July 21, 2014
State System faculty studying ways to build a faster boat, battle Alzheimer’s disease and boost classroom learning
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – West Chester University of Pennsylvania professor Frank Fish would seem to be aptly named for his line of work. The “morphobiologist” is part of a research team that is studying how dolphins, whales and other sea creatures swim to see if they can figure out a way to make boats go faster.
The team, which also includes researchers from the University of Virginia, Harvard,
Princeton and Lehigh, will receive $1.5 million a year from the U.S. Department of
Defense over the next five years to study the hydrodynamics of non-traditional propulsion
– fins vs. propellers, if you will.
“We’re looking at fast swimmers with flexible flukes – dolphins, whales, tuna and
trout – to explore the possibility of a system that could replace propellers for underwater
propulsion,” Fish said. “What are the performance differences between a narrow, rigid
tail fin like the tuna’s and the flexible fin of a dolphin? What are the tradeoffs
in quietness, efficiency, thrust production?”
Fish is conducting some of his research in the Liquid Life Lab at West Chester. He
also will conduct studies at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the University of
California-Santa Cruz and the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, where there is a
renowned whale sanctuary.
The West Chester University professor is among a large number of State System of Higher
Education university faculty involved in high-level research this summer, funded by
groups such as the National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and NASA, along with a variety of state and federal agencies. Many are
involving their students in their projects, providing them with hands-on learning
opportunities that will help kick start their eventual careers.
“State System universities have a rich reputation as institutions focused on undergraduate
education, and organized research certainly can be a great teaching tool,” said Chancellor
Frank T. Brogan. “Our students have tremendous opportunities to work alongside outstanding
faculty regarding some very compelling projects.”
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania students Chandra Gadsden and Khalid Habib are among
those receiving that opportunity. They are working this summer with their professor,
Dr. Abeliaziz Bior, who is conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease at Brookhaven
National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., as part of a collaborative effort between the
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program and the National Science
Foundation.
Dr. James Hunt, an associate professor of biological sciences at East Stroudsburg
University of Pennsylvania, is a member of the PICASSO Research Team based in Japan.
PICASSO is a state-of-the-art, submersible, remotely operated vehicle – a kind of
submarine – engineered to explore the deep oceans and collect valuable data on living
specimens. In recent years, the PICASSO team has made a number of discoveries that
are contributing to the overall understanding of the deep sea and its potential influence
on global climate.
Dr. Hunt travels to Japan for a research cruise about once every two years. In April
2012, he and then-ESU senior Diona Drake participated on a research cruise run by
the University of Tokyo, during which they collected physical and chemical data from
the ocean depths as well as biological specimens, including several new species. Ms.
Drake has since been accepted to graduate school at the University of Guam to pursue
her interest in deep-sea fishes.
Two of Dr. Hunt’s ESU colleagues currently are engaged in a five-year, $965,000 grant-funded
research project through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered
by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Dr. Steve Godin, professor of health studies,
and Dr. Alberto Cardelle, professor of health studies and interim dean of ESU’s College
of Health Sciences, are conducting a range of studies, including the evaluation of
food service guidelines and nutrition standards for schools and worksites, and look
at physical activity programs in early childhood settings. They also are evaluating
the use of electronic health records in the prevention and management of diabetes
and high blood pressure.
Dr. Cardelle also is spearheading a partnership with Pocono Health System to conduct
a community health needs assessment of the Pocono region. The goal is to assess the
overall health status and health needs of the local community, what health care services
are actively being used and what actions need to be taken in the future to address
these needs. The study is designed to provide PHS with critical data that will allow
it to better serve the residents of Monroe County and surrounding communities.
The Pocono region study is an example of research being conducted by State System
faculty that will benefit the immediate campus community and surrounding region.
Similarly, Dr. Heather Bechtold and Dr. Steven Seiler of Lock Haven University of
Pennsylvania are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service
to conduct a large-scale forest stream survey of sensitive fish species in the Allegheny
National Forest. The purpose of the project is to determine the distribution of fish
species and algal communities in streams throughout the forest, as well as determine
water chemistry and stream water quality. A number of LHU undergraduate students also
are working on the project.
At California University of Pennsylvania, several faculty are participating in the
Highly Qualified Teachers in Exceptional Education (HG-TEEMS) program, which is being
funded through a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. About 30 teachers
from the California, Connellsville Area and Washington school districts and the Mon
Valley School, which is part of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, participated in the
program, which was led by Cal U. faculty, including
Dr. Katherine Mitchem and Dr. Kalie Kossar.
The HQ-TEEMS program helps special education teachers meet the state Education Department’s
requirements to become designated as “highly qualified teachers” in math and science.
The program included both classroom instruction as well as outdoor activities. At
Mingo Creek Park, Cal U professors Dr. David Argent and Dr. Jason Kight used hands-on
activities to teach educators about stream ecology and the food chain.
Two Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania professors also are involved in grant-funded
research projects through NSF that could help boost the quality of teaching. Dr. Doug
Ensley is working on a mathematics application for calculus and Dr. Ben Galluzzo is
studying the effect of incorporating environmental sustainability with undergraduate
math education. A university colleague, Dr. Clair Jantz, has received a grant from
NASA to map and monitor wetlands.
A pair of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania professors will be using and sharing
their expertise overseas, as recipients of prestigious Fulbright scholarships. Michael
Hickey, a history professor, is spending the summer in Russia, continuing his research
on Jewish history at Smolenski State University, while Mehdi Razzaghi, a professor
of mathematics, statistics and computer science, will spend this coming academic year
conducting research and teaching a graduate course at the University of Warsaw in
Poland.
Dr. Doug Lare, a professor of professional and secondary education, at East Stroudsburg
University, brought together ESU professors and students, urban middle school students
and their teachers, local historical society organizations and professional archeologists,
for the continuation of a unique research project this April and May involving the
historic Ralsteen-McKeen house, which was built in 1795. Pre-service teachers worked
with middle level students in Allentown and Bethlehem teaching them about basic archeology,
participating initially in a “mock dig” in April at the Governor Wolf Historical Association
site.
The ESU students took part in an actual archeological dig beginning in May, uncovering
a wide range of artifacts. The middle level urban students learned how real archeologists
work; the ESU pre-service teachers learned how to actively engage students; and, perhaps
most important, the university, historical society and school districts learned how
to work together in order to achieve common educational goals.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with about 112,000 students. The 14 State System universities
offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study.
The universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro,
Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock
and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operates branch
campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP) and Clearfield (Lock
Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the
Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.