SIB Junior wins Research Fellowship

Posted on by
Reply

Congratulations to Stephanie Klein, a junior majoring in Integrative Biology, who has been awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). Stephanie is one of fifteen students selected in the highly competitive national competition in 2012. She will receive a stipend and research funds to study “Auxin control of Medicago truncatula root development under elevated CO2” over the summer with Dr. Andrew Leakey, as well as support to travel to Providence, RI to present her findings at the annual meeting of ASPB next year.

SIB Spring Picnic

Posted on by
Reply

Posted on behalf of Jo-anne Holley,

Spring is here and it’s time for the annual SIB picnic! All staff, faculty,post-docs and graduate students are welcome. We will again be at Pavillion at Hessel park on the afternoon Sunday April 22nd.

The event will be catered by Black Dog for meat eaters and BBQ also provided by Red Herring for vegetarians. We’ll have soda as well, but please feel free to contribute sides for everyone to share.

We’ve also got some games and activities planned — frisbee, soccer, bocce, among others. I’m even going to bring my Australian Rules football.

**Here are the precise details**:
When: Sunday April 22nd
Time: 2-5pm
Where: The pavilion at Hessel Park, Kirby Ave, Champaign
Map: http://bit.ly/GKM5H5
Catering: Black Dog and vegetarian options from Red Herring
What to bring: Side dishes and special food requirements, lawn chairs, loved ones.

I hope to see lots of people there!

Cheers,

Jo

Jeff Miguel Visits the Galapagos

Posted on by
Reply

Jeff Miguel on the Galapagos Islands

Many of our Integrative Biology students choose to study abroad and conduct research in the field. Jeff Miguel, pictured to the right, spent the fall of 2010 in Ecuador and the Galapagos islands studying Marine Ecology by enrolling in the Galapagos program (GAIAS) at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Jeff spent the first month in Quito and the coast of Ecuador and the last three months on the actual Galapagos Islands. During his time there, he stayed with host families and got to know the locals quite well. This picture was taken on a regular day during his walk to class.

Yes, there was even coursework! Jeff completed five courses with a Marine Ecology focus in three week modules.

If you’re interested in taking your studies beyond the classroom, talk with an Integrative Biology Academic Advisor today!

Illinois Science Olympiad Tournament needs volunteers

Posted on by
Reply

Volunteers needed! The Illinois Science Olympiad Tournament will be held on campus on April 14. High school and middle school students will compete in 46 events in the disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics and technology. No experience needed to volunteer. Contact Bob Coverdill at coverdil@illinois.edu for more information.

URL: http://www.illinoisolympiad.org/

Conservatory Spring Open House

Posted on by
Reply

This weekend is our Spring Open House. Come out and enjoy this beautiful Spring weather here at the conservatory. The conservatory will be dressed with some spring blooming shrubs and flowers. This weekend we will have an orchid plant sale for a fund raiser for the conservatory. The Central Illinois Orchid Society will be here to answer any questions you may have about orchids. In addition to the show and sale, on Sat., one of the members of the Orchid Society will do a workshop on ‘How to repot your orchid’. It will be at 1:00 on Sat., March 10th in room 1103. Also, the Orchid Society is offering to repot your orchid for a small fee of $5.00 if you bring your own pot or you can purchase a pot from the Orchid Society for a minimum charge.

Lastly, Dianne Noland’s Floral Design class is doing to shows of ‘Floral Design to Music’. These are always fun to watch. The shows are at 11am and 1pm in room 1125

The hours for our Spring show are:

Saturday March 10th: 10-3
Saturday March 10th: 1:00 workshop on ‘How to Repot your Orchid’ room 1103
Sunday March 11th: 1-3

Thank you and I hope you will make us part of your weekend activities.

Debbie Black

Outstanding Student – Muhammed Fazeel

Posted on by
Reply

Muhammed FazeelSIB major, Muhammed Fazeel, is one of five finalists five finalists for the Lemelson-MIT $30,000 Illinois Student Prize for innovation.

Muhammed is working on an innovation called “In Case of Emergency” or I.C.E. This is a device that can call emergency services in case of major cardiac events that is affordable and non-invasive. He is also working on another project called Tabule, an instructor-student communication tool that is simple, efficient and ready to use on any smartphone or laptop. Tabule is currently in its beta-testing phase.

The winner of the prize will be announced and awarded the prize at a ceremony scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on March 7, 2012 in the auditorium of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA; 1205 W. Clark, Urbana), on the University of Illinois campus. The awards ceremony is open to the public, and will be immediately followed by a reception for all attendees. We’re rooting for you, Muhammed!

Women in Science: Panel Discussion on Tuesday, March 6th from 4-6pm in 269 Everitt Lab

Posted on by
Reply

Please join Women in Science as we hold our first panel discussion!

Topic: What does it mean to be a Woman in Science?

We will be discussing what has been important in driving women forward in their scientific careers, and what advice would they give to others starting their careers in science. The panelists come from a broad range of backgrounds and stages of their careers:

Hannah Deberg (Physics, Graduate Student)
Courtney Sloan (Chemistry, Post-Doc)
Jennifer Fraterrigo (Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Assistant Professor)
Lisa Ainsworth (Plant Biology, Associate Professor)

Date: Tuesday March 6th
Time: 4-6pm
Place: 269 Everitt Lab

Light refreshments will be served.

Thank you, and hope to see you there!

Women In Science Panel Flyer

The World of Biology Photo Competition 2012

Posted on by
Reply

An exciting opportunity for the SIB community has come forth this spring: The World of Biology Photo Competition! Anyone affiliated with SIB is eligible to submit up to three photographs in any of three categories: Nature, Biologists at Work, and Biological Imaging. Cash prizes will be awarded to 1st ($200), 2nd ($100), and 3rd ($50) place in each category.

Nature: Any photograph showing some aspect of the natural world.

Biologists at Work: Any photograph showing one or more biologists working in the laboratory or in the field.

Biological Imaging: Any photograph taken through or with the aid of a microscope or other imaging device.

To ensure that your photographs are in the competition, please mount each photograph on 11” x 14” quarter inch foam core backing, and drop them off along with electronic copies to the School of Integrative Biology office (286 Morrill Hall) by 5 PM Monday, April 16, 2012. There will also be an exhibit of the photographs at 612/614 Institute of Genomic Biology the following week from 3-5 PM on April 25, 2012.

Please feel free to download both the entry form and full instructions for the competition from this post by clicking on the following links:

SIB Photo Contest 2012 Instructions and Entry Form

SIB Photo Contest 2012 Flier

Tis the season for funding

Posted on by
Reply

Spring semester brings warmer weather, new classes and funding for our students.  Now that you’ve gotten into the groove of your Spring courses, it is time to look into what kinds of exciting opportunities you can pursue with just a little extra cash to pay your way.

While most of the grants are designed for graduate students, undergraduates should check out the Robert H. Davis Memorial Fund and the SIB Enhancement Fund.

If you are a graduate student, be sure to check out the long list of grants and awards available to IB students.  Many of the applications are due by February 20th, so be sure to get those applications in.

If you instead would prefer to support our students, you can contribute to these funds by going to our Donations Page and making a much appreciate gift to help the research, studies and travels of our students.