Monthly Archives: August 2016

University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Teaching Fellows Program

Posted on by
Reply
Dear St. Edward’s Students,

Interested in serving children and families? Interested in a cost-free Master of Ed. Degree? Interested in increasing your chance of acceptance to medical, business, or law school? In spiritual, academic, and professional growth? Lead the Change by becoming an ACE teacher through University of Notre Dame’s Teaching Fellow Program! Our program will be here on campus on Thursday (Sept. 1) and Friday (Sept. 2) of next week looking for outstanding St. Edward’s students.

In the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Teaching Fellows program, passionate college graduates serve children and families as teachers in under-resourced Catholic schools, grow as leaders while earning a cost-free Masters, and joyfully share their faith in the communities in which they live and work.

Erin Rosario, a graduate from the program, will be here on campus to speak with anyone interested! Erin was a Pre-Med and Psychology major who taught middle school math and science in Oklahoma City, where she grew spiritually and professionally while living in community with five other ACE teachers. A typical day in ACE involves teaching during the day, coaching or tutoring in the afternoon, cooking, eating and praying with your community over dinner, and completing your M.Ed coursework– all in the name of service to God and to our eternal role model, Christ the Teacher.

If you’re interested in transforming the lives of children by becoming a teacher, while being transformed yourself, please see when/where Erin will be when she’s on campus. Stop by to see her!

Thursday, Sept. 1
6p: ACE Info Session in conjunction w/ Campus Ministry & Career Services in the Community Room
8-9p: Coffee Hours in Jo’s @ Ragsdale
Friday, Sept. 2
12 – 4p: Available for meetings with students, faculty, and staff
4:30-6:30p: Coffee Hours in Jo’s @ Ragsdale
Thank you,
Erin

“A Moment of Zen?” Check out today’s sunset from our sky cameras!

Posted on by
Reply
Downtown Camera view of sunset, 24 August 2016.

Downtown Camera view of sunset, 24 August 2016.

Enjoy the sunset captured by our St. Edward’s University downtown and sky cameras!  Click on each image to watch the movies!

View the live shots:  downtown and all sky, or visit the archive of images and make your own movies.

View of 24 August 2016 sunset in Austin from the St. Edward's Skycam. North is to the lower left in the picture.

View of 24 August 2016 sunset in Austin from the St. Edward’s Skycam. North is to the lower left in the picture.

Third Weather Balloon Launched from St. Ed’s

Posted on by
Reply

The Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project (TOPP) team conducted its third successful balloon flight from campus on Wed., 24 August 2016.  The flight lifted off around 1:40 pm CDT from in front of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre.

Funding for this research comes from the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) with additional support from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Below is a plot of the ozone profile data.  You can see the ozone layer near 25 km altitude.  Also is a Google Map of the balloon flight trajectory.  Finders receive a $30 reward for returning instruments to us at St. Edward’s.  Contact us for details.

 

Ozone (blue) and temperature (red) profiles for weather balloon flight on Wed., 24 August 2016.

Ozone (blue) and temperature (red) profiles for weather balloon flight on Wed., 24 August 2016.

 

Google Earth image of flight path for AT003 -- a weather balloon launched from St. Edward's on Wed., 24 August 2016.

Google Earth image of flight path for AT003 — a weather balloon launched from St. Edward’s on Wed., 24 August 2016.

Google Offering Applied CS Program at SEU

Posted on by
Reply

NSCI welcomes Google to campus this Fall.  Google is offering its Applied CS with Android workshop series on 5 consecutive Sunday afternoons (October 23 – November 20) from 1 – 6 pm in JBWS 363.

Applied CS with Android is a program designed for Juniors and Seniors that enhances concepts from their current CS curricular work, with the support of professional engineers. The program revisits concepts from Data Structures and Algorithms and uses Android as a development platform for its combination of modernity and easy to use graphical interface—also, it’s just fun.

The experience employs a ‘flipped classroom,’ where students complete independent pre-work, such as reading and software set-up to prepare for the workshops. Workshops are in-person sessions where students work in small groups to build the Android activity or game for each unit with the help of facilitators. Workshops also contain optional extensions.

Requirements for students to register:

  • Java experience (specifically: language basics, inheritance, basics of generics)
  • Prior coursework in Data Structures and Algorithms (familiarity with hash tables, heaps, queues)
  • A laptop (helpful but not essential)
  • Commitment to attending all workshops
  • A gmail account

More details on how to register coming soon.  Contact Michael Lykaios for more information.

In addition, Google welcomes applications from interested students who wish to serve as “student facilitators” at these workshops.  Requirements for facilitators are:

  • Enrolled in full-time undergraduate/postgraduate study
  • Computer Science (or closely related) major
  • Successfully completed and passed classes university-level Data Structures and Algorithms courses (strong understanding of hash tables, heaps, queues)
  • Java experience (specifically: language basics, inheritance, basics of generics)
  • Ability to dedicate 30 hours to program prep and execution on campus
  • (Preferred) Experience mentoring, TA-ing or teaching programming or university CS coursework
  • (Preferred) Experience developing with Android Studio

Expectations of facilitators from Google.

  • Review all facilitator prep materials and and complete all trainings
  • Run one full Applied CS program on campus
  • Ability to attend and facilitate all five workshop sessions on campus
    • Time commitment: ~30-40 hours total over two months

To apply for a facilitator position, click here.

Questions?​ ​Email Sarah Henderson: ​hendo@google.com

Women Who Code Event Coming to SEU – Sept. 28

Posted on by
Reply

NSCI is pleased to welcome Women Who Code to campus.  They’re brining an Intro to HTML and CSS class to St. Edward’s University on Wednesday, 28 September from 6:30 – 9:00 pm in JBWS 363.  There are only 30 slots available at this workshop, which will be run by Cameron Buckingham from Galvenize.  Click here for more info and sign up today!

NSCI Strategic Planning Process Overview – Fall 2016

Posted on by
Reply

This Fall, the School of Natural Sciences will be engaging in a Strategic Planning Process.  Seven faculty members and the Dean will meet on those Friday afternoons without a Faculty Senate meeting or a NSCI General Faculty Meeting throughout the Fall Semester.  By December, this group will have a draft strategic plan to present to the NSCI faculty.

The process will be iterative and solicit feedback from NSCI faculty members throughout the semester, with regular updates on the NSCI Dean blog site (open only to NSCI faculty).  The completed Strategic Plan will be posted here by the end of the Spring semester.

The Strategic Planning Steering Committee consists of the following individuals:

  • Tricia Shepherd – Chair and Professor of Chemistry
  • Bill Quinn – Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences
  • David Naples – Professor of Mathematics and Physics
  • Edward Early – Associate Professor of Mathematics
  • Santiago Toledo – Assistant Professor of Chemistry
  • Terry Bilinski – Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
  • Genaro Lopez – Adjunct Professor of Science
  • Gary A. Morris – Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Physics

The committee will consult with interested faculty and host visitors to its Friday meetings given their expertise and as faculty express interest.

Justin Westcott (Westcott Coaching) led the NSCI Faculty at a May 2016 meeting to start the process, exploring the context of the St. Edward’s University School of Natural Sciences faculty.  He returned to St. Edward’s to continue to step 2 of the process with an organizational cultural assessment discussion on August 2016.

New Study Abroad Capstone Course Spring 2017

Posted on by
Reply

Juniors and Seniors if interested please email Dr. Toledo to be placed on a mailing list with course updates.

You can email Dr. Toledo at: stoledoc@stedwards.edu.
CAPSTONE Study Abroad Ecuador 2017 Flyer_Page_1

Videos of Weather Balloon Filling and Release from 30 July 2016

Posted on by
Reply

 

MSEM Graduate student Chris Cormier set up a GoPro camera to record the filling and release of a weather balloon as part of the Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project.  Set up in front of Main Building, it was a picturesque day for the first TOPP launch from St. Edward’s University.

Until I get that uploaded, here is my Vine video of the second launch on Thursday, 4 August!

You can find the data on the Munday Library Institutional Repository Website.  Stay tuned to this blog for more information on the project.

Coming soon!

Welcome Our New NSCI Full-Time Faculty Members

Posted on by
1

I’m excited to welcome our new, full-time colleagues to NSCI:

  • Kaitlyn Phillipson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
  • Raychelle Burks, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
  • Thomas Moe, Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science
  • Mitch Phillipson, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
  • Erika Schwarz, Visiting Assistnat Professor of Biological Sciences
  • Casey Parish-Fisher, Assistant Professor of Forensic Science

Be sure to say, “Hello!” and offer your welcome and greetings to our new, full-time colleagues this year.

Kaitlyn comes to us from Texas A&M, where she just earned her Ph.D. this past Spring.  Her husband Mitch got his Ph.D. from A&M in May 2015 and spent the last year teaching at SUNY Oswego.  They both join our Dept. of Mathematics.

Raychelle (a.k.a., Dr. Rubidium or @DrRubidium on Twitter) joins our Dept. of Chemistry from Doane College, where she taught the last 3 years after two years of teaching at Seattle University and a summer semester at Seattle Central Community College.  Her Ph.D. is from U. Nebraska, Lincoln.

Thomas just retired after 23 years working with the Texas Legislature, most recently as a manger of infrastructure and operations in I.T.  His MS degree is from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. He’s joining our Dept. of Computer Sciences.

Erika arrives at St. Ed’s after adjuncting for 3 years at ACC (where she taught) Biotechnology and Biology) while she was completing her Ph.D. at the University of Texas, earning her degree this past May. She will be on the faculty in the Dept. of Biological Sciences this academic year.

Finally, we’re happy to formally welcome Casie Parish-Fisher as a member of the NSCI faculty!  Casie has led the Forensic Science program at St. Edward’s in the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences since 2008.  She had her Ph.D. conferred this past year from the University of Central Lancashire and moved her program to NSCI (under the Dept. of Chemistry) this past summer.

Welcome to all!

Austin Area STEM Teachers Attend Second Weather Balloon Launch

Posted on by
1
Weather balloon inflated with helium in front of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St. Edward's University prior to its release around 1:30 pm CDT on Thurs., 4 Aug. 2016.

Weather balloon inflated with helium in front of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St. Edward’s University prior to its release around 1:30 pm CDT on Thurs., 4 Aug. 2016.

A dozen Austin area STEM middle and high schools teachers participated in the second weather balloon launch from St. Edward’s University on Thursday, 4 August.

The teachers were attending a workshop entitled, “Air Quality in Austin,” as part of the larger Austin Area STEM Teachers Conference, hosted at St. Edward’s University 2 – 5 August.

The air quality workshop is sponsored by a grant from 3M, while the data are provided courtesy the Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project (TOPP), which has been funded by TCEQ, NASA, Fulbright, and the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University.  Our current project at St. Edward’s University is funded by the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG).

Dr. Steven Fletcher (Assoc. Prof. of Education), Dr. Bill Quinn (Prof. of Biological Sciences), Dr. Paul Walter (Visiting Asst. Prof. of Physics), Ms. Ashley Moreno (undergraduate student), and Dr. Gary A. Morris (Dean of Natural Sciences and Prof. of Physics) led the workshop at St. Edward’s University.

Launch team finishing tying off the balloon and attaching the payload immediately before launch.

Launch team finishing tying off the balloon and attaching the payload immediately before launch.

As part of the workshop, attendees participated in a weather balloon launch around 1:30 pm in front of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St. Edward’s.  Another glorious day made for good viewing as the balloon ascended on its journey through the ozone layer to an altitude of 28 km before bursting and descending back to Earth, landing somewhere near Northeast of Johnson City, Texas around 3:30 pm.

You can eventually find all of our project data on the St. Edward’s University Institutional Repository.  A few plots from today’s flight are below.

Ozone (blue), temperature (red), and potential temperature (orange) data from the weather balloon flight of 4 August 2016.

Ozone (blue), temperature (red), and potential temperature (orange) data from the weather balloon flight of 4 August 2016.

 

Google Earth images of the flight path for the Thurs., Aug. 4 weather balloon from St. Edward's Univ. Green are the ascending data and red are the descending data.

Google Earth images of the flight path for the Thurs., Aug. 4 weather balloon from St. Edward’s Univ. Green are the ascending data and red are the descending data.