Chadron State students present scientific research
Two Chadron State College students, Emmanuella Tchona and David Johnson, presented their summer research at the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program conference in August in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
By News Channel Nebraska
CHADRON – Two Chadron State College students, Emmanuella Tchona and David Johnson, presented their summer research at the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program conference in August in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
Tchona and Johnson have each spent the past two summers working on research to diagnose and treat cancers, according to their adviser Biological Sciences Professor Dr. Ann Buchmann.
Tchona presented a poster titled, Validation of alpha fold MAP3K1 for Substrate-Guided Design of Inhibitors. Johnson presented a talk titled, DNA-Gold Nanoparticle Quantification of Serum Biomarkers: An Advanced Approach to Diagnosing Pancreatic Cancer.
Buchmann said INBRE is a great program for students who want to pursue a career in research. Students accepted into the program spend the summers after their sophomore and junior years doing research in a lab at UNMC, Creighton, or UNO/UNL. Then, as a follow-up portion of the program, they conduct research projects at CSC during their junior and senior years.
“I am immensely proud of these two students. They did interesting research projects and they presented their research well. They will leave CSC with great research experiences, which will help them in their future careers,” Buchmann said.
Tchona said pancreatic cancer is the fourth most frequent cause of cancer deaths behind lung, breast/prostate, and colorectal cancer.
“With the enzyme IKK2 playing a critical role in cancer development, previous work in our lab established the presence of elevated levels of p-IKK2 in patient-derived tumors. We and others showed that MAP3K1 activates IKK2,” she said. “Based on this information, my work during the summer of 2023 was to develop a computational model that could predict novel compounds as inhibitors of MAP3K1 using a virtual screening method.”
She said her experience in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Natarajan lab was life-changing.
“Dr. Amar Natarajan, the Principal Investigator, was a great mentor and through him I met lifelong friends who gave me a lot of advice concerning life and Ph.D. applications. I came back refreshed and knowing that life as a scientist is what I want and what I am called to do. I recommend the INBRE program to all aspiring scientists. You will gain a lot of research experience and lifelong friends along the way,” Tchona said.
Students interested in becoming an INBRE scholar should contact Buchmann at 308-432-6055, Math Science COIL Room 214, or [email protected]. Applications are due Dec. 1.
Helmbrecht initiates Bike Sharing program for campus
CHADRON – Dr. Britt Helmbrecht, Associate Professor in Health Physical Education and Recreation, has initiated a bike-sharing program on the Chadron State College campus through a $10,000 grant she received from Healthy Blue, an arm of the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance company.
Helmbrecht said Chadron Bike Share will eventually expand to support the community, but the pilot project will start on campus and serve the transportation and wellness needs of CSC students.
“The concept is pretty simple. If you find a bike parked in a bike rack on campus with the Chadron Bike Share sticker and a bike license plate, feel free to ride it to your next destination. It's your responsibility to return the bike to a designated bike rack on campus when you're done with it. ‘Ride. Return. Repeat.’ is the slogan for this project,” Helmbrecht said.
Helmbrecht is excited that the initiative aligns with the Eagle Wellness priorities and strategic goals and with her role as Campus Wellness Officer.
Recently, a representative of the Panhandle Public Health District asked Helmbrecht if she would be willing to start a community bike-sharing program. She was interested and posted a request for donated bikes on social media which received an overwhelmingly positive response.
Dr. Kurt Kinbacher, a Professor of History and experienced cyclist, volunteered to support the program by making sure the bikes were mechanically sound.
“He went through the bikes, we ordered parts, and he fixed them up. There was little direction and a lot of freedom to decide what would work best for our campus and community,” Helmbrecht said.
Although the bikes are monitored by GPS tracking, Helmbrecht hopes users will respect the principle of the program by treating the bikes well and returning them.
Until designated bike racks are placed on campus, the first eight bikes will be placed across campus. More bikes will be added based on an evaluation of the first year.
Graves Lecture Series starts Tuesday
CHADRON – The Graves Lecture Series at Chadron State College will include three speakers during the fall semester. The series opens Tuesday with a presentation, Trail Town USA, by Kat Shiffler. Subsequent lectures will be Oct. 3 by Dr. Haesong Kwon and Oct. 24 by Danielle Covolo. All presentations are free and open to the public in the Sandoz Center’s Chicoine Atrium at 7 p.m.
Shiffler is a Landscape Architect with the National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program based in Omaha. She supports community-led conservation and outdoor recreation planning and design in the region. With a background in rural economic development, she provides technical assistance and project support to small towns.
In addition to her Graves Lecture, she will speak Tuesday at 11 a.m. about her work in an informal session open to the public in Old Admin Room 227.
Shiffler will explore her agency’s work with communities to plan and design recreation and conservation opportunities and share some good examples of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure for small towns that serve as valuable community assets for residents and attract visitors, stimulating local businesses.
“Successful trail towns emerge from improved services and amenities; a culture of hospitality, stewardship and inclusivity; and from regional efforts to improve connectivity between the trail and towns along the route,” she said.
Shiffler will include information about the National Park Service’s collaborative trail projects, including the Cowboy Trail and the Great American Rail Trail.
Kwon’s Oct. 3 presentation is titled Poems that Can Drive a Fully Grown Human to Sob Uncontrollably.
He is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at CSC, who teaches courses in composition and creative writing.
When he joined the faculty in 2022, he said his English colleagues impressed him as dedicated teachers and researchers.
He earned a doctorate at Oklahoma State University and master’s degrees from both the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Iliff School of Theology. His bachelor’s is from Clark University.
“My lecture is for those who believe in the power of a good cry. It is for those who have not yet given up on the power of the written word to evince complicated, salvific truths,” he said.
Kwon will offer a close reading of several of his favorite poems that evoke powerful, emotional responses. He will also speak about persuasive line breaks in poetry, the challenges of composing poems in English as a second language learner, and human tears as a response to moments in literature.
Covolo’s Oct. 24 presentation is titled Sacred Knowledge. She is an Instructor teaching Topics in Corrections (Principles of Victim Services), Topics in Law Enforcement (Domestic Violence and Crime), Serial Killers in Popular Culture, and The Academic Life.
“Teaching at CSC was my academic career aspiration since the college serves rural students and first-generation students," said Covolo who participated in CSC's study abroad trip to the United Kingdom.
She is pursuing a doctorate in Administration Leadership and Service from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from New Mexico State University, and a bachelor’s from the University of Wyoming. She also completed Russian Language courses at Privet Language School in Russia.
Covolo’s presentation addresses the topic of missing and murdered Indigenous persons on the Pine Ridge Reservation. She will include related topics such as a return to the localization of resources and tribal sovereignty.
RLA to host Blind Date with a Book
CHADRON – Chadron State College’s Residence Life Association (RLA) will host Blind Date with a Book Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Hub. The aim of the event is to promote reading and diversity among students, according to Resident Adviser Sheila Salgado, who is helping coordinate the effort.
She said RLA has purchased a variety of carefully selected books to ensure a diverse and captivating array of books. The RLA committee also reached out to CSC employees to ask them to donate books. A box for book donations is located near the Hub by Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life Christian Miller’s office. Book drop-off ends Sunday. The books will be wrapped in preparation for the event.
Salgado said the books will be arranged on tables according to genres and each will have a small description on the package. Students are invited to select wrapped books of unknown titles or authors to read and keep.
“This encourages them to step out of their comfort zones, explore new genres or authors, and kindle their curiosity, and hopefully foster a love for literature,” Salgado said.
Afterward, RLA will distribute a survey to gauge the participants’ response.
“The survey will provide us with valuable insights into how the event went and any suggestions or ideas students may have for future events,” Salgado said.
Salgado said she has fond memories of participating in a similar event during her freshman year, which is why she decided to bring it back.
“It's a convenient and enjoyable event that doesn't demand too much time, making it accessible to students even during busy weeks. They can quickly choose a book within minutes or stay to start reading right away,” she said.
Questions about the book donations or the event can be directed to Salgado at [email protected] or Miller at [email protected].