The Academic Minute for 2020.06.15-2020.06.19

The Academic Minute from 06.15 – 06.19

Monday, June 15th
Christine Biermann – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Molecular Analysis is Revolutionizing Native Trout Conservation
Dr. Christine Biermann is Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies and Director of the Sustainability Minor at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She holds an undergraduate degree in Geography from SUNY Geneseo, MS degree from University of Tennessee, and a PhD from Ohio State University. Her research on native and wild trout conservation is funded by the National Science Foundation. She also performs research on forest dynamics and directs the Tree Ring Lab at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Christine currently teaches courses on environmental systems, climate and environmental change, and forest ecology and dynamics. She is passionate about understanding environmental issues as also social issues and making science and academia more inclusive, diverse, and accessible.

Tuesday, June 16th
Oksana Bihun – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Solvable Dynamical Systems
Dr. Oksana Bihun is a mathematician, writer, and musician. She received a Ph.D. in math from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2009. Since then, Dr. Bihun worked as a math professor at Concordia College and the University of Colorado. Her publication record of more than 30 papers features a book chapter in the volume “Nonlinear Systems and Their Remarkable Mathematical Structures”, N. Euler (ed), CRC Press (2018) as well as a Taylor and Francis Editor’s Choice paper “A new solvable many-body problem of goldfish type” (with Francesco Calogero, 2016). Dr. Bihun has earned excellent ratings from her students when teaching courses ranging from College Algebra to Numerical Computation to graduate Complex Analysis. As a Ukrainian writer, she won two awards for her books of poetry “Distance to the Border”, “Labyrinth”, and “The anticipation of Christmas”. Dr. Bihun composes music, sings, and plays piano, bandura (a Ukrainian folk instrument akin to harp), and guitar.

Wednesday, June 17th
Elizabeth Daniels – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Do Media and Body Image Create an Early Exit for Middle-School Girls?
Dr. Daniels joined the UCCS Psychology Department in Fall of 2014. She was previously an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University Cascades and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon Central Oregon Programs. Her research centers on identifying positive influences on girls’ and young women’s development including media and activity contexts. Her research has been featured in national and international media, e.g., the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Time, New York Magazine, Telegraph, and Daily Mail. Dr. Daniels is currently serving as the Director of Psychological Science Training for the MA program.

Thursday, June 18th
Jena McCollum – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
3D Printing From Concrete to Rockets
Dr. Jena McCollum is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.  Prof. McCollum obtained her B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at West Texas A&M University in 2012 and subsequently, her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University in 2015.  She completed an NRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the United States Air Force Academy Chemistry Research Center in 2016.  Her research interests include equipment design and material characterization to enhance additive manufacturing technologies. Her current research interests include manipulating binder formulations and building specialty additive manufacturing equipment to bridge technical gaps associated with composite design utilizing thermoplastic and thermosetting binders.

Friday, June 19th
Eugenia Olesnicky Killian – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Using Fruit Flies to Understand the Genetics of Neurological Disorders
Dr. Olesnicky Killian completed an undergraduate degree in Biology from Drew University and MSc and PhD degrees in Developmental Genetics from New York University. She also completed two postdoctoral fellowships in craniofacial biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and in RNA regulation during neural development at Princeton University. Her research focuses on understanding the roles that RNA binding proteins play in nervous system development and neurodegeneration. Dr. Olesnicky Killian teaches Genetics, Molecular Genetics and Developmental Neurobiology.