Project Scientist Academy

Faculty Fast Five: Karla Heidelberg

Faculty Fast Five: Karla Heidelberg

We interviewed Karla Heidelberg, who was just recognized with this year's Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching. Learn a little more about Karla below with some fun questions. 

What is your favorite book? 

When asked to report on your favorite book, I feel that the expectation is that people will answer with some critically acclaimed book that alludes to a deep topic of societal relevance. While I have enjoyed many of these types of books, my favorite book is a little less weighty. Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson combines humor, historical research, and a true sense of adventure – all things that I value. I might add that after reading one of his other books, A Short History or Nearly Everything, I couldn’t help but think that my BISC120 Intro to Biology lectures could have been much better if I incorporated his style of teaching and relating scientific information to students that are eager to get this prerequisite completed!

Was there a first science project/experiment that you remember and loved? 

As an undergraduate, I had an opportunity to work with one of my Professors on an EPA-funded study evaluating the toxicity effects of ALCOA aluminum plant discharge into the environment. We undertook field sampling and laboratory studies to test plant effluent toxicity on Daphnia (a freshwater zooplankton species) survival and reproduction. This was my first authentic research experience and the first time that I really considered human impacts on environmental systems. It changed how I thought about the field of science.

What's your favorite scientific discovery in history? 

The 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA from work based on the efforts of James Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin became one of the greatest scientific discoveries in modern history. The discovery that DNA occurred in a double-stranded/double helix molecule allowed for understanding of how the molecule copied itself and transferred genetic material across generations. This breakthrough has led to great discoveries in evolution, diversity, disease and behavior in biology. As a biological oceanographer, I am very interested in how organisms’ genetic makeup and gene expression affects their fitness in a given environment and how that, in turn, affects ocean function.

What excites you about science today? Specifically working in environmental studies. 

The scientific process is based on the critical analysis of information at hand. I like that we are taught, and in turn teach to others, that science is driven by the preponderance of evidence. What we know is a moving trajectory based on new discoveries and understanding. This way of thinking is exciting and provides structure for me -- countering the uncertainties of accepting what others tell us to accept.

I think that my favorite part of being the Director of the Dornsife Environmental Studies Program is interacting with truly passionate and diverse students in this program. A dynamic environmental studies class at USC will have students from multiple majors that argue points from very different perspectives. These perspectives remind me of the importance of promoting understanding of complex factors that drive our behavior toward science and toward environmental protection. Most of our students are eager to participate in off campus or non-traditional learning, and the lessons they bring back from the experiential learning motivates newer students and keeps our students motivated to try new things and take “learning risks” that prepare them for dynamic careers after graduation.  

If you had five words to describe a day in your life as a director at USC, what would it be? 

Tombstone won’t say I’m lazy.

Learn to Write Scientific Papers of the Future - 2/1/17

USC Office of Research session for students: Learn to Write Scientific Papers of the Future on Feb. 1st. 

Learn modern ways to practice open & reproducible science, get credit for research products, increase paper citations, augment vitae with data & software, write compelling Data Management Plans for proposals & comply with new funder & journal requirements. 

Time: 2/1/17 10:30-2pm

Location: UPC DML 240

RSVP at usccer@usc.edu.

Astrobiology Science Conference 2017

The AbSciCon 2017 will be held on April 24-28, 2017 in Mesa, Arizona. The theme this time around is "Diverse Life and its Detection on Different Worlds" with several sessions focusing on geobiology and geochemistry for life detection on Mars, Europa, exoplanets, others.

The session topics can be found here: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2017/program-abstracts/topics/

The main page is here: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2017/

The abstract is due JANUARY 18.

There are student travel awards (due the same day as the abstract: Jan 18th) that any undergrad or grad can fill out.

STEM Crisis Discussion Event

The "STEM Crisis" and Science Policy

Open discussion with USC Public Policy Professor 

Jennifer Miller

Wednesday, January 18th

2pm 

ZHS 200

Does the US have a shortage of workers with STEM skills, or is it the opposite? How does science policy affect research centers, funding and distribution of positions, and higher STEM education? Join us next Wednesday for a discussion. If you want to, read the following articles about the debate before attending.

IEEE Spectrum "The STEM Crisis Is a Myth."
http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/education/the-stem-crisis-is-a-myth

Change the Equation "STEM HELP WANTED Demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Weathers the Storm"

http://changetheequation.org/sites/default/files/CTEq_VitalSigns_Supply%20%282%29.pdf

Course Evaluations Workshop for Faculty

Benefits and Approaches to using Mid-Semester Course Evaluations

Hear from colleagues who are experienced in conducting mid-semester course evaluations to discover how it can help to improve teaching effectiveness.

DML 240 | January 31, 12:30 - 1:30pm

Presented by: Devon Brooks, Associate Professor of Social Work; CET Fellow Ruth Chung, Associate Professor of Clinical Education; Kimberly Hirabayashi, Associate Professor of Clinical Education; CET Fellow Marion Philadelphia, Associate Professor of Clinical Management Communication

RSVP here

Peer Observation Workshop for Faculty

Course Design for Student Success: Improving Your Course Through Peer Observation

Discover protocols to guide supportive observations by and of fellow instructors. In this active-learning workshop, participants will begin planning an informative peer observation process that provides focused feedback for improving instruction. Feel free to bring your course syllabus. Instructional designers will be available for consultation after the workshop.

ACB 238 | January 20, Noon - 1:00pm

Presented by: CET Instructional Designers: Katherine Guevara and Robert Sweeney

RSVP here

USC Wrigley Sustainability Prize

        

The USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies is announcing a new innovation competition on campus called the USC Wrigley Sustainability Prize. The goal is to promote marketable ideas from the USC community that can result in meaningful sustainability/environmental change. The competition is open to USC undergrads, grads, faculty and staff teams from ALL disciplines--teams can be mixed as long as there is student involvement in the group.

The competition is now open, with applications due February 10, 2017.

Applicants are invited to propose their ideas, then attend a business workshop where environmental and entrepreneurial experts will help teams refine their concepts and develop a business pitch. Finalists then present their concepts to a panel of judges and an audience at a showcase event in April 2017. 

First prize is $7,000 to help make the winning team's sustainable idea a reality! (2nd place - $5,0000, 3rd place, $3,000).

Website: http://dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/sustainabilityprize/

USC Stem Cell Distinguished Speakers Series: Hesham Sadek, MD, Ph.D.

USC Stem Cell Distinguished Speakers Series

Tuesday, December 6th 

11am-12pm

This week's guest will be Hesham Sadek. 

A webcast will be available at keckmedia.usc.edu/stem-cell-seminar

Bioinformatics Specialist Candidate Presentation #1

Norris Medical Library Bioinformatics Service is recruiting a new bioinformatics specialist.  We cordially invite you to attend the first candidate presentation “Identifying Quality Variation in High-Throughput Sequencing Datasets”.  This one-hour workshop will focus on identifying sets of variants that can be used for evolutionary and population genetic inference.  Attendees will learn the key concepts and steps to call and filter variants from sequencing reads.  

The workshop will 

•  Be applicable to both model and non-model systems
•  Cover the data structures of each of the major file formats in high-throughput data analysis (FASTQ, SAM, and VCF)
• Introduce a number of standard analysis tools, including BWA and the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK)
• Include suggestions on how to appropriately filter variants
• Illustrate how to perform analyses using the Unix command line and Galaxy

Time: 11 AM – noon, Wednesday, Nov. 30th.

Location: HSC—West Conference Room (basement level), Norris Medical Library

UPC—Live broadcast, Learning Center, Wilson Dental Library

The presentation can also be viewed on your own computer via live broadcast

Lunch will be provided at both in-person locations, seats are limited.

Registration is mandatory: https://uschsl.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_79TfRpbbpAlkwNT