Do you have time for a part-time research opportunity?

The Virtual Epidemiology Research projects, developed and led by Dr. Renu Kumar (Minneapolis College) and Dr. Jessica Bell (Century College), will provide you with a unique experience you will want to consider.

These projects will engage students in a short-term, introductory research experience. The program gives students a taste of authentic research early in college to prepare them for a traditional research program at a later time, such as a typical 10-week, 40-hour per week research program the following summer. Students may participate in the Spring/Summer Research and also take classes or work.

The program will potentially be 4 to 6 weeks long, where students are in the virtual/in-person lab Monday through Thursday afternoons. Some Friday afternoons may have varied meeting times due to field trip schedules.

Virtual Epidemiological Research:

A global health crisis has arisen causing most of the world to modify and adapt much of their lives to aid this fight. We have an opportunity to focus our attention on a real-time biological challenge. Our focus will be to study epidemiology and the spread of infectious diseases. In this research experience, students will take an epidemiological approach to research. Students will look at the incidence, distribution, control of infectious disease, and look for other factors relating to its morbidity and mortality. Students will participate in virtual professional development and site tours, presentations, and designing their own epidemiological study.

In-person Tiny Earth:
Tiny Earth is a network of instructors and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. The mission of the program is two-fold: First, it seeks to inspire students to pursue careers in science through original laboratory and field research conducted in introductory courses with the potential for global impact. Second, it aims to address a worldwide health threat—the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics—by tapping into the collective power of many student researchers concurrently tackling the same challenge, living up to its motto “studentsourcing antibiotic discovery.” More information about the Tiny Earth project can be found at https://tinyearth.wisc.edu/.

The deadline to submit an application is: April 15th, 2023. Summer 2023 applications are here.

For more general questions about participating, please contact - uchec001@umn.edu

The researcher’s work involves everything from 3D printing cardiac tissue to creating vessels to deliver vaccines. Click here to read his inspirational story: https://cse.umn.edu/college/news/skys-limit-biomedical-engineering-phd-student-marcus-flowers

Experience Augsburg is all about exploring! As every student has a difference approach to their college search. We will have a resource fair during this time you can schedule a brief 15 minute conversation with an admissions counselor.

For students already planning to transfer to Augsburg for Fall 2023 as well as those considering transfer for Fall 2023 or later this is a great event to help decide if Augsburg is the right place for you. Our event will be held in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

April 17, Spring 2023

General Schedule Overview

8:45 am - Check In begins in Hagfors

9:15 am - Admission Presentation

9:30 am - Residence Life Presentation

9:45 am - Student Panel

10:30 am - Mini Classes Experience

11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Campus Resource Fair

12:00 pm - 12:45 pm

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm - Full Campus tour with Residence Hall
2pm-3pm - Additional Music Experience

Here is the registration link: https://admissions.augsburg.edu/register/april23

“In every space you enter, know that you belong.”

PRISM Augsburg Scholar

Knaunong (Birdy) Xiong

Biology Major

Class of 2023

SARAH KELLER

PROFESSOR AND BIOPHYSICIST

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE

Time: 11:00-12:00 PM

Location: Augsburg University, Foss Center, Hoversten Chapel

HOW MEMBRANES HELP CELLS DO THEIR JOBS

In the Middle Ages, cities were protected and defined by their walls. Likewise, in our bodies, cells and many of their sub-compartments are surrounded by membranes. However, instead of being solid and rigid like a stone wall, the membranes of cells are soft and dynamic. The building blocks of the membranes – the lipids and proteins – rapidly exchange places with their neighbors. Moreover, cells are constantly making new or different types of building blocks and inserting them into their membranes.

In her 2023 Sverdrup Visiting Scientist lectures, Sarah Keller, a professor at the University of Washington, will discuss how the dynamicism of membranes can be both a bane and a boon for cells. Very soft and dynamic membranes can rip or disintegrate. This would have been a problem for the most ancient cells on the Earth. On the other hand, movement of lipids within membranes can help cells react to their environment. This is a huge advantage for modern cells every day.

PROTOCELLS ON THE EARLY EARTH

The earliest versions of cells on Earth could have been very simple: a membrane that encloses molecules to encode information, like DNA, and to perform tasks, like proteins. However, the very simplest membranes are typically not stable in salty environments like oceans. How could those early cells have survived?

In the lecture, “Stabilizing fragile membranes on the early Earth”, Keller will explain that small building blocks of DNA and proteins can interact with membranes, stabilizing them. In turn, these interactions have the potential to concentrate the building blocks on the surface of the membrane, helping them link up into larger molecules capable of other important jobs.

Session Date and Time:

Augsburg University

Hagfors Center

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

3:00 - 4:30 PM

Session Description:

Augsburg celebrates the creativity and scholarship of undergraduate students with its annual Zyzzogeton Student Research Poster symposium. The event falls at the end of each academic year and is a culmination of achievement featuring work across departments. Over 80 students participate each year, showcasing their research in various science, social science, and humanity disciplines. A “Zyzzogeton” is a green leaf-hopper as well as the last word in the Webster Collegiate Dictionary, which is a fitting symbol to mark the end of the academic year. Zyzzogeton is free and open to all students, faculty, and staff.

PRISM Scholars from Augsburg, Century, Minneapolis College, and Normandale Community College will join together in a collaborative spirit to celebrate shared scholar success. Programming includes networking, a panel of current and former STEM/PRISM Scholars, STEM and academic resources, and a Kahoot competition! Photographs are from the November 2022 PRISM REU Workshop and Dinner.

For non-Augsburg attendees, a parking permit and a $25 gift card to offset travel costs will be provided.

The PRISM Professional Development Day will include sessions on mentorship, PRISM knowledge generation, STEM resources and projects related to STEM transfer in Minnesota. Photographs are from the fall 2022 Research Program Panel for mentors.

The Court Agre Summer Research Symposium annual event celebrates innovations in STEM and will feature a career panel and keynote presentation as well as opportunities to network with faculty and industry professionals. All PRISM Scholars and Faculty Mentors are cordially invited! The photograph shows PRISM Scholars and Mentors from the summer 2022 Agre Symposium.

A message from the AAAS: We are excited to announce the date and location of the first annual S-STEM Scholars Meeting!

Your S-STEM scholars are invited to the 2023 S-STEM Scholars Meeting on September 14-16 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Washington, DC! The goals and objectives of the meeting are to support current S-STEM scholars by:

• fostering a greater sense of community and belonging in STEM;
• providing learning opportunities to increase success in STEM pathways; and
• building connections with industry and professional organizations to gain access to career-enhancing opportunities.

More details, including registration information to come soon. In the meantime, please pass along this information to your scholars!

The University of Virginia is hosting an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer program in multi-scale systems bioengineering and biomedical data science. The objective of the program is to train undergraduates from a variety of STEM backgrounds and provide them with the skills, confidence, and mentorship necessary for successful careers in the exciting field of systems bioengineering.

Students will be matched with faculty mentors for a 10-week research project, culminating in a paper and public symposium. All students will participate in collaborative, hands-on, and closely mentored projects in the areas of: 1) Molecular Pathways and Cellular Modeling and 2) Tissue-/Organ-/Population-Level Modeling, which will immerse them in a combination of experimentation and computational analyses.

Students will acquire the practical skills, knowledge, ethical grounding, and communication skills necessary to be productive in advanced graduate study and be successfully employed in the modern biotechnology industry. The program will also provide students with career advising, grounding in research ethics, training in scientific communication, and ongoing mentorship after completion of the program.

Highlights:

• $6000 stipend for 10-week research program
• Reimbursement of travel costs up to $400
• Convenient on-campus housing, food allowance, and dining plan at local restaurants
• Introductory “boot camp” short course on systems bioengineering modeling basics
• Weekly workshops on ethics and professional development
• Presentation at the 4S Summer Research Series, at the end of the summer
• Travel funds to present at the fall BMES annual meeting

Eligibility requirements and to apply: https://engineering.virginia.edu/systems-bioengineering-reu/about

Program Dates: May 29 – August 4, 2023

Application Window: February 1 – April 8, 2023

Data Derby 2023

Saturday, April 8, 2023

9am - 4pm

Hennepin Technical College - Eden Prairie Campus

Great for fun, and:

• build your resume
• gain hands on experience
• earn a digital badge
• great extra-curricular activity to add to college applications

Two Competitions For You to Choose From - Or Do Both!

1.) DATATHON

4-week competition.

• Individual or Team of 2 to 4 students
• Undergraduate or Graduate students enrolled in any Minnesota colleges or universities.
• Questions and datasets will be released on March 1st and emailed to each team/individual.

2.) DATAGON

One Day Competition

• Open to High School Students and Undergraduate or Graduate students enrolled in any Minnesota colleges or universities.
• Individual or a team (2 to 4 students)

Click the Data Derby sign link below to learn more and to register:

The Voyageurs Field Fellows program increases accessibility and professional development opportunities at Voyageurs National Park. Fellowships offer students and recent graduates a stipend-paid internship to gain hands-on experience in the park conducting field work, research, and program development.

OPEN FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

* The 2023 application window is open! *

Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Field Fellow

Cultural Resources Field Fellow

Wetlands and Wildlife Field Fellow

If you are interested in either fellow opportunity, please click on the specific link above for more information regarding qualifications, application deadline, and position length.

We welcome applicants of all races, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant program are encouraged to apply.

About the Fellowship

The Voyageurs Field Fellows program offers paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students to develop professional experience in Minnesota’s national park.

Fellows conduct park research, engage in field work, develop new educational programs, and more. Students apply their studies and work in one of the most ecologically and historically rich classrooms in the nation.

The Voyageurs Field Fellows program enriches the personal development of young adults, while preserving the wild character of Voyageurs National Park for generations to come.

SciTech connects college STEM majors to paid internships at small Minnesota companies -- it's a one-stop shop for finding STEM internships statewide! Gain hands-on experience, network with pros, build your resume, and "earn while you learn."

In order to be eligible for SciTech internships, students must meet the following criteria:

• Minnesota resident OR living in and attending college in Minnesota
• At least 18 years of age
• In good academic standing (2.5+ GPA)
• College junior or senior (at least 60 credits completed) OR
• Technical or community college student (at least 24 credits completed) OR
• Enrolled in a STEM degree at an accredited U.S. college
• Legally eligible to work in the U.S. (international students may participate if they have CPT/OPT work authorization)

Deadline to apply: Varies

For more information on how to apply and to view a list of current internship opportunities, visit https://scitechmn.org/.

UpTurnships works with sophomores, juniors, and seniors of any major who are interested in business.

Sign up at: upturnships.org/info-session

• Tuesdays 10am – 10:30am
• Thursdays 4pm – 4:30pm

Specific backgrounds they're currently looking for:

• Sophomores/ Juniors – interested in Business-to-Business Sales
• Juniors – interested in accounting and finance.

They also have opportunities for students who are studying in Duluth as well:

• IT, HR, and Marketing

Information sessions are an important part of the UpTurnships application process. During the sessions you will learn about their Program Model, application process, and ask questions. Two sessions are held weekly. To learn more, interested students are invited to attend a mandatory information session.

Interested in learning more about advocacy, research and how it relates to the human experience? Click below:

• Diversity in Action March/April Issue

• NSF-supported research impacts nearly every field of science and engineering. NSF's influence reaches from the ends of the Earth to the depths of the oceans and to space and beyond. Our Multimedia Gallery has some of the most stunning images from NSF’s research legacy. We have pulled some of the most beautiful gallery images for you to use as a virtual background.

Do you have suggestions for opportunities to include in the upcoming newsletter? Feel free to forward them to stem@augsburg.edu.

Email: stem@augsburg.edu
Website: https://www.augsburg.edu/stem/
Location: 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone: (612) 330-1042