June 2022

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Donate to KAS

KAS has been standing up for Science in Kentucky since 1914! We encourage aspiring scientists, promote science literacy, give science a voice in policymaking, and recognize those who make the future brighter through scientific discovery.



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EPSCoR&Idea Funding, Training, & News

Check out news this month from Established Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Institutional Development Award (IDeA), including federal funding opportunities and more!
EPSCoR & IDeA Newsletter

Share your news with KAS members

If you have something to share in the monthly KAS newsletter, get in touch with our Newsletter editor, Mark dela Cerna.

How to Join the KAS Listserv

KAS has set up a listserv so our members can talk to each other, to share science-related news & announcements, offers, requests, questions and answers. We are excited about fostering more conversations within our scientific community!

 Opt In to the listserv:
Log In at the KAS website (https://kyscience.org/)
In the Member Menu, go to Communication / Message Boards
Click to Opt In to the KAS Member Listserv (and choose the Daily Digest option if  you prefer)
To post to the listserv, send a message to kyscience@memberleap.com

Thank you!

We would like to thank everyone who donated during #KYGives22! We raised $2,433. Your donations support KAS science policy work and public programs and initiatives to improve science literacy across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
If you want to have a greater impact, we are always accepting donations! The link is on the left panel of the newsletter. Your donations help us continue all of our efforts!

Preview of KAS Annual Meeting in Morehead

We are currently planning for the 2022 Annual Meeting at Morehead State University November 10-12. KAS Staff and Board members had a great site visit May 23 with other members of our Local Arrangements team.


This year, we are incorporating the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science into the 2022 KAS Annual Meeting. Our partners at the Center for STEM+ eXcellence are helping us produce a terrific experience for our young scientists in middle and high schools. Stay tuned!

We are also very excited for our 2022 Keynote Speaker. Professor Andrea Armani is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California where she is developing novel nonlinear materials and integrated optical devices that can be used in understanding disease progression and in quantum optics. Her research crosses disciplinary boundaries and we're excited to have her with us! Catch her Keynote on Saturday November 12.


We're looking forward to an evening at the Space Science Center. We got a full tour and we think you're going to like it! Below is a peek inside the anechoic chamber.
Anechoic chamber at Morehead Space Science Center

For those who are travelling and need lodging, KAS has room blocks at two hotels in Morehead. Click here for more details on local hotel discounts.

Go Eagles! See you in Morehead in November!

Be a Sponsor Exhibitor or Advertiser for the KAS Annual Meeting

KAS Seeking Assistance with Strategic Planning

The KAS Governing Board is undertaking a Strategic Planning process over the summer of 2022 to help orient us and prioritize our work over the next several years.

We're looking for someone to facilitate the process for us, including an off-site retreat. If you or someone you know might be the right person for the job, let us know. We are accepting proposals until June 15th. Click here for more details!

Mason County teacher named “Outstanding Earth Science Teacher”

Rob Weber

No tests. Chances to get outdoors. Opportunities to use your brain and hands to solve real-world problems. Sounds like a pretty good science class, doesn’t it?
 
The National Association of Geoscience Teachers apparently agrees. Its Central Section – which covers eight states including Kentucky – has honored Mason County High School science teacher Yvonne Garrison’s approach to teaching by naming her as its 2022 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher.


 
Garrison’s classes emphasize learning by using critical thinking to solve real-world problems. For example, students learned about water quality by taking an in-depth look the flow of rainwater on the school campus and in a nearby creek. As part of the lessons, students visited a wastewater treatment facility and conducted water tests on their campus. Upon finding shortcomings in the water quality, they were asked to figure out the reasons and solutions based on best management practices. Then, they took steps to improve the riparian zone and designed and installed a rain garden.
 
KAS also had the chance to catch up with Ms. Garrison. You can watch the interview below:

Click here to continue reading...

JKAS seeks High-Quality Articles in the Social Sciences and Science Education

JKAS Editors

Although many may not realize it, the Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science (JKAS) now publishes articles in the social sciences and science education, and we would like to increase the number of high-quality articles that we publish.
    The JKAS publishes exclusively online with refereed articles posted serially throughout the calendar year at both the JKAS (available to KAS members) and the BioOne web sites. For most of its history, the JKAS has specialized in articles from the physical sciences, but about two years ago, the KAS Governing Board agreed to open the Journal to high-quality articles in the social sciences and science education and appointed an editor to handle these articles. In fact, one of our recent science education articles was selected for inclusion in a special Earth Day collection of BioOne Vista. So, we are receiving high-quality articles, but we would like to receive more.



Please consider publishing your research in the JKAS. In addition to research articles, we now also accept review articles, opinions, notes, and book reviews, all of which are subject to review. Colleagues may also propose theme submissions that involve several articles exploring a related topic. Instructions for publishing can be found at the JKAS website, by clicking here.

Near-Peer Mentoring Research Study

Are you an undergrad researcher working with a near-peer (grad/postdoc) mentor?
Are you a near-peer mentoring an undergrad?
 
If so, the National Research Mentoring Network invites you to apply to participate in the Communicating Across Difference research study! This study is investigating what factors may influence the development of researchers’ communication skills, including the role of mentors in facilitating this process.



This study is funded by the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences (U01 GM 132219) and approved by The University of Texas MD Anderson IRB (Protocol #2019-1010). Click here for more details about the study and how to register!

Summer Discovery at EKU for grades 6-8

Summer Discovery at EKU
for Talented Youth

Sign Up by June 17th

The Summer Discovery at EKU for Talented Youth program is the perfect opportunity for your gifted & talented student's academic enrichment this summer! Courses are open for students in Rising Grades 6-8. Students will benefit from collaboration with EKU Faculty members as well as K-12 instructors in each course. 

Full day registration (two sessions from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with a break for lunch) cost $250 and include a complimentary EKU t-shirt. Half-day sessions (9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. OR 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m) are also available and cost $125. Full day participants will bring their lunches.

Classes include:
  • CSI: Summer Discovery (A.M. Session)
  • Outdoor Adventures in Ecology (A.M. Session)
  • Taking Flight with Aviation (P.M. Session)

Registration is open until June 17 via this link. For any questions, please contact Dr. Jilliane McCardle (Jilliane.McCardle@eku.edu).

Geologists pick Clark County preserve as “distinguished” site

Rob Weber

Kentucky boasts five Distinguished Geologic Sites now that the Lower Howard’s Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve has been designated as one by the Geological Society of Kentucky.
 

The oldest exposed rock in Kentucky can be seen at the Lower Howard's Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve.

The Clark County preserve includes a gorge where visitors see the oldest exposed rocks in the state. Rocks found at the portion of Lower Howard’s Creek near the Kentucky River were formed between 453 million to 457 million years ago when North America was largely covered by shallow seas and what is now Kentucky was about 20 degrees south of the equator. Limestone along the lower portion of the creek is riddled with dolomite-filled burrows, evidence of worm-like creatures that once tunneled through ancient mud. The rocks were exposed as a result of glaciation about 2 million years ago.
 

Click here to continue reading...

Facebook fundraisers to feature KAS Sections

Are you willing to help strengthen the KAS base of support across Kentucky?
 
KAS Facebook fundraisers will be held in the months to come that will count on member participation. Separate fundraisers are planned for each KAS section. If we go alphabetically, that means Agricultural Science is up first!
 


Here’s how it will work: Members who are on Facebook will receive an invitation to allow a fundraiser on their pages. It will just take a couple clicks to join a ready-made fundraiser that gives your friends and family the option to offer their support.
 
We hope you’ll join KAS efforts to build support for scientific discovery and understanding in Kentucky. Participants will have opportunities to win prizes. We’re looking forward to a fun and simple way to have a far-reaching impact. Stay tuned and make sure to visit and like our FB Page!

Science Job Postings around KY



If you're looking for a job or if you're hiring, pop over to our jobs page. Please send any job announcements to executivedirector@kyscience.org and include contact information and closing date. We have several new job postings this month that you can view by clicking here. 
KAS Newsletter - June 2022