AWRI Faculty and Students win Michigan Space Grants Consortium Awards

2019 marks the 30^th anniversary of the Michigan Space Grants Consortium (MSGC).  MSGC is the state arm of NASA housed at University of Michigan (https://mi.spacegrant.org/), and GVSU is one of the 12 MSGC affiliate institutions in Michigan.  On February 7, 2019, Bopi Biddanda served on the panel of Michigan Space Grants Consortium (MSGC) assisting with the selection of awardees for 2019-2020.  Since 2010, Bopi has served on the Executive Board of MSGC as GVSU’s Affiliate Representative coordinating the submission of proposals and administration of projects that address NASA’s vision and values (https://mi.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=executive-board). 

MSGC receives over 150 proposals each year from its affiliate member institutions in response to the call for proposals that compete for a funding pool of ~$500,000.  The February 2019 panel met to evaluate proposals that were in response to the request for proposals sent out in September 2018.  At this year’s panel, 15 out of 18 GVSU submissions received funding for a total of ~$72,000.  Of these, 2 are faculty seed grants (funds for initiating new lines of scientific research), 4 are program grants (funds for pre-college science experiences), 7 are graduate fellowships (in support of thesis research), 1 is an undergraduate fellowship (in support of summer research experience), and 1 is a team award (for participating in hands-on experiences for college student groups in NASA competitions). 
Congrats to the following AWRI faculty and students who received awards this year:

• Sarah Hamsher (AWRI faculty), for her project “Composition of photosynthetic microbial mats” ($5000).
• Cassidy Gilmore (AWRI graduate student, working with AWRI faculty advisor Kevin Strychar), for her project “Coral response to climate change” ($5000).
• Tyler Harman (AWRI graduate student, working with AWRI faculty advisor Kevin Strychar), for his project “Coral symbiont under warming” ($5000).
• Jasmine Mancuso (AWRI graduate student, working with AWRI faculty advisor Bopi Biddanda), for her project “What drives a eutrophic, hypoxic and blooming lake?” ($5000).
  
  The overall and longer-term significance of these awards goes well beyond mere dollar amounts.  For example, they enable young faculty to test out promising new research ideas, support STEM education of our youth at the impressionable K-12 stage, and provide proposal writing and grant administration experiences for promising graduate and undergraduate students – driving NASA’s mission of maintaining a strong STEM pipeline and workforce, advancing science, technology and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality and stewardship of Earth (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/FY2014_NASA_SP_508c.pdf).  Michigan is fortunate to be running one of the nation’s top space grant programs.  According to MSGC’s new director, Prof. Mark Moldwin – a professor of Space Sciences in the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan – “MSGC will continue to support NASA’s Mission by facilitating communication and collaboration among the broader STEM education and research communities throughout Michigan” (Frontiers, MSGC Newsletter, Winter 2019).

Bopi Biddanda served on the MSGC panel in Ann Arbor on February 7^th.  GVSU secured ~$70,000 for applicants; 8 were student fellowships and 6 were faculty-staff grants.  Bopi represents GVSU on the Executive Board of MSGC.

The following graduate students gave a 3-Minute Thesis presentation on their thesis research at a 3MT event held by GVSU’s The Graduate School on February 20^th:
Tyler Harman, working with Kevin Strychar.
Paige Kleindl, working with Al Steinman.
Sarah Lamar, working with Charlyn Partridge (Sarah won this competition; see Awards page).
Andrew Pyman, working with Charlyn Partridge.

Al Steinman hosted and spoke to the Michigan Farm Bureau conference on February 15^th; Janet Vail assisted with this event.

AWRI staff are bolded, undergraduate students are denoted with a single asterisk*, graduate students are denoted with two asterisks**, and post-doc researchers are donated with three asterisks ***.

Publications

Bopi Biddanda, members of his lab, and visiting professor Mani Villar-Argaiz had an article published in the GVSU publication InterChange:
Biddanda, B.A., Mancuso, J.**, Ratliff, R.*, Knapp, K.**, Wienke, A.**, and Villar-Argaiz, M.  2019.  Anthropocene: The uncertain age of humans. A book review of Anthropocene: a very short introduction by Earle C. Ellis (2018).  InterChange – Connections for the STEM Classroom, Newsletter of Regional Math and Science Center, GVSU. February 2019.  https://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/interchange/connections-for-the-stem-classroom-299.htm

Bopi Biddanda and former graduate student Deb Dila had an article published in Eos:
Dila. D.**, and B. Biddanda.  2019.  Inventorying microbes in Lake Michigan.  Eos, Earth and Space News, American Geophysical Union, 100(2):52.  https://eos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Feb-19_magazine.pdf?x57107

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

Bopi Biddanda gave a presentation at the ASLO Conference held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from February 25^th – March 2^nd.
Biddanda, B., R. Duff and A. Weinke**.  First tango:  Day-night shift between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis driven by diel vertical migration of microbial mat communities in Lake Huron’s submerged sinkholes.

Rick Rediske and Al Steinman were guest lecturers for Investigative Journalism on February 13^th and February 27^th, respectively. 

Carl Ruetz gave two presentations to the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership on February 5^th.  One was regarding the Bosma site, the other was Veteran’s Park.

Al Steinman gave a presentation about the latest National Climate Change Assessment at the Spring Lake Library on February 13^th.

Al Steinman was invited to join GVSU’s University Development on a trip to Florida to speak to alumni and donors.  He gave two presentations in Naples on February 22^nd, and one in Sarasota on February 24^th.

Sarah Lamar, AWRI graduate student working with Charlyn Partridge, won first place in the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) contest with her presentation titled: “Biological Invasions on a Large Scale: Investigating the Spread of Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) Across North America”.   

Sarah Lamar, graduate student working with Charlyn Partridge, recently received the Outstanding Biology Graduate Student Award.

The following AWRI faculty and graduate students received awards from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium this year:
Sarah Hamsher, faculty, $5,000 for “Composition of photosynthetic microbial mats”.
Cassidy Gilmore, graduate student working with Kevin Strychar, $5,000 for “Coral response to climate change”.
Tyler Harman, graduate student working with Kevin Strychar, $5,000 for “Coral symbiont under warming”.
Jasmine Mancuso, graduate student working with Bopi Biddanda, $5,000 for “What drives a eutrophic, hypoxic and blooming lake?”.

“MSU, GVSU join forces to address water challenges”
MSU Today, February 4, 2019
Al Steinman was interviewed about the new memorandum of understanding between MSU and GVSU’s AWRI to collaborate on water-related issues.

“MSU and GVSU team up to tackle water issues"
WLAJ and sister station WLNS (Lansing area), February 4, 2019 at 11:00 p.m.
The article was about the new memorandum of understanding between MSU and GVSU to collaborate on water quality issues in Michigan.

“Between government shutdowns? Great Lakes researchers struggle to carry on”
Great Lakes Echo, February 7, 2019
Al Steinman was interviewed regarding the government shutdown and how it affects government funded research projects.

“Great Lakes researchers struggle with shutdown threats”
Capital News Service, February 8, 2019
Al Steinman was interviewed regarding the government shutdown and how it affects government funded research projects.

“GVSU cuts deal with MSU to deal with water-related issues”
MITechNews.com, February 9, 2019
Al Steinman was interviewed about the new memorandum of understanding between MSU and GVSU’s AWRI to collaborate on water-related issues.

“GV’s Annis Water Resources Institute formally partners with MSU”
NewsEdge, February 11, 2019
The article was about the new memorandum of understanding between MSU and GVSU to collaborate on water quality issues in Michigan.

“EPA releases action plan for PFAS”
WZZM-13 News @ 6:00 p.m., February 14, 2019
Rick Rediske was interviewed regarding the possible change to the recommended safe amount of PFAS in drinking water.

“The Earth is warming”
Grand Haven Tribune, February 15, 2019
Al Steinman gave a talk at the Spring Lake Library about the latest National Climate Change Assessment on February 13^th.

LMC Events

Feb 5
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a public meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.

Feb 8
Seminar Speaker: Dr. Babasola Fateye, assistant professor of biomedical sciences at GVSU, presented: “Nematodes in Aquatic Sediment Toxicity Evaluation – a Case for Caenorhabditis elegans”

Feb 14
The Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame board of directors held a meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.

Feb 15
Michigan Farm Bureau held a “Growing Together” conference at the Lake Michigan Center and enjoyed a tour of AWRI’s facilities.

Feb 26
The Sustainable Muskegon Forum held an event at the Lake Michigan Center.