CURE-STEM Faculty Participants

Dr. T. David Bass, Professor of Biology

I am a Biology Professor and the Curator of Invertebrates at UCO where I teach eight different courses in the fields of ecology and invertebrate zoology. I have also taught courses and conducted research for the University of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado, the University of the West Indies, and the Bellaire Marine Research Lab. In addition, I served as a Fulbright Professor and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies in Barbados during the 1995-96 academic year. My ongoing research efforts focus on the ecology and biogeography of aquatic invertebrates 1) in Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado, and 2) on small islands in the Caribbean region. These have resulted in numerous publications and presentations at scientific meetings. Interested students with an appropriate background in invertebrate zoology and aquatic ecology have been involved in some of these studies, and have sometimes been co-authors in subsequent publications and presentations.
http://www.biology.uco.edu/PersonalPages/Bassweb/Bass%20home.html

Dr. John Bowen, Associate Professor of Chemistry

My background is in instrument and method development and analytical analyses. I was president of a small start-up company engaged in building biosensors. Biosensor Project:  The first is the research and development of an inexpensive biosensor that is capable of detecting and identifying antibodies in blood plasma caused by a disease, such as a virus, in a time frame of minutes. This project is based on my earlier work where a biosensor was developed for the detection of high explosives in air. The final goal of this research is to produce a method of absolutely identifying an infection at an early stage from a blood sample by identifying antibodies for that disease in the blood (plasma). The method will have to be simple, rugged, and highly portable for field use. We are able to compare our results with a high-resolution instrument now stationed at Oklahoma State University. Studies available for students:  Future work will concentrate on developing an alternative method of interrogating the biosensor surface, the quartz microbalance. This is an electronic device that can be made by a student, and its sensing surface can be adapted to a biosensor surface using our earlier methods. The second research project involves the adaptation of Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) for the analysis of drugs, and other low concentration pollutants in Oklahoma surface waters. Recently, drugs of abuse, as well as antibiotics and teratogenic compounds such as BPA that are used as plasticizers in commonly used plastic bottles have been found in streams and even drinking water. The effects of antibiotics in rivers and streams are especially of concern as they promote resistance to antibiotics in pathogenic bacteria. Apparently, as of 2009, one has yet investigated these types of compounds in Oklahoma waters as far as our students have found from the literature. Presently, we are developing the background calibration in order to identify and quantify various drugs of abuse in surface waters, in conjunction with OSBI scientists. In a separate study, we will likewise investigate plasticizers in surface waters. Later we will look into adapting our HPLC to detect and quantify antibiotics in surface waters collected by SPME analysis.
http://cms.uco.edu/chemistry/Bowen/bowenindex.htm

Dr. Daniel Endres, Professor of Mathematics & Statistics

I received my Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico in 1992. An applied mathematician with a broad background in pure mathematics, I have published articles in leading mathematics and scientific journals treating topics from relativistic electrodynamics to virology and most recently, the dynamics of hyper-mutable DNA. My undergraduate and master's level research students have actively participated in my groundbreaking work mathematically modeling virus assembly. Currently my undergraduate research assistant is working on a new genetic optimization algorithm to be applied in meso-scale computations modeling DNA mutation dynamics occurring in several human neurological diseases. Research assistants learn and use the Maple and Matlab programming environments to develop and use state-of-the-art algorithms for mathematically modeling complex biological processes in collaboration with internationally recognized medical researchers.

http://www.math.uco.edu/endres/index.htm

Dr. J. Michael Ferguson, Professor of Chemistry

I arrived at UCO in 1995, where I have supervised about 15 students engaged in undergraduate research. In addition to research activities, I involve students in a variety of public outreach activities that promote chemistry such as chemical demonstrations and shows for area school children. My primary area of research is the study of novel derivatives of ferrocene, an organometallic compound that has unusual chemical properties. I am currently investigating the preparatin and reactivity of ketenes containing the ferrocenyl group. In addition, I am interested in developing new and creative experiments for the organic chemistry teaching laboratory.

Dr. Joe Grzybowski, Professor of Funeral Service

I am broadly trained in Biology (M.S.) and Zoology (Ph.D.), teach Human Anatomy and Pathology, and have maintained research interests in a variety of topics, mostly involving population biology, and birds. Since coming to UCO, I have maintained active research on topics including population dynamics and management of endangered species (focusing largely on the Black-capped Vireo, an endangered species occurring in Oklahoma and Texas), brood-parasite/host interactions in birds, analytical modeling of seasonal fecundity in birds, population modeling of cowbirds/host community interactions, distribution and phenology of birds in Oklahoma, and impacts of wind-energy development on birds and bats. I have maintained continuous funding, and published and presented at regional, national, and international meetings in all these areas (except the latter - still in report stages). I provide service and support for research activities where I can: helping students and colleagues in research design issues and analytical modeling of seasonal fecundity, among other topics, am a Regional Editor--Southern Great Plains for North American Birds, Associate Editor (Birds) for The Southwestern Naturalist, have supported odonate distribution databases, rodent and bat research in Colima Mexico, and review papers for a broad spectrum of professional science journals. I have also supported research projects and investigations in my Human Anatomy lab enhancing students' professional exposure and experience. I am a member of the Oklahoma State Anatomical Board, supporting the distribution of cadavers for education and research. In general, I enjoy problem-solving and research/design analytical issues; also, less formally, in birding, herping, and hunting odonates.

http://www.uco.edu/funeral/joe/joegryz2.htm

Dr. Yuhao Jiang, Assistant Professor of Engineering & Physics

I received my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. My research is in the broad area of medical image processing. One research project on which I have been working is x-ray fluoroscopy system optimization. Quantitative image technique is used to reduce x-ray dosage to the patients while maintaining acceptable image quality. I am also focusing on another project, applying image quality techniques to evaluating and optimizing the trans-rectal ultrasound-coupled optical tomography for a better detection of prostate cancer. I have worked with and supervised some undergraduate research assistants.

http://www.physics.uco.edu/~yjiang/

Dr. Angela Knight, Assistant Professor of Funeral Science

I began my academic career in 2000 teaching law and Psychology at different institutions as an adjunct and began teaching at the University of Central Oklahoma in 2005. I obtained my BA in Psychology from UCO in 1995. I received my JD at Oklahoma City University in 2000. I returned to UCO to teach in the Funeral Service Department as an assistant professor. I have taught Psychology of Grief since 2006 and Success Central since 2005. My primary focus has been teaching the Psychology of Grief. I have co-authored different articles and posters centered on the use of the transformational learning process. I am currently working with a research assistant on transformational pedagogy. My research is looking at the positive transformational effects of using social networking sites for the teaching of Psychology of Grief.

http://broncho2.uco.edu/funeral/ken/kencurl.htm  

Dr. David Martin, Professor of Engineering & Physics

Spinning fluids - the project is to deduce the rate of convective heat transfer based on the flow behavior of the fluid (water usually with food coloring) in a cylindrical vessel rotating on its side about its principal axis of symmetry. The first step is to qualitatively describe the flow or fluid behavior in terms of cylinder size, how full the cylinder is and how fast the cylinder is rotating. Ordinarily a person would do this by deducing the velocity field of the fluid in the cylinder either theoretically or experimentally. As it turns out this is not all that easy to do. An alternative although not all together satisfying way of classifying the flow is with photography and video. We have done some of this by photographing and taking videos of the fluid on the interior of a clear acrylic cylinder. Much of the work still remains for a number of other cylinder configurations. The second step of the problem is to devise a way to measure the rate of convective heat transfer from the interior of the cylinder. Acrylic, more of an insulator than a conductor, is unsatisfactory for this portion of the project and will probably be replaced with a thin-walled aluminum vessel. However, this part of the project is still in the planning stages.

http://www.physics.uco.edu/~dmartin/

Dr. M. Scott McClendon, Associate Professor of Mathematics & Statistics

My field of research includes geometry, trilinability, and topology. I have original papers published in various research journals covering many topics, most of which are accessible to undergraduates. My current research focuses upon college algebra and geometry.

http://www.math.uco.edu/mcclendon/index.htm

Dr. Thomas Milligan, Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics

I earned my baccalaureate and master's degrees from Brigham Young University and my Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Before coming to UCO I taught for three years at universities in Idaho and Utah. My research interest lies in the area of matrix theory. I have looked at problems involving the set of Euclidean squared distance (ESD) matrices, ray-nonsingular matrices and matrix representations of finite reflection groups. I am particularly focused on the geometry of the ESD matrix cone. I am currently working with a student on a problem in the field of cominatorial matrix theory, the overlap of matrix theory and graph theory. The general framework of the problem is an inverse eigenvalue problem. In particular, we are investigating the change in the minimum rank (or maximum co-rank) of a graph with an edge deletion. As the investigation of minimum rank is a new area of research, there are numerous problems that can be investigated in this area.  The methods tend to be most graph theoretic and easily accessible to students.

http://www.math.uco.edu/milligan/index.htm

Dr. Cynthia Murray, Professor of Mathematics & Statistics

I earned baccalaureate degrees n mathematics and medical technology from UCO and masters and doctoral degrees in biostatistics from OU. My interests are in the field of medical research. I have co-authored 29 journal articles, most recently, "Volume, Quality of Care, and Outcomes in Pneumonia," published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. I have worked with several graduate students from the UCO Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies in conjunction with their theses. In addition, I have worked with an undergraduate student in developing a new statistics course for biology majors that utilizes SPSS to analyze datasets.

http://www.math.uco.edu/murray/index.htm

Dr. Dana Rundle, Associate Professor of Chemistry

I received my Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the OU Health Science Center. My thesis work centered on cloning a family of enzymes to perform enzyme kinetic studies on enzyme substrate preferences. My post-graduate work was on protein interactions related to polycystic kidney disease. My current research interest is in collaboration with a research lab at OUHSC to evaluate the effects on intracellular signaling pathways in response to treatment with compounds having potential cancer therapeutic value. I have a variety of interests in intracellular mechanisms related to protein-protein interactions, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and cell division. Interested students should contact me at drundle@uco.edu.

Dr. Paul Stone, Professor of Biology

I have been a professor in the Department of Biology at UCO since 1995. I received a Ph.D. from the Biology Department at the University of New Mexico: my dissertation was entitled "Sexual selection in Galapagos lava lizards (Tropidurus)". My research interests include the ecology and evolution of turtles and lizards. Most studies in my laboratory involve large mark-recapture data sets analyzed using modern computing programs such as Program MARK and arc GIS. I currently manage three field studies: a long-term mark-recapture study started in 1994 involving Sonoran mud turtles (Kinosternon sonoriense) in southwestern New Mexico; a long-term mark-recaptrue study started in 1996 involving five species of freshwater turtles in 14 contiguous ponds in central Oklahoma; and a study of the invasive ecology of Mediterranean geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) on the UCO campus, initiated in 2004. All of these projects involve extensive collaboration with students, and all of my recent publications involve student co-authors.

http://biology.uco.edu/biopage/paulstone.htm  

Dr. Hong Sung, Associate Professor of Computer Science

Dr. Sung received his Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Arizona in 1994. His current research interests include adaptive web programming using Java technologies such as Servlets, Java Server Pages, and Java Server Faces.  He also has broad interests in computer game development and computer architecture.

http://cs3.uco.edu/

Dr. Thomas Jourdan, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Assistant Director of the Forensic Science Institute (FSI)

At the end of 2006, I retired from my position as a Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI to assume two positions at the University of Central Oklahoma, those positions being as the Assistant Director of the Forensic Science Institute (FSI) and as an Associate Professor of Chemistry.  Over the course of my career in the FBI, in addition to being a field agent and later an FBI Laboratory forensic examiner in the areas of chemistry and toxicology, I participated in a number of bombing investigations, to include Pan Am 103, the World Trade Center, Atlanta's Olympic Park, UNABOM, Oklahoma City, and the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi U.S. Embassies, organizing the Bureau's response to the latter two events and the Unit Chief of the Explosives Unit.  For my last assignment in the FBI, I was stationed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 6 years and served as the interface between the FBI and the Department of Energy's national laboratory complex, in particular for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) issues, nuclear forensics, forensic casework matters, and special projects.
My primary responsibility at the FSI is the extra-territorial program, which is coordinated with the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  Since coming to UCO, I have participated in IAEA training courses in Pakistan, Brazil, China, India (3), Singapore (3), South Africa (2), South Korea, Argentina, Canada (2) Poland, Ukraine, Australia, and Malaysia.  I regularly instruct courses in the Chemistry Department in the areas of nuclear, as well as organic, chemistry, and at the FSI in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Forensics and Forensic Chemistry.  My areas of research interest are forensic chemistry (in particular explosives, tire-skid analysis, condom signatures, and cigarette-ash examination), nuclear forensics, as well as the processing of radiological crime scenes.
http://www.uco.edu/forensics/