December 2006
WISE RP updateThis semester, the WISE RP has hosted several exciting WISE Nights. On September 12th, the annual Sundaes on Tuesday event offered students the opportunity to hear tips from returning students about how they can succeed in their transition to UM. They also learned more about the many science- and engineering-related resources that they can take advantage of throughout the year, such as the Science Learning Center (SLC). On October 3rd, Dr. Megan Mahoney, a Postdoctoral Fellow in UM's Department of Psychology, enthusiastically spoke about biorhythms and the importance of sleep. Not only did she calm many of the audience's fears by confirming there is a mid-afternoon dip in energy levels and that young adults are not optimally awake when school begins at 7 or 8 am, but she also spoke about the importance of listening to your body. Naps lasting about 10 minutes can be beneficial when you are tired, but most people go into deeper stages of sleep, including REM (rapid eye movement), after that. Biological (circadian) rhythms were another focus: Mahoney explained that regardless of certain environmental conditions, animals exhibit an internal clock that stays approximately constant. Presence or absence of daylight is only partially responsible for keeping animals in rhythm – you and your body control your restfulness. On October 10th, Dr. Erica Riddle Taylor, the Director of Diversity and Outreach Programs for the Genetics Department at Stanford University, spoke about her personal experiences as a woman in the field of science, as well as graduate school opportunities. As a WISE RP alumna, Dr. Taylor served as a valuable resource by giving her perspective on what doing research, designing experiments, and defending a thesis is all about. Several students expressed concerns about how to apply to, get accepted to and stay in graduate school. Dr. Taylor's advice was
insightful: make connections as an undergraduate with other students with similar interests (WISE RP is the perfect place for that) and with faculty who can serve as mentors; and challenge the process and remain motivated, even when the going gets tough. Stanford also has summer On October 24th, Dr. Tim McKay hosted a WISE Night for the community that featured the UM Physics Department. He completed a number of physics demonstrations, and WISE RP students worked in teams to figure out the answers to many physics questions. He also shared great tips for how to go about pursuing a Physics concentration or graduate studies here at UM. On November 7th, Dr. Elizabeth Petty, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, spoke about the connections between genetics and human sexuality. She also shared the results of a recent study she led that examined how one's sociopolitical beliefs are impacted by one’s views about genetics and sexuality. On November 21st, our featured WISE Night speaker will be Dr. Tony England, Associate Dean for the College of Engineering. In addition to the WISE Nights, the WISE RP students themselves have organized a number of successful community building activities here in East Quad. Students participated in a rock-climbing event, time management workshop, game night, and self-defense seminar this month. The WISE RP community also organized a Halloween Party and game tournament.
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