Spring 2023 E-Newsletter
Welcome to the College of Natural Science’s (NatSci) Spring 2023 E-Newsletter. We want to take the opportunity in this issue to provide a recap of the events and activities in the college since our last newsletter. From finding creative ways to stay connected, engaged and committed to our teaching, research, and outreach missions, to the outstanding achievements and contributions of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors, the college has covered a lot of ground over the past several months!
In the Spotlight
Mark your calendar for NatSci’s 13th Annual Classes Without Quizzes!
It’s hard to believe, but this year marks the 13th year of Classes Without Quizzes (CWQ). CWQ is an MSU experience unlike any other and isn’t just for science majors. All MSU alumni and friends are welcome! Attend special classes taught by NatSci faculty, get an insider’s look at MSU's science research and education, and meet fellow alumni, faculty, and students. Classes Without Quizzes will be held this year on Saturday, April 22, at a new venue – WKAR Studio A located inside the Communication Arts and Sciences Building on campus. Please register at https://mynatsci.msu.edu/cwq by Friday, April 14.
Give Green Day 2023 yields $1.12 million in support of students and programs at MSU
On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Michigan State University’s annual #GiveGreenDay campaign raised $1,12 million in support for students and programs at the university. The results mark the fourth year in a row that the annual 24-hour, social media-driven campaign has surpassed $1 million. Notably, this year’s campaign netted more than $143,000 for the Spartan Strong fund, a fund created to provide support for the evolving needs of the individuals most critically impacted by the violence the MSU community experienced on February 13. Thanks to your support, NatSci realized 134% of its goal ($13,435 against its goal of $10,000) for this year’s two special projects – the Drew Program Enrichment Fund and the College of Natural Science Student Emergency Fund. Overall, NatSci raised $19,546 for the day, with additional contributions to other NatSci programs and initiatives.
NatSci Happenings
Investiture ceremony honors MSU's Sean Crosson as a Rudolph Hugh Endowed Chair
Michigan State University microbiologist Sean Crosson, a professor in the MSU Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG), with joint appointments in the College of Natural Science and the College of Veterinary Medicine, was honored as a Rudolph Hugh Endowed Chair at an investiture ceremony held March 23 at MSU's Wharton Center.
2022 annual awards ceremony honors NatSci faculty, staff and students
Thirty-five outstanding MSU College of Natural Science (NatSci) faculty, staff and
students were recognized for their achievements and contributions at the NatSci Annual
Meeting and Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 18, 2022 at the STEM Teaching and Learning
Facility on campus. More than 100 faculty, staff, students, family and friends attended
the event.
NatSci News
Going up: Discovering a protein’s ‘elevator’ motion could spur new cancer treatments
Michigan State University biochemist Jian Hu has taken another important step in learning as much as possible about tiny protein machines that help shuttle metals into living cells. This latest step, published in the journal Nature Communications, provides detailed new insights into how these machines work. Hu and his team are working to use this knowledge to develop new cancer therapies and enable people to live healthier lives.
Why this promising biofuel crop takes a summer break
Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels. Berkley Walker’s team in the Department of Plant Biology in MSU’s College of Natural Science has revealed why switchgrass stops performing photosynthesis in the middle of the summer — its growing season — limiting how much biofuel it yields. This knowledge, published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, is a key piece to overcoming this quirk and getting the most out of switchgrass.
Data-driven bird conservation project takes wing
Michigan State University and the National Audubon Society are teaming up to help protect declining bird populations across North America. With $1.3 million from a collaborative National Science Foundation grant, the team—led by MSU integrative biologist Elise Zipkin—will develop statistical models fueled by four massive data sets to evaluate how climate change and land use are affecting hundreds of bird species.
Ask the expert: Breaking down the discovery of an Earth-sized planet
Working with data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, Michigan State University has helped discover an Earth-sized exoplanet — a planet outside of our solar system. This planet, named TOI-700 e, falls within its star’s habitable zone, meaning the newfound planet could be capable of supporting life as we know it. The discovery of TOI-700 e, along with the earlier confirmation of its host system, could provide unique opportunities to better explore exoplanets going forward.
NatSci faculty/staff honors and accolades abound!
Our faculty and staff continue to impress with prestigious honors and awards. Here is a sampling from the past few months: In November, three NatSci faculty members—Gregg Howe, Phil Robertson and James Tiedje, were named to the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers list compiled by Clarivate Analytics; in January, NatSci plant biologists Andrea Case and Shin-Han Shiu were announced as 2022 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science ; in February, Huey Wen-Lin was the recipient of an MSU Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award and integrative biologist Phoebe Zarnetske was selected as a committee member of the prestigious National Academies committee. in March, NatSci mathematician Guowei Wei was inducted into the prestigious American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows.
NatSci students continue to impress with awards and honors
The past several months give testament to the caliber of our NatSci undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs. Seven NatSci students—Quinn I. Abate (physiology), Eaman Ahmad (neuroscience), Kennedy E. Baldwin (genomics and molecular genetics), Kristina A. Boynton (mathematics), Margarita Chekhova (genomics and molecular genetics), Rebekah A. Kehoe (microbiology) and Martina Yen (biomedical laboratory science)—were among those receiving MSU Board of Trustees Awards this past fall semester (ending in December) for earning the highest scholastic average—a 4.0 GPA; C Samuel Sottile, a senior majoring in advanced mathematics in the MSU College of Natural Science, was named a Churchill Scholar—MSU’s 18th.
Alumni Appreciation
We continue to be amazed and deeply appreciative of the generous contributions made
by NatSci alumni, donors and friends to ensure that the college remains vital and
competitive. A couple of these folks were featured in Giving Profiles over the past
several months: Roger Wolthuis (Department of Physiology/Erica Wehrwein lab) and Ellen Rzepka (Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program). To learn more about ways of giving, visit https://natsci.msu.edu/about/giving/.
Stay Connected
NatSci Publications
There have been a couple of NatSci publications published since our last newsletter. Check out the latest news in the annual NatSci magazine, Connections and the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program newsletter.
Podcasts
Did you know that NatSci has not one, but two podcasts?
- The NatSci Chronicles is a podcast dedicated to keeping you up to date on all the latest happenings in the College of Natural Science.
- NatSci News Rewind is a podcast that looks back at the monthly news headlines in the world of NatSci.
Upcoming Events
- April 21, 2023 NatSci Alumni Awards
- April 22, 2023 Classes Without Quizzes
- June 27-29, 2023 Grandparents University