaptable cousins of sunfish have a phenomenal ability to undergo evolutionary change. They’ve developed 1,000 new species in Lake Malawi, Africa, over the past million years, a far faster pace than usual for other vertebrates in a similar period.
Nationally recognized Food Science department shares its story
The Food Science program is recognized as among the nation's best. Students study the scientific and technological aspects of processing food and learn how to create high-tech food that add nutrients and reduce the risk of disease. Prominent alumni in the food industry work closely with faculty to support students' studies and research, providing an invaluable network that hones the program's competitive edge.
Downes develops reliable animal model to study Maple Syrup Urine Disease
Gerald Downes, Biology, and colleagues have developed a reliable and cost-effective animal model, a mutant zebrafish, to study Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD). Untreated, this inherited metabolic disorder that causes individuals to smell like maple syrup, can result in mental retardation, profound neurological damage, severe dystonia, coma and death. Disease Models and Mechanisms, Medical News, Medical XPress, Animal Lab News, Press Release
McCaffrey, developed toolkit for enhancing problem-solving skills
Anthony McCaffrey, cognitive psychology researcher, studies common roadblocks to problem-solving and has developed a toolkit for enhancing anyone’s skills. McCaffrey believes his Obscure Features Hypothesis (OFH) has led to the first systematic, step-by-step approach to devising innovation-enhancing techniques to overcome a wide range of cognitive obstacles to invention. Psychological Science, Times of India, Yahoo!, Press Release
Mangan awarded NY Farmers Medal for building sustainable markets
Vegetable Crops specialist Frank Mangan, Plant Soil and Insect Sciences, has been selected to receive the 2012 New York Farmers Medal by the New York Farmers Club. Press Release
Lutcavage featured on podcast about her efforts to study giant Bluefin tuna
Molly Lutcavage, Environmental Conservation, director of the campus’s Marine Research Station in Gloucester, Mass., is featured in a video podcast discussing how she and colleagues use electronic tags to track and study giant bluefin tuna. Lutcavage says it is urgent and important to understand more about the feeding and spawning needs of these giant fish. Encyclopedia of Life
Osborne describes Soft Materials Immunology
Barbara Osborne, an immunologist in the Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department, describes Soft Materials Immunology, a new area of life sciences that holds great promise for developing novel ways to treat and prevent disease. Osbourne says that collaborations between immunologists and material scientists will likely lead to the ability to modify immune responses to diseases by blocking harmful proteins or enhancing helpful proteins.
Danylchuk offers new integrated building model to improve success of fish farming operations
Aquaculture researcher Andy Danylchuk, Environmental Conservation, and colleagues are melding building design, fish ecology and aquaculture engineering techniques into a first-of-its-kind "building-integrated aquaculture" (BIAq) model to offer an affordable, more holistic and sustainable approach to indoor fish production located close to markets and able to succeed even in cold climates. Press Release
Hoque and Danylchuk Collaborate on Building Integrated Aquaculture
Simi Hoque, Building and Construction Technology, Andy Danylchuk, Fish Conservation, and James Webb, post-doctoral fellow, all in the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, have introduced the concept of Building Integrated Aquaculture (BIAq), where aquaculture processes and building systems are treated holistically as a means to harness potential synergies that maximize energy efficiency and optimize operations. Their findings are published in the February issue of ASHRAE Journal. Press Release
Schreyer’s SketchUp Plugin by Featured on Google Blog
A plugin for the popular 3D CAD software Google SketchUp, written by Alexander Schreyer, program director for Building and Construction Technology in the department of Environmental Conservation, was recently featured in one of Google’s case-studies. Schreyer’s Ruby Code Editor plugin, which allows a user to write and execute code in SketchUp’s 3D environment has been used extensively by Turner Construction. Google
Barker named 2011 Agronomy Journal Outstanding Associate Editor
Allen Barker, Plant and Soil Sciences, has been named the 2011 Agronomy Journal Outstanding Associate Editor by the American Society of Agronomy for his outstanding service as associate editor and on the editorial boards of various professional journals. In the Loop
De Vries studies the development of sex differences in the brain
Research by Geert de Vries, Psychology, on epigenetics and sex differences, is featured in a story about the Connectome project, which focuses on brain development studies. De Vries says sex steroids like estrogen and testosterone affect genes and may play a role in sex differences in the occurrence of some psychiatric disorders. The Dana Foundation
Morse named a top 'nanotechnology evangelist'
Jeffrey Morse, managing director of the National Nanomanufacturing Network at the campus's NSF Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing, was recently named one of the 25 "Most Influential Nanotechnology Leaders" by the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association. Press Release
Johnston, Daio, Ma receive team grant from Mass. Green High Performance Computing Center
The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke has awarded its first team research grants. Hans Johnston, Mathematics and Statistics, is part of a team that will work on “exacale” software platforms; Yanlei Diao, Computer Science, and Li-Jun Ma, Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, will help develop a system for processing massive amounts of genome material. Mass High Tech
McCarthy, Zhang rediscover self-healing silicone mechanism from 1950s
Thomas McCarthy, Polymer Science and Engineering, and graduate student Peiwen Zhang resurrected a 60-year-old method known as siloxane equilibration to demonstrate that silicone rubber cut with a razor can completely repair itself via heat-activated reversible bonding, which could prove useful in a variety of applications from countertops to auto body scratches. Physorg.com
Horse arena fully functional with new footing
The campus' Horse Arena has laid down new footing and is fully functional for the spring semester, according to folks at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Press Release
Rountree and Juanes record and study deep-sea fish noises
Rodney Rountree and Francis Juanes, Environmental Conservation, have published one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years. They are exploring the idea that fish make sounds to communicate with each other, especially those that live in the perpetual dark of the deep ocean. UPI.com, Bio-Medicine, Pysorg.com, Marinelink.com, Maritimeprofessional.com, Yahoo! News, Press Release, Scientific American
Fu discusses research, national advisory board appointment on WBGY
Kevin Fu, Computer Science, is interviewed on WGBY's Connecting Point about his recent appointment to serve on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, which advises the Federal Government on cybersecurity. Fu's research focuses on improving security for implantable medical devices and contactless credit cards without compromising effectiveness.
Bezanilla named an 'Emerging Scholar' by Diverse magazine
Magdalena Bezanilla, associate professor of Biology, is among 12 "Emerging Scholars" profiled in the Jan. 5 issue of the magazine . Bezanilla, who joined the faculty in 2005, studies the biology of plant cells to discover how they grow. "My lab is interested in understanding how molecules inside the cell help to shape the cell and give the cell its final form," she says in the profile, which notes that she and her colleagues recently pioneered a technique they call multigene silencing to simultaneously silence genes in a multicellular organism. Last year, Bezanilla received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Lovley’s Geobactor is resource for space-bound microbial fuel cell development
Geobacter, an anaerobic organism discovered in 1987 by Derek Lovley, Microbiology, is the main resource for the development of microbial fuel cells for use in space. Astrobiology
Patek's research on speed demons featured on NPR's Science Friday
Biologist Sheila Patek's research on mini animal speed demons is a featured video on the online version of NPR's Science Friday. Patek says the creatures she studies move at speeds that are hard for us to imagine, let alone perceive. From mantis shrimp to trap-jaw ants, some of the fastest organisms on the planet are ones you may never have heard of. Demonstrating with research videos, Patek explains how these organisms pull off their top speeds.
Brigham-Grette discusses hosting journalists and teachers on research expeditions in Nature
Julie Brigham-Grette, Geosciences, is featured in a story in Nature about the benefits and challenges for scientists who host journalists, media crews, and teachers on major research expeditions, and how the scientists prepare these guests for their experience in the field. Nature
