Events

Judging for Ohio Academy of Science State Science Day

Our Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi is looking for judges to evaluate projects at Ohio Academy of Science State Science Day. This will be at 7:30 am to approximately 12 pm on May 12, 2018 at the French Field House (460 Woody Hayes Dr. Columbus, OH 43210) at The Ohio State University. Each year, thousands of students from all over Ohio complete independent research projects. These students present their research at the local and the District level, and the highest-rated projects go on to compete at State Science Day. This event is the high-point of student-based scientific-research, and in 2018 it will be entering its 70th year. More information can be found at www.ohiosci.org/ssd.

Our Sigma Xi chapter sponsors three special awards, the Interdisciplinary Research Award and the Science of Evolution Award and the American Physiological Society Award. If you can assist with the judging projects at State Science Day please contact Bailey Dye (Bailey.Dye@nationwidechildrens.org) for additional details.

Sud’s and Science Tour at Byrd Polar

Suds and Science events are where a host research group of Sigma Xi members present their research and guide a tour of their facilities. The tour group and host laboratory then adjourn to a campus pub for further discussions. These events provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about key research groups on campus and establish interdisciplinary collaborations.

The next Suds and Science will be at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) at The Ohio State University. It is recognized internationally as a leader in polar, alpine, and climate research. Research programs are conducted throughout the world. The Center is named in honor of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, America’s most famous polar explorer. There are ten research groups at BPCRC, along with a Library, Archival Program, the Polar Rock Repository, and a team of support staff. Research at the Center focuses on the role of cold regions in the Earth’s overall climate system, and encompasses geological sciences, geochemistry, glaciology, paleoclimatology, meteorology, remote sensing, ocean dynamics, and the history of polar exploration.

This event will be on May 10 (4:00 PM – 7:00 PM) in the (Byrd Polar & Climate Research Center, 1090 Carmack Rd, Columbus, OH 43210). Following this session, the tour group will then adjourn to a location TBA for further discussion. Please click the links below for more information on parking and a flyer for the event. Please feel free to distribute this flyer.

This event is free but space is limited so please RSVP by email to Bailey Dye (bailey.dye@nationwidechildrens.org) by April 26th. Please contact her with any additional questions you might have.

Flyer: Parking and Directions to Byrd Polar Center

Flyer: Suds n Science flyer Byrd Polar Center

 

 

May 10th Suds n’ Science at Byrd Polar

The next Sigma Xi Suds n’ Science tour will take place on May 10th at 4 pm at The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC). This facility at The Ohio State University is recognized internationally as a leader in polar, alpine, and climate research. Research programs are conducted throughout the world. The Center is named in honor of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, America’s most famous polar explorer. There are ten research groups at BPCRC, along with a Library, Archival Program, the Polar Rock Repository, and a team of support staff. Research at the Center focuses on the role of cold regions in the Earth’s overall climate system and encompasses geological sciences, geochemistry, glaciology, paleoclimatology, meteorology, remote sensing, ocean dynamics, and the history of polar exploration. If you would like to join us for this special tour, please RSVP (preferably by April 19th) by emailing Bailey Dye (bailey.dye@nationwidechildrens.org). Click here to locate Byrd Polar.

Photos from April 4th Science Cafe Seminars

On April 4th, The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi and Ohio State University Libraries hosted two seminar speakers at our monthly “Science Cafe” on the 3rd Floor of the 18th Avenue Library in the Research Commons.

Our first speaker was Dr. Emily De Los Reyes from Nationwide Children’s Hospital & OSU College of Medicine. Her talk was titled: “Neurological Disease, Alternatives to Care”. Our second speaker was Dr. Kerry Dhakal from OSU Health Sciences Library. Her talk was titled: “Exposing Fake News about Cannabinoids”.

If you are interested in speaking at future Science Cafe Seminars and have a topic in mind, please contact email scicafe@osu.edu

Dr. Emily De Los Reyes presents at Science Cafe (04.04.18)

Dr. Kerry Dhakal presents at Science Cafe (04.04.18)

 

Winners of the 2018 Sigma Xi Research Symposium Poster Competition

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2018 Sigma Xi Annual Banquet and Research Symposium Poster Competition!

  • Emily Nordquist (Graduate Student) presented on Mechanisms of Heart Valve Regeneration. Authors: Emily Nordquist, Stephanie LaHaye and Joy Lincoln.
  • Rebecca Mayus (Graduate Student) presented on Age-Associated Changes in Subadult Cross-Sectional Geometry of Ribs: A Comparison Between Modern and Medieval Polish Samples. Authors: Rebecca Mayus and Amanda Agnew
  • Alana Reese (Undergraduate Student) presented on Effects of MIF on the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy in retinal pigment epithelial and Müller glia cell cultures. Authors: Alana Reese, Sumaya Hamadmad, Tyler Heisler-Taylor and Dr. Colleen Cebulla.

 

Poster Winners of 2018 SX Research Symposium. Left to right: Alana Reese, Emily Nordquist, Rebecca Mayus and Chapter President Dr. Noah Weisleder.

Sigma Xi Annual Banquet

The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi Annual Banquet and Research Symposium was a great success this year. Our Keynote speakers were Dr. Lonnie Thompson & Dr. Ellen Mosley-Thompson who presented an excellent lecture on “Past and Contemporary Climate Change: Evidence from Earth’s Cryosphere”. It was a wonderful lecture and we were pleased to be able to present both of our keynote speakers with an acknowledgment from national Sigma Xi of “Ellen and Lonnie Thompson Day” at Ohio State.

We also had poster presentations from winners of national and local Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research Awards as well as winners from the Hayes Graduate and Denman Undergraduate Research Forums on campus. From this all-star lineup, there was the difficult task of selecting the best poster presentations, which went to Rebecca Mayus, Emily Nordquist, and Alana Reese. Congratulations to all of the poster presenters, it was a fascinating research symposium.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the executive board and the volunteers who were essential to organizing the banquet and all of our activities this year. If you are interested in working more on some of the exciting programs we highlighted during the banquet (more details are at u.osu.edu/sigmaxiohiostate/) please let me know by email (noah.weisleder@osumc.edu).

Finally, I’d like to remind you that each year our Sigma Xi Chapter awards competitive Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIAR) to undergraduate and graduate student researchers and there is a great need to increase how many GIARs that we can award. You can help through tax-deductible donations to the OSU Campus Campaign or at any other time. There are also incentives for those who donate in support of research at Ohio State in 2018. Donations can be made at our website (u.osu.edu/sigmaxiohiostate/donate).

 

D.r Randolf Roth gives talk at COSI After Dark

Sigma Xi-nominated speaker, Professor Randolph Roth gave a public lecture at COSI After Dark entitled “How Violent Was the Old West?” on April 5th, 2018.

The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi has a strong connection with The Columbus Science Museum, COSI: Centre Of Science and Industry. We sponsor talks for our members as part of the “COSI After Dark” program and nominate students and faculty to participate in various COSI interactive science outreach events. If you are interested in becoming a sponsored speaker, please contact us at Sigma_xi@osu.edu

 

Professor Randolph Roth presents at COSI After Dark (04.05.18)

 

Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi Annual Banquet Reminder

This is a reminder that the Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi will hold their Annual Banquet and Research Symposium on Monday the 9th of April, in The Ohio Union, 1739 North High Street. The Annual Banquet represents an opportunity to celebrate the scientific achievements of our esteemed members and showcase the research of top Ohio State student researchers. All members are encouraged to attend and meet our new members and hear about the work done by our members over this year.

At 5 pm we will begin the poster presentations and judging in the Founders Room of the Union. There are still presentations spots open so please encourage your students to reserve a spot by contacting Dr. Noah Weisleder (noah.weisleder@osumc.edu) as soon as possible. Prizes will be awarded to the best presentations.

At 6:30 the banquet dinner will begin in the Traditions Room. Our 2018 Keynote Speakers are Dr. Lonnie Thompson & Dr. Ellen Mosley-Thompson who will present a lecture on “Past and Contemporary Climate Change: Evidence from Earth’s Cryosphere”.

In honor of their scientific achievements, the Annual Banquet is free of charge for all student inductees. The cost for student academic advisors, all other Sigma Xi members, alumni, faculty and additional guests are $30 per person. A cash bar will be available. Please purchase your tickets now with a credit card at Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.com/e/…) or contact Dr. Lynette Rogers (Lynette.Rogers@nationwidechildrens.org) to purchase your ticket.

 

Sigma Xi nominated speaker, Randolph Roth to present at COSI After Dark

On April 5th, don’t miss this COSI After Dark talk by Sigma Xi nominated speaker, Professor Randolph Roth entitled “How Violent Was the Old West?” Most Americans believe the Old West was a violent place. Not surprisingly, however, historians have engaged in a heated debate over the years over exactly how violent the Old West was. But thanks to the careful work of scholars over the past forty years—and the help of a little introductory statistics—we now know the answer. If you’d like to know the odds on whether you and your loved ones would have survived a decade or two in the Old West, please attend!