TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION | BIOTECHNOLOGY

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Biological Sciences Department
College of Science

The Biological Sciences Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) invites applications for a tenure-track, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR position in Biotechnology, beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. A Ph.D. in Biology, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Genetics, Molecular Biology or related science discipline or a related science discipline is required. In addition, Post-doctoral experience, demonstrated potential to establish an independent and active research program with students and a demonstrated potential to contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community are required. Previous teaching experience, experience or familiarity with teaching techniques that promote equitable student learning and evidence of conducting scholarly research activities involving students are preferred. The successful candidate will have the potential for excellence in undergraduate teaching, and for developing an externally-funded research program that will involve undergraduate and Master's students. Teaching responsibilities will include courses with a focus in innovations in Biotechnology. Other teaching responsibilities may include introductory biology, genetics, cell & molecular biology, microbiology, molecular biology techniques or specialty courses in the candidate’s area of expertise. The successful candidate is expected to develop an extramurally funded research program involving undergraduate and Master’s level students. The candidate's area of specialty is open to agriculture, bioengineering, biofuels and renewable energy, biomedical applications, genetic engineering, or any other research area within the broad umbrella of biotechnology. The applicant will be expected to assist in curriculum development, advise students, serve on department, college, and university committees, and engage in professional activities. Cal Poly Pomona is a comprehensive Master’s university with a diverse student body. The successful candidate will have demonstrated an ability to be responsive to the educational equity goals of the University and its increasing ethnic diversity and international character. Applicants should submit (1) cover letter that describes how the candidate’s teaching and research experience have prepared the applicant to meet the duties and qualifications articulated in the position description; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) 1-page statement of teaching philosophy; (4) 1-page student success statement about the candidate’s teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population; (5) 2-page max proposed plan of research; (6) three representative publication reprints; (7) the names and contact information of five references; and (8) completed University application form. Review of applications begins on November 15, 2019. Full position description and application procedure: http://www.cpp.edu/~faculty-affairs/open-positions/.

Inquiries can be made to Chair, Biotechnology Search Committee, Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768 or to  biotech_search@cpp.edu. Official transcripts and three letters of reference will be required of all semifinalists. For further information, visit the Department web site at: http://www.cpp.edu/~biology.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.

QCB Colloquium | Dr. Aafke van den Berg

Dr. Aafke van den Berg
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
Lab Website (Dr. Leonid Mirny)

Transcription shapes 3D organization of mammalian chromatin

Thursday, September 12, 2019
2 PM
RRI 101

Abstract: Recent theoretical and experimental studies indicate that the process of  loop extrusion is one of the main mechanisms underlying chromosome organization during interphase. According to the model for loop extrusion, a cohesin complex is loaded onto chromatin and extrudes loops until it dissociates or encounters an obstacle such as CTCF. We aim to understand what genomic elements other than CTCF sites, and what processes on DNA can act as extrusion barriers, thus shaping chromosome organization.

We analyzed data from new experiments that remove CTCF and extend cohesin residence time and found profound changes of chromosome folding near active genes. To explain these changes we propose the moving barrier model where cohesin cannot bypass an elongating PolII. As a result cohesin traces PolII at its low speed in the direction of transcription, while a cohesin approaching PolII in the opposite direction is shoveled back to the end of the gene.

The moving barrier model recapitulates both ChIP-seq patterns of cohesin accumulation and patterns in Hi-C around active genes. Interestingly, the model also provides a long-sought mechanism for dynamic enhancer-PolII tracking during transcription elongation. I will discuss how future in vitro and time course experiments can further test the moving barrier model.

Graduate Research Opportunities at DOE National Laboratories

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2019 Solicitation 2.  Applications are due 5:00pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Detailed information about the program, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application system, can be found at: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr/. 

The SCGSR program supports supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory/facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist for a period of 3 to 12 consecutive months—with the goal of preparing graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission.

The SCGSR program is open to current Ph.D. students in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate thesis research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE Office of Science. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students’ overall doctoral thesis/dissertation while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the host DOE laboratories/facilities. The supplemental award provides for additional, incremental costs for living and travel expenses directly associated with conducting the SCGSR research project at the DOE host laboratory/facility during the award period.

The Office of Science expects to make approximately 70 awards in 2019 Solicitation 2 cycle, for project periods beginning anytime between June 15, 2020 and October 5, 2020.

Since its inception in 2014, the SCGSR program has provided support to over 480 graduate awardees from 135 different U.S. universities to conduct thesis research at 18 DOE national laboratories/facilities across the nation.
The SCGSR program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), in collaboration with the six Office of Science research programs offices and the DOE national laboratories/facilities, and program administration support is provided by the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE).

For any questions, please contact the SCGSR Program Manager, Dr. Ping Ge, at sc.scgsr@science.doe.gov.

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science

MEB Seminar | Dr. Randie Bundy

Dr. Randie Bundy
Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Chemical Oceanography
Lab Website

The impact of organic compounds on the cycling of trace metals in the ocean

Tuesday, September 10, 2019
12 PM
AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)

Abstract: Trace metals such as iron are essential nutrients for phytoplankton and bacteria, impacting primary productivity in many regions of the ocean. Our understanding of the iron cycle has improved dramatically since the dawn of the international GEOTRACES program, with the chemical speciation of iron emerging as a key control on the oceanic inventory of iron. The speciation of dissolved iron in seawater is dominated by complexation to a diverse pool of organic compounds which impact the bioavailability and reactivity of this scarce nutrient, yet the identity of these compounds are largely unknown. In this talk I will discuss how we determine the identity of these compounds in seawater with novel analytical tools, and why these organic ligands are important for trace metal cycling.

Tutoring Opportunity!

Looking for a grad student that is interested in tutoring an SMC student in molecular biology and general chemistry for an SMC student living in West LA. Please contact Dr. Michal Sela-Amit at msamit@att.net

Michal Sela-Amit, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
Social Work Center 230
Phone: 213 821-4402

Topping Board seeking student reps

We are looking for 5 new student representatives to join the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund's administrative body this year; both undergraduates and graduate students are welcome.

This is a great opportunity for professional development for non-profit, planning, public administration, education, and policy students! Please share! We want more students involved. Both grads and undergrads are encouraged to apply.

As you may be aware, the Topping Fund is administered by a Governing Board composed of a majority of current students who recruit and select fund recipients, and oversee the long-term policies of the Topping Scholarship. Benefits of being a student representative include service to the university and local community, organizational leadership experience, and networking with student leaders, faculty, and staff. Appointed by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs, student representatives serve a two-year term and participate in 6-8 meetings per semester. Students interested in serving on the Governing Board in 2019-20 should apply by September 5th.

The following link leads to the application form, and can absolutely be distributed to interested students.

Link to Application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SqbwNvFfrSsrAVnC_02XIYAZVgARBsZH/view?usp=sharing

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Trista Beard, Ed.D.

Gilliam 2020 Competition

I am pleased to invite you to nominate colleagues from your university for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s 2020 Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study. These three-year fellowships will be awarded to adviser-student pairs, with each pair comprising an eligible graduate student engaged in her/his PhD dissertation research and the thesis adviser.  In 2020 we anticipate making 40-45 awards.  The program announcement that provides details about the program, including eligibility criteria, can be downloaded from http://www.hhmi.org/gilliam.

You may nominate a total of 2 adviser-student pairs from University of Southern California.
 
Prospective fellows must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or other immigrants to the U.S., from racial, ethnic, or other groups recognized in the U.S. as underrepresented in the sciences or Alumni of the HHMI EXROP, be at the appropriate program stage of their PhD training and in an eligible discipline. 

We expect the nominator to work with others to identify nominees and gather information to respond to the prompts listed below. Please forward the program information to all appropriate departments and programs.

The nomination initiates the application process and all the materials and information provided will shape the judgments of the reviewers. The nomination will include responses to three questions about how the adviser-student pair fits the eligibility criteria and requirements specific to this fellowship. The questions must be completed by a knowledgeable senior institutional representative who can speak and commit on the institution’s behalf. 

1. How and why was the specific adviser-student pair internally selected?
2. What is the evidence that the adviser’s department is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in science?
3. What is the evidence that the graduate program and/or department values career and professional development in the sciences?
4. How has/will HHMI's Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study help to improve the quality of the graduate program and create an inclusive environment?

In addition, the nominator will be asked to complete a table on doctoral enrollment/degree attainment and support the data with a statement about the institution’s context-specific commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the sciences. The nominator must also provide a letter of support that describes that adviser’s interest, demonstrated ability, and commitment to develop the talents of students, especially those from underrepresented groups. 

The competition system will open for nominee submissions in early September. The nominator identified in this letter will be provided with login information and instructions via email on how to access the system at that time. The deadline for submission of your nominations is 2:00 p.m. ET, October 18, 2019.

This year, the Pathway system requires that the nominated thesis adviser confirm his/her participation before the nomination form can be submitted.  After the nominator inputs the adviser name, the system will generate an email prompting the adviser to confirm participation.

After HHMI has received and reviewed the information for each adviser-student pair, we will contact eligible nominees directly with instructions for submitting an online application. It is the responsibility of the nominated pair to submit a complete application to HHMI by the January 3, 2020, deadline. Institutions and applicants will be notified of the outcome of the competition via email in June 2020.

Questions may be directed to gilliam@hhmi.org. For technical questions related to the electronic nominee submission, a toll-free number and online help service will be available when the designated individual logs into the electronic nomination system.

Thank you.

 

David J. Asai

Senior Director, Science Education

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

http://www.hhmi.org/developing-scientists