January 2019

Message from the KAS President

Dear KAS Members,
 
As we begin our journey through 2019, let us do so with optimistic enthusiasm for what this year will bring. It may be more important than ever for all members of the scientific community to unite to better foster scientific discovery and understanding in our great Commonwealth. I encourage you to be an engaged member of the Academy and the communities in which you live and serve, as there are several ways to do so.
 
The Junior Kentucky Academy of Science meeting will be held at Kentucky State University in April; more information will be shared on the KAS website as it is made available. If you can, please make time to come learn about, and be inspired by, the innovative science research projects on which Kentucky’s youth are working. Hopefully, you may even have time to serve as a judge at the meeting! I hope to also see you the KAS annual meeting, which for the first time since 1957 will be held at Berea College!
 
Even if you are unable to participate at the Annual Meeting, please stay engaged and active with your KAS sections. In order to have a thriving organization, we must continue to grow and support successful section activities. We need involved leaders and active members. Please know, the KAS Board is available to support the sections in any way that we can.
 
There are also multiple opportunities to be an engaged KAS member and representative by volunteering for science education and outreach events in your communities. We have 170+ members signed up with our Speakers Bureau, but we need you, the members, to help promote this learning opportunity to educators, civic groups, libraries, etc. Please also pay special attention to the state legislative session!
 
The Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science has new editors working hard to shorten time to publication and broaden the scope of the journal. Don’t forget, the Journal welcomes manuscripts from all of the scientific disciplines, so I encourage you to use it as a publication outlet for your Kentucky and other relevant regional research.
 
In closing, if you have any concerns, ideas, or other general feedback or comments about KAS, or how we can better serve science in Kentucky, please share them with me, or our Executive Director, Amanda Fuller. I believe it is through interdisciplinary thinking and the sharing of multiple ideas that we will be able to ensure 2019 has great things in store for the world of science in the Commonwealth. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your 2019 President. I wish all the best for a productive and successful year!
 
All the best,
Leslie A. North, KAS President
 

Welcome to our new Governing Board members

Welcome!
New Social Science Division Representatives
Wei Song, U of L
Amy Hamilton, Bellarmine University

New Physical Science Division Representatives
J Scott Miller, Maysville CTC
Dr. Seyed Allameh, NKU

New Vice President
Trent Garrison, NKU

Read their Bios, and meet the rest of the KAS Governing Board  HERE

Save the Dates: November 1-2, 2019

The 2019 KAS Annual Meeting will be hosted at Berea College!

Kentucky Nature License Plates fund Conservation purchases

Purchase a Kentucky Nature License Plate and support the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund!
Butterfly License Plate
$10 from each plate goes to the Land Conservation Fund, and funds have now been protected from the Bevin administration's sweeps that seized much of the other funding for land purchases in Kentucky
Details HERE
Kentucky lags behind our neighboring states with only 7% of our land protected for conservation. Your contributions help! Thank you!

2018 Annual Meeting Photos


Kyle Watson won our Social Media Photo contest with this spirited photo of the Kentucky Wesleyan College delegation!

See more photos of the Annual Meeting (and find out who crashed our poster session....)

We want to thank WKU for hosting the 2018 Annual Meeting! We had 623 people register, representing more than 24 different institutions, and we had 398 poster & paper presentations! That's a lot of science!

 

Student Competition winners at 2018 KAS Annual meeting

Congratulations to our student competition winners! Find photos of winners HERE
 
1st place Agricultural Sciences Poster  Sarah Rhodes Asbury
1st place Agricultural Sciences Poster  Riley  Mabe Murray
1st place Agricultural Sciences Poster  Kaeden  Mollet Murray
1st place Agricultural Sciences Poster   Marcus Robertson Murray
2nd place Agricultural Sciences Poster  Megan Mccoun KSU
3rd place Agricultural Sciences Poster  River Dowell Murray
1st place Agricultural Sciences Oral  Tavin Marshall KSU
1st place Anthrolopology /Sociology Poster  Dee Broomhead NKU
2nd place Anthrolopology / Sociology Poster  Alessa Rulli NKU
3rd place Anthrolopology / Sociology Poster  Delaney  Gilliam NKU
3rd place Anthrolopology / Sociology Poster  Lyndsey  McNabb NKU
1st place Anthrolopology / Sociology Oral  Amanda Lilly NKU
1st place Botany Poster  Wendy Cecil WKU
1st place Botany Oral  Kiana  Mattingly Bellarmine
1st place Botany Oral  Robert Day Bellarmine
1st place Cellular and Molecular Biology Poster  Meg Dillingham WKU
2nd place Cellular and Molecular Biology Poster  Kateryna Nabukhotna Berea
3rd place Cellular and Molecular Biology Poster  Matthew Knerr WKU
1st place Cellular and Molecular Biology Oral  Erin Clayton Murray
2nd place Cellular and Molecular Biology Oral  Chann Han Berea
3rd place Cellular and Molecular Biology Oral  Justin Rabe NKU
1st place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Poster  Brittney Nelson Murray
3rd place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Poster  Elizabeth Hedrick WKU
1st place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Oral  Yacine Choutri Berea
2nd place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Oral  Alexander Thome Murray
2nd place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Oral  Ryan Lamb WKU
3rd place Chemistry: Analytical & Physical Oral  Corbin Arrasmith NKU
1st place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Poster  Samantha Sims Murray
2nd place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Poster  Shino  Sleeper WKU
2nd place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Poster  Hayley VanMeter WKU
3rd place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Poster  Seth Klaine WKU
1st place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Oral  Ayanav Roy NKU
2nd place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Oral  Quynh Nguyen NKU
3rd place Chemistry: Organic / Inorganic Oral  Michael James Berea
1st place Computer & Informational Sciences Poster  Brian Luciano UK
2nd place Computer & Informational Sciences Poster  Luke de Castro Henry Clay High School
3rd place Computer & Informational Sciences Poster  Richard Pike WKU
1st place Computer & Informational Sciences Oral  Michael  Murray UK
1st place Computer & Informational Sciences Oral   Kelsey  Cole UK
2nd place Computer & Informational Sciences Oral  Stephen Goins Bellarmine
3rd place Computer & Informational Sciences Oral  Harrison Inocencio UK Department of Computer Science
1st place Ecology  Poster  Renae Steinberger EKU
2nd place Ecology  Poster  Ramon Guivas Asbury
3rd place Ecology  Poster  Natalie  Holsclaw NKU
3rd place Ecology  Poster  Allison Jones NKU
1st place Ecology  Oral  Sarah Benton U of L
2nd place Ecology  Oral  Emma Reasoner Berea
1st place Engineering Oral  Akira King Morehead
2nd place Engineering Oral  Katerina Winters Morehead
3rd place Engineering Oral  Jean-Pierre Amoakon Georgetown 
1st place Environmental Science Poster  Christopher Padgett WKU
2nd place Environmental Science Poster  Jennifer Van Antwerp WKU
3rd place Environmental Science Poster  Isabel Chumbler WKU
1st place Environmental Science Oral  Evan Hendrickson WKU
1st place Geography Poster  Ariel  Smith KSU
1st place Geography Poster  Jacouri  Burns KSU
2nd place Geography Poster  Logan Twohey U of L
3rd place Geography Poster  Meri Koskelainen EKU
1st place Geography Oral  Dallas McKinney WKU
2nd place Geography Oral  Tori Farrow KSU
1st place Geology Poster  Daniel  Martin NKU
1st place Geology Poster  Constance  Brown NKU
2nd place Geology Poster  Marie White Murray
1st place Geology Oral  Madison Howard Morehead
2nd place Geology Oral  Mitchell Grothaus Morehead
1st place Health Sciences Poster  Kristen Miller WKU
2nd place Health Sciences Poster  Nicole Creeden Murray
3rd place Health Sciences Poster  Kristen Eads WKU
1st place Health Sciences Oral  Samuel Adams NKU
2nd place Health Sciences Oral  Yeongha Oh Berea
1st place Mathematics Oral  Jeremiah Halter Morehead
2nd place Mathematics Oral  Ethan Caudill Morehead
1st place Microbiology Poster  Samuel Chang WKU
2nd place Microbiology Poster  Anmol Sandhu WKU
3rd place Microbiology Poster  Sahil Chhabra WKU
1st place Microbiology Oral  Colin Hartman NKU
2nd place Microbiology Oral  William Fenske EKU
3rd place Microbiology Oral  Clarissa Gearner WKU
Honorable Mention Microbiology Oral  Ashley Wentworth NKU
1st place Physics & Astronomy Poster  Brendan Evans WKU
2nd place Physics & Astronomy Poster  Alexander Banaszak WKU
3rd place Physics & Astronomy Poster  Alex Henson WKU
1st place Physics & Astronomy Oral  Rebecca Mikula Morehead
2nd place Physics & Astronomy Oral  Casey Christian Morehead
3rd place Physics & Astronomy Oral  Lauren Cooper WKU
1st place Physiology and Biochemistry Poster  Nyasha Gombami Berea
2nd place Physiology and Biochemistry Poster  Allison Harper Berea
3rd place Physiology and Biochemistry Poster  Zackery Hill Pikeville
1st place Physiology and Biochemistry Oral  Issac Domenech Berea
2nd place Physiology and Biochemistry Oral  David Kelley Wood Hudson
3rd place Physiology and Biochemistry Oral  Daisy DiVita NKU
1st place Psychology Poster  Victoria Nash Morehead
2nd place Psychology Poster  Yabsira Ayele Berea
3rd place Psychology Poster  Allison Ludwig Morehead
1st place Psychology Oral  Sydney Wheeler WKU
1st place Science Education Poster  Shelby Diener NKU
2nd place Science Education Poster  Olivia Santangelo WKU
1st place Science Education Oral  Hannah Brewer Morehead
1st place Zoology Poster  Maddie Stanback UK
2nd place Zoology Poster  Jonathan Eisenhour Morehead
1st place Zoology Oral  Samuel White Murray
2nd place Zoology Oral  Rachel Prokopius NKU
3rd place Zoology Oral  Natalie Mercer KWC


 

Thank you to our Annual Meeting Sponsors

Platinum Level

Gold Level


 
Morning Break Sponsor

Afternoon Break Sponsor

Bronze Level


In Kind

WKU Office of Research and Creative Activity

Thank you for filling out your Annual Meeting Evaluation

We appreciate your feedback and we are already working on implementing some of  your suggestions for 2019!
Congratulations to Emma Higgins who won the drawing for a $25 gift card!

Listen to Bench Talk: The Week in Science podcast

Your fellow KAS members produce a weekly podcast bringing science to the airwaves- Listen whenever you like at www.forwardradio.org or contribute to the show! Contact Dave Robinson if you have a story to share. Forward Radio is a non-profit, community-supported radio station.
You can also check out special coverage of the KAS Annual meeting in the November 12 episode!

Science Speakers Bureau is growing!

Our Science Speakers Bureau has grown to 167 members! Recent requests for speakers have come in from Central and Western Kentucky and from Louisville.
Help us get the word out! Tell your schools, libraries, and civic organizations about this great resource, or let us know where we can reach out and send announcements. The Speakers Bureau is open to our Graduate & Professional members. If you'd like to join, log in and follow links to Update your Profile.

Our Breakfast with Science Teachers event  with the Kentucky Science Teachers Association in November was a great conversation!  Nine members of our Speakers Bureau joined us and shared what they do; Patrick Goff from KSTA shared his experiences doing video-chats in his classroom with scientists all over the world. Teachers learned about how to invite local scientists into their classroom, in person or virtually, and teachers and scientists alike got excited about some online tools like @Realscientists on Twitter.

Watch for more collaborations between scientists & teachers, like at the 2019 Annual Meeting in Berea!

 

Call for Submissions--Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science switching to Issue-In-Progress publishing

In 2019, the Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science is transitioning to all-digital format. Articles will be published on an issue-in-progress model, which means faster publishing for authors and easy access.  We've also dropped page charges, so authors will be able to publish for free in the Journal!

 Submit your manuscript to our co-editors, Dr. Kelly Watson and Dr. Wally Borowski at EKU.  Find out more and access issues at our website

Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program is recruiting HS and undergraduate students

The Markey Cancer Center (MCC) has established a new educational pipeline program: the MCC Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program. First established as the Career Training in Oncology Program (CTOP) in 2016, the program offers Appalachian Kentucky high school and undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Kentucky the opportunity to gain cancer research, clinical, outreach and education experiences that will enrich their interest in pursuing a cancer-focused career.
Applications are due March 1. High School and undergraduate students can find out more about eligibility and apply here

Read more about the initiative
 

314 Action is recruiting pro-science candidates for state offices

Hi Friends! 

2019 is an important year in Kentucky politics. National 314 Action, a STEM/policy-advocacy group, is interested in helping Kentucky support STEM candidates. The races below will be on the ballot in 2019 (many of which have no official STEM candidates). Do you know a STEM professional who would be perfect for one of these spots? if so, send us a message! The last day to file to run is January 29, 2019. 
- Governor (5 have already announced/filed, one of which has sent in a request for 314 endorsement)
- Attorney General (1 filed, no official requests for 314 endorsements)
- Secretary of State (3 have already announced/filed, one of which has sent in a request for 314 endorsement)
- Auditor (1 filed, no official requests for endorsements)
- Treasurer (1 filed, no official requests for endorsements)
- Agriculture Commissioner (2 filed, no official requests for endorsements)

We realize it's not practical to have scientists and engineers in all of these areas, but some are of particular interest for obvious reasons. 314 Action also realizes that just because someone doesn't have a background in STEM, doesn't mean that won't be a science-friendly candidate, and will consider this. 

You can view the updated candidate filings here

If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact Trent Garrison
(Education & Advocacy Chair and Kentucky 314 representative). 

 

 

KAS Joins the Kentucky Organization of Field Stations (KOFS)

We are pleased to announce that the Kentucky Academy of Science is now a partner member of KOFS - the Kentucky Organization of Field Stations.  KOFS is a grassroots organization established to support and promote the understanding of natural systems through education, research, and outreach in Kentucky.  Membership is open to any organizations and individuals with an interest in the natural areas of the state.  Currently, the KOFS network includes 21 field stations and serves numerous partner and individual members.  A newsletter highlighting current events at member stations is distributed three times per year, and the annual meetings is held at one of the member stations in late February or early March (see below).  For more information about becoming a KOFS member, a list of participating stations, and other information about KOFS, visit kentuckyfieldstations.wordpress.com
 
 KOFS meeting at Bernheim Forest, 1-2 March 2019
 
The annual meeting of the Kentucky Organization of Field Stations (KOFS) will take place at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest on March 1 and 2.  Activities begin with a pizza dinner followed by a video presentation and/or campfire discussion the evening of March 1.  Saturday morning Andrew Berry, forest manager of Bernheim, will provide an overview of the field station and lead a hike after breakfast.  Mid-morning business discussions will include summaries of recent efforts related to outreach, education, and research.  This year's featured speakers are Michaela Rogers and Shelby Fulton, of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves respectively, who will discuss pollinator monitoring and conservation in the state.  Presentations of student research conducted at KOFS member stations will follow lunch, and the meeting will conclude at approximately 5:00 PM following discussions of any new business.  The meeting is open to any interested individuals and organizations.  More information and meeting registration....
 

Mentor a high-school scientist over the Summer

Interested in mentoring a high-school student over the summer? Louisville and Kentucky Science Pathways are summer internship programs at the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky that match enthusiastic young scientists with interested STEM faculty. The 8-week programs runs June-August, requiring the student to complete a minimum of 20 hrs a week. The program does not provide a stipend, so there is no extra cost to the lab hosting the student. For more information, please visit the respective sites below:
 
Louisville Science Pathways (University of Louisville)
Kentucky Science Pathways (University of Kentucky) 
 

Apply for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) positions are paid summer research positions for undergraduates, funded by the National Science Foundation.  REUs are excellent stepping stones to research jobs, to graduate school, or other careers in the sciences!

Applications are due in February - check the website for details about each program.

The KAS website has details about REU opportunities in Kentucky, and a link to search for REU positions all over the USA

REU opportunities in Kentucky:
  • Disturbance Ecology in Central Appalachia at EKU
  • Theoretically Interesting Molecules, NKU and other sites
  • The Parker Academy: Investigating the Intersection of Freedom, Social Justice, Archaeology, History, and Geography at NKU
  • A Multidisciplinary Research Experience in Engineered Bioactive Interfaces & Devices at UK, Chemical and Materials Engineering
  • Summer Program in the Biochemical Sciences at UK
  • Interdisciplinary Micro/Nano-manufacturing Program Addressing Challenges Today (IMPACT)  at U of L
Find out more HERE

What have our members been up to?

Surveying candidates on science issues!
KAS has posted results of a survey for state candidates in the 2018 election - some of them got elected! Check out our candidates responses HERE
Thank you Trent Garrison and his Science Policy class at NKU for putting this together and sharing with our membership!

Blogging!
A first step in a better science education is reconceptualizing science

Podcasting & Starring in videos!
KAS has a gallery of videos and podcasts from our members- check out some of our latest work here and send us yours
 

Kentucky Scientists in the News

Mosquito Mate, a pest-control company in Lexington, was recently highlighted on Science Friday as their chemical-free mosquito control meth ods are being replicated in more states.  Mosquito mate releases male Asian tiger mosquitoes (the daytime-biting ones) that are infected with naturally-occurring Wolbachia bacteria, and when they mate with females the resulting eggs are sterile. The method was developed at the University of Kentucky and has been so successful that it's now spreading to other states.

Calendar of Events Import

ORSANCO Technical Committee and Commission meeting
02/12/2019- 02/14/2019
The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission  (ORSANCO) did not make a decision in October about relaxing pollution standards for the Ohio River but may take up the question again at the February meeting. Watch for details at http://www.orsanco.org

American Junior Academy of Science
02/13/2019- 02/17/2019
Six delegates from the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science will participate in the 2019 American Junior Academy of Science meeting in Washington DC. The meeting offers students a chance to present their research to their peers and to meet professional scientists. The AJAS is a program of the National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) and the annual meetings of both AJAS and NAAS are held in conjunction with the  AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Annual Meeting.

Posters at the Capitol
02/21/2019
February 21, 2019 will mark the eighteenth annual Posters-at-the-Capitol program. With unique research projects on display, Posters-at-the-Capitol helps to increase understanding of the important role undergraduate research plays in the education of our students among those responsible for higher education funding in Kentucky.

Providing undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in scholarly, research, and creative work is important to our students’ educational experience and professional development. We encourage faculty to have their students participate in Posters-at-the-Capitol to help those in Kentucky who fund higher education understand why these experiences are so important. If you are an undergraduate, we urge you to tell your story to your hometown and university legislators so that other Kentucky students can enjoy and benefit from the kind of experience you have had.

Kentucky Organization of Field Stations Annual meeting
03/01/2019- 03/02/2019
Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest, Clermont, KY

Integrating Civic Engagement into undergraduate STEM curriculum
03/08/2019- 03/09/2019
The workshop will be facilitated by Glenn Odenbrett, SENCER* Leadership Fellow and founding Director of the Office of Student Community Service at Case Western University and the Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship Through Education Network (GLISTEN) at the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement.  

Registration is open HERE

Workshop goals are to provide participants with:
-a conceptual framework for integrating civic engagement with undergraduate STEM coursework
-strategies and activities to apply this framework to revising or developing a STEM course incorporating civic engagement or based on civic engagement
-the opportunity to engage in intensive curricular development/revision
Participants will learn about strategies and tools for integrating civic engagement with STEM courses they are currently teaching or plan to teach. Small group work by discipline groups, if feasible (e.g., life sciences, engineering) facilitated by coaches to begin applying strategies and tools, and develop plan for detailed follow-up.
The workshop will be facilitated by Glenn Odenbrett, SENCER* Leadership Fellow and founding Director of the Office of Student Community Service at Case Western University and the Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship Through Education Network (GLISTEN) at the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement. He can be reached at gxo2@case.edu.
The event will take place on Friday March 8th at Northern Kentucky University Griffin Hall Digitorium from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
There will be an optional additional day on Saturday March 9th (location tbd) that will be more intensive with Mr. Odenbrett and the coaches from 8:30-12 noon.
Registration is discounted for members of the Ky Campus Compact

KAS Newsletter - January 2019