With a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Bao-Hua Song aims to achieve two goals: develop new soybean varieties diverse enough to resist the world’s most damaging soybean pest and advance UNC Charlotte as a leader in plant science. 

Soybean cyst nematode, a plant-parasitic roundworm that targets the roots of soybean and other legume plants, ravages soybean crops across the United States at a rate that surpasses the annual yield loss from the next five most-damaging soybean pathogens combined. Annual losses nationwide due to SCN alone equal up to $1.5 billion.

“High levels of crop losses have implications not only for farm viability but for worldwide food production,” said Song, a professor of biological sciences whose research encompasses understanding the molecular basis and evolution of complex trait variations significant to agriculture, human health and climate adaptation. “The most efficient and environmentally friendly approach to mitigating SCN damage is to develop and deploy new soybean varieties that can withstand it.”

To keep pace with rapidly evolving SCN populations — and because current resistant soybean varieties are becoming less so — Song and her colleagues plan to apply her lab’s characteristic and reliable approach to reaching solutions: use crop wild relatives as study systems as they identify new genetic resources (with broad SCN resistance) and their underlying molecular mechanisms. 

“We know that the wild soybean Glycine soja, for example, possesses genomic diversity that holds untapped genetic resources for identifying novel SCN-resistant genotypes,” said Song. “This will remain important as we move forward with developing new soybean varieties.” 

Research, teaching, career growth

While the overarching goal for Song and co-principal investigators, Mukhtar Shahid, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Chen Sixue, University of Mississippi, is to uncover molecular bases of broad resistance of wild soybeans to SCN, Song’s research grant, which is part of the NSF’s Plant Genome Research Program, also includes support for expanding the level of computational expertise in the field of plant science.

To grow the number of scientists and educators qualified to work in and teach systems biology — the computational and mathematical analysis and modeling of complex biological systems — Song will collaborate with Charlotte Teachers Institute to develop ways to provide hands-on education and training to undergraduate and graduate students and high school science teachers. Among these are the development of a new course in systems biology and a number of workshops and seminars and symposia accessible to scientists and teachers. 

Of particular significance to Song is the opportunity it offers to intentionally enhance her research and advance her career trajectory. 

“The NSF recognizes that mid-career scientists benefit from support that allows them to secure research time,” she said. “Support of this kind affirms my desire and potential to become an international leader and teacher-scholar as UNC Charlotte moves to the forefront of this exciting field.”

Inside UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte Observatory and Society of Physics Students bring you this semester’s Halloween themed star party. Look at the stars through our numerous telescopes and connect to faculty and students.  Enjoy a refreshing beverage while watching a science expose!

WHEN:
Saturday, October 28th
8pm to Midnight

WHERE:
UNC Charlotte Observatory located behind the police building, |E-SE| of North Deck, or |W| of Poplar Terrace Dr.

WHO CAN ATTEND?
Anyone and everyone! Open to the public.

INCLEMENT WEATHER:
If weather/cloud cover does not allow telescopes to be brought out, we will have a backup the following Saturday November 4th.

FOR UPDATES:

Join our Discord or check our X (formerly known as Twitter)

Gerwood (Jerri) is the Co-Founder and Co-owner of an award-winning lifestyle brand (704 Shop) that strives to connect their supporters 
to each other and to the region. With a non-traditional path to the industry, Gerwood has a unique perspective on accomplishing goals and becoming an entrepreneur. He looks forward to becoming a Ventureprise board member and helping entrepreneurship become part of the collegiate conversation while helping those in the community be successful entrepreneurs. 

Dr. Dan Han received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics in 2019 from UNC, Charlotte under the gudiance of Professor Molchanov. She joined as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Louisville in 2019. Her research interestes include probability theory & stochastic, statistics and their applications to problems in population dynamics, data sciences, social network science, public health, finance,  numerical analysis, big data, machine learning, and FinTech. 

Education: Doctor of Science in Mathematics, subject area “Inverse Problems for Partial Differential Equations,” Computing Center of The Siberian Branch of The Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk.

Biography: Dr. Klibanov has recently been recognized by the Stanford University Study as among the top 2% of the world’s most cited researchers. He was also awarded the Golden Medal for “Distinguished Impact in Mathematics” from Sobolev Institute of  Mathematics, Russia in 2017. He is an author of more than 175 papers in the leading mathematical journals and a world renowned expert in inverse problems for partial differential equations, iII-posed problems, mathematical physics including microwaves and nanoscience and more. He has made original and groundbreaking contributions in the area of coefficient inverse problems by introducing Carleman estimates for proofs of uniqueness theorems and constructions of  globally convergent numerical methods for these problems. Dr. Klibanov’s research has been supported by the US Army Research Office for his work on applied inverse problems and has continuously received funding every three years since 2005 with a total of over 3.3 million dollars. Dr. Klibanov supervised 7 postdocs and 5 PhD students. Learn more about Dr. Klibanov here.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Shan Yan, professor and associate chair for research in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the 2023 recipient of the Education Award from the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society.

Yan was recognized for his long-standing dedication to educating and mentoring future generations of scientists in the field of environmental mutagenesis. He is an active member of the EMGS DNA Repair and Mutagenic Mechanism Special Interest Group and has served on several of the society’s committees including as current chair of the EMGS Publication Policy Committee.

In 2021, Yan proposed and initiated the EMGS Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program to encourage research by underrepresented undergraduate students and support their attendance at EMGS annual meetings. As an editorial board member of EMGS flagship journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, Yan has edited special issues related to DNA repair, genome integrity and environmental health.

Since joining UNC Charlotte in 2010, Yan has established a productive and inclusive research laboratory. He has mentored two junior tenure-track faculty members, four research faculty and staff members or postdoctoral fellows, 13 graduate students and 23 undergraduate students. His research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of genome integrity and cancer etiology using Xenopus egg extracts and mammalian cells as model systems. The Inside UNC Charlotte article, “Finding a cure for cancer, one DNA damage pathway at a time,” details how Yan and his lab tackle basic but significant questions in the field of genome science and cancer. 

His research findings and discoveries, often in conjunction with his mentees, have been published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Trends in Cell Biology, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research, Nucleic Acids Research, eLife and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“I am honored to accept the 2023 EMGS Education Award, and I greatly appreciate the support and help from my mentors, mentees, collaborators, colleagues, friends and family over the years. As a scientist-educator, I view this award as one kind of recognition of my dedication to mentoring future researchers and scientists,” Yan said.

Brown University’s Robert W. Sobol, EMGS past president and current dean’s professor of cancer research and associate director for basic research and co-leader of the Cancer Biology Program at Legorreta Cancer Center, nominated Yan for the Education Award.

Inside UNC Charlotte

The NIH proposal titled “Statistical Methods for Efficacy Trials of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies Against Genetically-Diverse Pathogens”, Co-PIed by Dr. Yanqing Sun with the investigators from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UNC Chapel Hill, has received the MERIT extension award. The award gives five additional years of $100,000 each year of funding support to Dr.Yanqing Sun as the PI from UNC Charlotte from 2024 to 2029. Yanqing has received NIH funding continuously since 2006.

Creating supportive learning environments that enable students to succeed is a hallmark of Charlotte faculty members, and this year’s nominees for the University’s teaching excellence awards exemplify that commitment.

For the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, finalists are Paula Connolly, professor, English; M.Lyn Exum, associate professor, criminal justice and criminology; and Amy Good, associate professor, reading and elementary education.

Deborah Beete, senior lecturer, public health sciences; Jeanne-Marie “Ree” Linker, lecturer, mathematics and statistics; and Hannah Peach, assistant teaching professor, psychological science, are this year’s finalists for the UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence. 

Recipients for each award will be announced Friday, Sept. 22, during a reception in the Popp Martin Student Union Multipurpose Room. 

About Ree Linker

Jeanne-Marie “Ree” Linker ’98, ’23 is devoted to statistics and makes sure her students leave with the same appreciation. Focused on adaptive and active learning, along with real-world applications, Linker ensures her students and peers are set up for success.

To achieve this transition of student perspective, Linker uses group work to encourage students to engage with one another, finds relatable applications of the course material and gives a one-on-one experience for every student she encounters.

“I love my students who come in capable and self-motivated, but the students who keep me in the classroom semester after semester are the ones who are going to fall in love with math and just don’t know it yet,” said Linker.

Read Full Article on Inside UNC Charlotte

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science, one of two colleges created from the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, effective immediately. The name of the college is pending final approval from the Board of Trustees. 

“This reorganization moves us closer to our goal of serving the Charlotte region and the state of North Carolina as a top-tier research university by allowing the two distinct colleges to become more focused in their areas of expertise,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jennifer Troyer. “Bernadette’s leadership over the past several months as interim divisional dean for the departments that now comprise the College of Science has been critical to the success of the transition. I know she will continue to help foster success in research and teaching within these departments.” 

The new college comprises four science and math departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Optical Science.

Prior to serving as interim divisional dean of these departments, Donovan-Merkert was chair of the Department of Chemistry for over 18 years. She also led the design and implementation of the Nanoscale Science Ph.D. program and served as the program’s director. In these roles, she worked with faculty, staff and students to promote a departmental culture that embraced excellence in research, teaching and engagement. Under her leadership, the Chemistry Department’s funding portfolio grew substantially, from less than $500,000 in extramural funding in 2005 to over $3.5 million in 2022, including major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

“I have had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and talented faculty, staff and students during my career at UNC Charlotte,” said Donovan-Merkert. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the faculty, staff and students of the College of Science to support the University’s strategic plan by cultivating a college ecosystem that will facilitate student success, cutting-edge research, innovative teaching and engagement with the Charlotte region.” 

Donovan-Merkert received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont. She held postdoctoral research associate positions at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin prior to her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry at UNC Charlotte in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and to the rank of professor in 2003.

Donovan-Merkert’s research focuses on electrochemically induced reactions of organometallic complexes. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations and was a long-time advocate for construction of the science building that opened in 2021. She was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, was a finalist for the University’s highest teaching award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and received the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, among many internal and external honors.

Inside UNC Charlotte

Two new colleges have formed from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, creating new pathways for student and research success — the College of Science and the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. The colleges’ names are pending approval from the Board of Trustees at its next meeting.

“These two focused colleges allow each to evolve uniquely in ways that best encompass their expertise and strengths,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “The transition supports our strategic plan goals of becoming a top-tier research university and adapting to meet the needs of current and future students.”

Two interim deans have been appointed. John Smail will continue his role of interim dean through June 30, 2024, overseeing the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. Bernadette Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science; her term runs through June 30, 2025. Both interim deans are currently in place supporting students, faculty and staff. 

“Our students, faculty and staff will continue to benefit from strong and consistent leadership at the helm of both of these colleges,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jennifer Troyer. “We remain confident in the guidance they will provide.”  

The College of Science will house four departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Optical Science, and the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences will remain the largest of the colleges on campus. The academic departments forming the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences are:

Africana Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice and Criminology, English, Geography and Earth Sciences, Global Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Languages and Culture Studies, Philosophy, Political Science and Public Administration,Psychological Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies. 

The timeline for completion of the initial transition will span the 2023-24 academic year.

The University is in the process of launching a search for the permanent dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. The search webpage contains a list of the members of the search committee and will be updated throughout the search process to include the position description, application instructions and details about finalists and campus interviews. 

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert Named Interim Dean of the College of Science

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science, one of two colleges created from the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, effective immediately. The name of the college is pending final approval from the Board of Trustees. 

“This reorganization moves us closer to our goal of serving the Charlotte region and the state of North Carolina as a top-tier research university by allowing the two distinct colleges to become more focused in their areas of expertise,” Troyer said. “Bernadette’s leadership over the past several months as interim divisional dean for the departments that now comprise the College of Science has been critical to the success of the transition. I know she will continue to help foster success in research and teaching within these departments.” 

Prior to serving as interim divisional dean of these departments, Donovan-Merkert was chair of the Department of Chemistry for over 18 years. She also led the design and implementation of the Nanoscale Science Ph.D. program and served as the program’s director. In these roles, she worked with faculty, staff and students to promote a departmental culture that embraced excellence in research, teaching and engagement. Under her leadership, the Chemistry Department’s funding portfolio grew substantially, from less than $500K in extramural funding in 2005 to over $3.5 million in 2022, including major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

“I have had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and talented faculty, staff and students during my career at UNC Charlotte,” said Donovan-Merkert. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the faculty, staff and students of the College of Science to support the University’s strategic plan by cultivating a college ecosystem that will facilitate student success, cutting-edge research, innovative teaching and engagement with the Charlotte region.” 

Donovan-Merkert received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont. She held postdoctoral research associate positions at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin prior to her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry at UNC Charlotte in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and to the rank of professor in 2003.

Donovan-Merkert’s research focuses on electrochemically induced reactions of organometallic complexes. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations and was a long-time advocate for construction of the science building that opened in 2021. She was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, was a finalist for the University’s highest teaching award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and received the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, among many internal and external honors.