A year ago, I was invited to present my research findings at a conference held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. So, there I was, standing in a room full of experts from all over the world, waiting for my turn to present my research. However, after listening to everyone else's talks, I was surprised
In recent decades, we have seen an increase in women holding STEM related careers. Today, 25% of workers in STEM fields are female. It is time to begin the conversation on how policies, whether at the institute level or federal level, are going to affect our growing workforce of women. Although reliant on the growing
Red Tide: Swimming not recommended. Shellfish harvest closed. Signs, such as in the associated picture, can be seen at many of Florida’s Gulf Coast Beaches due to a red tide. An excess of toxic microscopic algae in the water is causing a hazard to wildlife, human health, and local businesses. While the current bloom of
Smallpox blankets given to Native Americans. Gas chambers in concentration camps. Chemical weapons in the Syrian War. Russian spies poisoned by a nerve agent. What do these have in common? Each weaponizes chemical or biological agents. With today's strained political and foreign affairs climate, there is an ever-looming possibility of war and the use of
As humans, we sometimes eat some pretty weird things. (Rocky Mountain oysters, anybody?) But no matter how adventurous an eater you are, we typically draw the line once food starts to decompose. There is one animal, however, that thrives on a repulsive diet of death and decay. Vultures are obligate scavengers. Unlike other carnivores, they
You wake up one morning with a sore throat and a runny nose. Let's say this goes on for a couple of days; you go to a doctor and discover you have a bacterial infection. You are prescribed antibiotics and after a couple of days of taking them, you start feeling better. Now imagine another
In this series, “Mental Wellnessâ€, we will highlight not only the mental state of graduate students all over the world, but also the likely causes for these conditions, how to know when what you're feeling is too much, and how to deal with it in a healthy manner. So, take this journey with us and
You wake up in the morning and grab breakfast and some coffee. As you head out the door, you slip on your shoes and tie the laces. How did we even learn to do these things that are now second nature to us? We go about our routines, doing actions we've learned without realizing that
A month into my Ph.D. program, I remember my advisor reminiscing about how his uncle had to have hip replacement surgery. Sadly, his uncle did not survive due to complications post-surgery caused by blood clots and infections on the replaced hip. A decade later, his determination to prevent such cases, resulted in the development of
This piece is part of a “Double Takeâ€, where two parties argue on either side of a premise. A writer does not necessarily share the view they are arguing; instead, this is an exercise to fully flesh out a discussion. The premise: “Single-serve, plastic water bottles should be banned in the United States.†I am
This piece is part of a “Double Takeâ€, where two parties argue on either side of a premise. A writer does not necessarily share the view they are arguing; instead, this is an exercise to fully flesh out a discussion. The premise: “Single-serve, plastic water bottles should be banned in the United States.†I am
How do you like your steak? Preferably not deadly? Well, maybe you should keep an eye out for ticks…yep, ticks. Ticks are quite the pesky problem, especially during the summer months, when they're active and we're more likely to be outside. They're already pretty notorious for spreading diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,
