SEM Exchange Fall 2009

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“A series of stimulating presentations on recent advances and issues in the sciences.”

Dr. Aubrey A. Smith, Biology Department
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Science West 122

TOPIC: MicroRNAs: small molecules, big role

Dr. Aubrey A. Smith, assistant professor in the Biology Department, earned a B.S. in Chemistry at York College of the City College of New York and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Howard University. He has teaching experience at Howard University’s College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; as well as the University of Maryland’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research interests are in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, genomics and proteomics. Dr. Smith received a fellowship from the Eli Lilly Company. His awards also include Outstanding Graduate Student in Biochemistry from the American Institute of Chemists.

ABSTRACT: The central dogma of molecular biology describes the expression of genes as the synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA) and proteins by the processes of transcription and translation. Unlike DNA, RNA is a structurally and functionally diverse molecule. Aside from mRNA, the various types of RNA molecules include ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), catalytic RNAs known as ribozymes and protein-bound RNA complexes known as ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). Recently, a new class of RNAs was discovered: microRNAs. Like mRNA, microRNAs are transcribed from genes, but they do not code for proteins. Instead, these small nucleic acids typically target mRNA molecules, and prevent their translation into proteins. Since they were first discovered, hundreds of microRNAs have been identified in organisms as diverse as viruses, worms, and primates. We will discuss the various types of microRNAs, their mechanisms of action, their implication in disease processes and their potential as therapeutic drugs.

Dr. Zine Boudhraa, Mathematics Department
Thursday, October 8, 2009
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Science West 122

TOPIC: What is Calculus About?

Dr. Zine Boudhraa is a professor of mathematics, as well as the faculty coordinator of the Math/Science Center at the Rockville campus. He received his M.A. from the University of Maryland at College Park and his Ph.D. from Kent State University in Ohio. Prior to joining the mathematics department at Montgomery College, Dr. Boudhraa held faculty positions at other institutions where he taught mathematics at undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to his interest in teaching, Dr. Boudhraa has a strong commitment to cultivating students’ interest in research; he has supervised numerous undergraduate research projects, and led efforts to develop the MC Student Journal of Science and Mathematics. He has published research articles in topology, algebra, and algebraic geometry, and presented at several workshops and conferences on strategies for teaching with technology.

ABSTRACT: We all agree that calculus is heavily used in the real world and that students should learn calculus, but have we ever posed to ask what is calculus about? This talk will side with the W.W. Sawyer’s marvelous ideas presented in his book "What is Calculus About?" and give a non technical survey of the fundamental ideas of calculus. While a special emphasis will be given to the classic approach, modern ideas will be injected into the subject.

Dr. Virginia Miller, Chemistry Department
Thursday, October 29, 2009
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Science West 122

TOPIC: What Makes Superconductors So Special?

Dr. Virginia Miller is an assistant professor in the Chemistry Department. She received her master’s and her doctorate degrees from Princeton University. Dr. Miller was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. She has received many awards in her field including the National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship and the American Ceramic Society Spriggs Phase Equilibria Award. Dr. Miller is a member of the Materials Research Society, the American Ceramic Society, and the National Science Teachers Association.

ABSTRACT: Have you heard of magnetic levitation? Did you know that magnetic levitation can be achieved by using a special material called a superconductor? A superconductor can be an element (such as tin), an alloy (such as an Nb-Zr) or a compound (such as MgB2). But what makes these materials so special is that they can conduct electricity without any resistance. It sounds simple, but it’s really quite an extraordinary property. In most superconducting materials, this property only exists at extremely low temperatures - less than 30 degrees Kelvin! But modern research has led to the discovery of new “high temperature” superconductors. This presentation will explore the history and science of various superconducting materials and their impact on the modern world.

Dr. Uche Abanulo, Department of Physics, Engineering & Geosciences
Thursday, November 12, 2009
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Science West 122

TOPIC: Cross-Correlation, Auto-Correlation and their applications in speech processing

Dr. Uche Abanulo teaches electrical engineering courses in the Department of Physics, Engineering & Geosciences. She received her BSEE, MSEE, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Temple University, earning several academic distinctions and scholarships. Her research focuses on speech (signal) processing and the development of an automatic speaker count system for telephone data. She is the co-principal investigator for a speech processing research grant from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY, and she serves as a research advisor for undergraduate and graduate students at Temple University. She is actively engaged in engineering education initiatives, mentoring, and presenting seminars on pathways to graduate school and graduate research. Prior to her recent appointment this fall as a full-time faculty member at MC, Dr. Abanulo taught engineering and mathematics at Carroll County Community College and Temple University.

ABSTRACT: Cross-correlation is the process of determining the similarity between two signals by applying a time-lag to one of them and then computing a sliding dot-product of the overlapping regions. When the two signals being compared are exactly the same, the process is referred to as autocorrelation. This measure is employed widely in the field of speech processing where pattern recognition and signal comparison are almost inevitable. In this presentation, an overview of cross- and auto-correlation will be given along with practical demonstrations of their applications in automatic speech processing techniques.

Professor Susan King, Mathematics Department
Thursday, December 10, 2009
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Science West 122

TOPIC: Developmental Math: A Local Look at a National Challenge

Professor Susan King is professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematics Department since 2003. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Case Western University and her Master’s in Math Education from University of Maryland. Before joining the Rockville Math Department fulltime in 1990, Prof. King taught high school math for 8 years and then taught part-time at the Takoma Park campus. She was awarded the Montgomery College Faculty Outstanding Service Award in 1997.

ABSTRACT: Montgomery College is not alone among community colleges in our struggle to address the needs of students placing into developmental math courses. A significant proportion of our math sections are at the level of MA 101/103 or below. In fall 2008, out of almost 5100 students enrolled in math courses at Rockville, 1200 (24%) were enrolled in MA 090 or 091, and 1389 (27%) were enrolled in MA 101 or MA 103. Yet, the success rates of students in these courses at MC and nationwide are the lowest of all math courses. Based on recent research, this presentation will address the reasons for low success rates and what community colleges are doing to improve the success and retention of developmental math students.

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