Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, professor of plant metabolic engineering, was an invited plenary speaker at the International Conference on Resveratrol and Health, in Xi'an, China. Medina-Bolivar's talk was titled "Sustainable Bioproduction and Biological Activities of Prenylated Stilbenoids," compounds that have potential treatment applications for cancer, Alzheimer's disease and rotavirus infections. His research has produced several publications and patents in the United States and Europe.

Dr. Jennifer Bouldin, professor of environmental biology and director of the Ecotoxicology Research Facility, is principal investigator for a $149,988 grant from a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She and co-PIs Dr. Tanja McKay, professor of entomology and director of the environmental sciences program, and Rebecca Cooper will conduct research on native bee species that are pollinating Arkansas soybean fields and their impact on yields.

Congratulations to Dr. Maureen Dolan, associate professor of molecular biology, who is project investigator and program director of a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The project researchers will use sustainable plant-based bioengineering technology to produce a safer disease management product for use in aquaculture. Dolan was featured this week in Talk Business & Politics.

Dr. Anahita Izadyar, associate professor of chemistry, was invited to write a review article for the journal Electroanalysis, based on her scientific background. In the article she reviews the history and most recent studies on stripping voltammetry, an electroanalytical method used in analytical chemistry and various industrial processes. This is useful for trace analysis of redox-inactive ions in environmental, biological, and biomedical samples. An abstract is online.

Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, professor of plant metabolic engineering, was invited to give a plenary address at the fourth annual Conference on Food for Health, held in Fargo, N.D. The title of his talk was "Unearthing the Health Benefits of the Peanut: A Tale from Hairy Roots." The event was organized by the Global Institute of Food Security and International Agriculture and North Dakota State University.

Dr. Andrew Sustich, professor of physics, was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to a second term on the board of directors for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division of Science and Technology. He also chairs the state's Science Advisory Committee, which develops the state science and technology plan and serves as the advisory group for the state's National Science Foundation EPSCoR program.

Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee, assistant professor of herpetology, has been appointed to lead a new committee of the Herpetologists' League. As chair the Diversity and Inclusivity Committee, she has already announced three initiatives: ensuring national meetings promote an inclusive, safe and welcoming environment; broadening the society's reach to include and value herpetologists from all backgrounds; and promoting herpetology to students of all ages to increase the base of diversity.

Dr. Diane Gilmore, instructor in biological sciences, is Honors Professor of the Year for 2018. Gilmore, who teaches the Honors course "Human Structure & Function II," was recognized for the energy, passion and inspiration she brings to her lectures. Honors students selected her from among the seven faculty members they had nominated. She is the ninth recipient of the award, which was begun in 2010.

Dr. Tom Risch, interim associate vice chancellor of research and technology and professor of animal ecology, will attend the Red Wolf Science and Conservation Workshop hosted by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). The August workshop in Virginia will bring together specialists who can share information on wildlife biology and management, aiding in the recovery and conservation planning for the red wolf (Canis rufus) species.

Dr. Than Boves, associate professor of wildlife ecology, is co-author of an article in Systematic and Applied Acarology in which the researchers describe four new mites, including one believed to be the first organism named for Jonesboro. They named the mites, from a group of arachnids called feather mites, Amerodectes jonesborensis. Birds with these mites were caught at the banding station on campus. Details are online.

Dr. William Paulsen, professor of mathematics, solved the main outstanding problem in the field of tetration. In a pair of papers, "Solving F(z+1) = b^F(z) in the Complex Plane" and "Tetration for Complex Bases," both published, in Advances for Computational Mathematics, Paulsen proved there is a unique way to define repeated exponentiation, even when the number of repeats is not an integer or a complex number.

A National Science Foundation research grant led by Dr. Argelia Lorence, professor of metabolic engineering, and associates at two other institutions was highlighted in Discover as one of the country's top 12 projects in plant science. The Wheat and Rice Center for Heat Resilience WRCHR, which involves Nebraska-Lincoln, A-State and Kansas State, is creating the foundational knowledge needed for improved wheat and rice yields under stressful environments.

Congratulations to Dr. Paul Sikkel, associate professor of aquatic biology, whose environmental sciences graduate student, William G. Jenkins, is lead author of an article published in Symbiosis. The article, the first chapter of Jenkins' master's thesis, is titled "Effects of host injury on susceptibility of marine reef fishes to ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods." A photograph from the article, which is online, is on the journal cover.

Dr. Tillman Kennon, professor of science education and associate department chair, served as director of the 62nd annual Northeast Arkansas Regional Science Fair. Senior high and junior high students from schools in 19 participating counties competed in the fair, displaying their projects in Centennial Hall. Sponsored by the university and private donors, the Science Fair brings hundreds of prospective students to campus each year.

Dr. Tanja McKay, professor of entomology, has returned from Australia after spending five months on sabbatical. She and a veterinary entomologist at the University of Queensland conducted research into the control of nuisance flies around livestock, and she renewed her study of using parasitic wasps to help control fly populations instead of insecticides. A lab study also looked at wasp and buffalo fly relationships.

The Kays Foundation approved a $6,164 grant to Dr. Amanda Lambertus, associate professor of mathematics education and department chair. She plans to use the grant to support a proposed conference, "Nurturing Young Women Interested in Launching STEM Careers." Lambertus, who joined the mathematics faculty in 2000, earned her Ph.D. at North Carolina State University. Details are in an online news release.

Dr. Tillman Kennon, professor of science education, recently gave a presentation on behalf of the Arkansas BalloonSAT team, which he and Dr. Ross Carroll, associate professor of physics, led in an observation of the total solar eclipse last August in Fulton, Mo. Kennon addressed the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's annual meeting in St. Louis, and discussed the observation team's experiences and A-State STEAM students' participation.