NEWSLETTER

Volume 4, Issue 6
June 2007

  • Anne Avery has received promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure
  • John Belisle was promoted to Full Professor
  • Angelo Izzo was promoted to Associate Professor
  • Sandra Quackenbush has received promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure

...by accepting these promotions, this group of heroic faculty also vowed to protect the MIP Dept should any enigmatic intergalactic herald arrive on a surfboard to threaten its existence.



On May 22nd Micro major Agatha Wieczorek presented a research seminar at the Uniwersytet Opolski in Opole, Poland to a group of Biotechnology and Biology students/faculty. Agatha's dad is a Professor of Biochemistry at the University. Agatha, who works with Dr. Erica Suchman, spoke about the effects of Densonucleosis virus on mosquito populations - an area of research not typically conducted in Eastern Europe. No doubt it was a great experience both for Agatha as well as the students. Na zdrowie!


College Research Council Grants to 10 MIP Researchers

Congratulations to the following MIP researchers who were awarded grants by the CVMBS College Research Council for 2007/2008.

  • Lora Ballweber - "Prevalence of Neospora caninum in Arctic and Subarctic Systems and Implications for Maintenance of Infection in Herbivores"
  • EJ Ehrhart - "2-Deoxy-D-Glucose as a Therapy for Hypoxic Tumor Cells in Canine Osteosarcoma"
  • Lars Eisen - "Development of Web-based Information Delivery and Decision Support System for West Nile Virus Disease and Lyme Disease"
  • Brian Foy - "Novel Trypanosomatids in Local Arbovirus Vectors"
  • Julie Inamine - "Development of a Mycobacteriophage-based Test for Johne's Disease"
  • Karamjeet Pandher - "Analyses of Sequential Gene Expression Profiles of Rat Lungs Following Exposure to 3-methyllindole (3MI)"
  • Alan Schenkel - "Brain Endothelial Cell Function and Health after Neurotropic Viral Infection"
  • John Spencer - "Serodiagnostic Potential of Recombinant Proteins and Peptides for Leprosy"
  • Carol Wilusz - "Identification of Transcripts Associated with an RNA-binding Protein Implicated in Myotonic dystrophy"
  • Mark Zabel - "Identifying Functional Binding Sites on CD21/35 Protein that Interact with Prions"

Congratulations to Julie Inamine and Jeff Wilusz on their election to Faculty Council for a three year term starting July 1. Thanks to all MIPers who make valuable contributions to the shared governance of our institution.


In the News...

John Belisle, Mary Ann DeGroote, and Ian Orme were highlighted in the May 31 Issue of the Coloradoan regarding development of a TB vaccine. Read the Article.

Randy Basaraba and Ian Orme were quoted on the front page of the June 1 Issue of the Coloradoan in regards to the Tuberculosis research being conducted at CSU. Read the Article

Ralph Smith was quoted in the June 3 Issue of the Coloradoan regarding the newly constructed Regional Biocontainment Center and its anticipated completion. Read the Article


To the following Honors thesis advisers:
Anne Avery
William Black
Patrick Brennan
Susan Deines
Brian Geiss
Julia Inamine
RoxAnn Karkhoff-Schweizer
Christine Olver
Erica Suchman

In addition, you might be interested to know that the CSU Honors Program transfers funds to the MIP Department to recognize the efforts/contributions of these faculty to the Program. 100% of these funds are then transferred into a scholarship fund to recruit high-ability students to our undergraduate program.


Gerry Callahan was nominated by students in the Honors Program for the 2007 Honors Professor Award. He was one of only 19 nominees.

Julie Inamine was nominated by the Honors students for the 2007 Honors Academic Adviser Award.


MIP Publications Late May-early June 2007

For fiscal year 2008, the MIP Department will be doing it's very best to try to bridge gaps in laboratory research funding created by the dwindling paylines from federal agencies. MIP will be issuing bridge grant funding in sizable amounts (e.g. $50-100,000) from its indirect cost recovery pool to help to sustain competitive departmental research projects until external grant funds can be obtained. Please see the link below for more information on this important bridge program as well as application instructions.

Bridge Fund Application



(l-r) Paul Thayer, Patrick Brennan, Jack McGrew, Carol Blair and David Quigley

For the last 14 years on or around the 5th of May, the Cinco-Cinco 5K Run/Walk is held at CSU to raise money for scholarships for deserving students. The event is held in memory of Gil Gutierrez, the Ombudsman at Colorado State who was killed by a drunk driver while he was jogging in August of 1993. Pictured above are 5 athletes who have participated in EVERY race to date - including our own Carol Blair and Pat Brennan. In the photo above, Patrick and David are wearing "inaugural Cinco-Cinco Run" shirts, Carol is modeling a t-shirt from the 5th run (El Quinto) and Jack is donning apparel from the 10th (El Decimo). Kudos to the Cinco-Cinco Committee for providing us with the photo and info. Congratulations and thanks for your commitment to a very worthy cause.


We're pleased to announce the winners of this year's MIP faculty committee elections:
  • Advisory Committee:
    Sandra Quackenbush
    Alan Schenkel
  • Promotion and Tenure Committee:
    Patrick Brennan
    Edward Hoover
    Robert Jones
    Ralph Smith
  • Graduate Education Committee:
    Brian Foy
  • Undergraduate Education Committee:
    Julie Inamine
Each individual will serve a 3-year term beginning the first day of the Fall 2007 Semester for Advisory, GEC and UEC members, and January 1, 2008 for the PTR Committee. Details on the full make-up of these committees can be found at the MIP Committee Webpage.
Annual CSU July Payroll Shenanigans

Salaried Employees: June paychecks will be deposited on July 2.
Hourly employees: Paychecks for the pay period ending June 8th will be deposited on July 2nd - NOT June 22nd. Paychecks for the period ending June 22 will deposit as usual, on July 6.

If you have questions please contact Ryan in Path (1-6239), Linda at Foothills (1-1630) or Greg in Micro (1-3510).


Sandy Trippel's last day with the department was June 5th. Sandy had been with the University approximately 20 years, starting as a typist in 1987 in the Pathology Department. We wish her the best in her future endeavors!



Nathan Kuehl, long time Network Support Technician to the Microbiology and Pathology Facilities, is retiring from CSU on June 30. As a small token of our department's appreciation for your dedicated service, please click on the link below to see pages upon pages of personal "thank you's" from MIP faculty, students and staff.

Thank you notes


Congratulations to Tim Kurt and Liz Handwerk on their upcoming marriage scheduled for Saturday, June 23!

Congratulations to John Anderson and Jennifer Lee on their upcoming marriage scheduled for June 22!




Congratulations to the Vandeventers on their new arrival....
Jordon Mackenzie
Born May 16


Ralph Smith is giving tours of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) every Friday at 1pm through the month of June. If interested, please contact Linda Pundt to be placed on the schedule. The tour provides an appreciation of the security, safety, and containment issues involved in building such a facility. Highlights of the tour include the Manufacturing Area, Product Development labs, Aerosolization Room and the ever popular "Dirty Corridor".


Barry and Caryl Beaty attended a Habitat for Humanity Fundraising Event in May


CSU Superclusters ™ are mulitdisciplinary alliances designed to accelerate practical applications of research innovations. The first one that has been created, the Infectious Disease Supercluster, has recently launched the ID Supercluster website. Check it out by clicking on the link and learn more about its Program plan, administrative structure and funding opportunities.


Only a few days left to join your MIP teammates and register to participate in the summer Staying Alive Program! Sign-up TODAY at the Staying Alive Website! The Program kicks off on June 18th.


The MIP Newsletter reached 30,000
hits in May!

    Other notable 30,000's:
  • The estimated annual utility bill for Al Gore's Nashville home
  • Approx. average annual cost for a four year private college (as of Fall 2006)
  • Approx. # of campsites in Colorado's ~800 campgrounds
  • Number of bacteria/ml needed to give a positive urinalysis if done by microscopic evaluation.


"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. "

~James Dent (Columnist for the Charleston Gazette)

"Ryan Abbott running a tight ship
in the Path Office"
    Alternative captions:
  1. "Still relatively new to MIP, Ryan misunderstands when the Dept Head says that she'd really like to see that Hoover get to work."
  2. "All we need to do is hire a heavy-set guy named Costello and we'll have quite a duo."
  3. "Unlike Nature, Ryan doesn't abhor a vacuum."
  4. "But does he do Windows ®?
  5. Submit your own.


Click Here for the questions to MIPuzzle #19
Click Here for the answers to MIPuzzle #19

"School's (and Flocks') out - Please Drive Carefully "


New Grant Awards

Ramesh Akkina, "Humanized Rag2-/-gc-/-Mice for HIV Infection and Gene Therapy", NIAID.
Karen Dobos-Elder, "Role of Gamma-Delta T Cells in Vaccine-Induced Immunity", Saint Louis University
Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero, "Zeiss 510 LSM MEta Laser Scanning Microscope", NIH
Edward Hoover, "Biomedical Research Training for Veterinarians", NIH
Kristy Pabilonia, "CSU Archiving & Genotyping Cooperative Agreement", APHIS
Kristy Pabilonia, "National Poultry Improvement Plan...", APHIS
Sue Vandewoude, "In Vitro Inhibition of FIV Infection by PMEA and P405 and its Metabolites" Luitpold Pharmaceuticals
Carol Wilusz, "Typhoon Trio Imager", NIH



Fiscal Year End Deadlines:
  • ACARD: All invoices for Acard purchases must be received by the department by June 20th, 2007 to be charged to FY07.
  • TRAVEL: All travel vouchers with an end trip date of June 30, 2007 must be submitted to the department by June 20th, 2007.

New R03, R21, and STTR paylines for FY 2007 are posted at the NIAID Website.

Check out the new NIAID Council-Approved Concepts.

Read more in Using NIAID Concepts to your Advantage.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: Don't discard those one-in-a-million, harebrained ideas/hypotheses without testing them - the luckiest day of the century will occur next month


JUNE 2007

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
        1
4 5 6 7 8
CVMBS Capital Equipment Requests Due
11 12 13 14 15
18 19 20 21 22
25
MIP Faculty Mtg 11am Path 103
26 27 28 29
Fiscal Year End

JULY 2007

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
2 3 4
Independence Day!
Univ Office Closed
5 6
9 10 11 12 13
16 17 18 19 20
23 24 25 26 27
30
MIP Faculty Mtg 11am Path 103
31      

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