Natural Sciences

David Hutchins, George and Louise Kawamoto Chair in Biological Sciences and professor of biological sciences, has received the John H. Martin Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). The yearly award recognizes one paper that has contributed to shifts in research focus and interpretations of previous observations. Hutchins’ paper, “Iron-limited diatom growth and Si:N uptake ratios in a coastal upwelling regime,” co-authored with Kenneth Bruland of the University of California, Santa Cruz, highlights how iron availability shapes marine coastal plankton communities. The paper will be recognized at the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting in June.

Derrick Morton, assistant professor of biological sciences, has received a 2023 Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The fellowship recognizes Morton as one of the most promising scientific researchers in the U.S. and Canada, and provides $75,000 in research support over two years.

Susan Forsburg, Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Forsburg was chosen for her scientific accolades in researching how chromosome duplication and maintenance contribute to genome stability. She will be recognized at the society’s annual meeting in Seattle later this month.

Emily Liman, professor of biological sciences, has been awarded the 2023 Kenneth S. Cole Award for her many notable scientific contributions, including the discovery of an entirely new class of ion channels that conduct hydrogen ions and are present in sour taste receptors. Presented by the Biophysical Society, the award recognizes her research achievements in the field of membrane biophysics and for her continued contributions to the biophysics community.

Vera Gluscevic, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been named a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Gluscevic was chosen for her research in “Discovering Dark Matter with Cosmology” and will receive $100,000 for future research and science education.

Megan Fieser, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry, has been named a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Fieser was chosen for her research in “Controlling the Product Selectivity for the Catalytic Dechlorination of Poly (Vinyl Chloride)” and will receive $100,000 for future research and science education.

On April 2, the Joint Educational Project (JEP) STEM Education Programs hosted a teacher professional development opportunity focused on neurobiology. This workshop was in partnership with neurobiologist Sarah Bottjer, professor of biological sciences and psychology, whose research focuses on brain-behavior relationships in songbirds. The workshop was supported by a National Science Foundation grant titled “The Role of Cortico-Basal Ganglia Circuits in Skill Learning During Development.”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded $1 million in support of a collaborative program between Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier, Calif., and USC. The program aims to help community college students at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) transition to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degree programs at baccalaureate-granting institutions.

With the reconciliation package stalled in Washington, D.C., progressive champions have lamented their failure to capture the public imagination and secure support for a social safety net that fits our 21st-century economy. This is not a new issue. Progressives have often faced difficulties articulating their agenda, frequently getting caught in a game of telephone in which their plans for full inclusion get garbled into pleas for “special interests” and a laundry list of specific policies.