April 29, 2017

Carroll Community College

STEM Innovations:

Building a Stronger Future Together

2017 Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference

Program

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MORNING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Having Choices - The Places STEM Can Take You Kate McGuire, Director of the Baltimore City Region Science Olympiad

Ms. McGuire is a career engineering management professional with a diverse list of experiences including

working with satellite scientists on ground imaging, working with air traffic controllers on better aircraft

tracking, and helping save soldiers’ lives with better night vision goggles. She will highlight how STEM

careers allow having choices in work and in life. Her adventures at Northrop Grumman developing new

products included interfacing with many different kinds of STEM career people and roles. A secure, good

paying job allows for many opportunities to have interesting experiences outside of work too. Kate has traveled the world, is an

avid skier, Irish dancer, acoustic live music lover, mystery enthusiast, and bad but enthusiastic golfer. Kate now runs a middle

school after school STEM tournament program, Science Olympiad, for almost 300 children in Baltimore city. STEM has led

her to many choices and excellent adventures in work and life.

Ms. McGuire is currently the Director of the Baltimore City Region for the non-profit organization Science Olympiad. Science

Olympiad is the largest national science and engineering “hands on” competition program for grades K to 12. She retired as a

Senior Director of Engineering at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. She has over 30 years’ engineering experience in

technical product development, strategy and management. Her product background includes radars, space sensors, helicopter

sensors, submarine power systems and night vision goggles. She has worked closely with the FAA, the Army, Navy and Air

Force to provide sophisticated, affordable products that keep our soldiers and our nation safe. She has served as vice president

of outreach for the Society of Women Engineers, Baltimore DC Region for 3 years, which engaged 2800 girls with outreach

events. She won the SWE Eastern US Region Outstanding Mentor Award last year. Her programs have provided over 225

SWE professionals as mentors to middle school to collegiate students in outreach events each year. She is on the board for

Baltimore City’s high school engineering programs – Project Lead the Way.

She graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana and a masters in

management from Johns Hopkins University. She is the first female from either side of her family to go to college.

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Community College Student Success in STEM: It Takes a Village Dr. Erika Barr, Director, Community College Programs,

Office of Intramural Training & Education, NIH

Career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are expected to

increase 17% from 2008 to 2018. Community colleges play a vital role in enrolling students with

an interest in pursuing degrees and careers in various areas of STEM. In 2016, 43% of the

individuals who received bachelor degrees in science and engineering began their undergraduate

studies in a community college. Unfortunately, attrition rates amongst students entering

community college with the intent of completing a degree in STEM are high. Faculty, advisors, and administrators provide

essential mentoring, support, and skills to these students. In this keynote, Dr. Barr will discuss strategies and resources for

community college students and faculty to enhance the success of community college students pursuing degrees in STEM.

Dr. Barr, a native of North Carolina, received her Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Biology from North Carolina

Agricultural & Technical State University. Following, her undergraduate studies, she taught 6th grade science for the N.C.

public school system. In addition, to teaching she served as an assistant coordinator for the Greensboro Area Math and Science

Education Center (GAMSEC). The purpose of GAMSEC was to improve the math and science skills of middle and high school

students from underrepresented backgrounds. Moreover, there was an emphasis in encouraging the students to pursue an

undergraduate degree in a STEM discipline. After receiving her PhD in Biology, Erika completed two postdoctoral fellowships

at the Medical Research Council-London School of Hygiene and Tropical Disease in The Gambia, West Africa and at the

National Institutes on Aging in Baltimore, MD.

Currently, Dr. Barr is the Director for the NIH Community College Program and Special Projects in the Office of Intramural Training & Education. Dr. Barr has a passion for increasing the number of underrepresented individuals in the biomedical

sciences.

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9:00 am – 9:30 am: 1st Student-Centered Session

Room K-127

How to Start and Maintain a Professional Student Chapter at a Community College

Courtney Colson, Caleb Snyder, Janice Onigbinde

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Raza Khan, Carroll Community College

The Officers of Carroll CC Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society will be discussing how to create, maintain,

and expand a professional organization on campus. Specifically, we will discuss the American Chemical Society's

standards for each chapter, as well as how we have grown the membership at a community college. The membership have

determined that making chemistry approachable and fun to the community through service learning projects is key in

increasing the number of memberships and activity of those members. The three Officers (President, Vice President and

Public Relations Officers) will explicitly share the activities that have been completed this school year, as well as list

some possible ideas for future chapters to consider.

Room K-128

Careers in Laboratory Animal Science

Emily Love, Amrita Madabushi

Baltimore City Community College

Laboratory animal science is a very important area of biomedical research that specializes in the care and study of animals

used in medical research, testing, and teaching. It is vital that researchers use animals to study diseases, pharmaceuticals,

medical devices, and surgical interventions to ensure that they are safe before such procedures can go into trials in human

and animal patients. The teams of caretakers, technicians, veterinarians, researchers, behaviorists, and managers all play

an important role in ensuring that animals are treated humanely, compassionately, and in accordance with the laws,

regulations, and protocols that oversee their use. The many careers available in this field vary in the educational,

certification, and experience requirements. In this presentation, we will discuss the education and career pathways that

lead to careers in laboratory animal science. We will be providing you examples and details from our Lab Animal Science

Certificate program that is one-of a kind in the state of Maryland. The program successfully incorporates hybrid/online

and weekend classes with an internship component. This allows different kinds of students including regular, working,

career changing students alike to complete the certificate and transition successfully to a career in laboratory animal

science.

Room K-129

On Complex Zeros of Polynomials

Juan Luque, Charles Carter

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Daeshik Park, Montgomery College

Finding or estimating the absolute values of all real or complex zeros of a polynomial has been a big issue in

Mathematics. The purpose of this project is to determine the size of the absolute values of the complex zeros of the

polynomial p(z) = a0zn +a1zn−1 +· · ·+an−1z +an for any positive numbers a0, a1, · · · , an. The presenters will talk

about some basic properties in the complex numbers and present about six propositions with key steps of their proofs,

corollaries and examples. Using two of the propositions we will prove the following well-known fact: All the complex

zeros of the polynomial zn + c are on the circle centered at z = 0 with radius |c|1/n. The proof of the main proposition will

explicitly provide a lower bound and an upper bound of the absolute values of the complex zeros of p(z) with respect to its

coefficients a0, a1, · · · , an. We will prove the main proposition by manipulating p(z) and using the concept of a small

positive infinitesimal quantity.

Room K-132

Yield Strength of 3D Printed Parts: Polymer, Deposition Timing, and Post-Print UV Exposure Effects

Matthew Karl, Eli Kohn

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Cheryl J. Campo, Mark Edelan, Howard Community College

The polymer poly(lactic acid) [PLA] and its derivative, woodfill, were investigated for their ultimate strength response to

ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure and changes in layer deposition timing. The purpose of these tests was to give a

reference point for hobbyists who plan to use 3D printing to create parts for everyday use. 3D printed PLA and woodfill

dogbones were prepared using three different layer deposition times and exposed to UVB radiation for 0 or 48 hours.

Each dogbone was stretched in a tensile tester to determine its ultimate strength. The results show that the PLA parts are

55.6% stronger than comparable woodfill parts. It was also found that UVB exposure did not significantly affect the

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ultimate strength of these 3D printed parts. Finally it was observed that there was a small increase in ultimate strength as

the deposition time increased. These results indicate that both UV exposure and increased layer deposition timing may

increase the ultimate strength of a 3D printed part but, given the standard deviations in the data, more experimentation

would be needed to draw any definitive conclusions.

Room K-133

Where Can a Community College Lead You?

Josh Croteau, Rose Gbemafu, Toni Guirirba, Shann Hoopengardner;

Moderated by Eric Cotton, Community College of Baltimore County

Where can an education at a community college take you? Students are invited to listen to individuals who started their

academic careers at Maryland community colleges. Rose Gbemafu started as a student at Baltimore City Community

College and is soon to be graduating from the University of Maryland. Learn about the internships and job experiences

Rose has had, and hear about her future plans. Toni Guirirba will talk about her experience at BCCC and how that led to

transfer to the Materials Science Engineering program at Johns Hopkins and to a job as a Process Engineer at Coty in

Hunt Valley, Maryland. Shanna Hoopengardner started at FCC and graduated with an Associates in Mathematics. She

recently received a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics from Colorado Mesa University. She is currently working for

GEICO as an actuary. Josh Croteau, a former Frederick Community College student who transferred to Towson

University before receiving his PhD from Johns Hopkins in 2016, is now an applications scientist on behalf of BioLegend

Inc. The panel will be moderated by Eric Cotton, who also started his academic career at a small community college in

Texas, that lead to a PhD from Purdue University, and full circle to teaching Chemistry at the Community College of

Baltimore County. Please join these five diverse individuals in a lively discussion on their journey from education to

career pathway. Ask questions, and find out what you could do to be successful in achieving your academic and career

goals.

Room K-217

Biotech Club at BCCC – Bringing Success and Networking to Students

Charity Ensor, Newton Bosire, Jasmin Bailey, Charles Armstrong, Djeneba Sidibe, Aaron Laciny, Lian Jackson

Faculty Mentor(s): Amrita Madabushi, Baltimore

The Biotech Student Society (B2S2) club has been running successfully for the last 5 years at Baltimore City Community

College. The primary goal of our club is to enable the seamless transition of biotech students to biotech professionals. We

would like to share how the success of our club has contributed to the success of our student members. These success

stories are not limited to getting internships or just adding credentials to resumes, but extend to promoting a strong

network and teamwork, developing leadership skills, and building confidence and lifelong relationships for students who

stay connected within and beyond academics. We will like showcase this interactively and include hands on activities

involving simple and interesting scientific information on model building the structure of DNA and extraction of DNA

from strawberries. We also plan to include scientific trivia and DNA-molecule candy as a giveaway. All attendees will be

exposed to expose to basic biotechnology concepts through the medium of our Biotech Club.

9:40 am – 10:40 am: Welcome and Morning Keynote (Room K-100)

10:50 am – 11:20 am: Multiple Paths to STEM Success: Panel Discussions Room K-127 – Group 1: Richard Danforth, Val Lochman, Amrita Madabushi Room K-128 – Group 2: Anil Malaki, Tami Imbierowicz, Shymala Sivalingam Room K-129 – Group 3: Jamshed Ayub, Kathleen Berlyn, Malathi Radhakrishnan Room K-132 – Group 4: Raza Khan, Maria Burness, Gwen Gillinger Room K-133 – Group 5: Eric Cotton, Jackie Madden, Sithy Maharoof, Brendan Diamond

11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Student and Faculty Poster Session (Great Hall)

Abstracts arranged by first presenter’s last name; faculty mentor underlined

1. Polygonal Powers and Common Differences

Siavash Aarabi, Luke Stigdon, Mike Long (Howard Community College)

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To many of us, polygons are just two-dimensional shapes we may have even played with as children. But,

these polygons have also been part of number theory for some time where they are known as the polygonal

numbers. The polygonal numbers, or lattices of objects arranged in polygonal shapes, are more than just

geometric shapes. The lattices for a polygon with a certain number of sides represent the polygon where the

sides are of increasingly larger integer sizes. The mathematical richness emerges when the number of

objects in each lattice is counted for the mentioned polygons of increasing larger size and analyzed. So

where are the differences? The polygonal numbers being considered in this project represent polygons that

have different numbers of sides. And when considering the individual polygons, they have different sizes

and as such the number of objects in the lattices are different. When the integer powers of the polygonal

numbers for a polygon with a specific number of sides are computed and their differences are computed,

interesting commonalities emerge. The commonalities are known mathematical patterns that one may not

expect to emerge in this context. The mathematical conjectures about the patterns have been generalized and

proved.

2. Water Quality in The Patapsco River Watershed

Grace Akoji, Jennifer Kling (Howard Community College)

The goals of this study were to see if water quality in the Patapsco river watershed is affected by the

surrounding environments and if there were different changes in water quality based on a location, being

upstream or downstream from a dam. Bloede Dam and Lake Elkhorn were the undeveloped and developed

locations respectively studied. Measurements were taken monthly to look at the temperature, dissolved

oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity levels at each site starting in April of 2016 and concluding in November

2016. A Vernier LabQuest unit was used to collect the data at each location and then entered into a

spreadsheet. The data results were mixed. Some of the measurements reflected healthy water quality (e.g.,

near zero turbidity) while others did not. Some of this could be attributed to the surrounding environment

while other data points did not show this link. Some of the measurements agreed with the hypothesis that

the neighborhood around Lake Elkhorn would negatively affect the water quality while the State park

positively influenced the water quality.

3. Understanding and Targeting AKAP13 in OVCAR-3 Cell Lines

Charles Armstrong, Paul Driggers# (Baltimore City Community College, #Johns Hopkins Medical Institute)

High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinomas (HGSOCs) comprise upwards of 70% of ovarian cancer, which is

the fourth leading cause of female cancer death. A Kinase Anchoring Protein-13 (AKAP13/AKAP-Lbc), a

kinase recruiter that facilitates phosphorylation of nuclear signal transducers such as cAMP Responsive

Element Binding (CREB) protein, has several targetable functional domains with potential survival and

chemotherapy resistance functions in HGSOCs. These domains present an opportunity for a novel approach

to treating platinum-chemotherapy-resistant HGSOCs. Through various assessments of OVCAR-3 cells

with conditional modulations of AKAP13 expression, and High-Throughput Screening CREB

phosphorylation assay of small molecule libraries against identified control molecules for AKAP13

antagonists, we hope to examine and inhibit proliferative mechanisms of AKAP13 in HGSOCs.

4. Mathematical concepts behind Gravitational Waves

Duha Awad, Fen Chen, Basanta Adhikari, Curtis Jones (Baltimore City Community College)

Gravitational waves were introduced by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity in 1915.

Approximately 100 years later, the first direct evidence of the existence of gravitational waves was recently

detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). On September 14, 2015, two

LIGO detectors, located in Louisiana and Washington, detected the first gravitational-wave signal. In this

project, we have focused on the mathematical explanation of this physical phenomenon. We have included

the history of gravitational waves and how it was detected by the LIGO team. The observation made by

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LIGO team matches the waveform predicted by the general relativity for the merger of a pair of a black hole

and the ringdown (the result of two black hole merging together to form one single black hole). These LIGO

observations prove the existence of a binary system consisting of two massive-stellar black holes and the

gravitational waves proposed by Albert Einstein.

5. Using Enterococci to Monitor Water Quality of Streams in Harford County, Maryland

John Biondo, Gracie Shannahan, Tami J. Imbierowicz (Harford Community College)

Enterococci bacteria are frequently used as indicators of stream health for recreational users. In the summer

of 2016, Harford Community College, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, sampled streams

in Harford County, Maryland, for Enterococci bacteria. The objective of the project was to determine if

Enterococci levels increase following rain events compared to non-rain events. Samples were collected once

a week from 8 different locations, analyzed, and recorded over the course of 12 weeks. Additional samples

were collected after rain events of one-half inch or greater. The compiled results showed evidence of

significantly increased levels of Enterococci in relation to rain events. The findings from this research can

provide insight to the public about the increased risk associated with swimming after significant rainfall.

6. Pythagorean Triples: From Clay Tablets to Triangular Numbers

Alexander Bisant, Kyle Sutton, Mike Long (Howard Community College)

Since the time of the Plimpton 322 (1800 B. C.) when they were discovered etched in clay tablets,

Pythagorean Triples, sets of three positive integers a, b, and c, where a2+b

2 = c

2, have captured the interest

of mathematicians. Euclid came up with an elegant proof to generate all of the Primitive Pythagorean

Triples, where the mentioned integers, a, b, and c, have a greatest common divisor of one. Even today,

interest in and exploration of Pythagorean Triples is alive. It was noticed while observing a specific subset

of the Pythagorean Triples, just for fun, that triangular numbers, integers which are the sum of the first "n"

integers, were implicitly appearing in the Pythagorean Triples. This led to the question and proof that

triangular numbers can be used to generate a subset of the Primitive Pythagorean Triples. An immediate

extension was if triangular numbers could be used to generate all of the Primitive Pythagorean Triples. A

method was found for generating all of the Primitive Pythagorean Triples, with some non-Primitive Triples

as well, using an argument that actually ties back to the work of Euclid already mentioned. A second

argument can be made to filter out those Triples that are not primitive.

7. Baltimore Harbor Watershed- Microbial Assessment Project

Newton Bosire, Lian Jackson, Michael Dabney, Kathleen Berlyn, Amrita Madabushi

(Baltimore City Community College)

Baltimore Harbor Watershed consists of rivers and streams that drain into the harbor. The watershed has a

history of being contaminated with microbes and potential pathogens and has earned D- and F grades in

recent years in a monitoring projected sponsored by the Waterfront Partnership, Healthy Harbor Initiative.

The purpose of the project is to identify microorganisms present in the watershed and to assess them for

anti-microbial resistance. Samples were collected from various locations in harbor and plated on various

media. The resulting colonies were characterized and identified using biochemical methods. Several gram

negative bacteria were identified and assessed for antibiotic resistance using the Kirby- Bauer method.

Further work will be done to identify whether the antibiotic resistance exhibited by the identified bacilli is

transferable to humans and other susceptible animals.

8. Improved Synthesis And Structural Analysis Of Diphenylacetylene In Organic Chemistry I

Robin Carroll, Debra Ellis#, Perry Wood

#, Christopher Stromberg

*, Christopher Bradley

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(Towson University, #Frederick Community College,

*Hood College,

$Mount Saint Mary’s University)

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Infrared spectroscopy (IR) is used for functional group identification in unknown organic compounds as it

detects the absorption of light by molecular vibrations. However, symmetric vibrations do not experience a

change in dipole moment, making them IR-forbidden. Raman spectroscopy (Raman) detects changes in

polarizability as a molecule undergoes vibrations, allowing the detection of symmetric molecules. Thus, the

two spectroscopies can be complimentary techniques for the analysis of chemical structures. The synthesis

of diphenylacetylene had a very low success rate in the Organic Chemistry I lab at Frederick Community

College. The procedure recommended the use of sand baths, which did not provide controllable heating.

Also, the students could not confirm that they had produced diphenylacetylene, which contains an IR-

invisible symmetrical triple bond. With improved heating and recrystallizing methods as well as the

opportunity to use both Raman and IR, students are able to obtain a larger yield and properly analyze their

product. Hands on experience with a multitude of analytical instruments allows STEM students to learn new

ways to identify unknown compounds. Using Raman provides students with the opportunity to use a

complimentary technique when a key structure of the product is undetectable by IR.

9. Analysis of Cavin-1 (Polymerase I and Transcript Release Factor) in Rat B-35 Neuroblastoma During

Neuritogenesis

James Cosgrove, Dianna Froozan, Tu Quynh Vu, Yael Tsitohay (Montgomery Community College)

Montgomery College provides opportunities for its STEM students to conduct undergraduate research led

by Biology Department professors. Our laboratory studies the mechanisms underlying neuritogenesis in

cultured mammalian neuroblastoma cells. Recent studies have shown a possible correlation between

neuritogenesis, the cavin family of proteins in caveolae, and lipid-raft structures that aid in membrane

transport. This study focused on the role of the protein cavin-1 in these processes. The cavin proteins are

thought to have a role in neuritogenesis induced by serum deprivation. Specifically, cavin-1 protein

regulates rRNA transcription and localizes to caveolae at the plasma membrane. It could also possibly play

animportant role in the formation of caveolae and its stabilization. Neuritogenesis was induced in cultured

rat B-35 neuroblastoma by serum deprivation. Total proteins were analyzed using 2D gel electrophoresis.

Western blotting was combined with immuno-detection using an anti cavin-1 protein antibody. We detected

an approximately 60kDa protein. Our initial data indicate a darker spot of cavin-1 in the experimental group.

Further investigation is needed to confirm this. We are currently analyzing these changes at various times

after serum deprivation.

10. The Tolerance of Two Freshwater Zooplankton Species (Microcyclops rubellus and Scapholeberis

mucronata) to Salinity

Megan Gaesser, Kathy Baker-Brosh# (Towson University,

#Anita C. Leight Estuary Center)

Environmental change due to anthropogenic effects has cascading implications for ecosystems like

estuaries. Sea level rise caused by climate change can force saline water into freshwater systems. Freshwater

organisms may have lower tolerances to such high salinities. Studying the effects of this problem can lead to

the discovery of significant reasons to protect the environment’s ecosystem services. To understand how an

ecosystem is impacted by an environmental change we must study the food web and how trophic levels

interact. Zooplankton are foundational to all aquatic food webs by providing a food source for higher

trophic levels. Our study observed the survivorship and hatch rates of a freshwater copepod and the

mortality and fecundity of a freshwater cladoceran in increasing salinities. We show the impact that varying

salinity levels has on two species which are key members of the aquatic food web in Otter Point Creek, a

tributary to the Bush River in Maryland.

11. Investigating Applications for the XRF in General Chemistry and Physics Experiments

Brianna Higgins, Debra Ellis (Frederick Community College)

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Three colleges in Frederick County; Hood College, Frederick Community College, and Mount Saint Mary's

University; are collaborating on a joint NSF grant. The grant has provided new, state-of-the art, portable,

scientific equipment: infrared (IR), Raman, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and ultraviolet (UV) spectrometers

that are shared between the three institutions. Under the grant, students participate in internships and engage

in honors projects that expand the use of these instruments at the participating colleges, which better prepare

students entering STEM fields. My Honors project explores applications for the XRF for chemistry and

physics courses. Since the XRF identifies metals in solid samples, I searched for claims of metal

contamination in everyday objects as the basis for chemistry experiments. I am investigating the use of an

FDA study which found lead in certain lipsticks for an organic chemistry experiment. General chemistry

students would utilize the XRF to examine the metals in historical coins to determine whether they are real

or replicas. The physics experiment application involves Moseley's Law, which explains a relationship

between frequencies of interrelating lines in an X-ray spectrum. By running several different elements

through the XRF, students would recreate the elemental spectra by using the data retrieved from the

instrument. This project was supported by Frederick Community College, its Honors Program, Hood

College and the National Science Foundation's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program (DUE-

1431522).

12. In Vitro 3-Dimensional Mammalian Cell Culture in Alginate Beads

Lian Jackson, Newton Bosire, Michael Dabney, Amrita Madabushi (Baltimore City Community College)

3-dimensional (3D) culture of human cells can favorably replace the standard 2-dimensional (2D) culture

for a closer simulation of in vivo conditions. Alginate beads provide the capacity to culture cells in an

adaptable 3D environment. Lung adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) are known to grow

2-dimensionally in tissue culture dishes. In this research project, we are using alginate beads to manipulate

A549 to grow 3-dimensionally. The alginate beads incorporating A549 cells were formed and maintained in

mammalian cell culture media. The cell viability of A549 cells was studied using trypan blue assay. We

propose to use these 3-dimensional cell culture beads to do a variety of assays involving the effect of

carcinogens and the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. We are also exploring them as an excellent

alternative for long-term, low-cost cell propagation.

13. Overexpression of Calvin Cycle Enzyme Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase to Increase Algal Growth

Rate

Lian Jackson, Stephen Miller#

(Baltimore City Community College, #UMBC)

Algae are plant-like organisms that can be used for sustainable production of biofuels and other

commercially valuable products. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a single-celled green alga, has been used as a

model organism to research algal biofuel production due to its sequenced genome, ability to be genetically

manipulated and its fast growth rate. Algal biofuel production could be a cheaper, greener alternative to

fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a limiting factor for algal growth. It is believed that certain enzymes

that function in the Calvin cycle, which converts CO2 into carbohydrates, may be key targets for improving

photosynthesis and growth. Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) functions in the regeneration phase of the

Calvin cycle and overexpression of this enzyme in higher plants improves growth significantly. We have

tested the idea that overexpressing FBA will also increase flux through the Calvin cycle in algae. Using

recombinant DNA techniques, we have generated C. reinhardtii transformants that contain the coding

region for C. reinhardtii FBA (myc-epitope tagged) under the control of psbD and psbA 5' and 3' regulatory

sequences, respectively, integrated into the chloroplast genome. We used western blot analysis to determine

accumulation of transgenic protein and found that transformants accumulates a myc reactive protein near the

expected size of ~44 kDa.. Next we will use an algal multicultivator to compare the growth rate of the best

expressing transformants to that of a control/recipient strain. If overexpression of FBA improves C.

reinhardtii growth, we will apply these methods to other algae, such as the biotechnology production

organism Chlorella.

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14. Revision of General Chemistry II Capstone Experiment Created to Engage STEM Student Learning

Danielle Kerr, Debra Ellis (Frederick Community College)

A General Chemistry II experiment was recently designed to provide students with several educational

opportunities at the end of their first year. While the experiment was received favorably by students, it

became apparent that some revisions were needed to increase student comprehension and to provide

additional hands-on use of equipment. This capstone experiment is designed to identify unknown organic

compounds using physical properties. It uses melting point machines, infrared spectrometers and analyzes

mass spectra-equipment and data not always available in community college freshman chemistry courses.

The experimental goals are to: 1) increase experience with, and understanding of, current technologies; 2)

simulate real-world use of multiple technologies to identify an unknown chemical; and 3) enhance interest

in and preparation for additional STEM courses. One aspect of my Honors project is to revise this

experiment. The goals of the revision are to: 1) enhance students' understanding of molecular structure; 2)

increase success in identifying various physical properties of an unknown organic substance and knowing

what these properties mean and why they are so important to the process of correctly identifying the

unknown; and 3) allow each group to work with both a liquid and a solid unknown.

15. Pseudomonas Exotoxin A: Expression, Harvesting, and Mutagenesis

Aaron Laciny, John Weldon# (Baltimore City Community College,

#Towson University)

Due to the similarity between healthy cells and cancerous cells, cancer demands a highly cell-specific

treatment. Currently, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used to treat cancer, and both have unwanted

side effects. Surgery is also an option, but only in early stages when the cancer has not spread to other

tissues. However, while still being developed, recombinant immunotoxins (RITs) have the potential to fulfill

this need of a novel therapy. RITs are chimeras induced on a genetic level that have both a toxic fragment

and an immunoglobulin fragment. The immunoglobulin fragment is an antibody fragment that binds the

molecule to the cell with very high specificity. The toxin is simply what kills the cell. Pseudomonas

exotoxin A (PE), a toxin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is currently being worked on in this regard.

A toxic fragment of PE can be expressed by inserting a plasmid that codes for the protein in E. coli.

Additionally, through site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) PE can also be engineered to improve its cell-

specific cytotoxic capacities. After expression, PE can be harvested using affinity column chromatography.

By collectively using these methods, one can manufacture PE and all of its derivatives. We hypothesize that

not all of the polypeptide chain is necessary for its catalytic activity, and immunogenicity could be

decreased by using a smaller molecule.

16. Bacterial Community Dynamics

Karen Lizarraga, Marygrace Reyes, Abass Ajiboye, William Straub (Howard Community College)

In this project, water samples were collected from the pond by the East Garage at Howard Community

College at different depths and locations. These variables were chosen to help investigate the dynamics of

resident bacterial communities. Water samples were taken at two different locations, still and turbulent, over

the non-summer months of the 2016 calendar year. Collected samples were taken to the lab, diluted, placed

on nutrient agar plates, and incubated for two days. Total number of colonies and different colony

morphotypes were counted. Simple and gram stains were taken to view the characteristics of particular

bacteria that grew on the agar plates. Most bacteria were rod shaped and had endospores. Bacterial count

varied throughout the year. No relationship between bacterial dynamics and location or depth was found

besides a spike in bacteria counts after a significant rainfall. Further research is needed to determine the

effect depth, location, as well as other variables have on the dynamics of bacterial communities at Howard

Community College's pond.

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17. Engineering Caffeine Biosynthesis in Bacteria: Towards the Production of Caffeinated Yogurt

Ryan Marcheschi, Alejandro Perez-Albela, Katherine Carrera (Montgomery Community College)

Foods and beverages containing caffeine are consumed daily in increasing quantities. However, caffeine

must be obtained from either natural plant sources such as coffee or tea, or by chemical synthesis of the

purine molecule in a laboratory. By using molecular biology techniques, we plan to address this bottleneck

by cloning the genes encoding the caffeine biosynthesis pathway in coffee plants into bacterial systems such

as Escherichia coli to allow for production of caffeine during bacterial growth. Further, to increase

production capacity of caffeine, genes involved in biosynthesis of caffeine precursors will also be cloned

from bacterial sources and overexpressed along with the caffeine biosynthesis genes. To analyze the

effectiveness of this approach, the expression profiles of the cloned genes will be analyzed and the synthesis

of caffeine and its precursor molecules will be monitored in growing bacterial cultures. While initial

experiments will be performed in E. coli, our goal is to transfer the genes encoding the caffeine biosynthetic

pathway into other bacterial organisms, such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus or

Streptococcus thermophilus, which could be applied to the production of caffeinated yogurt.

18. Determination of IC50 of Nelfinavir against Herpes Virus 1

Fabian Msafiri, Barbara O'Brien; Barry J. Margulies# (Baltimore City Community College,

#Towson

University)

Herpesviruses are a large group of ubiquitous pathogens with members that infect many animals. There are

nine herpesviruses that infect humans, two of which (herpes simplex virus-1 and -2; HSV-1 and HSV-2) are

primarily responsible for genital and oral lesions. There is currently no cure for HSV-1 or HSV-2 infections;

only oral doses of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir (ACV) or its derivatives are used to treat the symptoms,

and these medicines are typically dosed clinically as individual drugs. While it may be common for the virus

to generate a single mutation at one locus in order to resist one drug (as in ACV treatment), the likelihood of

having two resistance mutations arise in two completely separate loci drops and the probability of a triply

resistant mutant drops more if a third drug is added to a dosing regimen. With this approach, first seen in

antiviral strategies with methods to combat HIV, chances of finding a virus with mutations in all three loci

simultaneously are diminished, allowing effective treatment. The choice of drugs centers on those currently

being used clinically, and those that interfere with processes carried out by proteins encoded on different

loci. To that extent, drugs used in our antiherpetic version of triple drug therapy are ACV, cidofovir (CDV),

and nelfinavir (NFV).

NFV is an HIV protease inhibitor that has been in use for about 19 years and has been shown more recently

to also inhibit the growth of HSV-1; The drug interferes with an unknown host process to prevent

maturation and exit of HSV-1 from the cell. For these three drugs it is fundamental to understand their

optimal inhibitory levels in culture against HSV-1 through knowing the concentration of drug that inhibits

virus growth to 50% of maximum (IC50). While the IC50 for ACV and CDV are known, there is no

published information for the IC50 of NFV with regards to herpesviruses. Therefore, this project aimed to

determine the optimal inhibitory concentration of NFV for HSV-1 in culture so that we may apply that

information to determining the optimal dosing for all three drugs in a triple drug regimen.

19. Identification of Spoilage Bacteria in Beer Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

Ariba Rana, Gwen Gilinger (Community College of Baltimore County)

A local brewery was having spoilage issues with its product and gave our department a sample in order to

test for spoilage organisms. After a failed attempt at phenotypic analysis, a phylogenetic analysis at the

genus level was performed. It was hypothesized that the beer was contaminated by one or more spoilage

bacteria genera. Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, and Lactobacillus were suspected because they are linked

with spoilage of beer, creating turbidity and/or unpleasant taste. The beer sample was divided into two

12

samples where the first was prepared using a standard boil preparation procedure and the second was

prepared using filtration. Both preparations were tested with various primers in polymerase chain reactions.

Primers used included universal bacterial primer 16S, Lactobacillus primer Lacto R, Acetobacter primers

Macer R and MacerF, and Gluconobacter primer 1510R. Results were visualized by electrophoresis. In this

manner it was determined that Lactobacillus and Gluconobacter species were spoiling the beer, but the

presence of Acetobacter was not detected.

20. Neuropathological and Neurochemical changes in the gabaergic and glutamatergic system in autism. Djeneba Sidibe, Gene Blatt

# (Baltimore City Community College,

#Hussman Institute of Autism)

Autism consists of a wide spectrum of neurological disorders that occur during the neuroembryonic and

postnatal brain development. Autism is characterized by restricted social behaviors, repetitive behaviors and

difficulty in communications. The are no known cause for autism, but the condition is recognized to be

genetic and environmental in origin. Different studies have proven that there is an imbalance between the

excitation and inhibition neurons in different altered areas of the brain. Various techniques are applied for

better understanding the changes in neurocircuitry. Different assays are used to analyze neuropathological

and neurochemical altered connectivity in autism. The different regions of interest in focus to explore

GABAergic (inhibitory) and Glutamatergic (excitatory) systems are the cortical and subcortical areas of the

brain. To observe the difference in excitatory and inhibitory balance in the brain, a series of experiments are

done to label cytoarchitectural brain areas and immuno-label GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in the

brain.

21. Recycled Solar Stations for Energy produced by Microorganism

Judy Staveley, Tanner Ash, Liz Doyle, Godfrey Ssenyonga, Sean Scott, Cassie Graham

(Frederick Community College)

There are many countries around the world that lack electricity. In South Sudan only 5.1% of the population

has access to electricity. Countries whose access to electricity is less than 20% of the population include

Tanzania, Niger, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Liberia, Malawi, Burundi, and

Chad. Electricity is a highly valuable utility in the modern world (e.g., lighting, refrigeration, hospitality,

manufacturing, etc.). Countries need the proper back-up emergency power for hospitals. In war torn areas

this electricity can be shut off at any moment. By creating solar systems and generators powered by bacteria

and recycled materials, we can help people around the world have a much better quality of life. We know

this will be a short term investment but this will have a much longer term payoff. We cannot put a price tag

on our ability to save lives.

22. X-Ray Fluorescence in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Christopher Stromberg, Angela D. Mansfield, Alexander W. Jarnot, Christopher J. Stromberg, Kevin H.

Bennett (Hood College)

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is an elemental analysis technique that finds application in a wide variety of

STEM disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and geology. It is also widely used in art conservation and

archaeology. The technique uses an incident x-ray to eject a core electron from a sample. The resulting ion

is unstable, with higher energy electrons falling down to fill the hole left by the core electron. When the

higher energy electrons relax, they emit secondary x-rays characteristic to the element. This allows for fast

identification of the elements present in a sample. This poster will show different ways that XRF can be

incorporated into the STEM curriculum in a wide variety of disciplines. A hand-held XRF instrument will

also be available to demonstrate the technique.

23. Carbon Dioxide Indoor Monitor

Briana Taborn, Kathleen Lilly (Howard Community College)

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Carbon dioxide has significant effects on the human body and productivity. These effects are most prevalent

when carbon dioxide accumulates indoors. This research project's goal was to produce a smaller carbon

dioxide sensor that could be worn to make its user more aware of the changing or rising levels of carbon

dioxide around the user. As the research progressed, the project goal was refined to specifically modify

already existing hardware, LabPro and corresponding carbon dioxide sensor, so that it could precisely

measure and record carbon dioxide levels. Altering the code was necessary to give consistent readings and

export the data to a file so that it could be plotted and analyzed as well as presented with time intervals,

duration of a trial, and the number of trials taken per location. Additional research and experimentation led

to a narrowing down of factors impacting the sensor's carbon dioxide readings such as having the door to a

monitored room open or closed and accounting for people in the room as well as their movement in and

around the room. The best method was observed to be 30 second intervals with no less than a 20 minute

duration after the sensor had reached equilibrium with its surroundings. Applying this information to a

smaller, wearable sensor once developed would be a first step to monitoring localized carbon dioxide levels.

24. Virtual, Inc: A Virtual Biotechnology Company Driven by Undergraduate Research

Erica Weiner, Deborah Sterner-Krizman, Natalie Leach Stringer (Montgomery Community College)

Virtual, Inc. is a collaborative project between the Biotechnology and Biology Programs at Montgomery

College-Germantown. The goal of the "virtual" company is to afford a realistic experience in many phases

of the biotechnology industry. The company is focused on the development of a Western blot kit that can be

used in a classroom setting. Western blots are biological assays that detect specific proteins from complex

mixtures of proteins and can be used for both research and diagnostic purposes. The kit will contain all of

the reagents required for running a Western blot including a purified protein that will serve as a positive

control. Currently, we are testing several candidate proteins that may be suitable for out kit including

FLAG-Bacterial Alkaline Phosphatase (FLAG-BAP) and Glutathione S-transferase (GST). This "proof of

principle" project demonstrates that the development of a Western blot kit is feasible

25. Introducing Infrared Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry to General Chemistry II Students

Jerica Wilson, Debra Ellis#, Emily Boward

#, Edith Hillard

#, Lorrell Angelety

#, Perry Wood

# (UMBC,

#Frederick Community College)

Instrumentation is a critical element within STEM fields of study. Knowledge of and experience with

industry standard instrumentation is crucial to a student's future success. When transferring to four-year

universities community college students often find themselves at a disadvantage; courses provide theoretical

knowledge but may not provide hands on experience with current technology. Our objective was to

introduce a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) to the General Chemistry II laboratory by

designing a new experiment.

The new experiment allows students to gain introductory knowledge of infrared spectroscopy (IR) and mass

spectrometry (MS) as well as encourage critical thinking. The student's mission is to identify one of twelve

unknown organic molecules using techniques familiar to them, such as density and physical state, as well as

the new methods of IR and MS. The twelve compounds were carefully chosen for their six carbon base

structures; all building off hexane, cyclohexane or benzene. The chosen molecules let students see how the

IR can distinguish between functional groups, an important topic in the next level chemistry course.

Integration of the FTIR not only gives students access to current technology but also lays the foundation for

future student success in organic chemistry. This project was supported by Frederick Community College,

its Honors Program, and the National Science Foundation's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education

program (DUE-1431522)

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch (Great Hall)

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1:30 pm – 2:00 pm: 3rd

Student-Centered Session Room K-127

Running a Successful Student Club – Perspectives of Two Club Members

Noah Simmons, Daniel Mattingly

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Jamshed Ayub, Dr. Sithy Maharoof, Dr. Raza Khan, Prof. Maria Burness, Carroll Community

College

The Officers of Carroll CC Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society will be discussing how to create, maintain,

and expand a professional organization on campus. Specifically, we will discuss the American Chemical Society's

standards for each chapter, as well as how we have grown the membership at a community college. The membership have

determined that making chemistry approachable and fun to the community through service learning projects is key in

increasing the number of memberships and activity of those members. The three Officers (President, Vice President and

Public Relations Officers) will explicitly share the activities that have been completed this school year, as well as list

some possible ideas for future chapters to consider.

Room K-128

A Mathematics Undergraduate Research Journey: Two Student Perspectives,

Kyle Sutton, Alexander Bisant

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Mike Long, Howard Community College

Kyle Sutton and Alexander Bisant spent all or part of their final years at Howard Community College engaged in

undergraduate research. Kyle began his research journey in his second year at HCC researching a problem involving

properties of Diophantine Equations and Modular Arithmetic titled “Karate Frog.” Alex then joined Kyle the following

year to investigate the problem of whether Triangular Numbers could be used to generate a covering of the Pythagorean

Triples. They successfully proved it could happen and disseminated the results in the presentation and paper

“Pythagorean Triples: From Clay Tablets to the Triangular Numbers.” In this session, Kyle and Alex will describe their

mathematics undergraduate research journey from the emergence of the initial question to the submission of their work for

publication. They will also share their initial inclination/inspiration to do research, the challenges they faced in completing

the work, and the joy of publicly presenting their work. If you are interested in doing research or mentoring research, their

story can certainly help to guide your future work.

Room K-129

Chaos in Double Pendulum

Furqan Chattha, Kathleen Hamilton, Ameer Hassan

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Alexandar Barr, Howard Community College

This research focuses on indicators of resonance, the Lyapunov exponent, and practically analyzing motion. Resonance

can occur at particular energies, which show up in MATLAB simulations as periodic orbits. Analyzing the trajectories of

double pendula over time and creating surface of section graphs to locate these orbits allow the effects to be studied.

Using the Runge-Kutta method of numeric integration, we derive an expression of Lyapunov which quantifies sensitivity

to the initial conditions of two nearby trajectories. There were unexpected errors found with the Lyapunov exponent

(lambda) and time steps at which each divergence happens. Our research explains how to solve the unexpected errors by

changing the time duration (tmax) and Lyapunov value. The motion of double pendulum was also analyzed practically by

capturing the video of hand built pendulum, and uploading in software called tracker. The unexpected problem was found

with axes, its showing the value between 0 to pi; which was further solved by putting coding checks in excel. This work

provides a better understanding of calculating Lyapunov exponent numerically, observing resonance at different energies,

and obtaining data practically.

Room K-132

Sour Chemistry

Elizabeth Johns, Jordan Waite, Yuri Marsov

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Supawan King, Harford Community College

Any process in which a quantity grows or decays rapidly can be modeled by an exponential function. Other than the most

common applications such as population growth, radioactive decay, and compound interest, the exponential function can

be used to describe the neutralizing reaction of an upset stomach after taking antacids. In this presentation, conditions

found in an acid stomach will be simulated. The pH-level after adding antacids will be monitored and modeled by the

exponential function. Presenters will also share resulting data and the effectiveness of different antacids.

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Room K-133

Dynamic Modeling of Infection Survival of AIDS using Mathematical Modeling

Aaron Laciny

Faculty Mentor(s): Mariana Gleger, Thao-Nhi Luu, Baltimore City Community College AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the final stage of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection.

HIV is a retrovirus that invades a host cell and transcribes its viral RNA into DNA, which it then integrates into the host's

DNA. Although the host's immune system constantly fights the infection by destroying infected cells and replacing them,

it is unable to keep up with the virus' infection rate. With that being said, the host will eventually develops AIDS. Current

antiretroviral drugs prevent AIDS development, but they no longer help once AIDS is developed. Mathematical models

can be used to examine the rate of infection and survival rate of the CD4+, Natural Killer and T-helper cells. Using these

techniques, we can better understand HIV infection.

Room K-217

Using Enterococci to Monitor Water Quality of Streams in Harford County, Maryland

John Biondo, Gracie Shannahan

Faculty Mentor(s): Tami Imbierowicz, Harford Community College

Enterococci are frequently used as indicators of stream health for recreational users. In the summer of 2016, Harford

Community College, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, sampled streams in Harford County, Maryland,

for Enterococci bacteria. The objective of the project was to determine if Enterococci levels increase following rain events

compared to non-rain events. Samples were collected once a week from 8 different locations, analyzed, and recorded over

the course of twelve weeks. Additional samples were collected after rain events of one-half inch or greater. The compiled

results showed evidence of significantly increased levels of Enterococci in relation to rain events. The findings from this

research can provide an insight to the public about the increased risk associated with swimming after significant rainfall.

Room K-218

Help Pearson Understand Your Learning Tool Needs for Science

Robin Kim, Pearson Education

The Mastering product is our Science coaching and tutorial system that helps students get immediate and targeted

feedback outside the classroom. During this student focus group we will partner with the students to help make Pearson’s

products better. This will be an interactive and engaging session soliciting feedback from the students on usability and

efficacy.

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm: 1st Faculty-Centered Session

Room K-127

Passive to Active: An Ongoing Exploration!

Supawan King, Harford Community College

Numerous studies show active learning positively impacted student engagement and learning. Creating an active learning

environment in a math course might be challenging and take more work on the instructor side. The presenter has been

exploring and experimenting with ways in teaching to promote active learning in her classes by implementing modified

traditional lectures, class worksheets, group assignments, and hands-on activities. In this presentation, active learning

strategies, the modification of instruction, the development and implementation of active learning activities, student

outcomes in Trigonometry, Calculus, and Differential Equations courses, including successes and ongoing challenges will

be shared.

Room K-128

Fostering Mathematics (the "M" in STEM) Undergraduate Research with Community College Students

Mike Long, Howard Community College

When considering undergraduate research in mathematics at the community college level, one has to immediately wonder

if students are ready for such a challenge and the answer is yes. In this session, sources of mathematics research questions,

strategies for interesting and engaging students in mathematics research, and ideas for carrying out the research will be

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discussed in this interactive session. Participants will also hear from students about their personal research experiences

working with the presenters. Participants will learn about sources of possible mathematics research questions and

strategies to engage students during the research process.

Room K-129

Building STEM Skills through Animal Welfare Experience

Emily Boward, Frederick Community College

Are you interested in veterinary medicine or animal science? Are you looking for a way to be involved in your

community? This talk is for you! Caring for animals in Maryland communities provides vast opportunities for STEM

students to explore careers, network, establish contacts, and gain vital work and social experience. The Animal Welfare

League of Frederick County is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue and welfare organization that combines animal

population management with an environment for personal growth and teamwork opportunities. This presentation will

highlight the operations at AWLFC, while providing students with information about how volunteer or internship

experiences foster essential problem-solving, technical, and communication skills and provide comprehensive knowledge

about a particular field of interest. Literature about animal science and care will be provided. Each attendee will also

receive a gift bag in support of animal welfare!

Room K-132

Solving Calculus-based Physics Problems without Calculus - Topics for College Physics Honors Courses

Dave Baum, Community College of Baltimore County

There are many topics that are avoided in algebra-based Physics courses because they are usually treated with calculus.

Many students I have had, however, have insisted on explanations to fill these gaps, and as exceptionally intelligent,

inquisitive people, they deserve them. We'll look at several specific examples that can be worked into an honors course,

some using limits and infinite series but no calculus. Three specific examples will be covered: the moment of inertia of a

thin rod, the angle of application of a force to minimize its magnitude, and the 1/r behavior of gravitational and electric

potential. If time permits, we'll discuss a solution to a first order homogeneous linear differential equation. While the

solution methods are generally characteristic of particular problems, it would seem plausible that similar types of 'out of

the box' thinking would be applicable to many other problems. Detailed solutions for each will be provided.

Room K-133

"Will I need to know this for work?" - Mimicking Industrial Practices in the Classroom to Train Students for a Working

Environment

Adil Zuber, Frederick Community College

This session will discuss methods for introducing standard industrial practices in the classroom to better prepare students

for the workplace. Attendees will learn the importance of discussing workplace practices with students. Inexpensive

teaching techniques will be discussed and demonstrated. An undergraduate engineering design project will be reviewed

in-depth to demonstrate the practical application of these practices.

Room K-217

STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative: Chemistry Curricular Alignment

Christine Miller, Anne Arundel Community College

An innovative multi-institutional initiative aimed at improving student success in key STEM competencies will be

presented. Curricula and pedagogical practices at five institutions* are compared with a goal of aligning best practices.

While the current study focuses on the area of general chemistry, the tools and resources developed in this initiative

provide a robust model that can readily be adapted for any academic discipline. Resources developed through this

collaboration include student modules designed to review and reinforce essential topics and skills with the aim of helping

STEM students overcome the barrier that general chemistry often presents during the initial stage of their academic

pathway. The future and sustainability of this initiative will be discussed culminating in an open discussion and exchange

of ideas. *University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), Community College

of Baltimore County (CCBC), Howard Community College (HCC), Montgomery College (MC) Room K-218

Developing an Online Laboratory Safety Training Program for Faculty

Joyce Davis, Carroll Community College

17

Minimal safety training among adjunct and full-time faculty often leads to accidents that could result in legal challenges

for the faculty member, science department, and educational institution. The online safety training program I developed is

a quick and efficient way to provide faculty with the legal knowledge and skills to effectively handle a laboratory

accident. Session participants will receive a brief overview of the online training as well as ways to develop a similar

training program for their full-time and adjunct faculty. Input from participants will be encouraged.

Room K-305

Lessons Learned from a Multi-institution Collaborative Grant Project

Christopher Stromberg, Hood College

Collaborations between community colleges and four-year institutions are becoming increasingly important, both for

providing resources for current students and for easing the transfer path from two-year to four-year institutions. This

session will describe a collaboration between Frederick Community College, Mount St. Mary's University, and Hood

College to acquire and share portable instrumentation between the schools. This successful NSF-funded project involved

multiple faculty members and students from each institution in developing laboratory experiments and demonstrations

that could be incorporated into the curriculum. In its third year, this partnership has not only resulted in a substantial

expansion of the instrumentation available to all three schools, but it has brought the three institutions closer together,

opening up new avenues for collaboration in the future. During this session, faculty involved in the collaboration will

describe the partnership and the lessons learned along the way.

Room K-307

How to Integrate Science Technology in Your Course.

Meghan Moreau, Pearson Education

Science and technology are rapidly changing in today's world. Based on data driven innovations, Mastering has added

many new and exciting opportunities for students to accelerate their learning through technology. As the student's learning

accelerates the data is developed for professors like you to be able to be more informed of misconceptions and

misunderstandings. Come learn about using Learning Catalytics, a device agnostic engagement system, and Mastering to

create an active classroom! Mastering and Learning Catalytics are seamlessly integrated together and proven to help the

student’s succeed before, during and after class. Come check it out!

Room K-309 (1 hour presentation)

Application of MiniOne Foodborne Outbreak MiniLab as a Forensic Science Exercise

Keith Lampel, Embi Tec

Molecular analysis has transformed forensic science on many levels as seen in TV shows, infamous trials, and ancestry

investigation. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), is a foundational technology used daily in labs around the world in

forensics, medicine, and biology. The MiniOne Foodborne Outbreak MiniLab is an engaging means for students to

conduct their own scientific investigations. The MiniLab uses a relatable scenario based on real data from a foodborne

outbreak. Guided by the scientific method, students work in groups to gather and evaluate the complex epidemiological

data and develop a hypothesis as to which food harbored the bacterial pathogen. Students test their hypothesis using gel

electrophoresis technology to analyze PCR DNA from potentially contaminated foods. As in any scientific laboratory,

students must carefully consider which samples to analyze and which positive and negative controls to use. The MiniOne

Electrophoresis System does not use hazardous materials, harmful UV light, or high voltage, making it ideal for classroom

use. The built-in illumination allows students to monitor and document DNA separation in real time. Students compare

their results to their predictions, form a conclusion, and reassess their experimental design. Since many different results

are possible, a lively classroom discussion is guaranteed.

2:10 pm – 2:40 pm: 2nd

Faculty-Centered Session

Room K-127

From Toys to STEM: Tactile Activities for Precalculus through Calculus

Clarence Baney, Community College of Baltimore County

Hands-on activities and math games are not just for elementary math or Calculus III students. Concepts of Precalculus

through Calculus II can be taught with manipulatives created using widely available materials. Demonstrations of

activities related to three major topics in these courses will be given in this presentation. This presentation aims to reveal

that this method of kinesthetic learning can be used to effectively convey complex principles in Precalculus and first-year

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Calculus. It is certainly easier to use manipulatives to teach students arithmetic, geometry, or to help students visualize

and analyze a three dimensional surface in Calculus III. However, hands on learning can be employed in some of the

fundamental courses that tend to be algebra heavy and not as visually oriented.

Room K-128

Active Learning Tools in Microbiology

Kimberly George, Montgomery College

For many allied health and biology majors, General Microbiology is a gateway prerequisite. This 200-level course

requires students to predict outcomes, draw conclusions, and design hypotheses. For many students this is a dramatic step

from simply remembering or describing concepts discussed in Introductory Biology. Furthermore, underprepared and

English Language Learners are especially disadvantaged which can lead to reduced engagement in the classroom. To

address these issues, first we identified key learning outcomes in microbiology that challenge our students: cell wall

structure, gene regulation, and host-cell interactions. Active learning lessons, including both hands on and worksheet

driven exercises, were developed and implemented. The activities allow students to apply the concepts to problems

presented in the classroom, while having the guidance of their instructor and peers. This has lead to increased student

engagement and encouraging increases in understanding.

Room K-129

Exploring the World Out There - From Classroom to Career in Environmental Sciences

Karin Olsen, Howard Community College

Traditional STEM educational pathways tend to focus on biological sciences (either medicine or ecology), engineering, or

computer science. But, what about the rest of the natural world? There are exciting and groundbreaking developments

occurring every day in fields dedicated to enhancing our understanding the Earth and its environments. Best of all you

don't have to dedicate your life to a lab to be a part of these discoveries. This talk will describe the speaker's real world

experience working in coastal and estuarine environments, with a specific focus on cleaning up the chemical mess that

humans have left behind after decades of industrial growth along our waterways. Despite the obvious impact, there are

thousands of scientists working to reduce the potential of introducing new contaminates, to remove the pollution that is

already there, and to restore habitats to healthy ecological communities. This talk will focus on the challenges of working

in the natural world (instead of a laboratory), the interdisciplinary expertise needed to solve complex problems, and some

of the "intangibles" that students should cultivate in order to be successful scientists.

Room K-132

Integrating Museum Learning into STEM Courses: Pairing the National Air and Space Museum with General Chemistry,

Virginia Miller, Montgomery College

Museum learning can be incorporated into any STEM course and is an engaging and innovative way to enhance student

learning and interest. Interacting with real-world applications of science (past, present and future) can help students better

connect with the course material. This presentation discusses ways in which Smithsonian resources can be used to

enhance instruction. It describes how a freshman-level general chemistry course was restructured so that students explored

basic chemical principles within the context of different spaceflight technologies, and how it incorporated field trips to the

Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center and National Air and Space Museum to supplement the course topics and promote

student learning. The use of the Smithsonian's new digital Learning Lab in developing innovative homework assignments is also

discussed. This free, online educational platform contains nearly 2 million resources from the Smithsonian's Digital

Collection and is a unique and versatile tool for incorporating museum learning into the classroom. Students' reflections

on the museum visits and Learning Lab activities will be presented.

Room K-133

The Making of a Makerspace: How to Design Effective Learning Environments

Rich Sykes, Amtek Company

Designing for creativity and functionality are the key pillars of a establishing a makerspace that supports successful

makerbased learning experiences. It is common to consider the types of projects that will be completed in the space, how

many people will use the space at any given time, and the equipment on your must-have vs. nice-to-have lists. However, it

is equally as important to consider space utilization, noise control, power and electrical requirements, mobility, and the

need for dirty vs. clean spaces. For example, how will you keep dust and debris generated by machine tools away from 3D

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printers and other sensitive equipment? How will you minimize noise disruptions with nearby classrooms? Does the

spatial flow of your lab reflect opportunities for individual and group projects? Will the space be used for design only,

fabrication only, or both? In this workshop, attendees will learn how to design an effective, flexible fabrication learning

environment that inspires creativity and collaboration among students.

Room K-217

STEM Teaching Pathways: Building and Sustaining a Learning Assistant Program

Carolyn Schick, Montgomery College

The nationally recognized Learning Assistant (LA) model, based at U. Colorado, Boulder has been transformed for the

community college. LAs are recruited to assist in STEM classrooms and labs with various unique assignments. LAs get an

opportunity to 'try on teaching' as they work one-on-one with their faculty mentors throughout the semester. Highlights on

faculty mentorship and reflection on teaching for the LAs will be presented. Opportunities for collaboration and transfer

initiatives with 4-year colleges and universities for the LAs will be discussed. This is a win-win-win for LAs, faculty

mentors and STEM students at Montgomery College. In addition, lessons learned for the adaptation of the LA model to

the community college will be discussed with opportunity for questions on all aspects of the program including funding,

logistics, demographics and staff support. Videos of Learning Assistants in various classrooms and labs will be shown. A

1-page handout on the LA program, website, LA quotes, resources and take-away message will be provided.

Room K-218

Beyond Worksheets: An Introduction to High Quality Resources Available for Community College-level Science Courses,

Kathryn Jones, Howard Community College

Recently, different groups of scientists have teamed up with educators to provide teachers and professors with resources

to more effectively teach science courses. The purpose of this workshop will be to introduce participants to three web sites

that provide free materials at a level appropriate for teaching these courses at community colleges: BioInteractive, the

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science and Science in the Classroom. These web sites contain high quality

resources to facilitate teaching basic concepts as well as cutting-edge topics such as genomics and the human microbiome.

Participants will be given an overview of these sites, as well as recommendations for ready-to-use handouts, animations,

interactive tutorials, and other materials appropriate for specific courses (General Biology, Ecology and Evolution,

Genetics, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Earth and Environmental Science).

Room K-305

STEM Webtree and Proposal for Improving Student Learning Habits

Thomas Karras, Frederick Community College

I have recently completed a STEM Webtree (free on the Internet) along with a proposal to increase parent participation for

children's education and to get the parents more involved by the teachers taking advantage of the great internet resources

and information. Teachers could send weekly email "example lesson plans" to BOTH parents and students in an effort to

improve student learning with parent involvement. The best day to send out the email is Friday in hopes that at least one

of the family members is home during the weekend. We need to convince our kids to not spend all of their free time

playing computer games, texting, sports, TV, etc. but to set aside time to explore the educational items on the internet.

The lesson plans would contain websites from the STEM Webtree and/or by adding additional websites from the internet

or from other sources. The STEM Webtree and internet resources would make a good summer project for teachers and

students and can be found at www.KidsMathScienceDigitalBook.com bottom right of opening page.

Room K-307

Get the Most out of MyMathLab Innovations

Meghan Moreau, Pearson Education

In the past few years, the students have changed. The students learn differently; they achieve differently and are motivated

differently. Today, we will discuss the 2017 innovations in Math at Pearson to accomplish the learning goals of today's

students. MyMathLab is continuously updated and in 2016 we released many new innovations. We are excited to teach

professors how to get the most out of the resource. We will be discussing new adaptive, just- in-time teaching, reporting

and our new innovations. Come see how to overcome the common course struggles, such as motivation, conceptual

understanding, preparedness, personalized journeys and more. The proposed result of usage is to see a very personalized,

adaptive learning environment to accelerate your student's success.

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K-309 - CONTINUED (1 hour presentation)

2:50 pm – 3:50 pm: Afternoon Keynote (Room K-100)

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm: 3rd

Faculty-Centered Session

Room K-217

Designing Developmental Math for the Individual

Greta Holtackers-Cannon, Howard Community College

Imagine that the driver’s seat of your car was designed for the average adult and couldn’t be adjusted. How would this

affect your ability to drive well? The Howard Community College Developmental Math Team has set out to create a

program designed to adjust to the individual needs of our students. Our program structure allows students to work at a

pace that is appropriate for them, and it incorporates the benefits of both emporium-based courses and lecture-based

courses. Last fall we fully implemented both a computer package that creates individual pathways for our students and an

on-demand instruction program that allows students to participate in lectures as needed. Please join me in discussing our

program structure and the changes we’ve made to create courses tailored to the unique experiences, knowledge base, and

needs of our developmental math students.

Room K-128

OER - The Biology Experience

Kathleen Berlyn, Baltimore City Community College

The cost of textbooks has become prohibitively high for many students which can result in student not purchasing the

materials or purchasing them well into the semester which can have a negative impact on their performance in their

courses. Using Open Education Resources (OER) is one solution to this problem and can result in improved performance,

increased enrollment and retention as the cost per course is reduced. OER are freely accessible for students and faculty

which enables students’ full access to their course materials on the first day of class without the need to purchase a code

or other materials. We have made the transition to using OER for our BIO101, General Biology course and would like to

share our experiences with other faculty. This discussion will include a list of OER available for Biology from textbooks,

worksheets, videos, animations, and other materials. In addition, we will share our insights on how to adapt and use OER,

the challenges we've encountered and how we've proceeded to design a course with OER that meets the learning outcomes

and educational goals of BIO 101.

Room K-129

Integrative Learning in Introductory Technology Courses

Penny Foster, Anne Arundel Community College

This session will describe a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, project-based approach to an introductory general education

technology course. The innovative methodology of recruiting faculty across the curriculum to design and build projects

that are useful and practical for students in all majors will be discussed along with the grant that funded the project. We

will review the entire course re-design from vision to implementation as well as the pilot semester and the follow-up

process. The Learning Management System course will be reviewed and will accommodate Q&A in an interactive

session. Best practices and potential hurdles will be shared along with strategies for success with similar projects.

Room K-132

Engaging Chemistry Students with Service Learning

Maureen Sherer, Anne Arundel Community College

Applied learning enhances our understanding. Service learning projects in environmental chemistry offer many

opportunities for applying the learning in general chemistry to improving our environment and serving our communities.

Typical projects involve outdoor field work with such community partners as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the South

River Federation, and Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. While the projects may involve planting a rain garden, restoring

habitat, or testing water samples, they relate to improving atmospheric chemistry, or improving the natural aquatic

chemistry of streams, and helping to mitigate unhealthy, anthropogenic chemical reactions. An essential component of

service learning is the reflective journal, in which the student documents her/his learning in conjunction with discussions

with the professor, independent study, and the project itself. Attendees will learn about specific applications to general

chemistry and about the logistics of incorporating a service learning option in the course work.

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Room K-133

Assessing the effectiveness of integrating life-science content and pedagogical changes in an algebra-based physics

course in a 2-year institution

Sithy Maharoof, Carroll Community College

There is an increasing need for teaching physics courses with a goal of helping students build multi-discipline scientific

competencies. As part of fulfilling this need, a substantial amount of research has been done in 4-year institutions on

transforming Introductory Physics for Life-Sciences (IPLS) courses to incorporate interdisciplinary content. However,

there exists little to no information on the use of reformed IPLS courses in 2-year institutions. Hence my research focused

on two 2-semester sequence of algebra-based physics courses at Carroll Community College. These courses serve

students with life science background and with a broad spectrum of academic and career goals, such as majoring in

biology, physical therapy, sports medicine, exercise science, sonography, nuclear medicine, radiography, and pre-

pharmacy. In this presentation, I will describe the designing, teaching, and assessing an IPLS model in the first of the two

algebra-based physics courses described above, and I will share preliminary results from CLASS assessment on students'

attitudinal changes and FCI assessment on students' understanding of major physics concepts.

Key words: IPLS – Introductory Physics for Life Sciences; CLASS – Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey

FCI – Force Concept Inventory

Room K-217

An NSF Grant Funded S-STEM Project that Enhances Student Retention, Completion, and Success: On-RAMP to STEM

Scot Magnotta, Montgomery College

The On-RAMP to STEM program provides scholarship opportunities for academically talented, low income, and

underrepresented students to attend Montgomery College full time. The scholarship provides tuition for up to 15 credits a

semester for up to 2 years. In addition, the program provides intrusive academic/transfer advising, mentoring, and a

weekly interdisciplinary seminar. These resources increase retention, shorten time to completion, and promote student

success. The interdisciplinary seminar, presented by Biology, Biotechnology, and Mathematics faculty, exposes students

to topics in bioscience research, computational biology, and mathematical modelling. Students are trained in reading and

critically analyzing primary literature enhancing their potential to succeed in upper division classes after transfer.

Introducing community college students to these cutting edge concepts, graduate student and working scientist guest

speakers, and field trips helps to generate enthusiasm for science and increase the likelihood these students will remain in

college and in STEM. Students are recruited from all STEM fields so each cohort comprises a mixture of diverse majors,

this academically diverse learning community stimulates cross-disciplinary discussion and reinforces the interdisciplinary

nature of STEM fields.

Room K-218

Engaging Students using iPads in the Science Classroom

Robert Carp, Anne Arundel Community College

Professor Carp will be discussing the benefits of using iPads in the science classroom. This includes the use of various

chemistry iPad apps and online student response systems. Topics will include strategies for incorporating technology into

lecture and demonstrations of the apps used in general chemistry courses.

4:40 pm – 5:10 pm: Open Forum for Faculty by Discipline Math: moderated by Val Lochman and Mike Long - Room 127

Chemistry: moderated by Jamshed Ayub and Eric Cotton – Room 128

Bio/Biotechnology: moderated by Kathleen Berlyn and Amrita Madabushi – Room 129

Physics: moderated by Brendan Diamond and Sithy Maharoof – Room 132

Engineering/Technology: moderated by Maria Burness – Room 133

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Thank you to our sponsors!

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Thank you to our conference friends!

Dr. Raza Khan

Ms. Setara Khan

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Silver Sponsors

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Silver Sponsors

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Platinum Sponsor

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Platinum Sponsor

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Platinum Sponsor

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2017 Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference

Steering Committee Members

Conference Chair: Raza Khan, Carroll Community College

Registration & Finance Committee

Jamshed Ayub, Carroll Community College

Jose Luis Barata, Anne Arundel Community College

Maria Burness, Carroll Community College (RF co-Chair)

Brendan Diamond, Howard Community College

Raza Khan, Carroll Community College

Michael Long, Howard Community College

Sithy Maharoof, Carroll Community College

Maureen Sherer, Anne Arundel Community College (RF co-Chair)

Presenters' Selection & Program Committee

Kathleen Berlyn, Baltimore City of Community College

Eric Cotton, Community College of Baltimore County

Richard Danforth, Baltimore City Community College

Veronica Dougherty, Cecil College

Gwen Gilinger, Community College of Baltimore County (PSP co-Chair)

Tami Imbierowicz, Harford Community College (PSP co-Chair)

Val Lochman, Frederick Community College (Program Schedule)

Amrita Madabushi, Baltimore City Community College (Program Cover Design)

Erum Marfani, Frederick Community College (Program Schedule; Program Booklet Design & Layout)

Shyamala Sivalingam, Anne Arundel Community College

Sponsors & Vendors Committee

Eric Cotton, Community College of Baltimore County

Jackie Madden, Harford Community College (SV co-Chair)

Amrita Madabushi, Baltimore City Community College

Anil Malaki, Baltimore City Community College (SV co-Chair)

Malathi Radhakrishnan, Baltimore City Community College

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PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

STUDENT FOCUS:

8:00 am – 9:00 am: Breakfast and Registration (Great Hall)

9:00 am – 9:30 am: 1st Student-Centered Session

9:40 am – 10:40 am: Welcome and Morning Keynote (Room K-100)

10:50 am – 11:20 am: 2nd

Student-Centered Session: Multiple Paths to STEM Success: Panel Discussions

11:30 am - 12:30 pm: Student Poster Session (Great Hall)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch (Great Hall) and Professor Wizard’s Show

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: 3rd

Student-Centered Session

FACULTY FOCUS:

11:00 am: Registration for faculty and staff who are attending the afternoon session only

11:30 am - 12:30 pm: Faculty Poster Session (Great Hall)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Lunch (Great Hall) and Professor Wizard’s Show

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: 1st Faculty-Centered Session

2:10 pm – 2:40 pm: 2nd

Faculty-Centered Session

2:50 pm - 3:50 pm: Afternoon Keynote (Room K-100)

4:00 pm - 4:30 pm: 3rd

Faculty-Centered Session

4:40 pm – 5:10 pm: Open Forum for Faculty by Discipline

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm: Dinner and Social (Great Hall)