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SubscribeUniversity of Louisville and Kentucky State University announce BA/BS-MS offering for KSU students
UofL, KSU leaders formalize collaborative
Employment growth in careers related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), underscores the importance of a new degree collaboration between Kentucky State University and the University of Louisville. The initiative allows KSU undergraduates majoring in math to study seven semesters (3.5 years) at KSU, and three semesters (1.5 years) at UofL, earning a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science (BA/BS) in math at KSU and a master of science (MS) in biostatistics from UofL. Students benefit by completing six years of study in five years.
“We continue to see a growing demand for a more highly educated workforce throughout the Commonwealth,” said UofL’s Interim President Greg Postel, M.D. “This collaborative effort will expose underrepresented groups to graduate education in a degree that will lead to high-demand, high-paying jobs and help Kentucky continue to move forward in an ever more competitive economy.”
“We are pleased to partner with a great institution like the University of Louisville, and I thank the KSU and UofL faculty for their innovative and creative thinking; our aim is to build a strong P-20 pipeline to serve Kentucky and this initiative helps meet that goal,” said KSU Interim President Aaron Thompson, Ph.D.
Interested students are identified in the early stages of their study at KSU and are mentored for the graduate program. They must take the GRE and apply for admission to UofL. Upon admission, students study the spring semester of their senior year at UofL and take courses that count toward a bachelor’s degree in math at KSU and the master’s degree in biostatistics at UofL. The balance of the master level courses are completed in the fifth year toward the MS degree in biostatistics.
Kentucky State Senator Gerald A. Neal, 33rd District, is an alumnus of both KSU and UofL and says the initiative is a significant inter-institutional collaboration. Continue reading
Qualified Participants Paid for Involvement in Research
Non-smokers aged 18-40 are sought for a research trial at the University of Louisville examining how flavors added to tobacco may lead to harmful outcomes.
The “Flavor and Addiction to e-Cigarette and Tobacco Toxicity” trial — or FACTT — is carried out by the American Heart Association Tobacco Research and Addiction Center at UofL. Principal investigator for the trial is Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D., who also currently has ongoing toxicological studies of tobacco and nicotine to identify which chemicals are harmful and can be regulated.
The center was established in 2013 with a $10.7 million grant from the NIH and FDA. Under the leadership of director Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., the center conducts multidisciplinary research to help shape the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as they are regulated by the FDA.
UofL is building a body of research in the potential hazards of electronic cigarettes. In 2014, Bhatnagar chaired the 10-member panel of national experts that developed the American Heart Association’s first-ever policy statement on e-cigarettes, citing the paucity of research that has been conducted on the effects of e-cigarettes on health.
Another researcher with the UofL center, Daniel Conklin, Ph.D., is currently researching links between e-cigarette ingredients and cardiovascular conditions; Earlier this year, Conklin was invited to present his first findings showing the link between e-cigarette ingredients and atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for its Annual Meeting.
To be eligible for the FACTT trial, participants must not only be non-smokers, they also must be unmedicated and otherwise healthy. The trial requires a one-time visit for a blood draw at the center in the Delia Baxter Building at 580 S. Preston St. on the UofL Health Sciences Center campus.
Qualified participants will receive a $30 prepaid spending card. For more details and to sign up for the trial, contact the center at ATRAC@louisville.edu or 502-852-4236.
Learn about the neurobiology behind pain at Beer with a Scientist, August 17
At this month’s Beer with a Scientist, Kristofer Rau, Ph.D., researcher at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, will discuss the neurobiology of why we feel pain. He’ll give an introduction to the neuroanatomy involved in pain processing and explain why the “funny bone” hurts so often, why we get ice cream headaches, why amputees feel pain in a lost limb and other painful topics.
Rau is a senior research scientist in the UofL Department of Anesthesiology and a member of the Louisville Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. His work focuses on the neurobiology of pain and the electrophysiological and molecular changes that occur following tissue injury and spinal cord trauma.
The program begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17 at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.
The Beer with a Scientist program began in 2014 and is the brainchild of UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises: beer and science.
Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.
Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.
For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook.
COMING UP: Andrea Behrman, Ph.D., UofL Department of Neurological Surgery,September 14.
Beer with a Scientist founder, Levi Beverly, Ph.D., will speak at the event during Research!Louisville, October 12.
The Louisville Regional Science & Engineering fair will be held at the Kentucky Science Center (727 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202) tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, 2015 from 9 am to 5 pm. This year marks the 50th iteration of the LRSEF.
The annual event features more than 230 students from over 20 regional schools as they present their independent research projects in categories that include various engineering fields, computer science, biology, environmental science, chemistry, and more. Projects are judged by area volunteers who are each qualified professionals in the field they are judging. Project creators and their schools can receive prizes, trophies, and cash awards, but incentives do not stop there. Winning projects will move forward to state and international events, affiliated with the Society for Science & the Public.
Check in & move in for all LRSEF projects will be from 7:30 – 9 am Saturday with a snow date of set for Sunday (don’t forget that we spring forward that night for Daylight Saving Time). Judging will take place from 9 am to 12 pm for the morning session and from 1 to 3 pm for the afternoon session. Award Ceremonies will begin at 3:45 pm and end at 5:15 pm.
Louisville Slugger/ H&B will provide free parking at their employee lot for parents, volunteers, and judges involved with LRSEF on March 7. Entrance to the lot is at 10th & Main Street. Immediate family of registered LRSEF students will be welcomed to the Science Center’s exhibits on Saturday.
