Faculty names are in bold; students' names are icalicized.
Presentations from previous academic years are available.
Jason Hamilton presented, "What Is Sustainability and Where Did It Come From?" at Academic Enrichment Services/Office of Multicultural Affairs Summer Institute 2008. Ithaca College, July 2008.
This lecture served to build community and set the stage for academic immersion during this three-week program for new students.
Jason Hamilton presented, "Envisioning a Sustainable Future: A Leadership Role for Higher Educations" at the FOCUS the Nation: Global Warniing Solutions for America seminar series. Rockland Community College. February 2008.
Sustainability. Is it just a buzz word? The latest feel-good idea? A new science? A unifying concept
to envision a secure future? All of the above? Jason presented a thought-provoking look at the current
state of people and our planet. He explored the evolution of sustainability and the role it plays in
dealing with our current environmental, social, and economic dilemmas. The presentation ended with a
discussion of how the concept of sustainability serves as a compass to help the RCC community move us,
our institutions, and our country toward a more secure future.
Andy Smith presented the talk, "Metals, molluscan glues and gel mechanics" at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 6, 2008 in San Antonio, Texas.
Metals, molluscan glues and gel mechanics. SMITH. A. M. Ithaca College. Molluscan adhesive gels possess many useful properties, most notably their remarkable combination of strength and deformability, as well as their ability to adhere to wet, irregular surfaces. Recent work has found that the glue of the terrestrial slug Arion subfuscus contains substantial amounts of iron, manganese, zinc and some copper. Furthermore, the presence of transition metals was critical for the glue to set. This study addresses the relative roles of the different metals. Do they all function similarly, with similar effectiveness? Are they incorporated into the glue in a similar way? We used atomic absorption spectroscopy to characterize the metal content of several different gastropod glues. We also tested the effect of these metals on the mechanics of several commercial gels. The metal content of the glue from the terrestrial snail Helix aspersa and the terrestrial slugs A. subfuscus and Ariolimax columbianus was markedly similar. When hydrated, all three had over 40 mM calcium and 0.07-0.08 mM iron. A. subfuscus also had 0.9 mM zinc while A. columbianus had 0.5 mM manganese. For comparison, sodium and chloride concentrations were roughly 10 mM. Soaking A. subfuscus glue in EDTA caused all the metal concentrations to drop to 1-5% of their original value, except iron, which was not significantly different (t-test, P = 0.18). All the metals stiffened agar and pectin gels. Notably, despite its poor solubility iron was 20-40x as effective as calcium. Zinc was roughly 10x as effective as calcium. These results suggest that iron is more effective in controlling the gel mechanics than other metals, and it is more tightly incorporated into the glue. The other metals are present in higher concentrations, so they would still contribute substantially, but likely in different ways.
Jason Hamilton presented, “Sustainability at CSUF: Why Our Future Depends on It “. Campus Sustainability Addressed, California State University-Fullerton. November 2007. View the article.
Kirwin Providence and Sarah Kessler presented a poster entitled, “Desmid Adhesion Mechanisms: A prelude to eukaryotic and biofilm formation”. 2007 Annual Symposium in Plant Biology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst. October 2007.
Abstract:
Adhesion is a fundamental cellular process used by all kingdoms of life. The formation of biofilms (highly structured microbial communities) requires the secretion of adhesive substances. In many freshwater wetland ecosystems, photosynthetic algae (desmids) play important roles in the formation, structure, and function of biofilms.
Central to most adhesion processes is the production and secretion of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The EPS is a carbohydrate rich matrix of molecules that is secreted beyond the cell wall. Previous research demonstrates that proteins are embedded in desmid EPS. This observation suggests that proteins (either independently, or in concert with EPS) may support cell binding to substrates.
Using the desmid Penium Margaritaceum as the model organism, we test the hypothesis that proteins mediate initial desmid-substrate binding. This binding event is important in that it is a prerequisite supporting the transitioning from the planktonic realm to biofilm formation and subsequent benthic community development.
We demonstrate that EPS-devoid cells are able to adhere to abiotic substrates. This binding is dependent on peripheral proteins associated with the desmid cell wall and or plasma membrane. These observations increases our knowledge about this major group of microorganisms that may be keystone species in wetland habitats, and ones that profoundly affect environmental concerns such as water quality, pollution remediation, and disease control.
Susan Swensen
and Marian Brown (Provost's Office) presented a series of ten posters entitled "Exploring Positive
Growth: The Sustainability Initiative at Ithaca College." The conference, "Greening of the
Campus VII" was held at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. September 2007. View the full
report as a PDF here.
Abstract:
Ithaca College has undertaken a campus-wide sustainability initiative with three major areas
of focus: faculty research into related fields of study and active support for curriculum modification
to infuse considerations of sustainability into courses across disciplines; campus operational reforms
to become more sustainable and to provide a supportive living-learning environment that models the
theory and principles presented in our classrooms; and communication within our campus community and
outreach to our surrounding community in the region. We will offer a comprehensive poster session that
includes presentations and displays from all the various participants involved in the Ithaca College
sustainability initiative; this will include (but not be limited to) each of the following related
programs and activities: Curriculum and Research, Campus Operations, and Communication
and Outreach.
Jason Hamilton, Michael Rogers, Susan Swensen and Susan Allen-Gil presented “Infusing Sustainability into Higher Education. American Conference of Academic Deans Annual Conference (pre-conference workshop), New Orleans, LA,
Abstract:
The United Nations has declared 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and institutions of higher learning have become the focus for preparing societies to face environmental, social and economic challenges. This workshop will explore the role of deans in encouraging the development and implementation of sustainability in the academic mission. An experienced panel of faculty and administrators from Ithaca College will describe how their sustainability initiative grew and discuss particularly effective programs. To broaden the discussion, a panel of academic deans from different institutions will describe how they are responding to the challenges of infusing sustainability into the curricula at their schools.
John Confer presented an invited seminar in April entitled "Disturbing Forest and Field to Maximize Biodiversity: From Micro-Disturbance for Ceruleans to Mega-Disturbance for Golden-wings" at the Biodiversity Research Institute Seminar Series in Albany at the New York State Museum.
Bruce Smith and Will Brogan ('07) gave a poster presentation entitled “Habituation of male /Arrenurus manubriator (Acari: Hydrachnida) to female sex pheromone”. Mid-Atlantic Ecology Conference (Mid-Atlantic branch meeting, Ecological Society of America). York, PA March 2007.
Abstract:
Male Arrenurus manubriator mites were tested to determine whether response to female pheromone decreased with increased duration of exposure. Groups of virgin males were housed with a single virgin female for 1, 24, 48 or 72 hours. Males were exposed to pheromones during this period, but were not allowed direct contact with the female. The males’ response was tested in a circular arena divided into an central circle and an outer ring. Groups of 50 males were introduced to the arena, and either 0.6 ml of untreated water (negative control) or female-conditioned water (test groups and positive control) was injected into the center of the dish. Observations over time were used to determine when maximal responses to pheromone occur, and hence the optimal time for comparisons among treatments. Five groups of positive controls confirmed that sufficient pheromone was present and that males were responsive, and also indicated that the peak response occurred approximately 180 sec. after introducing pheromone to the arena. In trials involving 1 and 24 hr. pre-exposure to pheromone, males responded just as strongly to pheromone as did positive control groups. After 48 and 72 hours of exposure to female pheromone, significantly fewer males responded during observation intervals.
Jean Hardwick was an invited speaker and presented "Regulation of autonomic intracardiac neurons by inflammatory mediators" to the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Howard University College of Medicine. Washington, DC. March 2007.
Andy Smith presented "Adhesive gels from snails and slugs: strong, highly flexible glues that depend on iron" at the annual meetings of the Adhesion Society. Tampa, FL. February 2007
Abstract:
Gastropod molluscs such as snails and slugs can create strong, temporary adhesion using dilute gels. These gels consist of over 95% water, yet can adhere to a wide variety of surfaces with tenacities that typically range from 100 to 500 kPa. Because of the novel characteristics of these glues, there is good potential for biomimetic applications. Thus, a major goal is to identify the mechanism that makes these dilute gels adhesive. The key structural feature of these glues is the presence of gel-stiffening proteins that have been called “glue proteins”. Recent work has identified several important biochemical features of these proteins, the most striking of which is their association with iron. Removing or binding this iron with a highly specific iron chelator blocks the ability of the glue proteins to function in a variety of different assays. These observations suggest several possible mechanisms by which the glue proteins may act.
Session of interest: Biological and Biomimetic Adhesion Surfaces
Andy Smith presented “Gluing with an iron fist: crosslinking in molluscan adhesive gels “ at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. January 2007.
Abstract:
Many gastropod molluscs produce strong adhesion with soft, dilute gels. A major question is how such gels can become powerful adhesives. Previous research has identified specific glue proteins that appear to crosslink the gels and may be involved in interfacial adhesion, but the mechanism has not yet been identified. We studied the rapidly-setting defensive glue secreted by the slug Arion subfuscus. The proteins that constitute this gel are sensitive to the presence of iron. Atomic absorption spectroscopy on the dissolved glue and iron-specific stains on blots of the proteins show that the primary glue protein has iron bound at approximately a 1:1 molar ratio. This is the only protein in the glue that binds to iron strongly. Removal or binding of this iron with a high-affinity, iron-specific chelator shows that iron plays a major role in the function of the gel. Chelation of iron may inhibit the setting of the glue, as demonstrated by a marked increase in solubility when the chelator is added before the glue sets. Chelation also completely blocks the ability of the glue proteins to function in a gel-stiffening assay. This evidence suggests that iron associated with the glue proteins participates in crosslinking reactions that are essential for the mechanics and integrity of the gel. A mechanism involving iron could explain the ability to form strong, non-specific adhesion with dilute glues in an aqueous environment.
Susan Allen-Gil was the Faculty Speaker for the IC Capital Campaign Kick-Off at the Australian Embassy. She presented "Making a World of Difference Through International Experiences". Washington DC. December 2006.
Susan Allen-Gil presented, "Educating for Sustainability: Ithaca College" as the featured speaker at the Sustainability, Science, and Liberal Arts Colleges hosted by the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation. NY, NY. November 2006
John Confer gave an invited presentation on "Managing Early-Successional Forests For
Avian Species of the Declining Shrubland Guild" at the annual meeting of the Society of American
Foresters. The panel was on avian management, which was organized byJeff
Larkin (Bio 1995). Pittsburgh, PA. October 2006.
Jason Hamilton presented the faculty keynote address at the College's Family Weekend. He gave a mini-lecture on sustainability at Ithaca College. November 2006
Campus Sustainability Day, October 2006. This is the annual celebration and showcase of all the Ithaca College community is doing to advance campus sustainability.
Jason Hamilton presented "Plant-insect interactions in a high CO2 world: ripple effects across scales of integration" at the Institute of Ecosystems Studies Seminar Series, Millbrook, NY. October 2006.
John Confer presented "Managing Habitat for Shrubland Birds" at a conference on "Early Successional Habitat" sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation at the Rensselaerville Environmental Institute. September 2006.
Bruce Smith and Kit Muma presented "Biodiversity and Conservation: Sabbatical travels in the South Pacific" at the Queen's University Biological Station (Chaffey's Lock, Ontario, Canada) Wednesday Night Seminar Series. July 19th.
Jean Hardwick presented “Histamine-induced increase in intracardiac neural excitability is dependent on extracellular calcium“. Society for Neuroscience. Washington, DC. November. 2005.
Bruce Smith presented "Variations of a Theme: Life History Strategies of Water Mites" in the Zoology Department, University of Otago, Dunedin New Zealand. November 2005.Susan
Susan Swensen presented “Plants in strange places: Discovering evolutionary history with molecules (and mud)”. Biology Department, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa. October, 2005.
Susan Swensen presented “The Quest for a Sustainable World: What We Know…What We Can Do…”. Cornell College Science Departments, Mount Vernon, Iowa. October, 2005.
