NMAS ENDS 2020 WITH A VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING &
AWARDS TO TEACHERS and AN OUTSTANDING SCIENTIST
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IN THIS ISSUE
Outstanding Scientist Award
Annual Meeting Summary
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Better Korber
Outstanding Teachers Awards
Student Programs from NMAS
Election Results
NMAS Board of Directors 2021
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Outstanding Scientist Award 2020
Beginning in 1962, the NMAS has presented awards intermittently to outstanding New Mexicans for “Outstanding Contributions and Distinguished Service to Science and Scientific Education in New Mexico”. Awardees in the past have included Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II, Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps Aero-Medical Laboratory and founder of Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, Clyde Tombaugh, NMSU, the discoverer of Pluto, and Norris Bradbury, Los Alamos, for whom the Bradbury Museum is named. NMAS gave the Outstanding Science Award, in 2020, to Dr. Angela Wandinger-Ness, UNM.
Angela Wandinger-Ness, Ph.D.
Dr. Wandinger-Ness received her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles and completed post-doctoral training at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. Her first faculty appointment was at Northwestern University. Since 1998, Dr. Wandinger-Ness has been on faculty in the Department of Pathology at the UNMHSC and a member of the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Currently, Wandinger-Ness is The Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface Endowed Professor in Cancer Cell Biology and Clinical Translation. She serves as Associate Director for Education, Training and Mentoring at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the PI of multiple training programs, and an internationally-recognized expert on Ras-related GTPases.
Passionate about science and education, Dr. Wandinger-Ness is motivated by sleuthing disease mechanisms and translating discoveries into better or new therapies. For nearly 30 years she has led a vibrant research team that includes students and fellows studying kidney disease and ovarian cancer. In the area of kidney disease she has elucidated the mechanisms underlying autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, relationships to oral-cranio-facial disease, and developing strategies for kidney regeneration through the use of stem cells and decellularized scaffolds. In the cancer arena, Wandinger-Ness and her team have identified new uses for known drugs and evaluated the benefits for ovarian cancer in patient trials.
Wandinger-Ness has authored over 90 peer-reviewed articles and reviews; and has eight awarded patents. Dr. Wandinger-Ness is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, served as a Visiting Professor at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Dortmund, Germany, and a Research Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Program.
Through formal teaching and mentoring she has launched the careers of hundreds of undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral trainees, and junior faculty. She is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in research, innovation and education. Most recently she was recognized as the 2019 Innovation Fellow by UNM.STC/Lobo Rainforest Innovations, the 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Mentor, and the US Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. She attributes her success to her abilities to communicate, engage with diverse people, and secure funding, and to an entrepreneurial spirit.
Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD, served as an active board member and leader of the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS) from 2004-2012. During her tenure she supported statewide NMAS activities for secondary school students and teachers; coordinated fund-raising for the annual meeting, banquet, and a promotional brochure.
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Annual Meeting Summary
What do you get when you combine topical COVID talks, ovarian cancer research, nearly 30 virtual posters in four categories, and over 250 attendees via Zoom? The 2020 New Mexico Research Symposium, hosted in collaboration with the New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS)!
This year’s Research Symposium was held virtually November 9 to 13, 2020. The program was topical and hosted a variety of speakers, posters, and awardees honoring science, STEM, and research contributions in New Mexico.
The Symposium commenced with Dr. Bette Korber’s rousing and informative opening keynote address, “Our Immune System, Vaccines, and Vaccine Strategies for AIDS and COVID-19.” Her contemporary talk provided keen insights and explanations for how vaccines are made, tested, and distributed with specific attention to COVID-19. Dr. Korber is a Laboratory Fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group where her work focuses on viral evolution, the human immune response to infection, and vaccine design.
On Tuesday, the virtual poster session opened with nearly 30 posters in four categories from all corners of the state including Central New Mexico Community College, Eastern New Mexico University, University of New Mexico, Navajo Technical University, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, and University of the South West. Needless to say, the competition was stiff.
Two NM high schools were well-represented at the NMAS Annual Meeting: JT Goodart (Grants HS), presenting “Making the Most of the Sun,” and Vladislav Sevostianov (Las Cruces HS), presenting “Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Water: Solar Heat Driven Desalinating System for Providing Clean and Safe Water for Rural Areas.” |
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Keynote Speaker, Dr. Bette Korber
Los Alamos Lab Fellow Dr. Bette Korber delivered a talk “Our Immune System, Vaccines, and Vaccine Strategies for AIDS and COVID-19” on November 9, 2020 on Zoom as the Keynote Speech for the New Mexico Academy of Science/EPSCoR Annual Symposium. Dr. Korber answered audience’s questions afterwards.
Dr. Bette Korber, Ph.D., is a Laboratory Fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group. She leads an interdisciplinary team that provides bioinformatics, theoretical, and statistical support in collaborative efforts with experimental researchers, focusing on the areas of HIV-1 viral diversity, the human immune response to infection, and vaccine design. She has also worked on Filoviruses, hepatitis C, and influenza viral evolution and vaccine designs, and, like so many, has recently begun to work on Coronavirus. Some of her vaccine design concepts have shown promise in animal studies, and her mosaic HIV vaccine concept is currently being evaluated in a human clinical trial, Imbokodo. Some of her awards and honors include: E.O. Lawrence Award, Department of Energy’s highest scientific honor (2004); Secretary of the Dept. of Energy Award for her work on the Ebola Task Force (2017); Richard P. Feynman Innovation Prize (2018); R&D 100 Scientist of the Year (2018); Battelle’s Inventor of the Year (2019).
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NMAS Outstanding Teacher Award
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The New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS) presented two Outstanding Teacher Awards during the Annual Meeting / 2020 Research Symposium. These awards honor New Mexico science and math educators, and have been given since 1968. The Academy recognizes teachers who provide opportunities for students to succeed. Nominations are open to all science and math teachers in New Mexico. Each year the Academy honors two outstanding classroom or informal science teachers nominated from throughout New Mexico. The teachers are honored with awards at the NMAS Annual Meeting and also receive an award from our collaborative partner, the American Chemical Society. In 2020, the Outstanding New Mexico Science Teachers are: Eva Abeyta and Lena Eddings.
LENA EDDINGS
Ms. Eddings holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University South Carolina and a Secondary Education License through the University of New Mexico. Prior to beginning her teaching career in Albuquerque, Ms. Eddings worked as a Civil Engineer in Lubbock, Texas; and Sumpter, South Carolina; and as a consultant for environmental clean-up at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM.
Currently Ms. Eddings is a Physics Instructor, and Science Department Chairperson at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, NM. Ms. Eddings states her classroom objectives --- To promote a challenging and thought-provoking learning environment giving students the problem-solving skills that will inspire them to be inquisitive and push outside of their comfort zone to further their knowledge and life experiences.
At La Cueva High School Ms. Eddings has served on the school-wide Instructional Council, and the district-wide team to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards. She has been recognized as an influential staff member and one who has made a difference in academic achievement by graduating seniors annually since 2014.
In the words of her nominator:
(Ms. Eddings) has a unique teaching style: making her class not only informative but also proving that humor can help students learn better. Mrs. Eddings provides one-on-one support and meets students where they are in terms of their style of learning. She explains everything thoroughly in many different ways (lectures, lab demos, videos and modern multi-media shows). She is very genuine in the way she interacts with kids. She is very understanding; and even though she holds to a high standard of classroom etiquette, she is very supportive when a student needs support. Mrs. Eddings is open to allowing students to discuss topics beyond the planned lesson, especially as they pertain to real-world applications. Her engineering background provides her with an invaluable perspective into how to teach the students to be problem-solvers well beyond the Physics. Mrs. Eddings treats students with a high level of respect; and she is genuinely interested in their opinions. …..This year’s COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant restriction from in-person teaching has created extraordinary challenges for teachers, especially science teachers who cannot have students in their laboratories. In this very challenging situation, I have observed the tremendous extra efforts that Mrs. Eddings took to ensure optimal learning experience for her students.
Eva Abeyta
Ms. Abeyta is in her 25th year teaching with 13 of those in Los Alamos. Mrs. Abeyta has taught 15 years of Middle School, 5 years of Elementary, and 5 years of High School. She has taught varied subjects including: Physical Science, Life Science, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy & Physiology and all subjects including Spanish at the Elementary level. In this COVID environment she is teaching middle school science classes totally on-line.
Her first nominator, a colleague at her former school, Los Alamos Middle School, stated:
I have worked with Eva Abeyta for the last 15+ years. She has held the science department chair of our department for many of those years. I have come to appreciate being a colleague with Eva. She is always level headed and sees the big picture of where science education is going. She is willing to try new curricula and adapt what she teaches to what her students need. After 15 years of working with Eva I have nothing but praise for her professionalism and science teaching capabilities.
A second nominator, from her current school, Los Alamos Online Learning Academy, added these comments:
Ms. Abeyta teaches 6th,7th, and 8th grade science this year totally online. Because of the new grade level, she is dealing with, and the totally online teaching, she had a steep learning curve. However, she has shown a great deal of ingenuity in teaching science effectively on line. She readily takes on a new challenge and embraces it. She is responsible and dependable and is responsive to her students’ parents. She ably heads up the district science fair. I know that in her previous school, as department chair, she also helped other teachers make the transition to the Next Generation Science Standards. In short, although she is an extremely experienced science teacher, she has never stopped learning herself and is not afraid of using new techniques to address new challenges.
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NMAS Programs in 2021 for Students Grades 6-12
Youth Science Camp 2021 Program
Do you know a high school senior who has demonstrated accomplishments in STEM? The New Mexico Academy of Science is inviting qualified seniors to apply to the National Youth Science Camp. Two students will be selected to represent New Mexico at this summer’s Virtual Camp. The NMAS Coordinator for NYSC is Ms. Margaret Showalter, mcshowa@comcast.net. All details are available at the national website: www.nyscamp.org Application deadline is February 28, 2021.
Junior Academy of Science Research Paper Competition (Grades 6-12)
NMAS sponsors a written Science Research Paper Competition with oral PowerPoint presentations for all students from public, private or those home-schooled in grades 6-12. Albuquerque Region accepts group projects with 3 or less students. Students must complete research, but Science Fair participation is NOT required. The virtual competition is March 4-5, 2021. The NMAS Director for JAS is Ms. Lynn Brandvold, Lynn.Brandvold@nmt.edu. Check the website www.nmas.org for complete details. Application deadline is February 16, 2021.
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Election Results December 2020 for 2021
Thanks to all who voted in the November election for NMAS Board members. Congratulations to these elected members of the board:
- Dr. Babu Chalamala Vice-President, 2 year term
- Mrs. Malva Knoll Secretary, 2 year term
- Dr. Shanalyn Kemme Director at Large, 2 year term
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| New Mexico Academy of Science Board Members 2021 |
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President
Gretchen Gurtler, MPA
Director of Museums, Ghost Ranch, NM
President Elect
Dr. Hartono (Anton) Sumali
Manager, Sandia National Laboratories
Vice President
Dr. Babu Chalamala
Manager, Sandia National Laboratories
Past President
Dr. Zhiming Liu
Professor, Eastern NM University
Secretary
Mrs. Malva Knoll
Science Educator (retired)
Treasurer
Dr. Debra N Thrall
Executive Director, AIbert I. Pierce Foundation
Director-at-Large
Dr. Shanalyn Kemme
Manager, Sandia National Laboratories
Director-at-Large; Director, New Mexico National Youth Science Camp
Mrs. Margaret Showalter
Science Teacher/ Makerspace Director
La Academia de Esperanza Charter School
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Director, Junior Academy of Science, SWARM, AAAS, NAAS Delegate
Mrs. Lynn Brandvold
NM Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, Chemist Emeritus, NM Tech
Editor, NM Academy Journal of Science
Dr. Hartono (Anton) Sumali
Manager, Sandia National Laboratories
Liaison, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science; Director, NMAS Education Awards
Mrs. Jayne Aubele
Science Educator/Geologist
NM Museum of Natural History & Science
Director Emeritus
David Duggan
Sandia National Laboratories
Director Emeritus
Dr. David Hsi
Professor, NMSU (Emeritus)
Director Emeritus
Mr. Harry Pomeroy
Clovis Community College (Geology)
Director Emeritus
Dr. Maureen Romine
New Mexico Highlands University Biology and Chemistry Dept. |
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